Brian Quakenbush, Director
bquakenbush@rcps.us
Brian Quakenbush has had a lifelong involvement with music. He played the French horn and trumpet throughout high school in Central North Carolina. While attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), he was an active freelance musician in the Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill area, performing with the North Carolina Symphony, Show Choirs with Brightleaf Music Camps at Duke University, UNC Symphony, Durham Symphony, and Raleigh Symphony, as well as participating in numerous musicals in the pit orchestra. Under the guidance of his mentor, Jim Ketch, he became a founding member of the North Carolina Jazz Repertory Orchestra, which honors music of historical significance.
During his time at UNC, he met his wife, Jenny, and soon they moved to the hills of Bristol, Tennessee. In Bristol, Brian attended East Tennessee State University, where he performed with the Johnson City Symphony and the ETSU Faculty Brass Quintet. After graduating, he became the band director at Virginia High School in Bristol, Virginia, where he led the band to achieve Virginia Honor Band status by earning Superior ratings in both Marching and Concert Assessments within the same school year. After two years at Virginia High, the Quakenbush family relocated to Lynchburg, where he served as the band director at Heritage High School. His bands received Virginia Honor Band status twice during his tenure there.
Mr. Quakenbush was named “Teacher of the Year” in his inaugural year at Cave Spring High School and has been recognized in "Who's Who in Teaching" five times. He has also received the President's Citation for the Governor's School for Visual and Performing Arts six times. He is a member of the Virginia Music Educators National Conference (MENC and NaFME), the National Band Association, an alumni member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity, the National Educators Association (NEA), as well as the Jazz Educators Network (JEN).
Mr. Quakenbush continues to judge and guest conduct numerous honors, district, and state band events throughout Virginia, North Carolina, and Tennessee. He is currently the band director at Cave Spring High School in Roanoke County and serves as an assistant at Cave Spring Middle School.
His bands have performed for various organizations and events, including the VMEA Conference, the Roanoke County Cybersecurity Conference, the Washington Redskins football team, the Indiana Pacers basketball team, the New Jersey Nets basketball team, East Tennessee State University basketball, the Lynchburg Hillcats baseball team, and the Salem Red Sox baseball team.
In 2009, Brian was nominated for the Golden Apple Award for Teaching Excellence in Roanoke County. The Quakenbush family resides in the Roanoke area and has three children: Jason, Samuel, and Drew.
Since 2010, Brian has been a member of Brass 5, an ensemble in residence for Roanoke County (Virginia) Schools, which has performed educational programs throughout Virginia. Brass 5 has been included in the Virginia Commission for the Arts’ Arts-in-Education Residency Program and has been nominated for the "Governor's Award for the Arts." The members of Brass 5 are Yamaha Performing Artists and are affiliated with the Virginia Commission for the Arts.
Brian is featured on two recordings that can be found on Spotify and iTunes. The Vosbien-Magee Big Band “Come and Get it,” and “Chris White and Pandemusicum.” He has performed locally and regionally with such musicians as James Taylor, Gary Morris, Carl Anderson, the Temptations, Annie Moses Band, Royce Campbell, Lionel Richie, Chris Vadala, John D’earth, and Sherrie Maricle.
Still performing, Brian continues to play with the Lynchburg Symphony and LSO Big Band, Washington and Lee University Symphony, and Roanoke Symphony Orchestra.
In 2018, Brian completed his master's degree in Instructional Design and Technology through Virginia Tech. His portfolio is below.
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