2026 Athena Honor Band Conductors
Ms. Linda Pulley
Ms. Linda Pulley
Ms. Linda Pulley
Linda Pulley is the director of bands at Noe Middle School in Louisville, KY. Ms. Pulley is currently serving her 20th year of teaching instrumental music in Jefferson County Public Schools. Her current responsibilities include guiding and mentoring in the performing arts of concert band and jazz band at Noe Middle School. Ms. Pulley’s ba
Linda Pulley is the director of bands at Noe Middle School in Louisville, KY. Ms. Pulley is currently serving her 20th year of teaching instrumental music in Jefferson County Public Schools. Her current responsibilities include guiding and mentoring in the performing arts of concert band and jazz band at Noe Middle School. Ms. Pulley’s band programs have performed many community exhibitions and consistently received distinguished ratings at events in Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Georgia, and Florida.
Ms. Pulley’s greatest teaching accomplishments include the 2011 Grammy Signature School Enterprise Award with the Iroquois High School Band, the 2024 KMEA Conference performance with the Noe Middle School Jazz Band, 2025 MBDNA National Concert and Jazz Band Invitational with the Noe Middle School Symphonic Band and Jazz Band, and having the Noe Middle School Symphonic Band be selected to perform at the 2026 KMEA State Conference and the 2026 Music for All National Concert Band Festival.
Ms. Pulley has received a number of individual recognitions, including the 2016 Kentucky Music Education Association State High School Music Teacher of the Year, the 2023 Zambia Nkrumah Living the Legacy Middle School Teacher of the Year, and 2025 KMEA District 12 Middle School Teacher of the Year.
Ms. Pulley’s professional affiliations include KMEA/National Association for Music Educators (NAfME), Tri-M Music Society, Delta Omicron Fraternity Inc., Association of Black Women Band Directors, Minority Band Directors Association, American School Band Director Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. She has been a staff member with the Kentucky Musician Abroad European Tour since 2010; is active adjudicator, honor band conductor, and private instructor (clarinet); and performs regularly with the award-winning concert bands Louisville Concert Band/Chamber Winds Louisville and Louisville Winds. Ms. Pulley resides in Louisville, KY with her rescue dog, Ms. Roadie.
Dr. Cara Morantz
Ms. Linda Pulley
Ms. Linda Pulley
Cara Morantz joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as Assistant Director of Bands in the fall of 2014. She is a part of the instructional team for the Marching Blazers, the Wind Symphony and Symphony Band, and the Blazer Bands. In addition, she provides instruction in music classes including courses in music educat
Cara Morantz joined the faculty at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as Assistant Director of Bands in the fall of 2014. She is a part of the instructional team for the Marching Blazers, the Wind Symphony and Symphony Band, and the Blazer Bands. In addition, she provides instruction in music classes including courses in music education.
Prior to her arrival at UAB, Ms. Morantz spent nine years in the public schools of Cobb County, Georgia, where she taught at both the middle school and high school levels. From 2005-2007, she served as assistant director of bands at Lassiter High School, and she has also served on the faculty at Cooper Middle School from 2007-2012, and Durham Middle School from 2012-2014. Ms. Morantz continues to play trumpet actively, and while in Cobb County she also thoroughly enjoyed being a member of the Cobb Wind Symphony.
Ms. Morantz was educated at the University of Miami, where she graduated Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in music education. She completed her masters degree at the University of Georgia in 2011, where she currently pursues her Ed.D.
Learn from our world-class musicians and leaders located throughout the country.
Current and past faculty members include:
- Dr. Zandra Bell-McRoy, Music Education Consultant, Georgia
- Dr. Catharine Bushman, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota
- Erin Cole Steele, Conn Selmer Division of Education, Arizona
- Suzanne Daniel, Chowan University, North Carolina
- Sarah Dietrich, Freelance Musician, Georgia
- Katherine Dobson, Freelance Musician, Georgia
- Emma Fell, University of Notre Dame, Indiana
- Dr. Micki Ferguson, Pennsylvania State University
- Meredith Fuller, Doctoral Student, Peabody Institute at the Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
- Emma Haley, Northwestern Middle School, Louisiana
- Joycelyn Jackson, Michelle Obama STEM Elementary Academy, Georgia
- Chelsea Kanicsar, Pittsburg State University, Kansas
- Dr. Jacquelyn Lankford, Freelance Musician, California
- Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin, Pennsylvania State University
- Dr. Devan Moore, Florida State University
- Hollie Pritchard, Reinhardt University, Georgia
- Dr. Myra K. Rhoden, University of West Georgia
- Ingrid Smith, Fife High School, Washington
- Dr. Lia Snead, Wartburg College
- Jasmine Pigott Thacker, Peabody Preparatory, Maryland
- Jennifer Theisen-Gray, Colmer Middle School, Mississippi
- Paula Williams, The Ron Clark Academy, Georgia
Connect with Composers
Each year, our Athena Honor Band musicians have the honor of meeting and chatting with composers such as Carol Brittin Chambers, Cait Nishimura, and Christina Huss! The honor musicians will perform their music for the virtual concert performance.
Empowering Young Women Through Music
