2024 Honors Band

Brad Oliver received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Appalachian State University, and his Master’s Degree in School Administration from Gardner-Webb University. Mr. Oliver spent twelve years as a band director in the Winston-Salem / Forsyth County Schools working at Hanes Middle, and teaching Marching Band at Mt. Tabor and West High. At Hanes Middle School under Mr. Oliver’s leadership, the Hanes bands received superior ratings in grade levels one through four at the North Carolina State Band Festival (MPA). For the last four years of his tenure at Hanes, the 8th grade band received superior ratings in grade level five at festival competitions in Williamsburg, Virginia, and Orlando, Florida. In addition to receiving first place honors, the bands received several grand champion awards at both events, placing higher than all high schools. The Hanes Band placed several students in All-County, All-District, and All-State each year. The Hanes Middle School Band also commissioned a concert march entitled “Foxfire” by composer Ed Huckeby. The Hanes band premiered the piece during their performance at the North Carolina Music Educators Conference with Ed Huckeby as a guest conductor and used the Concert March that year in their MPA performance. 

Currently, Mr. Oliver serves as the Executive Director for Encore Learning in Winston-Salem / Forsyth County School System. The Encore department consists of Arts Education, Health and PE, World Languages, ML(ESL) Media, JROTC, On-Line Learning and Extended Day Learning. Mr. Oliver served prior to this appointment as the Arts Education Director for the Winston-Salem schools.

Mr. Oliver is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the East Coast, working with high school marching bands and concert festivals for middle and high schools. He also works as a festival adjudicator with Music in the Parks, adjudicating band and orchestra festivals as well as an MPA judge. In serving the band programs of North Carolina, he has conducted all-county and band clinics in Forsyth, Catawba, Yadkin (1999 and 2009), Surry (2003 and 2010), Randolph, Wake, Orange, Burke, Elkin, Catawba and Iredell counties. In continuing to serve as a band conductor Mr. Oliver has also conducted the Central District Middle School Honors band and the All-District 10 Intermediate Honors Band in PA. Mr. Oliver has also served as the conductor for the Piedmont North Carolina Honor High School Band multiple years and has twice conducted the Carolina Band Blast in conjunction with the Eastern Music Festival at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Mr. Oliver has spent time working with music teachers and music students as a guest speaker on Music Education at ASU, UNCG, USC, and Moravian University in PA. Mr. Oliver has also been a guest conductor of the Lehigh Valley Orchestra in Pennsylvania.

Mr. Oliver’s most rewarding honor was being named “Teacher of the Year” at Hanes Middle School and Forsyth County’s first “Band Director of the Year”. Mr. Oliver was also honored by Appalachian State University, serving as guest conductor for the National Anthem during an opening home football game at ASU. Mr. Oliver resides in Hamptonville, NC, with his wife Angela, a recently retired 4th grade teacher and with his children Hannah, our trumpeter, and Braden, our percussionist.

Colin Choat is the percussion instructor for the Wake Forest University Athletic Bands.  He is a proud former member of Drum Corps International’s (DCI) Spirit of Atlanta, Magic of Orlando, and the Boston Crusaders, and Winterguard International’s Odyssey Percussion Theatre and Music City Mystique. Mr. Choat continued his involvement with DCI where he served on the percussion staff for the Boston Crusaders from 2008-2009 and 2014-2016.

Mr. Choat attended the University of Alabama(UA) where he performed with the UA Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and the “Million Dollar Band.” While completing his Master of Music at Appalachian State University(ASU), Mr. Choat performed with the ASU Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, New Paradigm Percussion Quartet, and the Steely Pan Steel Band. He spent the next two years living in Austin, Texas working as Percussion Coordinator for the Manor Independent School District as well as a clinician and adjudicator for numerous school districts in the Austin area. Throughout his youth, Colin studied with world renowned percussion educators including Jeff Fondren, Greg Gumina, Bill Williams, Larry Mathis, Neal Flum, Rob Falvo, Scott Meister, Chauncey Holder, Omar Carmenates, and Ellis Hampton.

For the past 12 years, Mr. Choat has been a middle and high school band director with the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools. He currently teaches band Lewisville Middle School in Lewisville, North Carolina. In addition to teaching, Mr. Choat performs with the Piedmont Wind Symphony and numerous other ensembles in Northwest North Carolina. Outside of music, he enjoys long distance running, mountain biking, and rock climbing.  Most recently he completed the Massanutten Mountain Trails 100 Mile Run. Mr. Choat currently resides in Winston-Salem with his incredible wife, Mary Kathryn Bowman Choat.

Dr. Timothy Heath is the Director of Bands and Assistant Teaching Professor of Music at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. At Wake Forest, he oversees all aspects of the band program and teaches conducting and music literature courses. His commitment to music extends beyond the university as he serves as the music director for the Triad Area Medical Orchestra and is the founder and music director for NexTonal, a chamber winds group. Before his appointment at Wake Forest, he was the Director of Athletic Bands at Samford University and an Assistant Professor of Music Education. 

Dr. Heath is an international clinician and conductor who has worked with ensembles across the United States and Europe. His recent inclusion in the Triad Area Medical Orchestra as a conductor and music director is a testament to his ability to cross over in musical genres. Dr. Heath's influence extends to the secondary classroom as well, where he is an active clinician and adjudicator. As a music educator, he has presented sessions and research at the state, national, and international levels, and his work has been published in prestigious publications such as The Instrumentalist, The National Band Association Journal, and Percussive Notes. 

Dr. Heath's musical talents are widely diverse.  As a percussionist, he regularly performs with the Piedmont Wind Symphony, a professional Wind Ensemble based in Winston-Salem, NC. His percussion background includes performances with the Tuscaloosa Symphony, the Alabama Winds, the Greensboro Philharmonia, and many other concert ensembles. His active drum set performances further highlight his versatility as a performing musician and conductor. 

Dr. Heath serves on the Small College/University committee of the College Band Directors National Association and is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, College Music Society, Kappa Delta Epsilon Education Fraternity, Mu Phi Epsilon, WASBE, IGEB and is an Honorary Member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity at the University of Alabama and Wake Forest University.

 Dr. Heath holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, a Doctorate from The University of Alabama, and a Professional Artist Certificate in Conducting from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. Dr. Heath is a Conn-Selmer Education Clinician and proudly supports Sabian Cymbals, Blackswamp Percussion, Remo Drumheads, and Vic Firth Drumsticks and Mallets.