Meet Our Director & Staff

Amy Beres - Director of Bands

Ms. Beres is in her thirtieth year of teaching and is a graduate of the Florida State University in Tallahassee.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from FSU in 1996. Upon graduation from FSU, Ms. Beres was appointed as Director of Bands at A.L. Mebane Middle School in Alachua, FL.  Bands under Ms. Beres’ direction  consistently received Superior and Excellent ratings at district music performance assessments and national music festivals in Atlanta and Orlando.  Ms. Beres also spent ten years assisting with the Santa Fe High School band program.  Ms. Beres was Assistant Director of Bands at Howard Bishop Middle School for two years before being appointed Director of Bands which is the position she currently holds.  Ms. Beres is an active adjudicator in both Concert Band & Solo/Ensemble Performance Assessments for FBA.  She has also served numerous times as the guest conductor for honor bands around the state of Florida & has presented clinic sessions at the Florida Music Education Association Professional Development Conference in 2023 & 2025.  Some of Ms. Beres’ students have gone on to further their musical education at many prestigious music camps and summer music institutes, marched in various drum and bugle corps, pursue music degrees at major colleges and universities and some that have become band directors themselves.  She also frequently supervises student teachers from the University of Florida which is a task she considers to be a great honor.

Ms. Beres has served as coordinator for the Alachua County Middle School Honor Band for nine years and currently holds the position of District Chairperson for the Florida Bandmasters Association.  She has also served as the District Secretary for this organization.  In addition she has acted as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Florida Marching Band Coalition State Championships.  Ms. Beres is a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association, Florida Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), the American School Band Directors Association, and Sigma Alpha Iota, a national music fraternity for women.  Ms. Beres is also very proud to represent Howard Bishop Middle School as the 2021 Middle School Teacher of the Year for Alachua County Public Schools.  She resides in Gainesville with her cat Blue & her beagle, Baylee.      

Sophie Wasserman - Flute Instructor

Sophie Wasserman has over 25 years of experience teaching music privately and as a general music teacher in Gainesville, Boston and the D.C. area.  She has a Bachelor degree from Vassar College and a Master of Music degree in flute performance from Indiana University.  She performs regularly with the Gainesville Pops!  and with the Teachers Flute Orchestra and the South Florida Flute Orchestra at the Florida Flute Convention each year.  In addition to being a flute instructor with the Howard Bishop Band program, Sophie teaches flute and piano lessons out of her home studio, Sophie's Studio (www.sophiesmusicstudio.weebly.com). 

Kaelin Walton - Double Reeds Instructor

Alex Kaufman- Clarinet/Saxophone Instructor

Alex Kaufman is a flute, clarinet, and saxophone instructor. He is currently an undergraduate student at the University of Florida, pursuing a degree in both Music Performance and Pre-Veterinary Biology. Alex has been playing the woodwind instruments since the age of 11. He specializes in both classical and jazz music. Alex studies saxophone with Dr. Jonathan Helton, and previously, Mr. Jim Bishop, both of whom are graduates of Northwestern University. He also studies clarinet and flute in their respective studios at UF.

Several of Alex's students have been selected to Florida All State Band, as well as the Brevard All County Band. He has performed saxophone concertos with the First Coast Wind Symphony, the Melbourne Municipal Band, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra. Alex also plays reeds in the pit orchestra for musicals at the University of Florida, Santa Fe College, and the Cocoa Village Playhouse. He has performed with both the All State Symphonic Band and Jazz Band. He is the founder and past musical director of the Brevard Youth Big Band.

Outside of his musical career, Alex enjoys spending time with his friends and family, and volunteering at animal shelters.

Margaret Dixon- Trumpet Instructor

Click HERE to go to Margaret's website for information about her & to sign up for lessons if you'd like!

Abraham Sulin - French Horn Instructor

Abraham Sulin received his Bachelor’s of Music in Horn Performance from Ohio Wesleyan University in 2022. He is currently a graduate student in Horn studying under Dr. Paul Basler at the University of Florida, where he is a graduate assistant in horn performance and musicology and assists the Gator Marching Band. Abraham is also an active member of the UF Symphony Orchestra and Wind Symphony. He has an extensive background performing in woodwind and brass quintets, leading masterclasses, and has participated in many celebrated extracurriculars such as Kendall Betts Horn Camp and the Southeast Horn Workshop. His previous mentors have included Kim McCann, Van Parker, Dr. Antoine Clark, and Dr. Timothy Roden.

Andy Grindle - Low Brass Instructor

Andy Grindle currently serves as a Doctoral Conducting Associate at the University of Florida, where he is pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts (DMA) degree in Instrumental Conducting. At UF, he teaches undergraduate conducting and supports all aspects of the University of Florida Band Program, including rehearsals, performances, and administrative duties.

Prior to his doctoral studies, Andy served as the Music Teacher and Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair at Kernan Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida, from 2017 to 2025. During his tenure, the band program flourished—growing to over 200 students and earning its first-ever Superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association Music Performance Assessment. He also helped expand the school's arts curriculum to include Music Production and Musical Theatre.

Andy’s musical journey includes eight years as a trumpet player in the 249th Army Band with the West Virginia Army National Guard. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from West Liberty University, a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army School of Music.

He credits much of his growth to the mentorship of renowned educators and conductors including Robert W. Smith, Susan L. Smith, Dr. Ken Williams, Patrick Garrett, and Dr. Matthew Smith.

Andy is a proud husband to his wife and partner, Lory, and father of their *almost* three year old daughter, Nora.

Sean Workman- Percussion Instructor

TBA