ATHENA SUMMITS

Birmingham, Alabama

September 21, 2024

Kim Bain retired as director of bands at Louis Pizitz Middle School in Vestavia Hills, Alabama in May 2021. For thirty-four years ensembles under her leadership were consistently cited for musical excellence at both the state and national levels, performing at the Midwest Clinic, the Music for All National Festival, and the Alabama MEA state conference. Ms. Bain is an active freelance musician in the Birmingham area. Since retirement from public school teaching, she is an instructor of saxophone and music education at Samford University and an adjunct instructor in music education at the University of Alabama. 

Birmingham, Alabama

September 21, 2024

Bre-A'nna North Comer is in her tenth year as the Director of Bands at Opelika Middle School and entering her twelfth year of teaching with Opelika City Schools. Prior to her current position, Mrs. Comer served as a music teacher between West Forest Intermediate and Morris Avenue Intermediate Schools. During this time, she also assisted with the Opelika High School "Spirit of the South" Marching Band. Mrs. Comer is a native of Helena, AL where she attended Pelham High School. Upon

graduation, she attended The University of Alabama where she received a Bachelor

of Science degree in Music Education, graduating Cum Laude. While at The

University of Alabama, she participated in the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Huxford Symphony Orchestra, Campus Band and marched in the Million Dollar Band

where she served two of those years as Drum Major. Mrs. Comer’s professional affiliations include The National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association and Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for Women. Mrs. Comer currently resides in Auburn, AL with her husband, Earvin, who is Choral Director at Opelika High School and her daughter, Hannah.

Birmingham, Alabama

September 21, 2024

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.

Prosper, Texas

November 16, 2024

Jana Harvey was named Associate Director of Bands at Flower Mound High School in June of 2012. Prior to her appointment at Flower Mound, Ms. Harvey served as the Associate Director of Bands at Plano East

Senior High and Director of Bands at Clark High School, both located in Plano, TX. In 2004, Ms. Harvey was named Clark High School Teacher of the Year and honored by the PTA with the life membership award. In 2005, Ms. Harvey was selected for induction into the American School Band Directors Association, which honors outstanding band directors in the United States. The Flower Mound Wind Symphony was named a finalist in the Class 5A Honor Band competition by the Texas Music Educators Association in 2014 and was named “Runner-Up” in the 2016, 2018, and 2022 6A Honor Band competition. They were also the invited performing ensemble in 2021. The Flower Mound Wind Symphony was a featured performing ensemble at the 69th Annual Midwest Clinic and received the Sudler Flag of Honor in the spring of 2023. The Flower Mound High School Marching Band has been named a finalist and champion in the Bands of America Texas regional and super-regional competitions. They have been named a Finalist in the Bands of America Grand

National Championship and made an appearance in the 2018 Rose Parade as a result. The Flower Mound Marching Band was named the 2016 6A Texas State Champion, the silver medalist in 2018 and the bronze medalist in 2020 and will making their debut performance in the 2024 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade this November.

Her professional affiliations include the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Tau Beta Sigma and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity. Ms. Harvey maintains an active schedule as a clinician and adjudicator. She holds the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas Tech University.

Prosper, Texas

November 16, 2024

Ms. Wilder is widely recognized as a conductor and clinician, having conducted All State and Honor Bands throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia. Serving as a resource person for in-service sessions, she works with both local and regional school systems and universities. Her clinics on Motivational Techniques for the Beginning and Middle School Band are often featured at state and national conventions. 

Marguerite taught middle school band at the following schools during her 30-year teaching career: The Lovett School, Woodward Academy and Tapp Middle School.

Ms. Wilder is a contributing author for GIA Publications: Habits of a Successful Beginner Band Musician; Habits of a Successful Middle Level Musician; Teaching Music Through Performance in Beginning Band Vol. 1 & 2. She is a contributing editor Teaching Music through Performance in Middle School Band and James Froseth’s Do It! Play in Band and Recorder Methods.

Marguerite Wilder is a graduate of the University of Georgia and Georgia State University. Professional organization affiliations include NAfME, GMEA, NBA, Phi Beta Mu and FAME. 

Currently Mrs. Wilder serves as a consultant, clinician, author and editor for GIA Publications, Inc. and is a “Yamaha Master Educator”.  

