Mr. Rudy Wilson is in his 24th year as the Director of Bands at Brookwood High School. Mr. Wilson, a native of Alma, Georgia, has served as a music educator for 30 years. In addition to his tenure in Gwinnett County, he has served in band director positions at Glenwood Private School in Alabama, Riverdale Senior High School in Clayton County, Armuchee High School in Floyd County, and Stockbridge High School in Henry County. Mr. Wilson received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Berry College, Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, and the Education Specialist degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia.

Under Mr. Wilson’s leadership, the Brookwood Band program has grown from 75 members to well over 300 participating in four concert bands. The Brookwood Symphonic Winds has performed level VI music for 22 years and the marching, concert, and jazz bands have consistently received superior ratings. The Symphonic Winds was the featured ensemble at the University of South Carolina Band Clinic and Conductors’ Symposium and the University of Georgia High School Music Festival in 1995 and has been nominated several times for the Sudler Flag of Honor. The band also performed at the Georgia Music Educators’ In-Service Conference in 1991, and the Southern Division MENC/Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference in 2002. The band was selected as a participant in the Inaugural Honor Bands of Georgia Clinic at Columbus State University in 2007. This past year the band was the featured ensemble at the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic and was selected for it third appearance at the GMEA In-Service Conference. Mr. Wilson is the recipient of 6 National Band Association’s Citations of Excellence.

Mr. Wilson has served as District IX Instrumental Chairman, Phi Beta Mu Fraternity Secretary, District IX and XIII Honor Band Chairman for 8 years, GMEA Marching Band Committee Chairman, Lead Teacher for Band in Gwinnett County, Smoke Rise Baptist Church Orchestra Director, deacon, and Fine Arts/Music Committee. Mr. Wilson presented an article published in Bandworld Magazine entitled Bridging the Gap, showing how band programs provide excellent transition into high school and in students’ development. Mr. Wilson has served as Honor Band Clinician for GMEA Districts VIII, IV, and X. Mr. Wilson has served as adjudicator and clinician for marching, concert, and jazz bands in South Carolina and Georgia, and enjoys performing trombone in various organizations and churches. He has performed with the Rome, Lanier, and Gwinnett Symphony Orchestras, North Georgia Wind Symphony, and Northwinds Community Concert Band. He studied trombone with Stan Pethel, Gail Wilson, Roger Rocco, and Charles Vernon.Mr Wilson is currently serving as President of the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Association and 2008 Bands Chair for the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.

Mr. Wilson’s professional affiliations include: MENC, GMEA, NBA, ASBDA, PAGE, IAJE, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Beta Mu, and Faculty Tri-M Advisor.  Katy, his daughter, is a graduate of Brookwood HS and is now serving her second year as one of the Drum Majors for the UGA Redcoat Marching Band. She is a senior Music Education Major and is an active trumpeter in the UGA Ensembles. Daniel, also a graduate of Brookwood HS and percussionist, is entering Georgia State University this fall majoring in Business.  He plans to pursue a Professional Flight Management program and eventually become a pilot. Mr. Wilson resides in Lawrenceville with his wife Mary, Band Director at Lanier Middle School.

Laura Moates Stanley is in her sixth year as Band Director at Brookwood High School. A native of Blue Ridge, GA, she is a 2001 honor graduate of The University of Georgia where she received her BMUS in Music Education. She also graduated from the same institution in 2003 where she received an MM in Wind Conducting.

Mrs. Stanley served as the drum major of the UGA Redcoat Band from 1998-2001. During this time, she was also appointed as Assistant Band Captain from 1999-2000 and as Band Captain from 2000-2001. During her undergraduate career, Mrs. Stanley was a student conductor with the UGA Concert Bands. While receiving her graduate degree in Wind Conducting, Mrs. Stanley studied privately under Dr. John N. Culvahouse, Professor Allen Crowell, Professor Mark Cedel, and Dr. H. Dwight Satterwhite. Mrs. Stanley has attended workshops and conferences where she studied with Allen McMurray, Frank Ticheli, Tom Lee, Robert Rumbelow, James Jordan, Donald Hunsberger, Mallory Thompson, Jerry Junkin and Frank Byrne. She also studied clarinet under the late Dr. Theodore Jahn from 1997-2001 where she was a finalist of the UGA Concerto Competition for two years and under Dr. D. Ray McClellan (2001-2003). Mrs. Stanley was a member of the UGA Wind Ensemble from 1997-2003 where she performed as principal clarinetist during the ensembles appearance at CBDNA in Denton, TX. She is also a clarinetist with the Northwinds Community Band and teaches a studio of private clarinet and conducting students. Mrs. Stanley has taught clarinet and conducting clinics for Joycliffe Summer Camp, the University of Georgia Marching Band Camp, the University of Georgia Summer Music Camp, ENCORE! Summer Music Camp, and JSU Spirit Camp.

