Directors and Staff

Director of Bands:

Assistant Director of Bands: Stephen M. Taylor

Stephen M. Taylor is a native of Columbus, Ohio. He is a 1984 graduate of Franklin Heights High School in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Carson-Newman College in Jefferson City, Tennessee. Mr. Taylor received his bachelors of Music Degree in Education from Carson-Newman in 1988.

He has been an instrumental music teacher with Knox County Schools since 1989. He served as band director at Rule High School for two years. During that time, Mr. Taylor also assisted the Karns High School Band. Mr. Taylor taught at Farragut Middle School for five years and served for ten years as Assistant Director of Bands at Cedar Bluff Middle School as the Director of the Sixth Grade Band. Mr. Taylor most recently assisted at Farragut Middle where instructed sixth grade trumpets and one eighth grade band class.

Mr. Taylor served fifteen years as Associate Director of Bands at Farragut High School where he worked very closely with the Marching Band and directed the Farragut High School Concert Band. Mr. Taylor's concert band repeatedly received superior ratings at festival and performed at the first annual Tennessee Music Educators Association's State Concert Festival in Nashville, April 2005 and qualified to perform at the 2006 & 2007 TMEA State Concert Festival. Mr. Taylor also stays busy as a clinician for local festivals and clinics. Mr. Taylor was invited to direct the Orange Concert Band at the Carson-Newman College Summer Music Camp 2005.

Mr. Taylor is a member of the East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the Tennessee Music Education Association, and a member of the Tennessee Bandmasters Association. Mr. Taylor’s most treasured achievement is his being an elected member of Phi Beta Mu, an International Band Masters Association. Mr. Taylor has served as Band Chairman for the East Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association from June 2004-2008. He has been elected to serve a two year term as President for ETSBOA for the years 2009-2010. Mr. Taylor was recently appointed to serve on the Board of Directors for the Tennessee Music Education Association as the All State General Chair, Instrumental.

SDMS Band Director: Terri Hogan

Terri Hogan is a graduate of Dupont High School in Nashville, Tennessee. She attended Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee; and graduated cum laude from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education.

Mrs. Hogan was Director of Bands at Seymour High School for six years prior to moving to Knox County Schools to become the Director of Bands at Doyle High School for a two year tenure. Since the consolidation of Doyle and South-Young High Schools in 1991, she has been an assistant band director at South-Doyle High School and lead director at the Middle School.

Mrs. Hogan's professional affiliations include MENC, TMEA, ETSBOA, TSSBDA; and she is an elected member of Phi Beta Mu International bandmasters' fraternity. Her most recent honor was being named to "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" for 1999-2000.

Her husband, Tom, is a retired engineer now working as a freelance computer consultant and programmer. They live in Seymour with a deranged Blue Persian cat named "Allegro."

Band Staff:

Student Intern: Jeremy Lumpkin

Hello. My name is Jeremy Lumpkin and I would like to share some information with you about myself:

I was born and raised in Ringgold, Georgia. I attended Ringgod High School where I graduated with a 3.89 grade point average. During my high school years, I was awarded many musical awards. For example, I attended the Georgia All-State Band for 4 years, the All-State Jazz Band for 1 year, and The Governor's Honors Program for one summer. I am currently attending The University of Tennessee at Knoxville where I am working toward my Bachelor’s degree in music education. I have always known that music is my passion and that my profession had to have something to do with music.

I have taught many lessons and band camps in Knoxville, Anderson County, and Catoosa County. I have been a member of the UT Wind Ensemble (the top concert group) for 5 years, and a member of the UT Jazz Ensemble for 2 semesters. I have also been a member of The Pride of the Southland Marching Band where I held the squad leader and student leader positions. But aside from teaching, I am involved in other activities outside of music. I am a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. where our aims are manly deeds, scholarship, and love for all mankind. Also, I am a member of Phi Sigma Theta Honors Fraternity where our grade point average has to be over a "B." I love to work out and play many different sports.

I feel that I have a strong personality and work well with other people. I hope that this information is enough to get a good idea as to the type of hard-working individual I am. Also, the information in my biography shows that I like to partake and other activities outside of music. Thank you for reading my biography.

