MEET OUR STAFF

Calogero Fanara - Director of Bands

Mr. Fanara grew up in Binghamton, New York and moved his freshmen year to Florida to attend St. Augustine High School. While in High School, he marched two years with the DCA Sun Devils Drum Corps where he played lead Mellophone. He began his college career at the Florida State College at Jacksonville where he studied under Mr. John Thomas and Dr. Paul Weikle for two years and acquired his Associates in Arts with Honors. He continued his education at the University of North Florida School of Music where he graduated with a Bachelors of Music Education with honors. He studied under Dr. Michael Bovenzi on Saxophone and conducting under Dr. Gordon Brock. At UNF he was featured as a performer at the 2017 UF Saxophone Summit, sat as Principal Saxophone of the Wind Symphony both years, and was one of the winners of the UNF Concerto Competition.

During this time earning his degree, he also had an extremely active career in teaching music in the entire Northeast region of Florida being a clinician at multiple high school and middle school bands. His most prominent roll was at Duncan U. Fletcher High School as the Woodwind Specialist. During those two and a half years, he coached the Fletcher Saxophone Quartet to State Solo and Ensemble Music Performance Assessments receiving a Superior rating, taught over 15 private lesson students, two of which making the FMEA All-State Symphonic Band, and was a part of bringing the Marching band to FMBC finals for the first time in school history.

Woodwind Instructor - Antoinette IIias

Brass/Visual Staff - Tommy Baker

Bio TBA

Visual Staff - Jeff Slack

Jeff is a percussionist that started playing at 11 years old. Throughout Jeffs years in Middle and High School, he earned a rating of Superior at Solo & Ensemble multiple times, as well as an "Excellence in Timpani" award at the Smoky Mountain Music Festival in Gatlinburg, TN. Jeff marched two years of Drum & Bugle Corps, once in 2008 with Teal Sound, and once in 2013 with the Sun Devils where he was recognized with an MVP award for percussion. He has volunteered as a guest or part-time instructor for multiple organizations over the years, and is currently part of the Visual Staff for the Nemesis Winds indoor group who placed 1st as the 2019 FFCC Independent A Winds Champions.

Guard Instructor - Shannon McLaughlin

Percussion Technician - Daniel Melendez

Daniel earned his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Florida's Music Flagship Program under the direction of Charlotte Mabrey. While attending, Daniel was a member of the UNF Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Chorale, Chamber Singers, and Percussion Ensemble. In addition, Daniel participated in the 2013 Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar featuring lectures, master classes, and concerts from world renowned marimbists such as Leigh Howard Stevens, Michael Burritt, Bob Becker, Gordon Stout, and Kevin Bobo.

Professionally, Daniel pursues a career as a private music educator, composer, and music arranger. Daniel’s musical arrangements have been featured in Allen D. Nease High School’s 2012-2015 marching band shows, indoor percussion's 2013-2015 shows, and J.P. Taravella High School’s 2015-2016 marching band shows.

In 2016, Daniel’s started Dexterity Music, LLC expanding his private lesson studio servicing middle and high school band programs in the Hillsborough County area.

Daniel is currently the percussion caption head, front ensemble coordinator, and percussion arranger at Chamberlain High School.