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Cameron Garris
Director of Bands Mr. Garris graduated magna cum laude from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro with a bachelor’s degree in music education. At UNCG, he performed with the nationally recognized Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra and was also involved in the Miles Davis Jazz Studies Program. He is also an avid performer and has studied trombone with Dr. Randy Kohlenberg (UNCG) and Terry Mizesko (NC Symphony). He is an active member of the North Carolina Music Educators Association, and also holds professional affiliations with the North Carolina Bandmasters Association and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He currently serves on the Central District Bandmasters Association Executive Board as Secretary and All-District Clinic Chair, and Jazz MPA Chair for the NCMEA Central Region. Mr. Garris served as Director of Bands at Person High School from 2019 to 2022. At Person, the band received superior ratings at adjudication in both jazz and concert band settings, and his students were consistently named to honor bands across the state. Mr. Garris has served as Director of Bands at C.E. Jordan High School since May 2022. During his tenure, the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Combo programs have all achieved success. The Jordan Regiment has received numerous caption awards and first place finishes in their class at state competition. The Wind Ensemble has regularly received superior ratings at adjudication and has been recognized nationally in competition in Orlando, FL and Atlanta, GA. Jazz Combo I was recognized in 2024 as the “Most Outstanding High School Jazz Combo” at the Carolina Jazz Festival, sponsored by Essentially Ellington. |
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Ethan Analco
Assistant Band Director, Drumline Instructor & Arranger Ethan Analco (he/they) is a musician, teacher, and artist residing in Durham, North Carolina. Analco established their journey in music education serving as a section leader and member of the nationally recognized percussion program at Panther Creek High School. Serving four years and eight seasons, Analco was involved with a consistent BOA, WGI, And AIA class champion and gold medalist program from 2015-2019 under the directions of David Robinson, Jeremy Gurganious, Kimball Seebeck, and Forrest Budway. Analco is currently serving their third year as the percussion instructor and arranger at C.E. Jordan High School, where as of recently post-covid, has seen the resurrection of the school's drumline and percussion section on the marching band field. With a new sense of growth and inspiration, Analco hopes to take the band program to new heights with the dedication and passion of new students alike. Believing the holistic connection between art and music is inseparable, Analco relies heavily on this philosophy when engaging with the world around them. When teaching, Analco has a fondness for creating a safe space for their students, as well as furthering scientific and artistic literacy. They commit to inspiring students in a manner that promotes fact-based argumentation, compassion, and empathy. Analco loves taking students out of their comfort zone in order to help them grow not only as musicians, but as people, too. Analco strongly believes in examining the world, asking questions, and coming to your own conclusions. Continuing to hone their passion for music outside of school, Analco teaches, composes, and studies music as a multi-instrumentalist, recording artist, and music producer. Citing some of their influences and inspirations from genres such as New Wave, Art Pop, Indietronica, and Alternative Rock, Analco loves to artistically experiment with soundscapes, compositions, and productions of all forms. Some of Analco's favorite musical acts range from the likes of Talking Heads, Harold Budd, Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth, and Julee Cruise. When not appreciating music of all kinds, Analco enjoys nature, cooking, drinking coffee, and spending time with their family. |
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Keohn Peacock
Color Guard Instructor Keohn Peacock is a native of central North Carolina and is the color guard instructor and choreographer for Smithfield-Selma High School in Smithfield, NC and C.E. Jordan High School in Durham, NC. He also serves on staff at Wake Forest High School in Wake Forest, NC. Keohn is an active member of the WGI and Indoor communities, where he performs with First Flight World winter guard. Under his direction, the Smithfield-Selma HS Color Guard regularly receives recognition at the local, state, and national levels. Most recently, the Smithfield-Selma HS Band was named a Bands of America Regional Finalist in Orlando, FL in 2024. |
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John O'Donnell
Front Ensemble Instructor John O’Donnell is a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, holding a Bachelor of Arts in Music. John is proficient in all areas of percussion, having played at such prestigious venues as PASIC 2021 and NCMEA 2023, as well as more lowkey gigs, such as bookstores, bars and community pools. He has been teaching front ensemble percussion for two years, as well as private lessons for beginning drumset. He is also adept at sound engineering and music technology, having taken part in multiple recording sessions of large ensembles at UNCG. John is a meticulous and organized keeper of cables and sound equipment, and does everything he can to ensure a smooth performance. |
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Thomas Hill
Brass Instructor Thomas Hill (he/him) is a recent graduate from Oberlin College. He is an alumnus of the Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps (2021-2022), where he played euphonium. Thomas’s primary instrument is the trombone, which he plays in a combination of classical, jazz, and popular styles. Thomas was a trombonist for the College Light Opera Company in 2023, and performed with the Oberlin Trombone Choir at the American Trombone Workshop in 2024. In his free time, Thomas enjoys board games and photography. |
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Daniel Hayden
Woodwind Instructor Daniel Hayden is a dynamic solo & chamber musician based in Durham, North Carolina. Primarily a performer of western-classical, klezmer, and contemporary music; Daniel constantly breaks the boundaries of genre in order to provide his audience with an experience that encapsulates musicality in all forms. Outside of his personal projects, Daniel has appeared in performances throughout the United States and Canada including concerts with the North Carolina Symphony, World Ballet Series, Symphony 21, Chamber Orchestra of the Triangle, Durham Symphony, and more. In 2021, the International Clarinet Association named Daniel a ‘Collegiate Rising Artist’ for his arrangement and performance of Jeff Beck/Stevie Wonder’s 'Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers'. He has also been honored as a ‘2017 US Army All-American Musician’. Daniel currently serves as an Instructor of Music at Shaw University as well as being the NC Ambassador for Lisa’s Clarinet Shop. He completed his Master’s in Clarinet Performance at the University of British Columbia; along with a Bachelor's in Clarinet Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His primary teachers include Jose Franch-Ballester, Dr. Andrew Hudson, Dr. Anthony Taylor, and Michelle Anderson. He additionally is a brother & former chapter president of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In his spare time, Daniel enjoys the gym, running, hiking, and dungeons & dragons. |