State College, Pennsylvania

March 29, 2025

Dr. Tonya Mitchell-Spradlin is Director of Wind Band Studies and Assistant Professor of Music. In addition to conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, overseeing the graduate wind conducting program, teaching courses in wind band literature and wind conducting, she oversees all aspects of the concert band programs at Penn State. Her appointment at PSU follows three years as Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Carolina. Prior to her tenure at UofSC, Mitchell-Spradlin taught at Valdosta State University as Director of Athletic Bands and was Director of Bands at Chamblee High School in Chamblee, Georgia.

Mitchell-Spradlin has a diverse background as a clinician, adjudicator, educator, and speaker. She is a frequent guest conductor, and has presented regionally at the South Carolina Music Educators Association Conference, nationally at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, internationally at the International Society for the Promotion of Wind Band in Austria, and has served as Tau Beta Sigma’s local and national Women in Music Speaker.

As a proponent of new music, she is engaged in building the wind band medium. She led the consortium and premiere of Aaron Perrine’s Beneath a Canvas of Green for wind ensemble and percussion quartet which was also the source of her doctoral dissertation. Additionally, she is active in a number of premieres and consortiums for new music.

Mitchell-Spradlin serves as the National Vice President of Professional Relations for Tau Beta Sigma: National Honorary Band Sorority. She also holds memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi, the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, and Women Band Directors International.

State College, Pennsylvania

March 29, 2025

Linda J. Gammon is the director of the Virginia Winds Academy Junior Band. Prior to assuming this position, she directed middle school bands in Fairfax County, VA for over 30 years. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in music education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts degree in conducting from George Mason University.  

Under Ms. Gammon’s direction, her middle school performed multiple times at the Virginia Music Educators Association Professional Development Conferences and the 1993 and 2000 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. In 1997 Ms. Gammon and the Robinson Middle School Symphonic Band were awarded the prestigious John Philip Sousa Foundation Sudler Silver Cup Award, the highest honor bestowed on a middle school band program.

She is a Past President of the Virginia Music Educators Association, Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association, and Fairfax County Band Directors Association.  Linda also served as the VMEA State Executive for 6 years following her retirement. In 2003 she was recipient of Women Band Directors International Scroll of Excellence, 2007 Virginia Outstanding Music Educator of the Year Award, and 2014 Fairfax County Band Director of the Year. In 2018 she was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame, 2019 the VBODA Hall of Fame and in 2020 VBODA Phil Fuller Award for her contributions to music education in Virginia. In 2021 Ms. Gammon received the James Madison University Dr. Gary K. Ritcher Outstanding Service in Music Education Award and the VMEA Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2023 she was elected into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association..

Charlotte, North Carolina

April 5, 2025

Edna Y. Grace, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, received a B.S. in Music Education from South Carolina State College, a M.A. in Music from the Ohio State University, and a M.Ed. in Administration and Supervision from the Citadel. 

During her career of thirty-six years, Edna held posts as Band Director and General Music/Chorus teacher in Charleston County School District at Brentwood Middle (1981-1984 – General Music/Chorus; 1984-1991–Band) and Berkeley County School District at College Park Middle (1991-2007–Band) and Stratford High (2007-2017–Band/Chorus). The bands under her instruction received the highest ratings at the SCBDA Concert Festival and Solo and Ensemble Festival, while individual students were selected for membership in honor bands (All-County Concert Bands, All-County Jazz Band (BCSD), Region Honor Band, South Carolina All-State Band, and the SC All-State Jazz Bands). Both the middle and high school band programs were consistent recipients of the SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award. In addition, the College Park Band earned the honor of performance at the 2003 SCMEA conference. 

While at College Park, Edna also served as an assistant director at Stratford High School during marching season. At the start of her thirty-fifth teaching year, Ms. Grace took the sole position at Stratford High School of director of the choral music program, having had the dual role of Director of Bands and Choral Director the previous four years. The program grew in student membership while maintaining consistent numbers in All-County Chorus and SC All-State Chorus.

Edna has served as an honor band clinician and concert band adjudicator in South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Virginia, and Georgia. She has been an adjunct faculty member of Charleston Southern University teaching studio oboe and Music Appreciation. Edna has been active in community music ensembles including the Summerville Community Orchestra, the Charleston Wind Ensemble (one year as conductor), and the Goose Creek Community Band for which she served as conductor until its reorganization as the St. James Wind Ensemble.  

