Andy Esserwein - Director of Bands

Andrew C. Esserwein has been the Director of Bands for Sprayberry High School since 2002 and the Fine Arts Department Chair since 2018. While at Sprayberry, the Bands have consistently earned Superior Ratings in Concert and Marching Activities, and have performed across the Southeast as well as Chicago, New York and Washington DC. 

A native of Cobb County, Georgia, Mr. Esserwein holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Theory from Furman University. While at Furman, he served as Drum Major of the Furman University Marching Band for 2 years, as well as serving as an active officer in the Gamma Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Professional Music Fraternity.

Mr. Esserwein also holds a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting from Northwestern University. While at Northwestern, he served as Graduate assistant with the "Wildcat" Marching Band, and conducted the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Concert Bands.

Mr. Esserwein has studied saxophone with Bob Cowles and Cliff Leamon, and conducting with Les Hicken, Daniel Boda, Stephen Peterson, and John Paynter.

Mr. Esserwein began his career at North Cobb High School in 1995, and served as Assistant Director of Bands. During his tenure at North Cobb High School, the band program tripled in size. Mr. Esserwein was responsible for 3 Concert Bands consisting of 260 members, 2 jazz bands, a 180 member Marching Band, as well as supervising various small ensembles and soloists. He was also Associate Conductor of the North Cobb Symphony Orchestra, which performed at the Georgia Music Educators Association State Convention in Savannah, Georgia.

Mr. Esserwein has performed with the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, the Greenville Symphony Orchestra, and the Cobb Wind Symphony. He is affiliated with professional organizations which include the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Educators, National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity, and Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity. Mr. Esserwein currently serves as the Georgia Music Educators Association District 12 Chairperson and is the organizer for the District’s Honor Band Event. He is the Webmaster for the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu and has served as the coordinator for the scoring and tabulation room at the State Level All-State Auditions for the past 4 years.

He has twice been chosen as a Star Teacher and has also been selected for Who's Who Among American Teachers two times. In 2018 he was the runner-up for the Fox 5 High Five Teacher of the Year for the state of Georgia and received the GMEA State Volunteer of the Year Award for 2020. In 2022 he was inducted as a Legion of Honor Laureate by the John Philip Sousa Foundation and Bandworld Magazine. He is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the southeast.

Mr. Esserwein and his wife Michelle have one child, Sarah.

Terrace Ellis - Associate Director of Bands

Mr. Terrace Ellis is the Associate Band Director of the Sprayberry High School Band. He was formerly an Assistant Band Director in the Milton High School Cluster of schools including; Hopewell Middle School, Crabapple Crossing Elementary and Milton High School (2005-2007). Mr. Ellis was also the Assistant Band Director at Pebblebrook High School from 2003-2005.

Mr. Ellis holds Bachelor's and Master's degrees in music education from Georgia Southern University. He maintains an active musical career as a conductor, teacher and performer. Mr. Ellis has been guest conductor of several bands, including the Georgia Southern University Wind Ensemble and Concert Bands, the OASIS Community Band in Statesboro, Ga as well as serving as a guest clinician at high school and middle school programs all over the Southeast. 

Additionally, he has developed a strong connection to the marching arts. Terrace has served on the teaching faculty of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, the Milton High School Marching Band and the Atlanta Quest Independent World Indoor Percussion Ensemble. Mr. Ellis has also designed and written marching shows for several marching band, indoor drumlines and winter guard programs. These programs include the Georgia Southern University Southern Pride Marching Band, Tattanal County High School Band, Pebblebook High School Band, South East Bulloch High School Marching Band, Sprayberry High School and the Atlanta Quest Indoor Percussion Ensemble. 

Having held Drum Major positions throughout high school and college, Mr. Ellis frequently serves as drum major clinician and adjudicator in the southeast. He teaches several drum major camps every summer including serving as caption head of the distinguished Spirit Camp run by Freddy and Lynda Martin. In addition Mr. Ellis is an active adjudicator for marching competitions and festivals in both music, visual and effect captions in the Southeast. 

Performance credits include the Georgia Southern University Wind Ensemble, Oasis Community Band, Cobb Wind Symphony, concert tours of the United States, Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, England and Italy. His professional Affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society, Music Educators National Conference and the Georgia Music Educators Association.

Mr. Ellis and his wife Elizabeth currently reside in Atlanta, Ga.