JACQUELINE JOHNSON
Director of Bands
Jacqueline Johnson has served as the Director of Bands at Orange High School since April of 2022. Prior to teaching in the Orange County School System, she served as Director of Bands at Walter M. Williams High School in Burlington, North Carolina, and Bullitt East High School located in Mount Washington, Kentucky. Mrs. Johnson holds a Bachelors in Music Education and a Master of Arts in Teaching in Music Education, both from the University of Louisville.
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Since becoming the Band Director at Orange High School, both the Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band have received Superior ratings at the NCBA Music Performance Adjudication event. In her first year at OHS, she formed the Winter Percussion Ensemble and Winter Guard with both groups competing in the Atlantic Indoor Association Circuit. Both groups medaled in their first year, with Winter Percussion winning gold and Winter Guard winning bronze at the 2023 AIA South Championships.
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While attending the University of Louisville, Mrs. Johnson served as head drum major for the Cardinal Marching Band, and was President of the School of Music in UofL's Student Government Association. She was named the School of Music's 2018 Most Outstanding Graduate, and was selected to give the student commencement address for the University of Louisville's graduation ceremony. In 2019, she was the recipient of the Chuck Thompson Outstanding MAT Student in Music Award.
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Mrs. Johnson's professional associations include the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, North Carolina Music Educator's Association, the National Association for Music Education, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honors Society. She currently serves as Chair-Elect on the Central District Bandmasters Association Board of Directors. Mrs. Johnson also serves as Site Host for the CDBA Honor Band Auditions.
RYAN JOHNSON
Percussion Director
Ryan Johnson has been the Percussion Director at Orange High School since 2022. He works with the concert percussion class, marching band, and winter percussion. An Indiana native, Ryan is a music educator, composer, and adjudicator (Indiana State School Music Association Percussion Solo and Ensemble) now based in North Carolina. He works primarily with middle and high schools music programs within the Orange County School System and serves as an active clinician and arranger with other programs in the greater Research Triangle area.
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Before residing in North Carolina, he taught in both Indiana and Kentucky with several high school percussion organizations. Notable achievements of programs he has worked with include Atlantic Indoor Association (AIA) Concert A Champions 2023 and 2024, Tristate Marching Arts (TMA) Concert Open and SCA Champions in 2014 and 2015, Indiana Percussion Association (IPA) State Finalists in 2017-2020, and participant in the Percussive Arts Society International Convention's High School Chamber Percussion Competition.
In addition to his role as Percussion Director, Ryan is the Special Formats Description Librarian at Duke University providing resource description to music materials at the university. He earned his MLS from Indiana University and BM in Instrumental Performance at the University of Louisville. His percussion teachers include Dr. Greg Byrne, Dick Sisto, Michael Launius, and Jason Pruden.
His professional affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society, NC Percussive Arts Society Chapter, and Music Library Association. He is married to his beautiful wife, Jacqueline, and together they have a cat named Stella. His favorite soda is Big Red.
PATRICK MITCHELL
Marching Band - Visual Coordinator/Drill Designer
Patrick Mitchell has been involved with the color guard and marching band activity since 1978 with the 3-time Canadian National Champions, The Scarlet Brigade Marching Band. He also marched in the Scarlet Brigade Winter Guard, along with the Rosemont Cavaliers and Guelph Royalaire's Drum and Bugle Corps.
After marching, Patrick went on to work with many high schools, drum corps, and a variety of winter guards. Some of these groups include: McNeil High School, Georgetown High School, Western Alamance High School, Northwood High School, the Bandette's All-Girl Drum Corps, the Cardinal's Drum Corps, and Phantasia Winterguard and Rhapsody Winterguard. Patrick has written marching drill for open class drum corps and many marching bands including, state finalist in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan. He started his judging career in 1994 and has judged for WGI, NYFCJ, ODCA and the Atlantic Indoor Association, as well as various other organizations around the United States.
Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Patrick now resides in North Carolina where he teaches music at River Park Elementary in Hillsborough, North Carolina since 2001.
He holds a Bachelors in Music Education and a Master of Music, from UNC Greensboro.
