♫ Our Founders

David Gregory, Conductor Emeritus of Tara Winds and Associate Professor of Music at Reinhardt College, has conducted elementary, junior high, high school, community college, university , and professional bands. A former director of bands at Hardaway High School in Columbus (GA), Forest Park High School in Forest Park (GA), and the University of Florida in Gainsville (FL), and former Clayton County (GA) Coordinator of Instrumental Music, Dr. Gregory served as Assistant to the Superintendent in that school system for twelve years until his retirement from public school work in January, 2003. Dr. Gregory is a Past President of the National Band Association and a nationally recognized clinician and speaker through his "Art in Leadership" workshops. At Reinhardt College, Dr. Gregory teaches Music Education courses, conducts the Wind Ensemble, supervises student teacher interns, and is coordinator of the Music Education program. He recently was appointed the state CMENC advisor for GMEA for the 2007-09 biennium.

Bands under Dr. Gregory's direction have received invitations to perform at virtually every music conference of regional and national significance, including the National MENC Convention, the American School Band Directors Association National Convention, the Mid-East Instrumental Music Conference, the University of South Carolina Band Clinic and Conductors' Symposium, the Western International Band Clinic, the Florida State University Tri-State Music Festival, the University of Southern Mississippi Conductors' Conference (2x), the University of Georgia High School Music Festival (4x), the CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference (4x), the Atlanta International Band and Orchestra Conference, the Southern Division MENC Convention (3x), the American Bandmasters Association National Convention (2x), GMEA state conferences (10x), and the Midwest Band Clinic (3x). Dr. Gregory continues to make numerous appearances as conductor, clinician, and presenter at regional and national music conferences as well as all-state and honor band events throughout the United States. He has presented clinics/workshops at the Midwest Clinic on two occasions and at the GMEA Conference five times. Tara Winds was the 1996 recipient of the Sudler "Scroll of Honor", and his Hardaway High School Band was honored by the John Philip Sousa Foundation as one of the nation's most outstanding high school programs for the decades 1960-1980. A highlight of Dr. Gregory's career is the distinct and singular honor of having been invited to perform at 35 state, regional, or national conventions.

Many personal and professional awards, recognitions, and appointments have been awarded Dr. Gregory during his career. He has received the MAC Outstanding Bandleader award for the state of Georgia, the Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic Citation of Excellence, the National Band Association Citation of Excellence in 1978, 1984, 1994, 1996, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006, the Phi Delta Kappa Excellence in Leadership Education Award and the Sudler Foundation "Order of Merit." In 1998, he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu "Georgia Bandmasters Hall of Fame" and in 2003 received the Phi Beta Mu "Outstanding Bandmaster Award" for the State of Georgia. Dr. Gregory was featured on the cover of The Instrumentalist magazine with the lead article for the April 2003 edition of that publication.

Maintaining a regular schedule of appearances, Dr. Gregory has received invitations to serve in thirty-one states, and has conducted all-state bands in Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Wisconsin, Mississippi, and Alaska. He has served as clinician and lecturer throughout the country, and his band activities have taken him across the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and the European continent where twice he has appeared as guest conductor of La Banda dell'Esercito of Rome, Italy. Additionally, in 2007 he was chosen to serve as an adjudicator for the La Bacchetta d'Oro national band contest of Italy. Currently he is a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation "Legion of Honor" and the Sudler Scroll" Selection Committees, and he served eight years as a member of the Board of Directors for the National Band Association. His past and present professional affiliations include Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, Phi Mu Alpha, Phi Beta Mu, the National Band Association, Music Educators National Conference, College Band Directors National Association, Georgia Music Educators Association, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, the Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development, Phi Delta Kappa, the Florida Bandmasters Association, and the American Bandmasters Association.

