Mr. Patrick Clark, Director
Mr. Clark received a bachelor of music education degree from West Virginia University in 2005. While at WVU, he was the principal euphoniumist with the Wind Symphony, and was featured as a soloist with this group on two occasions. Also a very active jazz musician, he did lead and solo trombone work with the Jazz Ensemble 1 and various jazz combos. He studied trombone and euphonium with Dr. H. Keith Jackson, conducting with Lawrence Christianson and Don Wilcox, and jazz improvisation with Paul Scea.
From 2004-2006, Mr. Clark was a professional euphoniumist with the River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh, PA. He performed as a soloist on two concert tours and later became the publishing coordinator and librarian for the band.
Mr. Clark’s work as a freelance musician includes the Georgia Brass Band, Balcony Big Band, the Roger Humphries Big Band, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Canadian Brass, Boston Brass, Arturo Sandoval, Maynard Ferguson, and the “President’s Own” Marine Band. He can be heard playing both trombone and euphonium on the 2005 self-titled CD “Adam Evil and the Outside Royalty”, a rock band based in London, England. In 2006, he was a guest artist with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic performing Herman Bellstedt’s “Napoli”.
In the fall of 2006, Mr. Clark began teaching in the Cobb County School District where he has been the Music Specialist at Pitner Elementary School, Assistant Band Director and now Band Director at Tapp Middle School. Mr. Clark is also the director of the Tapp Middle School Jazz Band. Under his direction, the Tapp Middle Band Program continues its tradition of excellence in earning consistent superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble, Jazz and Concert Performance Evaluations. Mr Clark is a recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence.
Mr. Clark directed the McEachern HS Jazz Program from 2006-2017 and built the program to two full Jazz Ensembles and several small groups during that time. He currently serves as a brass instructor for the McEachern HS Marching Band. From 2007-2014, he was on staff with the Carlton J. Kell HS Marching Band and the National Champion Kennesaw Mountain Marching Band. Mr. Clark was the Euphonium Instructor at the Lassiter Music Institute from 2008-2014 and taught brass sectionals during that time for the Lassiter High School Symphonic Bands. Prior to moving to Georgia, he was an Elementary/Middle School Band Director in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese and the Assistant Conductor of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.
Outside of music, Mr. Clark is an active competitive fly-fisherman and professional fly- fishing guide. He is a member of the National Champion North Carolina Fly Fishing Team, has competed all over the country winning 10 individual competitions to date and was ranked #1 in the U.S. Fly Fishing League for the 2015 season.
Mr. Clark lives in Cartersville, GA with his wife Cecilia, who is the Director of Bands at Allatoona High School, and their three weimaraners “Coltrane, Mingus and Monk”.
From 2004-2006, Mr. Clark was a professional euphoniumist with the River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh, PA. He performed as a soloist on two concert tours and later became the publishing coordinator and librarian for the band.
Mr. Clark’s work as a freelance musician includes the Georgia Brass Band, Balcony Big Band, the Roger Humphries Big Band, and the Charleston Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with the Canadian Brass, Boston Brass, Arturo Sandoval, Maynard Ferguson, and the “President’s Own” Marine Band. He can be heard playing both trombone and euphonium on the 2005 self-titled CD “Adam Evil and the Outside Royalty”, a rock band based in London, England. In 2006, he was a guest artist with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic performing Herman Bellstedt’s “Napoli”.
In the fall of 2006, Mr. Clark began teaching in the Cobb County School District where he has been the Music Specialist at Pitner Elementary School, Assistant Band Director and now Band Director at Tapp Middle School. Mr. Clark is also the director of the Tapp Middle School Jazz Band. Under his direction, the Tapp Middle Band Program continues its tradition of excellence in earning consistent superior ratings at Solo & Ensemble, Jazz and Concert Performance Evaluations. Mr Clark is a recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence.
Mr. Clark directed the McEachern HS Jazz Program from 2006-2017 and built the program to two full Jazz Ensembles and several small groups during that time. He currently serves as a brass instructor for the McEachern HS Marching Band. From 2007-2014, he was on staff with the Carlton J. Kell HS Marching Band and the National Champion Kennesaw Mountain Marching Band. Mr. Clark was the Euphonium Instructor at the Lassiter Music Institute from 2008-2014 and taught brass sectionals during that time for the Lassiter High School Symphonic Bands. Prior to moving to Georgia, he was an Elementary/Middle School Band Director in the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese and the Assistant Conductor of the Pittsburgh Youth Philharmonic Orchestra.
