Two Join Huntingdon Bands Staff​

Montgomery, Ala.—Huntingdon College band members will build new sounds and learn new moves with two new additions to the band staff this fall, according to director of bands Brandon Howard. Tavaris Marlow has joined the Huntingdon band program as assistant director of bands, and Atoyia Mason has joined the band staff as auxiliaries coordinator. Both are already on the job.

“Mr. Marlow and Coach Mason will make a great addition to the Hawks band program,” said Howard. “They bring energy and excitement, and their passion for the craft is only matched by their enthusiasm for education. We can’t wait to get started. Hawk ’em!”

Marlow has served as band director for Walter T. McKee Middle School since 2018 and as assistant band director at Jefferson Davis High School since 2007. He directed the band program at Georgia Washington Middle School from 2013 to 2018. He was selected as Teacher of the Year at Georgia Washington Middle School in 2014 and 2015; recognized with the State of Alabama Golden Apple Award in 2017; and was named Teacher of the Month at McKee in December 2019. Marlow earned a Bachelor of Arts in music performance from Alabama State University, where he played with the Mighty Marching Hornets marching band, the percussion ensemble, and the trumpet ensemble. He has arranged music for several band programs.

Mason earned a Bachelor of Science in criminal justice from Alabama State University, where she was the flag line section leader and selected as Most Outstanding Flag for each of her four undergraduate years. She earned a Master of Education degree in elementary education from the University of Montevallo. She has served as a color guard clinician for sixteen years for schools including ASU, Carver High School, Sidney Lanier High School, Robert E. Lee High School, Hillcrest High School (Evergreen), Anniston High School, and Selma High School. Since 2019 and for five years from 2008 to 2013 she served as the flag line coordinator for ASU’s Mighty Marching Hornets. In addition, she earned elementary teacher certification in 2010 and has served as a third grade teacher and as a Discovery Daze Teacher at Prattville Elementary School for more than a decade. She is a member of the ASU Inservice Governing Board and served on the Superintendent’s Advisory Council from 2016 to 2018. She was named Central Region Teacher of the Year in February 2016.

The Huntingdon College band program offers the Marching Scarlet & Grey marching band; Huntingdon Winds concert band; BallHawks Pep Band; Huntingdon Jazz Band; and various instrumental chamber ensembles. The Marching Scarlet & Grey and the BallHawks Pep Band play for Huntingdon football and basketball games, respectively, two of Huntingdon’s twenty NCAA-Division III athletic teams.

Huntingdon College is a coeducational residential liberal arts college of the United Methodist Church offering the Bachelor of Arts in music and in P–12 music education among more than thirty undergraduate programs of study. The College also offers the Master of Athletic Training.

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