Cecilia Clark, Director of Bands at Allatoona High School in Acworth, Georgia, is a native of Upper Marlboro, Maryland where she graduated from Elizabeth Seton High School in 1992. She attended Duquesne University and received a Bachelor’s of Science in Music Education in 1996. While at Duquesne, she performed in Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, Electronic Ensemble, Contemporary Ensemble, and Trombone Choir. Mrs. Clark’s percussion teachers include Stanley Leonard, Gerald Unger, Andrew Reamer, and Lenny Rogers. She studied conducting with Robert Cameron, Craig Kirchhoff, and Larry Rachleff. Mrs. Clark also received a Master’s Degree in Special Education from Duquesne University. She is currently an ABD Doctoral Candidate with an emphasis in Music Education from Boston University.

Mrs. Clark’s professional experience most recently includes a seven-year tenure as Assistant Band Director at McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia where she assisted with all band operations, conducted Symphonic Band, sponsored the Color Guard, and taught Music Theory and Piano classes.

In addition, Mrs. Clark served as Fine Arts Department Chair. Prior to joining the faculty at McEachern, Mrs. Clark was the Director of Bands at Deer Lakes High School from 2002-2006 and Thomas Jefferson High School from 1998-2002. She also taught in the Diocese of Pittsburgh for two years. While under her direction, the band programs consistently received superior ratings at district and regional concert band and jazz band festivals. Mrs. Clark served as an officer for District One of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Marching Band Association, the Alle-Kiski Band Directors Association, and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s Educators Committee.

An avid percussion educator, adjudicator, and clinician, Mrs. Clark hosted the Annual Pittsburgh Day of Percussion from 1998-2005. In addition she was the Director of Percussion for Three Rivers Winter Ensemble Association. She served as a consultant and technician for several high schools including Norwin Senior High School. She was also the Front Ensemble Instructor for the General Butler Vagabonds Division III Jr. Corps and the Pit Caption Head for Conquest Percussion and Project Percussion Independent Open and World Class WGI Finalists.

Mrs. Clark is an active marching band and pageantry arts adjudicator. In 2004, Mrs. Clark began judging for the Pennsylvania Federation of Contest Judges and Youth Education in the Arts. She continues to judge Indoor Percussion and Winter Guard regularly for the Southern Association for Performance Arts, Carolina Winter Ensemble Association, and the Florida Federation of Judges Association.

She has served on the Review Committee for the National Association of Secondary School Principals and as a member of MENC: The National Association for Music Education’s Band Advisory Committee. In addition, Mrs. Clark serves as the DTA Program Coordinator at the Music for All Summer Symposium. Her professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Percussive Arts Society, and Mu Phi Epsilon Professional Music Fraternity. She has received Lifetime Faculty Membership in the TRI-­‐M Music

Honor Society and has been listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers on several occasions. Mrs. Clark is married to Patrick Clark, Assistant Band Director at Tapp Middle School, and they have two beautiful weimaraners, Miles and Coltrane.