Outside of music, Mr. Clark is an active competitive fly-fisherman and professional fly- fishing guide. He is a member of the National Champion North Carolina Fly Fishing Team, has competed all over the country winning 10 individual competitions to date and was ranked #1 in the U.S. Fly Fishing League for the 2015 season.
Mr. Clark lives in Cartersville, GA with his wife Cecilia, who is the Director of Bands at Allatoona High School, and their three weimaraners “Coltrane, Mingus and Monk”.
Mrs. Christi Celone, Associate Director
Mrs. Christi Celone grew up all over the world as an “Army Brat”. Both of her parents were music education majors in college, but her Dad joined the Army when he graduated college. She graduated high school from Zweibruecken American High School in Germany in 1991.
Following high school, Mrs. Celone attended her parents’ alma mater, Henderson State University in Arkansas. During her time at Henderson, she maintained a 3.92 GPA while being involved in numerous ensembles. She was the top trombonist in the top concert group as well as the jazz band and was also a featured singer in the first ever NuFusion Jazz group at Henderson. She was also involved in numerous small ensembles including a trombone quartet that toured the Dallas area. Her part time job in college was as a singer and instrumentalist in a family music show in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1995, Mrs. Celone taught for a few years in Nebraska before arriving in Texas! During her teaching in Canton, Texas, she was the assistant director for the Canton HS band, the Mighty Band from Eagle Land. During her first year in charge of the colorguard, the band advanced to the Texas State Marching Band Contest and placed third. She also assisted in taking the band to perform at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland in 1999.
Shortly after that, she met her husband and moved to the Dallas area and became the director at Lamar Middle School. The Lamar Band consistently received Sweepstakes at their UIL competition (the Texas equivalent to LGPE). There were a few moves due to her husband’s job that took her to Florida, then back to Texas at a few different schools before settling in at Durham Middle School where she has been for the past twelve years.
During her tenure at Durham, she has grown the numbers and quality of the program. Her students consistently receive Superior ratings in various competitions and play for numerous different events at the school. The band provides music for pep rallies, football games, play off parades, musicals and even has a jazz band.
Mrs. Celone loves teaching middle school and her favorite part of her job is getting to know her students and helping them not only learn music, but how to be successful in life! But, her most important job is as wife and mom to her three girls, Kyleigh (17), Mia (13) and Teagan (3). She is also an active runner. Although, she isn’t quite as active as her husband Matt who has completed numerous marathons and ultra-marathons, including two 100 milers! They look forward to experiencing the trails near their new home close to Kennesaw Mountain State Park.
She is ecstatic to be joining Tapp Middle School and hopes to add to the continuing excellence of the band!
Following high school, Mrs. Celone attended her parents’ alma mater, Henderson State University in Arkansas. During her time at Henderson, she maintained a 3.92 GPA while being involved in numerous ensembles. She was the top trombonist in the top concert group as well as the jazz band and was also a featured singer in the first ever NuFusion Jazz group at Henderson. She was also involved in numerous small ensembles including a trombone quartet that toured the Dallas area. Her part time job in college was as a singer and instrumentalist in a family music show in Hot Springs, Arkansas.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude in 1995, Mrs. Celone taught for a few years in Nebraska before arriving in Texas! During her teaching in Canton, Texas, she was the assistant director for the Canton HS band, the Mighty Band from Eagle Land. During her first year in charge of the colorguard, the band advanced to the Texas State Marching Band Contest and placed third. She also assisted in taking the band to perform at the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland in 1999.
Shortly after that, she met her husband and moved to the Dallas area and became the director at Lamar Middle School. The Lamar Band consistently received Sweepstakes at their UIL competition (the Texas equivalent to LGPE). There were a few moves due to her husband’s job that took her to Florida, then back to Texas at a few different schools before settling in at Durham Middle School where she has been for the past twelve years.
During her tenure at Durham, she has grown the numbers and quality of the program. Her students consistently receive Superior ratings in various competitions and play for numerous different events at the school. The band provides music for pep rallies, football games, play off parades, musicals and even has a jazz band.
Mrs. Celone loves teaching middle school and her favorite part of her job is getting to know her students and helping them not only learn music, but how to be successful in life! But, her most important job is as wife and mom to her three girls, Kyleigh (17), Mia (13) and Teagan (3). She is also an active runner. Although, she isn’t quite as active as her husband Matt who has completed numerous marathons and ultra-marathons, including two 100 milers! They look forward to experiencing the trails near their new home close to Kennesaw Mountain State Park.
She is ecstatic to be joining Tapp Middle School and hopes to add to the continuing excellence of the band!