Mr. Ray joined the Harrison faculty as the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Jazz Ensembles in 2007. He became the Director of Bands in 2012. Mr. Ray has served the band program as a co-lead teacher with all three concert ensembles, assisted with the fall percussion class, three Jazz Ensembles, and served as the Lead Visual Instructor for the nationally acclaimed Harrison Marching Band.

Originally from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, Mr. Ray graduated with a Bachelor degree in Music Education with a concentration in Trumpet from the University of Oklahoma. Mr. Ray has experience as a performer with Southwind (Trumpet) and Madison Scouts (Mello) Drum and Bugle Corps. He student taught with David Gorham at the nationally acclaimed Owasso High School Band program, a Sudler Flag of Honor program.

Mr. Ray is an active brass adjudicator and instructor for various ensembles in Georgia. Mr. Ray has conducted ensembles performing in state and national in-service conferences including the Midwest Clinic, and the Georgia Music Educators Convention. He is an AP certified Music Theory instructor who also serves as adjudicator, brass specialist, and guest conductor across the state of Georgia. He is affiliated with professional organizations that include: NBA, MENC, and GMEA. Mr. Ray and his wife reside in Dallas, GA.

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Mr. Hope graduated with a degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, after which he returned to UMass and earned his master’s degree in Percussion Performance. At the University, he worked as a graduate assistant to Thom Hannum, taught and arranged for the Sudler Trophy-winning Minutemen Marching Band percussion section, as well as teaching percussion techniques classes and taking on other arranging and organizational responsibilities within the percussion studio.

Since 1997, Mr. Hope has written for and taught numerous high school marching, indoor, and concert percussion groups in Massachusetts and throughout New England. He has also been actively involved with Drum Corps International since 1997 as a performing member with the Boston Crusaders and the Crossmen, as a percussion technician for The Troopers, Magic of Orlando, The Madison Scouts, and The Blue Stars, and as a show designer and percussion arranger for the Targets Drum and Bugle Corps from Springfield, MA.

In 2004, Mr. Hope took the job of Director of the Spirit of America Indoor Percussion Ensemble in Orleans, MA, leading them to four consecutive WGI Independent Open Finals appearances including a second place finish in 2005. In conjunction with the indoor group, he also worked as the Percussion Director for the Spirit of America Marching Band. His arranging and coaching helped propel the group to win first place at the 2007 World Association of Marching Showbands Championship in Seoul, South Korea. In addition to teaching and arranging, Mr. Hope has also been an active percussion performer in New England since 2005 playing with groups such as The Berkshire Symphony, The Amherst College Orchestra, the Smith College Orchestra, The Dartmouth Handel Society, and The Manchester Music Festival.

In 2010, Mr. Hope became a Percussion Instructor at Harrison High School. He is a Vic Firth Education Team member as well as an endorser. 

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Mr. Shaheen is a Harrison band alumnus who joined Harrison Bands as a percussion instructor in 2022. At Harrison, Mr. Shaheen was a percussionist, pianist, and drum major. He returned to Harrison from North Gwinnett High School in Suwannee, GA, where he served as the Director of Percussion. He is currently on staff with the nationally-recognized Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps from Madison, WI. From 2015-2018, Mr. Shaheen performed with the Atlanta Quest organization, and led the front ensemble as section leader from 2017-2018. He joined the front ensemble staff there in 2019.

Mr. Shaheen graduated from Georgia State University, where he completed a Bachelor of Music with an emphasis on percussion performance. While attending, he was a member of the GSU Panther Band in their “Rock Band” ensemble, as well as a performing member of the Wind Ensemble, a principal percussionist with the Symphony Orchestra, and performing member of the Percussion Ensembles. In 2018, he and a colleague, Bryan Wysocki, performed Baljinder Sekhon’s Double Percussion Concerto through the Brumby Concerto Competition.

