The Morgan County Middle School band program is comprised of more than 240 students from 6th to 8th grades. We consistently have the top number of students in our GMEA district honor band, students are selected for the All-State band, solo and ensemble participation, an active jazz band, and many students extend their music education through private lessons. MCMS bands score superior ratings at our state evaluations (LGPE) and the students are among the top in the school.
I have been teaching since 1991. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 1991, I began my career at Rockdale High School as the assistant band director and choral director. I was privileged to open Memorial Middle School in 1993, and began the band program with over 300 students. Students represented the school at district honor band, solo and ensemble, and all-state bands. In 1994, I received my masters in music education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL. In 2000, Memorial Middle School had over 450 students enrolled and 2 directors. I started a small band program at Young Americans Christian School in Conyers, GA was the next step in my career.
I will begin my 13th year at Morgan County Middle school in 2021. The program is one of the most visible aspects of the school and continues a strong tradition of excellence. In 2017, I received MCMS Teacher of the Year and continue to serve on various committees at the school and as a representative of GMEA.
My husband, Rob Seymour is the band director at Putnam Middle School. My two oldest sons attend Piedmont College and Berry College and I have a daughter at GCSU.
Andrew Duggins joined the One Morgan Band Program as the Assistant Band Director in 2023. Mr. Duggins is a native of Marietta, Georgia and is a 2017 graduate of Lassiter High School where he served as Band President, Mellophone Section Leader, and was a member of Tri-M Music Honor Society. In high school, Mr. Duggins was selected for the GMEA District 12 Honor Band five times and the GMEA All-State Band once in 2017. After graduation, he attended the University of Tennessee (UTK) and majored in music education with an emphasis on brass, woodwind, and percussion. While at UTK, Mr. Duggins was an active leader in the Pride of the Southland Marching Band, serving as a mellophone squad leader for two years and then as an undergraduate teaching assistant (Blacksuit) his senior year. Other ensembles that he was a member of include the UT Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Horn Choir, and Brass Choir. He student taught at Farragut Middle School with Chris MacTavish and at Farragut High School with Kenneth Carrico. Mr. Duggins graduated from UTK with his Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 2021.
Mr. Duggins' career began in 2021 at Spring City Middle School in Spring City, Tennessee where he taught band and chorus. In the wake of the COVID pandemic, Mr. Duggins was tasked with rebuilding the music programs at SCMS. During his two years in Spring City, enrollment in band and chorus classes increased by 140%. The band returned to public performances in the fall of 2021 including concerts, home football games, and marching in the Spring City Christmas Parade. While living in Tennessee, Mr. Duggins was a member of the Tennessee Wind Symphony, an adult community concert band in Knoxville, TN.
Mr. Duggins is excited to be a part of the One Morgan Band program. His responsibilities include leading the MCHS Concert Band, co-teaching the 6th grade, 7th grade, and jazz band with Ms. Seymour, and serving as the assistant band director of the Morgan County Marching Bulldog Band.
He currently resides in Madison, GA with his cat, George.
Karen Mullins joins the faculty of the Morgan County High School Band this school year though she has been working with the group since 2001. Morgan County has been her place of residence for over 20 years and she is proud to call it home.
Born and raised in Villa Rica, Georgia, Karen excelled in high school as a euphonium, trombone and tuba player. She went on to earn her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia and then her Master's in Music Education from Bowling Green State University (Ohio).
Her teaching career began in 1995 at Eastside Transitional School in Newton County as a middle school band director. Later, she opened Indian Creek Middle School in the same county in 1997, developing a vibrant middle school band with many District Honor and All-State Band participants. From the Fall of 2000 to the Spring of 2016, Karen home schooled her three boys and co-founded the Athens Area Home School Band. The program was very successful and is still active today. In 2016, Karen joined the faculty at Timber Ridge Elementary School in Henry County as the music teacher of 750 students. During each of these teaching assignments, she maintained an active low brass private lesson studio producing many successful musicians.
