Director of Bands

Ira Jenkins

Before joining Decatur High School in 2022, Mr. Jenkins was the Director of Bands at Alpharetta High School. While at Alpharetta High School, the concert bands were featured performers at GMEA's In-service Conference, UGA's JanFest Honor Band Clinic, Music For All's Southeastern Concert Festival, and a host of other special performances. The marching band was a Bands of America regional finalist as well as Grand Champion at the Jacksonville University Invitational.  Alpharetta's Indoor Percussion ensemble was GIPA's Scholastic A champion in 2022 as well as the WGI Atlanta Scholastic A champion. All three of Alpharetta's winter guards have been repeat SAPA championship medalists. In 2019 the Alpharetta varsity winter guard was a Winter Guard International World Championships finalist. 

Mr. Jenkins has taught elementary, middle, and high school bands in Atlanta City, Cobb County, Fulton County, and in Westchester County (NY) as well as Bergen County (NJ).  His bands have consistently earned superior ratings at performance evaluations, and his winter guards have received state championships honors. Mr. Jenkins' students have earned chairs in county and district honor bands as well as all-state bands and university honor clinics. Many of his students continue their passion for performance in college bands, professional ensembles, drum and bugle corps, independent drumlines, and independent winter guards. 

Mr. Jenkins' responsibilities have extended far beyond the classroom. He has served as an assistant high school marching band director, visual caption head, color guard caption head, and director of numerous winter guard programs throughout the east coast. He has also served as band chair and the district chair for GMEA's District 5. 

Mr. Jenkins' professional affiliations include marching band and winter guard adjudication with the WGI, DCI, BOA, USSBA, and numerous state circuits. He holds memberships with GMEA, NAfME, SAPA, WGI, NYSSMA, NYSBDA, and FFJA. 

Education:
PhD. (in progress); Music Education - Georgia State University (2024-anticipated)

Ed.S; Music Education - University of Georgia (2018)

M.Ed; Education Administration - Kennesaw State University (2007)

B.M.; Music Education - Georgia State University and Florida A&M University (1999)

Assistant Director

Russ Thompson

Russ Thompson currently serves as Assistant Band Director at Decatur High School in Decatur, Ga. At Decatur HS, his primary responsibilities include Symphonic Band, Concert Band, Music Technology, assisting with the marching band, and teaching beginning band in the upper elementary schools. Outside of teaching, Russ serves as the Executive Director of Atlanta CV Drum and Bugle Corps and serves as Assistant Conductor of the Atlanta Concert Band in Sandy Springs, GA. 

From 2014-2018, Russ was the Director of Bands at Woodland High School – Henry County, GA where he led the 150 member program consisting of three concert ensembles, percussion ensemble, the Wolfpack Marching Band, two Southern Association of Performance Arts Winter Guard Ensembles, a SAPA/WGI circuit Indoor Percussion Ensemble, and taught AP Music Theory. Russ served as Assistant Director of Bands/Instructor of Music at Campbellsville University, in Campbellsville, KY from 2012-2014 where his primary responsibilities were assisting the Director of Bands in all administrative, programming, and recruiting areas of the CU Band program. His undergraduate teaching responsibilities included; Undergraduate Conducting, Secondary Instrumental Methods and Literature, Marching Band Techniques, and Understanding Music as well as Co-Conductor of the CU Orchestra. 

In 2012, Russ completed the Master’s of Music in Wind Band Conducting at Georgia State University as a student of Dr. Robert Ambrose and holds a Master’s in Education degree from Auburn University, where he also served as a Graduate Assistant with the Auburn University Bands. From 2008-2010, he served as the Director of Bands at Duluth High School in Duluth, Georgia and began his teaching career as band director at Lauderdale County High School from 2005-2007.

Russ is a 2005 graduate of the University of North Alabama, earning a Bachelor’s of Music in Music Education. In addition, he has attended conducting classes with Frank Ticheli, Mallory Thompson, H. Robert Reynolds, Alan McMurray, Jerry Junkin, Gary Green, Mark Scatterday, Kevin Sedatole, John Lynch and Jamie Nix. He is a member of Georgia Music Educators Association, NAfME, American School Band Directors Association, and the National Band Association. Russ was invited to present at the 2017 GMEA, 2017 AMEA In-Service Conferences and the 2018 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic.