Meet The Instructors

Mr. Houze is currently the band director at Fort Clarke Middle School. Prior to coming to the Fort, Mr. Houze taught Chorus & General Music at Kanapaha Middle School,  Band and Orchestra at West Shore Jr./Sr. High School in Melbourne, FL, and was the Band Director at Ridge Community High School in Davenport, FL. Mr. Houze holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Florida State University, where he studied French Horn with Michelle Stebleton, James Wilson, Kevin Reid, and David Cripps. While at FSU, Mr. Houze performed with numerous ensembles including the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Horn Choir, FSU Brass Quintet, Marching Chiefs, Seminole Sound, and even as Principal Oboe in the Campus Band. This is Mr. Houze's 3rd year teaching at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp 

Mrs. Pirzer is in her 24th year as the band director at Oak View MS where she teaches beginning, concert, symphonic band and 5th grade general music.  The Oak View Symphonic band has consistently earned high ratings under Mrs. Pirzer's direction, including 2015 Orlandofest Grand National Champion, and the Linda Mann Five Year Superior Award in 2010-14 and 2015-19.  Mrs. Pirzer is Nationally Board Certified in Music K-12, was Oak View's Teacher of the Year in 2003-2004 and 2015-2016, and was named the Alachua County Teacher of the Year for the 2015-2016 school year.  Mrs. Pirzer also served as the Front Ensemble & Percussion Instructor for the GHS Marching Band for 15 years.  Mrs. Pirzer is a University of Florida graduate, a founding member of the Alachua County Teacher Leadership Council, a member of the Florida Teacher Lead Network, former Committee Chairperson for the annual ElevatED Teacher Conference and this is her 17th year teaching Music Theory and Composition at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp.   

Mr. McConn was the band director at Fort Clarke MS for 25 years.  His bands have consistently earned the highest ratings at evaluations and competitions.  The Fort Clarke MS band was awarded the Sudler Cup by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 2012 for significantly high standards of excellence in all aspects of the band program over an extended period of time.  The Fort Clarke Band was also a National Adjudicators Invitational Grand Champion in 2011 and 2017. Mr. McConn was the Alachua County Middle School Teacher of the year in 2003 and is a University of Florida graduate. He is the founder and former director of the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp for 20 years, and this is his 22nd year teaching at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp. 

  Mr. Pirzer is in his 19th year as the band director at Gainesville High School.  He currently teaches Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Marching Band.  The Gainesville High School Hurricane Band has been the FMBC State 3A Champions in 2008, 2011 and 2015 under Mr. Pirzer's direction.  The band was invited to perform in the 2017 National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade in Washington D.C. and the 2020, 2022 and 2023 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona.  The GHS Symphonic Band was invited to the 2023 Music For All/University of Central Florida Concert Band Invitational and will be performing in the President's Cup Invitational as guests of the "Pershing's Own" U.S. Army Band in April 2024.  Mr. Pirzer is a University of Florida graduate and this is his 15th year teaching at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp. 

Mr. Cobb has been a music educator for over 20 years, and has been the band director at Eastside HS, Newberry HS, Williston MHS, and is currently a music teacher at Chiles and Meadowbrook Elementary. He is an Auburn University graduate and this is his 13th year teaching at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp. During his 15 year career as a band director his ensembles received consistent superior ratings in both marching and concert band settings. Under his direction, the Eastside High School Band won the 2004 and 2005 FMBC State Show Band Championships. His bands at Newberry High School and Williston Middle-High School regularly received superior ratings in marching and concert band assessments and contests and included a 2011 Top-10 FMBC finish at Newberry High School and a 2018 performance at State Concert Band assessment by the Williston Middle-High School Wind Ensemble. Mr. Cobb is an internationally performed concert band arranger and has been the arranger-in-residence for several marching bands in the southeastern United States. His arrangement of Crazy Train continues to be performed on national television by the Auburn University Marching Band during Auburn University football games.  

Mr. Santiago is currently the director of percussion at F.W. Buchholz High School. Under his direction, the percussion section and percussion ensemble has continually received superior ratings at Marching, Concert and Solo & Ensemble assessments. A student of Dr. Kenneth Broadway, he studied at the University of Florida and was a member of the UF Percussion Ensemble, the UF Symphony Orchestra, the Sunshine Steelers Steel Drum Band and the UF Wind Symphony. In addition, Mr. Santiago is an active performer with the Gainesville Orchestra, Ocala Symphony, "Los Maniceros" Salsa band and various local groups in Gainesville.  Mr. Santiago is also the Front Ensemble Coordinator for Infinity Percussion based out of Orlando, where he has taught with both Infinity 3 (PIA) as well as Infinity (PIW). This will be Mr. Santiago's 7th year teaching at the Summer Band at Fort Clarke Camp.