Trumpet Instructor: Sarah Chumney

Sarah Chumney is a freelance trumpet player and teacher in the Knoxville area, where she has performed with many groups, including the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Wind Symphony, the Johnson City Symphony, Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band and the Tennessee Brass. She is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where she earned a Masters Degree while serving as the graduate teaching assistant to Dr. Cathy Leach. While at UT, Sarah performed with the Faculty Brasswind Quintet, the Loose Lips Graduate Brass Quintet, the UT Symphony Orchestra, UT Trumpet Ensemble, and directed the J.V. Trumpet Squad.

While earning a Bachelor of Music degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, she studied primarily with Barbara Butler and performed in many ensembles including the concert band, symphonic wind ensemble, chamber orchestra, symphony orchestra, brass ensemble, brass quintet and, in the Chicago area, with the Evanston Symphony, Northbrook Symphony, Whiting Park Festival Orchestra, the South Bend Symphony, and the Chicago Brass Band. In her first year, Sarah was the first freshman to win a position in Barbara Butler’s excerpt class since its inception.

A native of Memphis, Tennessee, she earned the principal chair in the Tennessee All-State band, was a member of the Memphis Area Youth Wind Ensemble and the Memphis Youth Symphony, studying with Scott Moore and Elizabeth Carter. During her senior year, she attended Interlochen Arts Academy, where she studied with Dr. Stanley Friedman and Richard Stoelzel, and was principal trumpet with the Interlochen band and a member of the brass ensemble.

Trombone / Euphonium Instructor: Samuel Chen

Samuel Chen, a native of Huntington, Indiana, was raised in a musical family. Having first studied the cello, Sam began euphonium studies at the age of 13 and took up trombone at 16. In 1992 Sam won first place in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition and graduated from the Interlochen Arts Academy in 1993, receiving an award for excellent performance in euphonium.

Studying with Steven Witser, Sam earned his B.M. in trombone performance in 1997 from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He is the only trombonist to have been a winner in the CIM concerto competition. Continuing his education at Indiana University, Sam also earned the Artist Diploma, studying with M. Dee Stewart and Carl Lenthe. Additional pedagogical influences include Jay Friedman, Scott Hartman, and Ed Zadrozny.

Since joining the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra as principal trombone in the fall of 2000, Sam has maintained a busy schedule as a performer as well as a teacher. In addition to his position with the KSO, he serves as a member of the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the Knoxville Brass Quintet as well as principal euphonium in the newly formed Knoxville Wind Symphony.

He has held the position of principal trombone with the Missouri Chamber Orchestra, and has performed with the New World Symphony under Michael Tilson Thomas. Furthermore, he has performed with symphony orchestras in the cities of Ft.Wayne, Kalamazoo, Akron, Youngstown, and Evansville.

Sam has served on several occasions as soloist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. Additional solo engagements have included performances with the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Institute of Music Orchestra, Case Western Reserve University Wind Ensemble, Ft. Wayne Philharmonic, and Missouri Chamber Orchestra.

As a teacher, Sam is a faculty member of the New York Summer Music Festival and keeps a studio in Knoxville of over 20 students. Sam's students have enjoyed success ranging from placement in ETSBOA Junior and Senior Clinics, and entrance to University of Tennessee School of Music, Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Clarinet Instructor: David Needham

David Needham is a graduate of South-Doyle High School. During his time here he performed as principle clarinet of the Wind Ensemble and Concert Bands, and was high woodwind section leader of the marching band for two years. David made All-East Senior Clinic twice, and most notably he made Blue band his senior year.

David performed in countless groups before graduation. Some of which include: The Knoxville Youth Band, The Knoxville Recreation Band, and The East Tennessee Youth Wind Ensemble.

David traveled to Indiana University in the summer of 2006. There he auditioned and made principle clarinet and Concert Master at IU's Jacob's School of Music Summer Music Clinic, as well as the music clinic at Carson-Newman College. David is currently attending the University of Tennessee, where he is pursuing degrees in Music Education and Clarinet Performance.