Patrick Mitchell's professional associations include the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, North Carolina Music Educator's Association, and the National Association for Music Education, He is also a National Certified Music Teacher and a 4 time Grammy Award-Music Teacher quarter finalist,
PATRICK MITCHELL
Marching Band - Visual Coordinator/Drill Designer
Patrick Mitchell has been involved with the color guard and marching band activity since 1978 with the 3-time Canadian National Champions, The Scarlet Brigade Marching Band. He also marched in the Scarlet Brigade Winter Guard, along with the Rosemont Cavaliers and Guelph Royalaire's Drum and Bugle Corps.
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After marching, Patrick went on to work with many high schools, drum corps, and a variety of winter guards. Some of these groups include: McNeil High School, Georgetown High School, Western Alamance High School, Northwood High School, the Bandette's All-Girl Drum Corps, the Cardinal's Drum Corps, and Phantasia Winterguard and Rhapsody Winterguard. Patrick has written marching drill for open class drum corps and many marching bands including, state finalist in Texas, South Carolina, North Carolina and Michigan. He started his judging career in 1994 and has judged for WGI, NYFCJ, ODCA and the Atlantic Indoor Association, as well as various other organizations around the United States.
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Originally from Windsor, Ontario, Canada, Patrick now resides in North Carolina where he teaches music at River Park Elementary in Hillsborough, North Carolina since 2001.
He holds a Bachelors in Music Education and a Master of Music, from UNC Greensboro.
Patrick Mitchell's professional associations include the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, North Carolina Music Educator's Association, and the National Association for Music Education, He is also a National Certified Music Teacher and a 4 time Grammy Award-Music Teacher quarter finalist.
ASHLYN ROBINSON
Guard Director
Ashlyn Robinson has served as Guard Director at Orange High School since 2022. Her performance background includes eight seasons of Color/Winter Guard at East Carteret High School from 2011-2015, two time DCA-A Class Champion with Carolina Gold Drum & Bugle Corps in 2018-2019, Independent Open Class Finalist with Legacy Independent in 2019, A Class Finalist with Carolina Visual Productions in 2022, and is a two year vet and Semi-Finalist at First Flight World Guard from 2020-2023. Ashlyn currently performs with the World-Class Guard, Etude, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina. Ashlyn's teaching experience throughout the years includes East Carteret High School, New Bern High School, Green Hope High School, and Orange High School.
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In her first year as Guard Director at Orange High School, the OHS Winter Guard competed in AIA for the first time in school history. After their first competition, they were promoted by the AIA Board to Scholastic Regional A1 Class, and earned Bronze Medals at AIA South Championships.
LARRY LEAL
Assistant Guard Director
Larry Leal has served as the Assistant Guard Director at Orange High School since 2022. Larry's performance background includes five seasons with Smoky Mountain High School Color Guard, two years with First Flight World Guard, and one year with WGI World Championship Finalist Carolina Visual Productions. Larry currently performs with the World-Class Guard, Etude, based in Rock Hill, South Carolina. His teaching experience includes Smoky Mounty High School, Wake Forest High School, Green Hope High School, and Orange High School.
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In his first year as Assistant Guard Director at Orange High School, the OHS Winter Guard competed in AIA for the first time in school history. After their first competition, they were promoted by the AIA Board to Scholastic Regional A1 Class, and earned Bronze Medals at AIA South Championships.
STEPHEN DOWNING
Marching Band Show Arranger / Percussion Instructor
Dr. Stephen Downing is a North Carolina-based teacher, composer, and performer.
He earned his PhD in Music Composition and Master of Arts in Music from Duke University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Tennessee-Martin. Currently, he is the percussion director at Apex Friendship High School, and serves as a percussion teacher at multiple other schools.
He also composes and arranges music for a variety of styles and settings, including marching band, indoor percussion, chamber ensembles, large ensembles, and solo works. His music has garnered recognition within the United States and internationally.
Dan Asanov
Woodwind Tech
Bio coming soon!
ELI ROEGGE
Brass Tech
Eli Roegge is a freelance brass technician, arranger, and performer from the Raleigh area. From 2019-2021 he was a mellophone player in Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps. In April 2022 he performed at the North American Brass Band Association Championships, placing first in the youth chamber/small ensemble section. He graduated from Green Hope High School in 2022 and is a music education student at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. His professional affiliations include: Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity.