Director of Bands

Avery Payne is entering his tenth year of teaching and is excited for his first year as the Director of Bands at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, Colorado. A 2016 Graduate of the University of South Carolina, Mr. Payne previously taught for nine years in North Carolina at North Forsyth and Millbrook High Schools.

During Mr. Payne’s most recent appointment, the Millbrook Wind Ensemble performed at the 2022 North Carolina Music Educators Association Conference (Winston-Salem, NC), the 2023 President’s Cup National Concert Band Festival (Manassas, VA), the 2024 University of South Carolina Band Clinic (Columbia, SC), the 2024 Music for All National Concert Band Festival (Indianapolis, IN), and the 2025 Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival (Atlanta, GA). The Millbrook Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Jazz Ensemble all earned numerous Superior ratings at the North Carolina Music Performance Adjudication and the Marching Wildcats were named Grand Champions at multiple NCBA sanctioned marching band competitions. Students under Mr. Payne’s direction have also consistently earned placement in the NC All-State Honors Band, the All-State Jazz Band, and the North Carolina Governor's School.

Mr. Payne has been honored as the NC East Central District “Band Director of the Year” twice for both the 2021-22 and 2023-24 school years. He was a recipient of a Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association in 2024, received the 2022 ASBDA Ed Rooker Encore Award honoring outstanding young band directors, and was the 2017 Forsyth Education Association’s High School Teacher of PROMISE (WS/FCS First Year Teacher of the Year). He has also served as a guest conductor of the UNCG Summer Music Camp Gold Band and is a member of the Reagan High School Hall of Fame for his contributions to the RHS Band Program during his time as a student. 

Professionally Mr. Payne is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Colorado Music Educators Association, the Colorado Bandmasters Association, and of Kappa Kappa Psi, the National Honorary Band Fraternity. Mr. Payne has previously served as Chair of the North Carolina Central Region Jazz Section, Secretary of the East-Central District Band Directors Association, and host of the NC Central Region Jazz MPA and ECDBA Middle School All-District Band. In his free time, Mr. Payne is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with his fiancé Kelsey, an elementary school Social Worker, and their four pets, Aja, Paxton, Sadie, and Stewart.