Welcome to the home of the
Cox Mill High School
Charger Bands
Directors
Drew Carter,
Director of Bands, Cox Mill High School
Drew Carter is in his first year as band director at Cox Mill High School in Concord, NC, where he directs the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, Jazz Band, and Percussion Ensemble. Mr. Carter comes to the CMHS band program after spending 6 years as the Director of Bands at Jay M. Robinson High School, also in Concord, NC.
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He has taught in public middle and high schools in the South Central, Central, and Northwest Districts for twenty-one years, earning many accolades, including consistent Concert Band MPA Superior Ratings in Grades II-VI. His Jay M. Robinson Symphonic Band was selected to play as a clinic band for Prof. Dennis Fisher at the 2019 NCMEA Professional Development Convention and as part of 2019 President’s Cup through the U.S. Army Band, “The Pershing’s Own.” His Robinson Marching Band represented North Carolina, at the invitation of the Department of Defense, as a performing band for the 80th Pearl Harbor Commemoration in Honolulu, HI in December of 2021.Mr. Carter also conducts the Charlotte Concert Band, a band of professional and dedicated amateur musicians which performs regularly throughout the year at various locations in and around Charlotte (www.charlotteconcertband.org). The band performed at the NCMEA Professional Development Convention in 2008 and for its 50th Anniversary in 2015.
Mr. Carter earned his National Board Certification in Early Adolescence through Young Adulthood in November of 2010, and admittance into the American School Band Directors Association in 2016. He received his Bachelor of Arts in Music (horn performance) from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2000 and his Master of Arts in Teaching from UNC-CH in 2001. He has received further instruction in conducting from Prof. Daniel Cook, Prof. Eugene Corporon, Dr. Donald Hunsberger, Dr. Mark Scatterday, Dr. Mallory Thompson, Dr. Andrew Trachsel, and Dr. Eric Wilson. He is married to his wonderful and supportive wife of eighteen years, Mandy. They live in Cabarrus County with their two sons, Van and Levi.
Leah Pfeiffer,
Director, Harris Road Middle School
Leah Pfeiffer, a native of Lansing, NC, received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education in 2011 from Elon University. Following graduation, she taught beginning through advanced chorus at North Gaston High School in Gaston County, NC. After a year at North Gaston, Mrs. Pfeiffer moved to Rowan County where she taught beginning through advanced band at Corriher-Lipe Middle School until 2018. During her time at Corriher-Lipe, Mrs. Pfeiffer grew the band program by 300% and earned the school their first Superior at the North Carolina Music Performance Adjudications in over thirty years. In 2017, she further had the honor of being selected as the 2017-2018 Teacher of the year.
Currently, Mrs. Pfeiffer is the director of bands at Harris Road Middle School in Cabarrus County. At Harris Road, she has had the honor of being selected as the 2018 recipient of the ASBDA Edgar Q. Rooker Encore Award. In 2021 Mrs. Pfeiffer helped found the North Carolina chapter of Women Band Directors International serving as the Vice President, while also becoming a National Board Certified Teacher. Mrs. Pfeiffer loves to work with new teachers and serves as a mentor through the North Carolina Music Educators Association, and currently serves as the middle school’s MPA representative for the South-Central Bandmaster’s Association. She currently holds professional associations with the National Association for Music Educators, the North Carolina Music Educators Associations, Women Band Director’s International, and the South-Central District Bandmaster’s Association.
Under her direction, her concert bands have received consistent and consecutive superior ratings with her separate sixth, seventh, and eighth grade bands at the North Carolina Music Performance Adjudications (MPA). Mrs. Pfeiffer began taking her bands to MPA in 2015 and has since earned eleven superiors. Her seventh and eighth grade bands travel to perform annually in either Orlando, Florida Festival Disney Competition or Williamsburg, Virginia Busch Gardens Music in the Parks. The Harris Road sixth grade band performs annually at the Carowinds Festival of Music. All three groups receive consistent first place and superior ratings during their travels.
Mrs. Pfeiffer resides in Charlotte with her husband, Josh, and children, Nolan and Graham.