Josh Byrd is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Byrd received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Georgia and a Master of Music degree and Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Georgia, respectively. Dr. Byrd studied saxophone with Kenneth Fischer while working on his bachelor’s degree and his conducting teachers include John Lynch, Tom Dvorak, Dwight Satterwhite and John Culvahouse. After graduating from UGA in 2000, Dr. Byrd taught for three years in the Atlanta area at Norcross High School and Lanier Middle School. Following his masters studies he served as the Director of Bands at Arrowhead High School in Hartland, Wisconsin from 2005-2008. Dr. Byrd remains active in the southeast as a clinician, adjudicator, and arranger. His professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Kappa Kappa Psi. In addition to band activities, Dr. Byrd teaches orchestration & arranging, technology & improvisation, percussion techniques, and instrumental music education courses.

Jeff Harper is the Associate Director of Bands at Lassiter High School in Marietta, Ga. He has taught at numerous well-established band programs throughout Cobb County since 1998.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Harper judges for both Drum Corps International and Bands of America, and he continues to judge throughout the United States and abroad.

This will be Jeff Harper’s tenth year serving on faculty for the Summer Leadership Institute.

Matthew M. McCord is an accomplished attorney who has helped many clients in the Atlanta area with both criminal defense and personal injury cases. The Law Office of Matthew M. McCord, P.C. is based in McDonough, Georgia. McCord provides clients in Atlanta, Jonesboro, Fayetteville, and the surrounding cities and counties with aggressive, passionate, and informed representation. After receiving his law degree from Georgia State University College of Law, McCord worked as a prosecutor for the government as well as a defense attorney for insurance companies. He spent two years working for the Clayton County solicitor general and one year as an assistant district attorney for Newton County. These experiences gave him the well-rounded perspective he brings to his practice today. Matthew McCord also holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Dr. Tonya Mitchell is the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Carolina. There, she assists with the Carolina Band, directs the women’s basketball band, and conducts the University Band. Dr. Mitchell also teaches courses in the music education department and oversees student teachers. Prior to her appointment at USC, Dr. Mitchell served as interim Director of Athletic Bands at Valdosta State University in Valdosta, GA, and spent 4 years as band director at Chamblee Charter High School in Chamblee, GA.

Dr. Mitchell is a frequent adjudicator, clinician, and speaker. As a proponent of new music, she led the consortium and premiere of Aaron Perrine’s Beneath a Canvas of with the University of Kansas Wind Ensemble to complete her doctoral studies. Her research on Joan Tower’s Fanfares for the Uncommon Woman is published in the Alta Musica journal; she also presented this research at the International Society for the Promotion of Wind Band in Oberwölz, Austria. Additionally, Dr. Mitchell serves as New Music Editor for the Women Band Director’s International Journal. As a champion for women in music, she was honored to speak in the 2018 Tau Beta Sigma Women in Music series.

Dr. Mitchell received her Bachelor of Music Education degree with a minor in wind conducting from Indiana University where she was also drum major of the Marching Hundred. She holds a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting degree from the University of Kansas. Dr. Mitchell is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, and an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma.

David Roth joined the faculty at Kell High School as the Assistant Director of Bands in 2008 and was named as Director of Bands in 2011.  As Assistant Director of Bands at Kell, he had the honor of conducting the Kell Wind Symphony during their performance at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago and assisted with the marching band program as they won two back-to-back BOA Regional Championships in 2010.  Prior to joining the Kell program, he was the Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw Mountain High School, where he was the primary conductor of the Concert I and Concert II Bands and assisted with the Marching Band, Wind Symphony, and Symphonic Band.  In December 2006, he had the honor of conducting the Kennesaw Mountain Wind Symphony during their performance at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.

A native of Marietta, Georgia, Mr. Roth graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia in December 2003 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and Music Composition and received his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois in August 2007.  While at UGA, Mr. Roth studied conducting with Dr. John Culvahouse, clarinet under Drs. Dannene Drummond, D. Ray McClellan, and Theodore Jahn, and studied composition with Dr. Leonard V. Ball, Jr.  In addition, he has studied at the University of North Texas with Dr. Cindy McTee (composition) and under Professor James Keene while at the University of Illinois.

Mr. Roth was a member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps from 2000-2003, serving as the corps’ drum major from 2001-2003.   While a member of Carolina Crown, he helped found the Carolina Crown Student Leadership Task Force, an initiative aimed at enhancing the level of student leadership within the corps and still in effect today.  Since “aging out” of drum corps, Mr. Roth has continued to support Carolina Crown by helping teach their annual student leadership camps and Drum Major Symposium, and by serving as Vice President of their newly formed Alumni Association.

He is currently active as an adjudicator, clinician, and music arranger, and teaches private lessons for students interested in either clarinet or conducting.  His professional affiliations include the National Band Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Georgia Music Educator’s Association, Music Educator’s National Conference, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Bridget Wildes is currently in her sixth year as the Assistant Director of Bands at Mill Creek High School. Her ensembles have been invited to perform at the Kennesaw State University Concert Band Invitational, the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Band Festival at Georgia State University, the Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, the University of Georgia January Music Festival, the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic and the 2019 Music for All National Concert Band Festival as a featured ensemble.

The Pride of Mill Creek Marching Band has been a Bands of America Regional and Super Regional finalist, as well as Class AAAA Champion. The marching band has also performed in the 2014 and 2018 London New Year’s Day Parade. The Mill Creek Winds were named the Winter Guard International, Winds Scholastic A World Championship Silver Medalists in 2016 and Scholastic Open Silver Medalists in 2018.

Bridget Wildes is an active clinician, adjudicator and freelance musician, as well as a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association and the National Band Association.  She is the current District 13 Band Chair, and plays an active role in the organization of District 13 events. She recently co-presented her first session on developing and maintaining student leadership at the 2019 GMEA In-Service Conference and will be completing her Masters of Music Education at Kent State University in July. Bridget and her husband Jacob, a band director as well, reside in Suwanee with their two year old son, Caleb.