Herndon
High School
Bands
P.O.Box 1293
Herndon, VA 20172-1293
HHS Band Directors
Kathleen Jacoby - HHS Band Director - director@herndonband.org
Chris Cunningham - Jazz Band - jazz@herndonband.org
Aubrey Adams - Indoor Drumline - indoordrumline@herndonband.org
Kelly Spann, Carlee Craze - Guard -- winterguard@herndonband.org
HHS Marching Band Instructors
Kathleen Jacoby – Marching Band Director
Chris Cunningham – Brass
Duncan Crosson, Joe Fogleson, Andrew Mercado – Percussion
Kelly Spann, Carlee Craze - Guard
Erica Hirt – Marching
Brad Johnson – Marching
James Covington – Marching
Sharon Bonneau – Woodwinds
Kathleen Jacoby – Director of HHS Band Program
Kathleen Jacoby is the Director of Bands at Herndon High School in Fairfax County. She conducts three concert ensembles, the Pride of Herndon Marching Band, and Percussion Ensemble. She teaches AP Music Theory and sponsors the department Tri-M chapter.
Mrs. Jacoby is the 2022 Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the year. She is Conn Selmer VIP and a member of Phi Beta Mu. In 2019 and 2014 she was awarded commendations from the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County School Board. In both 2010 and again in 2017 Mrs. Jacoby was recognized by the School Band and Orchestra Magazine as “50 Music Teachers to Watch.” She has received a Presidential Citation from the Virginia Department of Education twice, and has been recognized by “Who’s Who in America.” Mrs. Jacoby was Courtland (Spotsylvania County, VA) High School’s New Teacher of the Year in 2005. Mrs. Jacoby was on staff with the American Music Abroad for four summer tours, performing concerts across Europe.
Under Mrs. Jacoby’s direction, The Pride of Herndon has repeatedly been a Virginia Honor Band, represented the United States at the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion in Normandy France, won grand champion at the 2013 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu while representing Virginia, and been the only band to ever perform at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters. In 2014 the United States House of Representatives issued a commendation to recognize the outstanding work of The Pride. The Pride performed in the NATO Parade in 2018, the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade in 2017, the National Cherry Blossom Parade in 2016, Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios in 2016, and the Disney Electric Light Parade in April 2014.
Prior to coming to the Pride of Herndon, Mrs. Jacoby spent four years as the Director of Bands at Courtland High School. In addition to teaching ensembles, she conducted school musicals and founded the school’s Tri-M Music Honors Society chapter and Flute Choir. During her tenure, the Symphonic Band received its first Superior Rating for Grade VI literature and became one of the few bands in the Commonwealth achieved 10-Year Honor Band status.
Mrs. Jacoby is a native of Arlington, Virginia and graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelors of Music. While at JMU, she was a Drum Major of the Marching Royal Dukes and President of the JMU chapter of the Music Educator’s National Conference. Under her leadership, the JMU chapter broke state membership records. From a pool of nearly two thousand other chapters, JMU CMENC won two out of three National Chapter of Excellence awards. Mrs. Jacoby was also an officer in the Eta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Mrs. Jacoby still regularly performs as a flutist with the Fairfax Wind Symphony. Her current pet project is promoting inclusion and diversity in the band world. Mrs. Jacoby is married to another fabulous high school band director – Steven – and they have two beautiful daughters together.
Aubrey Adams – Indoor Drumline Director & Marching Band Staff
Aubrey V. Adams retired with honors in November 2001 as principal percussionist and section leader for the United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C. after over 21 years of service. Mr. Adams has performed in the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall with the National Symphony Orchestra. He is the timpanist of the Prince William Symphony and has performed as principal percussionist with the Washington Ballet. Mr. Adams also performs frequently with the Washington Bach Consort and numerous symphonies from Annapolis to Richmond. Mr. Adams may be heard on recordings of the U.S.A.F. Band and Orchestra, Capitol Winds, Warner Brothers, Meredith Publications, and Garwood Whaley’s’ Snare Drum Duets. Mr. Adams has performed on many local and national TV and radio broadcasts. He may be heard on recordings of the U.S.A.F. Band and Orchestra, Capitol Winds, Warner Brothers, Meredith Publications, and Garwood Whaley’s’ Recital Duets For Snare Drum. At present, Mr. Adams can also be heard playing all 40 of the Percussive Arts Society International Rudiments on their website. Mr. Adams has served as adjunct faculty for percussion at the University of Maryland and George Mason University. Mr. Adams is also active as a writer. He has contributed articles for the Instrumentalist and Percussive Arts Society; his competition solos for snare drum are published by Pioneer Percussion Company. Mr. Adams has an active percussion rental business and is sponsored by the Vic Firth Company.
