About The Directors

Dr. Jackson will begin his 11th year as the Director of Bands at Dodgen Middle School for the 2008-2009school year,  and his 30th year as a professional educator.  Prior to his appointment at Dodgen, Dr. Jackson taught band for six years (1979-1985) in the Meridian Separate Public School System in Meridian, Mississippi.  He left his duties in Meridian to accept the position as Director of Bands at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Georgia, where he remained for eight years (1985-1992).  Following his appointment at Campbell, Dr. Jackson served as Director of Bands at Garrett Middle school for five years (1993-1998).  During the past 29 years, his bands have been awarded numerous superior ratings at regional, state, and international music festivals and competitions.  He has had several students awarded positions in the Georgia All-State Bands over the past 22 years with some being awarded first chair positions in their section.  In addition to his duties and responsibilities at Dodgen, Dr. Jackson maintains an active performance career on the trumpet.  He performs frequently  as a soloist and in chamber ensembles throughout the Metro Atlanta area and has performed throughout Florida, Mississippi and Illinois.  Current memberships include the Cobb Wind Symphony, Cobb County's very own community band, and in the Les Still Swing Band Still Swingin'.

     Dr. Jackson earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Southern Mississippi (1979), and was a conducting student of  Dr. Joe Barry Mullins.  He has additionally earned the Master of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois (1984).  While at Illinois, Dr. Jackson was a trumpet student of recording artist David Hickman and was a conducting student of Dr. Harry Begian.  He also performed in the University of Illinois Band under the Direction of Dr. Begian.  In 1994, Dr. Jackson earned his Education Specialist degree from Georgia State University and was a trumpet student of Dr. Steve Winick, and a conducting student of Jim Curnow. His Specialist thesis was titled: The Effects of Participation in High School Instrumental Music Ensembles On Adult Musical Activity and Musical Preference.  The Doctor of Musical Arts degreee was completed in 2008 at the Shenandoah Conservatory, in Winchester, Virginia. Dr. Jackson's dissertation was titled: Effectiveness of Preservice Experience and Course Work in Music Education toward Teacher Self-Efficacy in Classroom Management. He has served as  guest conductor for the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony at Emory University and has served as guest conductor/clinician for several high school and middle school concert bands in the Greater Atlanta area. In addition to his conducting appointments, he has served as a trumpet clinician for both middle and high school trumpet sections and has presented a series of clinics at Illinois State University for the Bands of America (Music for All) summer symposium in 2007 and 2008.   As part of the DMA degree, Dr. Jackson was a trumpet student of Mark Hughes (Atlanta Symphony Orchestra) and a conducting student of Dr. Scott Stewart (Emory University).

     Dr. Jackson's professional and honorary affiliations include GMEA, MENC, P.A.G.E., Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Kappa Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Lambda, Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Eta Sigma and Kappa Delta Pi.  In 1991, Dr. Jackson was one of only two music educators in the state of Georgia sent to study with the London Symphony Orchestra, under the direction of Slava Rostropovich, for ten days while they where performing in central Florida.  Honors awarded to Dr. Jackson include: Nationally Registered Music Educator (MENC, 1991); Nationally Certified Music Educator (MENC, 1991); Who's Who Among America's Teachers (1991); Who's Who Among America's Teachers (1996); Who's Who Among America's Teachers (2002); Who's Who Among America's Teachers (2003); Who's Who Among America's teachers, 2005-2006; Teacher of the Year, Garrett Middle School 1997-98.  Teacher of the Year, Dodgen Middle School 2004-2005; Guest Clinician/Conductor for the Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble's Annual Trumpet Festival held at Emory University 2004-2005, 2005-2006, and 2006-2007.  Dr. Jackson served the Georgia Music Educators Association from 2002 through 2004 as Chairman for District 12, a position overseeing all public and private schools in Cobb and Douglas counties (over 24,000 music students)  and served two years on the State  Board of Directors for the Georgia Music Educator's Association.  He was recognized with a Congressional Proclamation which was read before the Georgia State Congress for being named a Georgia STAR teacher.  The Dodgen Band program was given international recognition through an interview with Dr. Jackson which was recently published in the Instrumentalist Magazine (August 2005). In the spring of 2008, all Dodgen Bands earned the rating of SUPERIOR for both concert and sightreading events at the Georgia Music Educators Association Performance Evaluation. The Dodgen bands received the grade of "A" and "A+" in every evaluation subcategory, from every adjudicator on the panel.

     Dr. Jackson was born and raised in Miami, Florida and is married to the former Jane M. Sykes of Hattiesburg, Mississippi.  They have four children, Mary Louise (24), Vincent  Charles (23), Stephen Bernard (20), and Angela Maria (9).
 
 

Mr. Jeffres has been the Assistant Director of Bands at Dodgen Middle School since 1995.  Prior to his appointment at Dodgen, Mr. Jeffres taught Band and General Music for one year (1994-95) in Brookfield, Illinois.  He also served as Saxophone instructor at Emory University in Atlanta for 9 years.  Under Mr. Jeffres' direction, Dodgen's bands and ensembles have earned numerous superior ratings at the GMEA Large Group Performance Evaluation, Solo & Ensemble Evaluation, and Jazz Festival.  He has prepared numerous students to earn spots in the Georgia All-State Band.  His private students have won the coveted first chair all-state spot seven times in just the last few years!  Mr. Jeffres maintains an active performance career on the saxophone.  He has been lead alto sax with Still Swingin' (a vintage style swing band) since 1999, and recently took over the lead tenor sax spot with the Big Peach Swing Band.  He can frequently be heard at parties, corporate events, and even a few commercial recordings.

     Mr. Jeffres earned his bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Psychology with Highest Honors from Emory University in 1992.  He has additionally earned the Master of Music degree in 1994 in Music Education and Saxophone Performance from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.   Mr. Jeffres has studied saxophone with Frederick Hemke, Jonathan Helton, and Leo Saguiguit, and performed under the direction of  the esteemed Dr. John Paynter.  His professional and honorary affiliations include GMEA, MENC, Mu Phi Epsilon, Psi Chi and Phi Beta Kappa.  While a student, Mr. Jeffres was awarded winner of the Emory University Concerto Competition and the Northwestern University Chamber Music Competition. 

Lisa Mahoney is adjunct professor of flute at reinhardt College.  She plays flute and piccolo with the DeKalb Symphony and flute with the Georgia Philharmonic.  Ms. Mahoney is a member of the Papageno Flute Quartet, and piccolo soloist with the Flute Choir of Atlanta and the Atlanta Flute Ensemble.  In addition to her performance career, she  maintains a private teaching studio in Marietta, serves as the recording secretary of the Atlanta Flute Club, and serves as the director of the Dodgen Middle School Flute Choir. 

Before moving to Atlanta, Ms. Mahoney was on the faculties of the University of Notre Dame and Saint Mary's College.  She was a member of the South Bend Symphony, Mid-West Pops Orchestra, Armstrong Flute Corporation Flute Quartet, and toured the mid-west with "A Consort for Old and New Music".  She has also performed with the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir and the Silverwinds (Colorado) Flute Orchestra.

Ms. Mahoney received degrees in flute performance and music education from Ball State University and the Master of Music in Flute Literature and Performance from the University of Notre Dame.  She was also the winner of the Yamaha Young Artist Scholarship. Ms. Mahoney and her husband, Jim reside in Marietta, GA with their three children.

Shelly Unger, Bassoon