Co-Conductors

Alan Armstrong - Co-Conductor

Alan Armstrong retired from public school education in 2025 after a distinguished 37-year career as a music educator in Alabama and Georgia. For 29 of those years, he served as Director of Bands at Northgate High School (GA), where his leadership helped the program earn hundreds of accolades and become one of the first three high schools to receive the GMEA Exemplary Performance Award for excellence in all areas of band performance. His wind ensembles have performed at major events including the Georgia State Leadership Conference, the University of Alabama Honor Band Clinic, and for international dignitaries from Gifu, Japan. His marching bands have appeared in national holiday parades, the Alabama Governor’s Inaugural Parade, and earned numerous class, division, and Grand Championship honors.

Armstrong's experience in the marching arts spans more than four decades, including extensive work as an instructor, designer, and consultant with programs of all sizes, including nationally recognized ensembles. He has held leadership roles with several corps, including Atlanta CV (a four-time DCA medalist), and currently serves as Brass Caption Manager for Spirit of Atlanta. His affiliations include nine years on the brass staff of The Cavaliers and six years as a DCI judge.
Armstrong has adjudicated bands in ten states and has served as a clinician and guest conductor with concert bands and honor bands since 2003. He has led leadership workshops and professional development sessions in both the U.S. and Japan, and has presented 11 times at the GMEA State Convention. His professional honors include Teacher of the Year, multiple Star Teacher recognitions, AJC Honor Teacher, and a Georgia Legislative Resolution recognizing his contributions to education. In 2024, he was inducted into the Spirit of Atlanta Hall of Fame.
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Alan is a member of GMEA, NAfME, the National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Phi Beta Mu. He and his wife Ginger (formerly of Houston, TX) are proud parents of four children—Caitlin, Kelsey, Ryan, and Emily—grandparents to Joshua, “grand-god-parents” to Emersyn, and doting “fur parents” to their beloved golden retriever, Peanut.

Dr. Michelle Amosu Thomas - Co-Conductor

​Dr. Michelle Amosu Thomas just concluded her fifth year as the General Music teacher at Robert J. Burch Elementary School. Dr. Thomas is a native of Peachtree City and alumna of McIntosh High School, where she also served as Assistant band director for 5 years. She is a private instructor at the Music Garden School and an adjunct professor of music education at Jacksonville State University. She holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Music Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, Alabama.

During her career Mrs. Thomas has served as a percussion instructor for Weaver High school and McIntosh High School. She continues to teach private lessons in brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments for many years. Dr. Thomas has presented at the Mentoring Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico as well as the Georgia Music Educators Conference. She also has served as guest Conductor for the Fayette County 6th Grade Honors Band. 

While in Jacksonville, Dr. Thomas served as president for two terms for Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, president for two terms for Jacksonville State University’s Gospel Choir and performed as a Marching Southerner, Symphonic band, and A Cappella choir member. Dr. Thomas currently performs with the Peachtree Wind Ensemble and the Peachtree Wind Ensemble Brass Quintet and will begin her tenure as co-director for the Peachtree Wind Ensemble. 

Dr. Thomas holds memberships in Sigma Alpha Iota International Music Fraternity for Women, Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority Incorporated, Phi Eta Sigma National Honorary Society, Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Kappa Mu Epsilon National Mathematics Fraternity, Gamma Sigma Alpha National Greek Academic Honor Society, Phi Delta Kappa Professional Education Association, Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society, The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Association for Educators, Georgia Music Educators Association and the Professional Association for Georgia Educators. 

She would like to thank her family, friends and husband for always being her support system and her band director, co-worker, and best friend Barbara Baker for giving her music and the belief that she could touch the lives of students everywhere through education.