Current Directors
Patrick Darby currently serves as the Director of Bands for Grissom High School since the fall of 2025. Mr. Darby has taught in Alabama over the past 15 years in both middle school and high school band programs; both in the Montgomery Public School district at Booker T. Washington Magnet HS and Baldwin Middle Magnet School; as well as the Pike Road Schools District at Pike Road Junior High and Pike Road High School. While at Pike Road Schools, Mr. Darby also served as the Fine Arts Director.
Under his direction Mr. Darby’s bands have received Superior ratings for both concert band and marching band, along with Best in Class awards for various marching band competitions. His bands have been invited to perform in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (Washington DC), Fiesta Flambeau Parade (San Antonio, TX), Universal Stars Parade (Orlando, FL), and for the Alabama Teacher of the Year ceremonies, and the Alabama Gubernatorial Inauguration Parade.
Mr. Darby holds a Bachelors (BME) and Masters (MME) degrees in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an education specialist degree (EdS) in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama.
Mr. Darby currently serves on the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) President’s Cabinet Music Curriculum Committee as the chairperson for the State Young Composers Competition that recognizes the state's outstanding aspiring composers at the middle school through the collegiate levels.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Darby has served as a keyboardist and music director for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, AL for several of their musical theatre productions (The Little Mermaid, Marry Poppins, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Winnie the Pooh). As well as serving as the musical director for shows with the Cloverdale Playhouse. Mr. Darby has also performed on both piano and trumpet with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and several seasonal performances for local churches. In 2021 and 2023 Mr. Darby participated in the Salute to America’s Band Director’s organization in the Band Director’s Marching Band performing with 400+ band directors from across the country in the Tournament of Rose’s Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Mr. Darby holds professional memberships with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), and the National Band Association (NBA).
School #: 256-428-8000 ext. 2111
Under his direction Mr. Darby’s bands have received Superior ratings for both concert band and marching band, along with Best in Class awards for various marching band competitions. His bands have been invited to perform in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade (Washington DC), Fiesta Flambeau Parade (San Antonio, TX), Universal Stars Parade (Orlando, FL), and for the Alabama Teacher of the Year ceremonies, and the Alabama Gubernatorial Inauguration Parade.
Mr. Darby holds a Bachelors (BME) and Masters (MME) degrees in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, and an education specialist degree (EdS) in Educational Leadership from the University of Alabama.
Mr. Darby currently serves on the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) President’s Cabinet Music Curriculum Committee as the chairperson for the State Young Composers Competition that recognizes the state's outstanding aspiring composers at the middle school through the collegiate levels.
Outside of teaching, Mr. Darby has served as a keyboardist and music director for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery, AL for several of their musical theatre productions (The Little Mermaid, Marry Poppins, Annie, Beauty and the Beast, Winnie the Pooh). As well as serving as the musical director for shows with the Cloverdale Playhouse. Mr. Darby has also performed on both piano and trumpet with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and several seasonal performances for local churches. In 2021 and 2023 Mr. Darby participated in the Salute to America’s Band Director’s organization in the Band Director’s Marching Band performing with 400+ band directors from across the country in the Tournament of Rose’s Parade and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Mr. Darby holds professional memberships with the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA), Alabama Bandmasters Association (ABA), and the National Band Association (NBA).
School #: 256-428-8000 ext. 2111
Brent Harris has served as the Associate Director of Bands since June 2018. Mr. Harris holds degrees in Music Education from Appalachian State University, and a Master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi. Prior to his appointment at Grissom, he taught in the North Carolina public schools for ten years, including positions at East Lincoln High School, East Iredell Middle School, and Lincolnton Middle School. Mr. Harris is the director of the Basketball Band at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Bands under the direction of Mr. Harris have consistently earned superior ratings at Concert MPA in grade levels II through VI. His marching ensembles have consistently placed in finals at regional level events and have been awarded numerous class titles and grand championships around the southeast. Mr. Harris has held positions with several state-level band organizations. He served on the executive board of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, as well a past chairman of the NCBA Marching Band Committee.
Mr. Harris has had extensive experience within the marching arts activity. He has been a performing member of two world-class Drum and Bugle Corps; Carolina Crown and the Santa Clara Vanguard. He is active as a drill designer and adjudicator for both music and visual captions at marching competitions across the southeast.
Mr. Harris’s professional memberships include the Music Educator’s National Conference, the Alabama Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Men’s Music Fraternity. As a lifelong fan of aviation, he has earned a private pilot’s license and enjoys flying around the region when not working with a performing ensemble.
School #: 256-428-8000 ext. 2111
Bands under the direction of Mr. Harris have consistently earned superior ratings at Concert MPA in grade levels II through VI. His marching ensembles have consistently placed in finals at regional level events and have been awarded numerous class titles and grand championships around the southeast. Mr. Harris has held positions with several state-level band organizations. He served on the executive board of the North Carolina Bandmasters Association, as well a past chairman of the NCBA Marching Band Committee.
Mr. Harris has had extensive experience within the marching arts activity. He has been a performing member of two world-class Drum and Bugle Corps; Carolina Crown and the Santa Clara Vanguard. He is active as a drill designer and adjudicator for both music and visual captions at marching competitions across the southeast.
Mr. Harris’s professional memberships include the Music Educator’s National Conference, the Alabama Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the Men’s Music Fraternity. As a lifelong fan of aviation, he has earned a private pilot’s license and enjoys flying around the region when not working with a performing ensemble.
School #: 256-428-8000 ext. 2111
Past Directors
Theo Vernon 1985-2025 (2017-2025 as Director of Bands)
William Connell - 1986-2017
Ron Rich - 1983-1985
James Sparks - 1980-1983
David Ward - 1969-1980
William Connell - 1986-2017
Ron Rich - 1983-1985
James Sparks - 1980-1983
David Ward - 1969-1980