Sharon Bonneau – Woodwinds Tech, Marching Band
In 1987, Ms. Bonneau graduated as class valedictorian from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, where she received her Bachelor of Music degree with a dual major in Clarinet Performance and Instrumental Music Education. While at Eastman, Ms. Bonneau studied clarinet with D. Stanley Hasty and Charles Neidich, and jazz improvisation with Ramon Ricker. In 1995, she completed a Master of Arts Degree in Conducting at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, where she was a student of Professor Anthony Maiello.
Ms. Bonneau was a member of the United States Air Force Concert Band for nine years. During that time, she was a featured soloist with the band’s Dixieland group, was a guest conductor of the Concert Band, and performed with the Air Force Chamber Players and Symphony Orchestra. While with the USAF Band, Ms. Bonneau toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe and performed at numerous music conventions. She was appointed to the position of Adjunct Professor of Clarinet at George Mason University in 1995 and taught there until 2017.
In August, 2015, Ms. Bonneau became the band director at Kilmer Middle School in Vienna, Virginia. Her responsibilities at Kilmer include directing the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Preparatory Band, and Percussion Ensemble. Prior to that, she was the director of bands at Herndon Middle School from 2001-2015, where she had served as the Performing Arts Department Chairperson since 2009.
Currently Ms. Bonneau is active as an adjudicator and clinician.
Chris Cunningham – Brass Techs, Marching Band
Mr. Cunningham is a full time music teacher at Herndon High School. He began working with The Pride while teaching at several feeder elementary schools, and soon became a full time band director at Herndon HS. He created the guitar program here at Herndon, and now teaches five classes of guitar full time. His ensembles have earned consistent “superior” ratings and first place rankings in all competitions
Erica Hirt – Marching Tech, Marching Band
Ms. Hirt has been working with the Pride of Herndon Marching band since fall of 2011. An alumna of Herndon High School, class of 2007, she graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelor of Music degree in 2011. She is currently the band director at Armstrong ES in Reston and Forestville ES in Great Falls. In addition to teaching in Fairfax County Public Schools, she also teaches private bassoon lessons in Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William Counties. She performs regularly with the Fairfax Wind Symphony, Manassas Symphony Orchestra, and several other amateur music groups in Herndon and Chantilly.
Bradley M. Johnson – Marching Techs, Marching Band
Mr. Johnson has been a part of the Herndon band community since he completed his student teaching working with the Herndon concert bands in 2000. For the past eight years, Mr. Johnson has served as a band staff member for the Pride of Herndon marching band. He is currently an instrumental music teacher for Arlington Public Schools in Virginia, where he serves Abingdon, Ashlawn, and Barcroft Elementary Schools, and this year will be the conductor of the Arlington County Junior Honors Band and Orchestra (4-6). He is also a choir member and conductor of the orchestral ensemble for The Church of the Epiphany, Herndon. When possible, Mr. Johnson also takes advantage of opportunities to play the French horn as soloist or in ensembles.
Kelly Spann - Color Guard
Ms Spann has been involved with color guard for 8 years and it has always been a dream of hers to teach. She is a graduate of Morris Hills High School (USSBA 1 Open Champions, 1999, USSBA 2 Open Champions, 2000, MAIN Scholastic AA Champions, 1999) in Rockaway, NJ and Bloomsburg University in Bloomsburg, PA. In 2010, Miss Spann was the assistant color guard instructor at Battlefield High School. She currently works outside the education field at an international association as a meeting planner.
Carlee Craze
Ms. Craze is a 2015 alumni of Herndon Band, named captain for 2 years and traveling to Disney and Hawaii. She has continued working with the Herndon Band since graduating, including as an instructor on the Paris trip. After graduating, Ms. Craze performed with the East Carolina University Color Guard competing in both AIA and WGI circuits. She strives to make all students feel included and give them experiences to grow outside of a classroom environment. Ms. Craze currently works full time as an Interior Designer.
James Covington
Mr. Covington has been working with the Pride of Herndon Marching Band since the fall of 2016. He grew up in the marching arts, performing with groups in Drum Corps International and Drum Corps Associates from 1997 until 2009. After completing a degree in Music Education at Ithaca College (NY) in 2009, he earned a Master of Music in Trumpet Performance at the University of Maryland - College Park in 2012. He has performed with groups such as the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Manassas Symphony Orchestra, Orquesta La Leyenda, the Eric Felten Jazz Orchestra, and at Busch Gardens Europe in Williamsburg, VA. Mr. Covington previously taught instrumental music for Prince George’s County Public Schools. He is currently a music teacher at Herndon Elementary School and maintains a private teaching studio of brass, woodwind, and string students. Additionally, he is the trumpet player and music director for The DC Transit Band, a 9-piece wedding band based in Northern Virginia.