Charlotte, North Carolina

April 5, 2025

Dr. Cindy Wagoner recently retired as an Associate Professor of Music Education at East Carolina University, specializing in instrumental music instruction and pre-service music teacher education. Her regional and international research presentations focus on music teacher identity, mentoring new teachers, and pedagogy. Her publications appear in Teaching Music Through Performance in Jazz, Teaching Music, Psychology of Music, Research Issues in Music Education, Journal of Music Teacher Education, and several book chapters. Her heart still lies in the teaching of music through instrumental performance, and she is dedicated to serving the music education community in her current position at ECU. Wagoner holds a B.S. and M.S. from Indiana State University and spent 27 years in Indiana teaching high school and middle school instrumental music, known for having a large and successful program across marching, concert, small ensemble, and jazz events. Graduating from the University of Carolina Greensboro with a Ph.D. in Music Education, she was honored for her teaching with the Graduate Teaching Assistant Award in 2009. As an assistant professor at East Carolina since 2011, she was selected as a finalist for a 2015-16 ECU Alumni Award for excellence in teaching, 2017-18 Nominee for Five Year Award, and was awarded the ECU Alumni Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2019. She was also semi-finalist for the 2017 Music & Arts Educator of the Year. Wagoner continues to be active as a guest conductor and adjudicator across the south and Midwest and holds membership in Society for Music Teacher Education, Society for Music Perception and Cognition (SMPC), International Society for Music Education (ISME), NAfME, and NCMEA.

All Summit Locations

A native of Monroe, Georgia, Zandra Bell-McRoy has been a music educator since 2002.  Upon graduating from the University of Georgia in 2001 with music and music education degrees, Dr. Bell-McRoy began her career as a high school band director in Troup County.  She has also served as a middle and high school band director in Clayton, Walton, Gwinnett, and Clarke counties.  Bands under her direction have consistently received superior and excellent ratings.  Dr. Bell-McRoy currently works as the Director of Bands at Mountain View High School in Gwinnett County Public Schools.  She also serves as a Part-Time Faculty at Georgia College and State University.

Dr. Bell-McRoy received her Doctor of Education in Music Education from the University of Georgia under the direction of Dr. Roy Legette in 2014.  While studying at the University of Georgia, Dr. Bell-McRoy served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. She earned awards for teaching and was selected to participate in the Future Faculty Program, a small cohort of promising graduate teaching assistants poised to serve as scholars and educators in higher education.  Her research interests include multicultural music education, gender and music education, music teacher preparation, and music teacher evaluation and supervision. 

Professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA), National Band Association (NBA), American Educational Research Association (AERA), Phi Beta Mu (International Bandmasters Fraternity), Pi Kappa Lambda, Kappa Delta Pi, Tau Beta Sigma (Honorary), Sigma Alpha Iota, and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.  Dr. Bell-McRoy serves as a flutist with Tara Winds Symphonic Band, as well as a freelance performer around the Atlanta area.  Dr. Bell-McRoy is an active clinician and adjudicator in the southeast.  She resides in Monroe, Georgia with her husband, Darvin, a band director in Gwinnett County, and her mother, Estella, a retired educator of 31 years.

All Summit Locations

Dr. Myra Rhoden is the founder of the Athena Music and Leadership Camp (athenacamp.com), an all-girls music program created to promote musical excellence while emphasizing leadership skills. After a successful 30-year career as a band director in the public schools of Georgia and Alabama, she currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of West Georgia. Rhoden frequently serves as a guest conductor for state, regional, and university honor bands and is honored to have presented sessions at The Midwest Clinic, various national, state and regional conferences, and for school systems and professional development clinics throughout North America.

A native of Tuskegee, Alabama, Dr. Rhoden was named the NAfME 2018 National Band Director of the Year, has been awarded the Outstanding Service to Music Award from Tau Beta Sigma, the Golden Rose Award from Women Band Directors International, multiple Citations of Excellence from the National Band Association, and has been named STAR Teacher and Teacher of the Year. She had the distinct pleasure of being a guest conductor for the United States Air Force Band and the United States Army Field Band of Washington, D. C. and the Tara Winds of Atlanta, Georgia. She is honored to be a member of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, serves as a Conn Selmer Educational Clinician and was elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 2023. She holds degrees from the University of Alabama and the University of Southern Mississippi and resides in Fayetteville, Georgia with her husband, Errol Jr. Their son, Errol III, is a freelance musician based in Los Angeles.