Based on his auditions to the School of Music, David obtained a full scholarship ride to UT. Upon entering the university, David auditioned and made principle clarinet of School of Music's Symphonic Band, and was asked by Dr. Gary Sousa to play the basset horn with the Wind Ensemble.

Since then, David has auditioned and been performing on clarinet with the Wind Ensemble as well as: The Men's Basketball Pep Band, The Lady Vols Pep Band, and was asked by Dr. Michael Stewart to play Bass Clarinet with the Concert Band. Most notably David Marches with the University of Tennessee "Pride of the Southland" Marching Band every saturday.

Based on his auditions David also performs in the "Vol Walk" and stadium tours with the Orange and White Pep Bands. David also takes part in a clarinet quartet that has performed for numberous high school across the state, and regually performs at UT for events hosted by the school of music and the university.

Ouside of college David is heavily involved in teaching. He teaches the concert band clarinet sectionals here at South-Doyle and gives private lessons to well over 15 students in Knox County. He has been on staff teaching at our band camps during the summer as well as after school rehearsals when his schedule allows.

This previous summer David filled in for a director at Owen Valley High School in Spencer, Indiana, where he taught for two weeks during the program's band camp. During his visits to Indiana, David has filled in instrumental parts for concerts and pep rallies at Owen Valley. He has also been asked to perform major clarinet concertos for up coming concerts with the Owen Valley Concert Band, as well as to accompany the band to the Independence Day Parade in Washington D.C. next summer.

Besides teaching privately, David was also asked this last spring to sit in with the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra (MAYO) in Bloomington, Indiana, and teach the clarinet sectionals.

Percussion Instructor: Matt Weyer

Matt Weyer serves as a consultant to the South-Doyle band program, offering instruction and private lessons at the middle school and high school levels.

Matt is the founder of Contemporary Percussion Concepts, and has served as a band director and percussion director at Clinton (TN) High School, Gatesville (TX) High School, and most recently at Plano West (TX) Senior High School.

Matt has completed music degrees from the University of Tennessee and the University of Georgia, and is a proud alumnus of the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps of Toledo, Ohio.

Pit Percussion Instructor: Meghan Essington

Meghan Essington is a 2007 graduate of Farragut High School. She graduated with honors from the Tennessee Scholar's Program. While at Farragut she was Pit Caption for the Farragut Marching Band and Indoor Drumline. She was also a member of the Tri-M Music Honors Society.

Meghan is currently a sophomore at University of Tennessee where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design and Music Education Minor. She is a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority which she serves as the Activities Chair. She is also a member of the front ensemble in the Mountain Rush Independent Drumline.

Color Guard Instructor: Katie Salyers

Katie Salyers is a 2005 graduate of Broadneck Senior High School in Annapolis, Maryland. While there she was captain for the color guard of the Broadneck Marching Band. Following high school she attended Anne Arundel Community College where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and earned an A.A. in General Studies in the Spring of 2007.

After graduation Katie transfered to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and is currently pursuing a bachelors degree in Therapeutic Recreation. In addition to being a full time student at the university, Katie is also a member of Sigma Kappa Sorority which she serves as the Sisterhood Liaison. Katie has an active passion in helping others and participates in a wide variety of volunteer opportunities around the community including Camp Koinonia, PNRC's Adaptive Golf Clinic, Cornerstone of Recovery, and many more. She also enjoys rock climbing, hiking and being in the outdoors.

Conditioning / Visual Instructor: Evan Smith

Evan Smith graduated from South-Doyle High School in 2004 and is currently in the process of pursuing a degree in Music Education. He was a member of the world-class marching ensemble Southwind Drum & Bugle corps for six years beginning in 2002 and concluding with their 2007 season. Special positions held include: Hornline Sergeant, Mellophone section leader, and the 2007 senior age-out.

Evan has also been a visual staff member of Central High-School marching band of Evansville, Indiana and a support staff member of Ubiquity Winterguard, also of Evansville. He returns for his second year administering physical conditioning and teaching the visual program for South-Doyle High-School's Marching ensemble. In addition, he has recently accepted a job teaching the visual program for Mountain Rush independent indoor drum-line.