Recently, the Brookwood High School Symphonic Winds was chosen to perform as a guest band at The 2005 University of Georgia January Festival, the 2007 Honor Bands of Georgia Clinic at Columbus State University, The 2008 University of Alabama Honor Band Festival and the 2008 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference.  Mrs. Stanley has recently served as Guest Conductor for Northwinds Symphonic Band and the Georgia State University Wind Ensemble.

Mrs. Stanley has received the Outstanding Sophomore Music Major Award, the Undergraduate Director's of Excellence Award, the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, and was the first recipient of the Dr. Theodore Jahn Memorial Scholarship from The University of Georgia. She also received the 2004 Class Act Teacher award from Channel 11 Alive and was aired on a live news broadcast in late May of that year. Mrs. Stanley was chosen as Brookwood High School’s STAR Teacher in 2007. She was also selected as the Region IIIA STAR Teacher and as a Georgia State Finalist STAR Teacher.  Mrs. Stanley has received two National Band Association's Citation of Excellence.

Mrs. Stanley is a member of Georgia Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Convention, National Bandmasters Association, Women Band Directors International, Golden Key International Honor Society, PAGE, National Collegiate Scholars, Delta Epsilon Iota, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the International Clarinet Association. She currently serves as the District 13 Band Chair and as President on the board of the University of Georgia Redcoat Band Alumni Association.  Mrs. Stanley will begin her first year as Assistant Conductor with the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble (MAYWE) in 2008.

She is the daughter of Elden and Wanda Moates, retired band directors in Fannin County. She has one sister, Amy, who is a school psychologist in Dalton, GA and one brother, John, who is a percussionist and Marketing Communication Specialist at ATXA in Atlanta. Mrs. Stanley resides in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband, Darren, a freelance musician and percussion instructor at Brookwood High School.

Mr. Ken Simpson serves as Director of Jazz Studies and Music Technology at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He received his B.S. and M.A. in Music Education from the University of North Alabama. Under Mr. Simpson’s direction, the jazz band has received numerous superior ratings while performing some of his arrangements and compositions.

As an active composer and arranger, Mr. Simpson’s works have been premiered at the Georgia Music Educators Conference, The University of Georgia Mid-Fest Clinic, and the Music Educators National Conference in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1996, Mr. Simpson implemented the first high school music technology program in the southeast at Brookwood High School. The curriculum incorporates technology with music theory, composition, and arranging. The music technology program now involves over 100 students working in a 24-station MIDI lab, and a 16-track digital recording studio. The music technology program, under Mr. Simpson’s direction, has released twelve compact discs featuring student arrangements and compositions. Mr. Simpson provides staff development in music technology courses for Gwinnett County and surrounding school systems in the southeast. He has presented music technology clinics for the Georgia Music Educators Conference, the Alabama Music Educators Conference, and the Southern Division of the Music Educators National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Mr. Simpson also presented at the Technology Institute’s for Music Education (TI:ME) National Conference in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Simpson is on the Educational Advisory Board for the Roland Corporation, which is a leading provider of musical instruments and recording equipment for the music industry.

Mr. Simpson’s articles in music technology publications include “Choosing the Right Keyboard for Your Music Program” and “The Music Technology Classroom: How It Can Change Your School,” and “Affordable Recording on a Budget.” He currently serves as the State Technology Chair person for the Georgia Music Educators Association. His professional affiliations include GMEA, MENC, PAS, and IAJE. He serves as a clinician and adjudicator of jazz and percussion throughout the southeast. Mr. Simpson was selected as Brookwood High School’s 2002 “Teacher of the Year.”