Eric Posner, Director of Bands

B.M., Music Education, University of Massachusetts Amherst

M.M., Wind Conducting, University of Kansas

Eric Posner has been the Director of Bands at Atholton High School for one year.  Under his direction the Wind Ensemble and Concert Bands received Superior and Excellent Ratings at the Howard County Band Assessment and the Marching Band received some of their highest scores in three years. While at The University of Kansas he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant involved with all aspects of the band program including the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic and University Bands, the Marching Jayhawks, and all other athletic bands. During his two years in Lawrence he served as the director of the Women’s Volleyball Band and the Women’s Basketball Band as well as the Manager for the Prairie Wind Festival. Recently Eric served as the Assistant Producer for the KU Wind Ensemble’s new CD on the NAXOS label, “Wild Nights!.”

As the Bellows Spring Elementary Band and Orchestra director in Ellicott City, Maryland from 2003-2006, Eric was nominated by his colleagues for the First Year Teacher Award being honored as one of only 20 nominees.  In only the second year as director at Bellows Spring, Eric nearly doubled the size of the instrumental music program to almost 200 students and co-commissioned Dr. Roland Barrett of the University of Oklahoma to write an original work for young band.  In addition he was co-director of the Howard County Elementary Band, an honors ensemble for gifted Fourth and Fifth grade musicians.

While at UMass Eric was a member of the UMass Minuteman Band under the direction of George N. Parks as well as a member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps hornline in 1999. In 2000 and 2001, he served as the Crossmen Drum Major and during the 2002 season Eric was the Assistant Tour Director. Since then he has written drill for both Long Reach and Marriott’s Ridge High Schools in Howard County. At Long Reach Eric served as the visual coordinator where the band placed 3rd in visual at the 2004 USSBA Championships in Allentown, PA.

As a saxophonist, Eric’s primary teachers have been Professor Lynn Klock of the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Timothy Roberts of the United States Navy Band. For two years he was a member of the Riverside Saxophone Quartet in Northern Virginia. As a conducting student at KU his primary teachers were Dr. Scott Weiss and Dr. John Lynch.

Eric is a member of MENC, MMEA, National Band Association (NBA), College Band Director’s National Association (CBDNA), and regularly attends various workshops throughout the country.

Doug Jones, Percussion Coordinator

Doug Jones has been associated with the Atholton High School music program since 1986. During those years, he served as the percussion music arranger as well as the Percussion Caption Head; managing the drumline technicians and overseeing the instruction of all the percussionists in the program.  According to Doug, the terrific student body and band booster organization has made it a pleasure to be associated with the school for so long.

In addition to his duties at Atholton, Doug has instructed and/or arranged for several award winning bands in the Maryland/Virginia area. He has also adjudicated for the Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) indoor percussion circuit and the Maryland All-State auditions. His marchingexperience includes participating as a member of the percussion section of Harrison, NJ's Bushwackers Drum & Bugle Corps from 1984 through 1990. Doug is currently serving as one of the Percussion artist/arranger for Fast Forward Productions.

When not with the band, Doug loves to kick back and enjoy life! You might find him out playing, shooting darts, or seeing concerts.

Mike Nolan, Percussion

Mike Nolan is a graduate of Atholton High Schoolclass of 2001.  He has a BS in Information Systems Management from UMBC.  Since 2005, Mike has worked full time for Odyssey Technologies, Inc as the IT Specialist.  Mike has been a staff member for Atholton High Schools marching band ever since high school graduation and marched with Atholtons marching band all four years (two years bass, one year snare, one year tenor).  Mike has also played with the Columbia Concert Band since 2002 and was a member of UMBCs pep band and concert band from 2003 to 2006, where he was also a conductor during many performances.  On the side, Mike also takes care of two cute horses, likes to play ultimate Frisbee, and loves to watch and play hockey.

Scott Perry, Percussion

Scott "Tree" Perry is a 2003 graduate of Atholton High School.  Primarily trained on clarinet and saxophone, he spent 3 years on Atholton's drumline, playing bass and tenors.  He has been an instructor for the marching band since 2007, and has also been an instructor for Marriotts Ridge High School band since 2008.  Scott currently lives in Silver Spring and is attending grad school at George Washington University for forensic chemistry, as well as being a lifeguard instructor part-time with Columbia Association.  His hobbies include music of all types, movies, and playing ultimate frisbee.

Alicia Briggs, Colorguard Coordinator

Interior Designer, Baltimore, Maryland

B.S., Interior Design, Philadelphia University

A.S., Interior Design, Anne Arundel Community College

Alicia is well known for her excellence and dedication throughout the color guard activity. Upon graduation from Old Mill High School, she continued marching with the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle Corps in 1999. After taking a summer off from marching, she joined the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2001 and aged-out in 2002 with the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, CA. She is currently a marching member with the Reading Buccaneers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps since 1995. Alicia is also experienced in modern, jazz, ballet, and contemporary dance through the teaching of several master dancers in Annapolis, MD, Newark, DE, the Koresch School of Dance in Philadelphia, PA and most recently at the Mia Michaels dance clinic.

Alicia is also a founding member of the Apex Winterguard, from Newark, DE, earning the Chapter 9 gold medal and several TIA gold, silver and bronze medals for the past ten years. She has received the WGI bronze medal in Independent A Class, earning a promotion to Open Class status.  Alicia has also had a helping hand in Apex Youth Services, Inc., not only has a marching member from 1999-2003, 2005-2008, but also has a teacher in 2004 with Apex, 2003-2007 with Bpex and 2005 with Cpex, leading all three winterguards to finalist and medalist status.  Most recently, she has marched with the 30-year World Class Finalist, Blessed Sacrament, from Cambridge, Mass., earning 5th place at the World Championships in 2009.

Her teaching experience has brought her to several groups, including Old Mill High School in Millersville, MD, Ridley High School in Folsom, PA, Dickinson High School in Wilmington, DE and Towson University.  She has also choreographed and taught the Broadneck Indoor Colorguard, directing the group to a silver medal for the Chapter 9 Tournament Indoor Association in 2008. She has been caption head at Broadneck High School in Annapolis, MD since 2005 and caption head at Atholton High School in Columbia, MD since 2008.

Alicia is very excited to work with Atholton High School to show them that spinning, dancing and performing is not only a sport, but a modern art form that takes hard work and dedication to the next level of excellence.