In addition to his work with North Gwinnett and Atlanta Quest, Mr. Shaheen has also worked with other high schools in the area, including Harrison HS, North Paulding HS, Mountain View HS, South Forsyth HS, Denmark HS, Chattahoochee HS, Cherokee Charter School, and Wheeler HS through their marching band, concert band, and indoor percussion ensembles. He is a performing member of the Atlanta Percussion Ensemble and the Atlanta Steel Collective and currently resides in Marietta, GA.

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Mr. Hawkins began his marching band career in 2003, at Marietta High School, as a percussionist, marching bass drum until he graduated in 2006. He attended Jacksonville State University, and was a member of the Marching Southerners’ Color Guard. Mr. Hawkins marched with Atlanta CorpsVets Drum Corps, and was a primary weapon. He has also marched with many Winter Guard organizations, including Calico Winter Guard, Atlanta CorpsVets Winter Guard, and Paramount World Winter Guard.

Mr. Hawkins has enjoyed a successful teaching career in the Marching Arts, coordinating and directing many programs in the Atlanta Metro area. He directed the Douglas County HS Colorguard from 2011-2016, Carrollton HS from 2016-2018, Woodland HS from 2021-2022, and Reverie “A” from 2018-2022.

He is currently the Director of his very own independent winter guard, Noir Independent.

Mr. Hawkins has worked with North Cobb HS, Roswell HS, Allatoona HS, Paulding County HS, Lithia Springs HS, Mt. Zion HS, New Manchester HS, McEachern HS, Wheeler HS, South Forsyth HS, Chattahoochee HS, Marietta HS, North Gwinnett HS, and Villa Rica HS.

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Marching Band Instructors

Jeff Hope: Battery percussion instructor
Corey Hawkins: Color Guard & Winter Guard coordinator
TJ Shaheen: Front Ensemble arranger and instructor

Freddy Martin: Band Director, Brass Caption Head for Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps
Tyler Elvidge: Music Ed Student at KSU, trumpet performer with Cavaliers
Brittany Mori: Band director at Lost Mountain Middle School
Matt Segars: Band director at Durham Middle School

Studio Artists/Instructors

Anne Gordon, Flute (M.M. University of Georgia)
Lisa Sayre, Oboe (M.M. Louisiana State University)
Susan Brough, Clarinet (M.M. University of Georgia)
Shelly Unger, Bassoon (D.M.A. University of Georgia)
Jennifer Marotta, Trumpet (M.M. Northwestern University)
Chris Watkins, Trumpet (M.M. Manhattan School of Music)
Mike Diblasi, Trombone (B.A. Indiana University)
Mark Burroughs, Low Brass (M.M. Indiana University)
Bernard Flythe, Low Brass (M.M. University of Michigan)

Instructional Guests:

John Howell: BOA/DCI Judge
Thom Hannum: Battery percussion writer, Percussion Coordinator for Carolina Crown
Jodie Rhodes: BOA Judge, Band Director in Texas
Wes Cartwright: Program Design and Consultant, Visual coordinator for Broken Arrow
Scott Toosley:  Program Design and Consultant
Leon May: Drill Designer, Visual design for Carolina Crown
Don Hill: Music Arranger, Music design for Phantom Regiment
Colton Hines: Electronics/Sound Amplification/Percussion Instructor from Oklahoma

Former Harrison Band Directors:

Mr. John Abert (1991-1996)
Dr. Scott Weiss (1993-2000)
Dr. Chester Phillips (2000-2007)
Mr. Mac McMillian (2005-2006)
Mr. Stephen Meyer (2007-2010)
Mr. Chris Parks (2010-2011)
Mr. Daniel Cuevas (2010-2012)
Dr. David W. Vandewalker (1996-2012)
Mrs. Krista Berezo (2012 -2013)
Mr. Jack Walker (2013-2014)
Mr. Shaun Evans (2014-2017)
Ms. Maria Phillips (2017-2018)