Lloyd Tarpley (late), former Associate Conductor of Tara Winds and retired Coordinator of Instrumental Music for Clayton County (GA) Public Schools, received his Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Miami, the Master of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia and an Educational Specialists degree from Auburn University. His entire teaching career was in Georgia and encompassed all levels of education from elementary through university. Mr. Tarpley taught for one year as Band Director of Statesboro High School in Statesboro (GA), seventeen years as Director of Bands at Forest Park High School in Forest Park (GA), ten years as Assistant Band Director at Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA), and served eleven years as Coordinator of Instrumental Music for the Clayton County school system.

While teaching at Forest Park High School, his bands were selected to perform at the Georgia Music Educators Association State Convention, the Southern Division of the Music Educators National Conference, and the Music Educators National Convention. Mr. Tarpley served the National Band Association as Southern Division Chairman and was awarded the organization's Citation of Excellence in 1970. During his teaching career, he was active in the Georgia Music Educators Association, serving as State Instrumental Chairman and First Vice President.

Mr. Tarpley was inducted into the Zeta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Georgia Bandmasters Hall of Fame in 1991, and in 1993 was the recipient of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor award. In 1995, the Lloyd Tarpley Theatre in the Clayton County Schools Performing Arts Center was named in his honor as a tribute to a lifetime of work on behalf of music and the education of young people.

He was Coordinator of Music Ministries for Jonesboro First United Methodist Church, and was founder and conductor of its orchestra.

Mr. Tarpley retired as Associate Conductor of Tara Winds at the close of the 2002-2003 Concert Performance Season. Mr. Lloyd Tarpley passed away on February 11, 2008 leaving his family, us, and many in the music community with fond memories. With permission from his family and loved ones, the program from his Celebration of Life service is available for viewing.

Edward (Ed) Davis is a retired band director from Clayton County, Georgia. He taught for 30 years in this system. He is now Director of Bands at Community Christian School in Stockbridge, Georgia. He has been listed in Who's Who Among America's Teachers five times. A member of the National Band Association, he has been a recipient of that organization's Citation of Excellence. He has also received the Sudler Cup from the John Philip Sousa Foundation, and he was selected into the John Philip Sousa Legion of Honor.

Mr. Davis has held several offices with Georgia Music Educators Association, including State Band Chairman, 2nd Vice President, and President. He is a founder of ENCORE! Music Camps which provides summer camp opportunities for middle and high school band and orchestra students, and he is one of the co-founders of Tara Winds.

Mr. Davis is active as a guest conductor and as an adjudicator. Bands under his direction have received 67 consecutive superior ratings and Georgia Music Educators Association performance evaluations. He is currently serving as the conductor of the Jonesboro First United Methodist Church Orchestra.

In August, 2001, Larry Volman retired after serving as the first Coordinator of the Clayton County Schools Performing Arts Center located in Jonesboro, Georgia. Mr. Volman served as the administrator of this nationally acclaimed facility from its opening in 1990. A native of Memphis, Tennessee, Mr. Volman holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from the University of Memphis. Prior to being responsible for opening and subsequently administering the Performing Arts Center, his tenures included Associate Director of Bands at the University of South Carolina, Band Director at Morrow High School in Morrow, Georgia, and Band Director at Briarcrest and Overton High Schools in Memphis.

Bands under Mr. Volman's direction received superior ratings at state music festivals for 23 of the 24 years in which he taught. Students in his bands always excelled individually. Each of the high school band programs he directed led their respective states in the number of students selected for All-State honors. His concert, jazz, and marching bands won many competitive events. While Mr. Volman directed the Morrow High School Band, it was invited for appearances throughout the Southeast, including the University of Southern Mississippi.

Professional honors for Mr. Volman include being named "Outstanding Young Educator of the Year" by the Memphis Jaycees and "Most Outstanding Band Director" in Tennessee for 1976. He was also honored to serve as President of the Tennessee Music Educators Association. Mr. Volman has served as President of both the Tennessee and Georgia Chapters of Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity. On four occasions he received the National Band Association's "Citation of Excellence". Mr. Volman is a co-founder of the internationally acclaimed Tara Winds Community Band.

Upon his retirement as an educator, Salem Baptist Church of McDonough, Georgia called Mr. Volman to serve as Minister of Administration for that congregation.