She is a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators and the American Orff-Schulwerk Association.
Karen has three boys who are amazing young men and musicians in their own right. Nathan is an Army ROTC Cadet at the University of North Georgia; Aaron a freshman Music Industry major at Georgia Southern University-Armstrong; and Seth an eighth grade MCMS student and band member.
Carson Miller is a student at the University of Georgia studying Advertising and Graphic Design. Since graduating from Canton, GA's Creekview High School in 2022, Carson has had the privilege to be a part of several different marching band organizations. These include Atlanta CV, Atlanta Quest, and the Unviersity of Georgia Redcoat Marching Band, performing in a variety of battery percussion roles and leadership positions. The 2025 fall season marks his third year in this role at Morgan County, serving as a year-round percussion educator and battery composer. He finds great joy in playing a part in our percussionists' journeys towards becoming skilled, confident, and consistent performers, as well as making sure they have fun and stay hydrated along the way!
Jorjana Marin is a third-year Music Education major at the University of Georgia with a minor in General Business. Since graduating from Veterans High School in 2023, she has gained teaching experience in Athens-Clarke County and surrounding areas. She has taught percussion and general music across all grade levels, from kindergarten through 12th grade. In addition, she has worked with incoming university students through an extended orientation program at UGA. The fall 2025 marching season will mark her second year with Morgan County, and she is thrilled to see the students continue growing into both fantastic musicians and wonderful people.
Matthew Quach is a Music Education major at the University of Georgia from Cumming, Georgia. He is an active performer with the UGA Wind Symphony, trombone choir, brass quintet, trombone quartet, and a student-led bluegrass band.
Matthew’s performance background includes being a Georgia Governor’s Honors Program finalist, a six-time GMEA All-State Band member, and a member of the 2024 Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. In high school, he helped establish and lead the school’s first four chamber brass ensembles.
Matthew currently serves as a visual and brass educator with the Morgan County High School Marching Band. His long-term goal is to become a full-time band director with the skills to compose music and design drill. Outside of teaching and performing, Matthew enjoys cooking, playing guitar, and the card game Magic: The Gathering. He looks forward to building new skills with each performer and cultivating a positive marching experience.
Lauren McDaniel is a graduate from The University of Georgia with a degree in elementary education, and is continuing her education at UGA in the M.Ed. Elementary Education program. In college she marched with The UGA Redcoat Band and in multiple WGI and DCI programs. She is excited to be apart of the Morgan County Marching Band Staff this year and cannot wait to see what the season holds!
Leah Henson is a graduate from Morgan County High School who is continuing her studies at Toccoa Falls College. She plans on majoring in nursing with a minor in psychology. In high school, she marched the One Morgan Band for four years, serving in leadership for two years. The 2025 season marks Leah’s second year working with the band. She finds great joy watching students fall in love with the same sport she once did and pushing themselves to greatness!
Carey Moore is a freelance flutist and educator in Atlanta, Georgia. She is a 2008 graduate of the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts where she earned her Master of Music Degree in flute performance with Distinction studying under Robert Willoughby. Carey graduated Magna Cum Laude from Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia in 2005 where she earned a Bachelor of Music Degree in flute performance studying under Christina Smith and Carl Hall.
As a flute instructor, Carey currently works as a clinician with band programs in the metropolitan Atlanta area. She is also has been a flute adjudicator for the Georgia Music Educators Association and maintains a private studio both in person and virtual. Carey's students have consistently received positions in District Honor Band and All-State Band, received Superior ratings at Solo and Ensemble Festival, hold the principal chair in their school's advanced band, attended Mid-Fest and Jan-Fest at the University of Georgia and received college scholarships to participate in college band programs. Carey continues to study and perfect her own flute playing with Christina Smith of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Diann Wallace is a Morgan County class of ‘24 alumni and is in her second year at Augusta University pursuing a degree in music education.