DIRECTORS AND STAFF
Greg Dills - Director of Bands
Greg Dills will be starting his 10th year of teaching as the Director of Bands at Jay M Robinson HS, Concord NC. Prior to teaching at JMR, Mr. Dills was the Band Director at Roberta Road MS where he was tasked with opening up a brand new school here in Cabarrus County. During his time there, he earned a Superior Rating at NC Music Performance Adjudication in their inaugural year. Before moving to Concord, he worked at Paisley IB Magnet in Winston-Salem and Director of Percussion for both Reagan High School and Wake Forest University.
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During his time at Paisley, the program doubled in size and earned multiple "Superior" ratings at Northwest North Carolina Music Performance Adjudication events. In 2019, the Reagan HS Percussion Ensemble was invited to perform at the NC Music Educators Convention and he was awarded "Band Director of the Year" for the Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Bandmasters Association.
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He received his Bachelor in Music Education from Western Carolina University and Master of Music in Percussion Performance from Appalachian State University.
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Mr. Dills’ professional affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society and MENC. Greg is an artist for Sabian Cymbals, Remo Drum Heads, Ludwig Drums and Musser Percussion, and Innovative Percussion.
Greg currently lives in Charlotte, NC with his wife Kelsey and 2 dogs Eleanor and Piper. In his spare time, you will find him training for Marathons and Triathlons.
Jerry Goodnight - Assistant Band Director
Mr. Goodnight, a National Board-certified and National Award-winning social studies teacher, has served as the Assistant Band Director for the Pride of Robinson since 2017, previously working for the band as a Brass and Visual Specialist during the 2015 and 2016 seasons. He is a graduate of Western Carolina University (Bachelor's in American History; Minor in Political Science - 2013) and UNC Charlotte (Master of Arts in Teaching Social Studies - 2016), and is currently enrolled as a full-time Doctoral Student at the University of South Carolina, while teaching 8th Grade Social Studies and Humanities at Winkler Middle School.
Mr. Goodnight is also the Owner of Goodnight Visual Designs, a visual/program design and consulting business where he has created award-winning show designs, drill, and choreography for programs throughout the Southeastern United States. Previously, Mr. Goodnight has served on the Visual Staff with Music City Drum Corps, and as a Brass and Visual Specialist for multiple ensembles across the state since 2011.
Mr. Goodnight marched trumpet with the 2012 Drum Corps International Silver Medalist Carolina Crown, where the hornline was distinguished with the Jim Ott Award for Excellence in Brass and the corps earned its first Jim Brazale Award for Best Visual Performance. During his time at Western Carolina University, he also performed as a member of the "Pride of the Mountains" Marching Band for four years, serving on the student leadership staff for three years, and as a Trumpet Section Leader during the 2013 season. Outside of teaching he is a sponsored disc golfer and avid Carolina Panthers fan, and enjoys spending time on the course or at the stadium with his son, Jack!
Natalie Gillin - Color Guard Director
Ms. Gillin, a second-year Special Education teacher, has served as the Colorguard Instructor for the Pride of Robinson since 2022. She is a graduate of Western Carolina University (Bachelor's in Inclusive Education; Adapted Curriculum Special Education Add-On; Minor in Psychology - 2022). She is currently teaching in the Structured Learning classroom at Patriots Elementary School. As a first-year teacher, she was voted Beginning Teacher of the Year at her school.
Ms. Gillin is a Cabarrus County native where she marched in the "Spirit of Cox Mill" Marching Band for 5 years. She has also participated in the WGI Independent A Winterguard Ensemble, "Gentoo" from 2016 to 2018. While at Western Carolina, she marched in the "Catamount Colorguard" for two years. During her time she was able to march with the "Pride of the Mountains" in the 2019 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. When she is not teaching, she enjoys attending Broadway Musicals, playing softball, and spending time with her friends and family!
STAFF
Daniel Myers - Percussion Instructor
Percussionist and educator, Daniel Myers, has performed in a variety of settings throughout the United States and Europe, including performances and masterclasses in Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia, Italy, and the United Kingdom. As a soloist, he has performed Emmanuel Séjourné's critically acclaimed marimba concerto alongside the Western Carolina University Wind Ensemble, and at the North Carolina Day of Percussion with the support of the Appalachian State University Percussion Ensemble.
He has also performed regularly with orchestras throughout the Southeast, including the Long Bay Symphony, South Carolina Philharmonic, Aiken Symphony Orchestra, and Hilton Head Symphony Orchestras. An advocate for contributing to the repertoire, he has commissioned and premiered works by composers such as Robert Honstein, Stephen Karukas, Andy Harnsberger, Jenni Watson, and Samuel Peruzzolo-Vieira.
Daniel Myers holds degrees in performance from Western Carolina University (B.M.) and Appalachian State University (M.M.), and is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of South Carolina.
Sufian Azfar - Woodwind Instructor
Hey! My name is Sufian & I'm the Woodwind Tech for the Pride of Robinson Marching Band. I'm a student at UNC Charlotte, and my primary instrument is the clarinet. This is my first time working with a high school band, and it's been lots of fun. Excited to see where we go!