Todd Manson, Director of Bands
The 2023-2024 school year will be Todd Manson’s second year as Director of Bands at Alpharetta High School in Fulton County, Ga. Before his new position at Alpharetta, he spent sixteen years as the Director of Bands and Fine Arts Department Chair at Ola High School in Henry County, Georgia. Before serving as Ola High School's inaugural band director, Mr. Manson spent five years at Jonesboro High School in Clayton County, Georgia. Originally from Port Charlotte, Florida, Mr. Manson holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Troy University (2001) and a Master's in Music Education from the University of Georgia (2007).
Mr. Manson’s bands have continually earned top honors at numerous concert, marching, and GMEA-sanctioned events. The Ola High School Marching Band was Bands of America Finalist and Class AA Champion at the 2011 Atlanta Super-Regional, Bands of America Finalist, and 2nd Place in Class AA at the 2013 Powder Springs Regional. The Ola Marching Band has had the privilege of performing at the Magic Music Days Parade in Orlando, Florida (2008), Cherry Blossom Festival at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. (2010), Tournament of Champions at Western Carolina University (2010,2011, & 2019), BOA regional performances at Jacksonville State University (2012,
2015), Lord Mayor's New Year's Day Parade in London, England (2012), 74th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. With performances at the USS Missouri, Pearl Harbor Memorial, and the Waikiki Holiday Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii (2015). The Hollywood Christmas Parade in Hollywood, California (2017), and Bands of America regional finalist in Canton, Ohio (2018). On the concert stage, the Ola High School Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony consistently earn superior ratings at Large Group Performance Evaluations. The Wind Symphony has had invitational performances at the Georgia State Capitol (2009), Kennesaw State University's Concert Band Invitational (2014), 66th annual University of Georgia's Janfest (2016), 33rd annual University of Alabama Honor Band Festival (2017), and most recently, the Wind Symphony was a guest ensemble at the Troy University Honor Band Festival in February 2019.
Mr. Manson is a five-time recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence (2004, 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2019). He has also been recognized twice as a Star Teacher (2005 and 2010). In addition to his many responsibilities as band director, Mr. Manson serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southern United States. Furthermore, Mr. Manson has a long-standing relationship with DCI and WGI performing ensembles. He was a member of Magic of Orlando, Spirit of Atlanta, and Escape Indoor Percussion. Mr. Manson holds professional affiliations with MENC, GMEA, NBA, and Percussive Arts Society.
Jared Kaufman, Associate Director of Bands
Jared Kaufman is the Associate Director of Bands at Alpharetta High School in Fulton County, Georgia. Prior to his appointment at AHS, Mr. Kaufman taught at several different schools in Gwinnett and Cobb County, Ga. Bands under his direction have consistently received superior ratings at adjudications, performed at the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival, and have earned grand championships and regional finalists at marching contests including being crowned class champions at the 2021 BOA Orlando Regional.
Mr. Kaufman earned his Bachelor of Science in Music Education in 2016 from Brenau University and in 2021 he earned his Masters of Music Education degree from The University of Florida. Additionally, Mr. Kaufman holds membership with the Mu Phi Epsilon Music Honors Fraternity, Kappa Delta Pi International Honor Society in Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Drum Corps International, and NAFME.
While an undergraduate student at Brenau University, Mr. Kaufman performed dozens of concerts and recitals, including time spent with the Spectrum Winds, University Brass Quintet & Quartet, Brenau Brass Ensemble, Spectrum Singers, Chorale, and Gainesville Theatre Alliance Pit Orchestras. During this time, Mr. Kaufman also served as a clinician and designer for marching ensembles across the country including groups affiliated with Winter Guard International, Bands of America, and Drum Corps International.
Mr. Kaufman's educational pursuits extend beyond the classroom as he has held a variety of educational and leadership positions with multiple band programs, indoor ensembles, and drum corps for the last 16 years. Currently, Mr. Kaufman serves on the brass faculty at The Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps.
Matthew Howell, Percussion Direcor
Matthew Howell, a native of Memphis, TN, has been an active percussionist since 1997. His performance credentials include membership within World Class organizations in both WGI and DCI including Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps and Gateway Indoor. Matthew also performed in the University of Memphis PASIC Marching ensembles in 2004 and 2006 and was a charter member of the National Basketball Associations’ (NBA) Memphis Grizzlies Drumline. Matthew has worked with multiple World Class organizations including Gateway Indoor, Tyler Junior College Indoor, Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps, Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, Mandarins Drum and Bugle Corps. Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, Palmetto Percussion, and Monarch Indoor Percussion (Houston, Texas). Matthew was most recently the percussion director, visual designer, and program coordinator for North Shore High School in Houston, TX. Matthew is currently the Percussion Director for Alpharetta High School in Alpharetta, GA. He is an active percussion arranger, clinician, and visual designer for multiple marching bands, winter guards and indoor percussion ensembles all over the world.
Kaleigh Schlosser, Color Guard Co-Director
Kaleigh Schlosser started her dance training at age three. As a student at Chattahoochee High School, she was a captain for the color guard and a member of the winter guard under the direction of current AHS assistant band director, Ira Jenkins. She began dancing at Barbara Bramble Dance Center and later moved to Fleetwood Dance Theatre where she has been trained in a variety of styles. Kaleigh has also studied at the Radio City Rockette Summer Intensive.
Kaleigh graduated in 2014 & 2016 with a B.A. in Dance and a B.S. in Exercise Health Science from Kennesaw State University. While maintaining the HOPE Scholarship and achieving Dean’s List, Kaleigh is also a member of the Nu Delta Alpha Dance Honor Society at KSU, and served as the Secretary of the KSU Dance Company during 2012-2013. She is interned with Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center. As a member of the KSU Dance Company, she has had the opportunity to work with artists such as Ivan Pulinkala, Christen Weimer, Reiko Kimura, Sandra Parks and Lauri Stallings and performed in a variety of pieces, including contemporary works such as Cocoon, Sablon, Maa and Solitare, as well as the classical ballets, Paquita and Swan Lake. She has performed outside of KSU in a production of 42nd Street and participated in Disney Magic Music Days.
Currently, Kaleigh is a Special Education Teacher at Alpharetta High School. She also teaches the Shining Stars program for students with special needs at Fleetwood Dance Center. Kaleigh has absolutely loved her time working with the AHS Color Guard and can’t wait to see what’s in store for the future!
Elizabeth Lukes, Color Guard Co-Director
Lizzy has been involved in the color guard activity for twelve years now. As a resident of Alpharetta, Lizzy graduated from Chattahoochee High School where she participated in eight seasons of color guard and winter guard (under the direction of Mr. Ira Jenkins, current AHS assistant band director, for her junior and senior years). From there she moved to Atlanta and joined the Georgia Tech Color Guard where she marched for four years. At the same time Lizzy tried out for her first season of drum corps where she ended up spending her next four summers. She toured with Spirit of Atlanta, eventually becoming captain her last year, and with Carolina Crown who earned a fourth place medal at world championships the year she marched. Lizzy also kept up with her love of winter guard as a member of Paramount Independent World Guard, and she is now starting her third season with Aureus Independent Open Guard. With previous experience at Forsyth Central High School, this will be her forth year at Alpharetta High School. Aside from guard, Lizzy graduated from Georgia State University in the spring of 2014 with a degree in Managerial Science with a focus in Business Analysis.