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Pictured left to right: Dr. Jeremy Earnhart, Barry Morgan, and Ayatey Shabazz

Three new members have been elected to the Music for All Board of Directors: Jeremy Earnhart, Bedford, Texas; Barry Morgan, Acworth, Georgia; and Ayatey Shabazz, Biloxi, Mississipi; all with extensive experience within the music community. Music for All’s vision is to be a catalyst to ensure that every child across America has access and opportunity to participate in active music making in his or her scholastic environment.

“These three individuals bring a wealth of expertise and knowledge in the areas of education and development to the Music for All Board of Directors. The diversity of their experiences and geographic locations represents the breadth of the constituency of this national organization,” says Gayl Doster, Chairman of the Music for All Board of Directors. “Each director displays business and fiscal acumen as well as a love of music. Together they will help us expand opportunities for Music for All as we serve young musicians and their teachers and advocate for the inclusion of music education as part of a complete education for our young people.”

Dr. Jeremy Earnhart currently serves as the Director of Fine Arts for the Arlington, TX Independent School District where he helps educate a student body of 63,500 students in several world-class programs through the musical, visual, and kinesthetic arts. From the years 2009-2013, he was Director of Fine Arts for Irving ISD, TX where student participation in secondary fine arts increased by over 40%. He was also the director of UIL State and Bands of America National Champion L.D. Bell High School Band from 1998-2009.

Dr. Earnhart earned his Bachelor of Music and Masters of Music degrees from the University of North Texas, and holds certification in International Baccalaureate Music, MFA Boas well as a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University. He is an active clinician/conductor, adjudicator (including for Bands of America) a published author, and presenter for several staff developments/conferences throughout Texas and the Midwest.

He lives in the DFW Mid-Cities with his wife Gwen, named an elementary music teacher of the year, and daughter Kierstyn.

Barry Morgan J.D. is currently serving his sixth term as Solicitor General of the State Court of Cobb County. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Georgia State University and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the John Marshall Law School in Atlanta, Georgia where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. Before becoming a prosecutor, Barry served 12 years as a high school, middle school, and elementary school band director with the Cobb County Georgia School District. Morgan continues to remain active in the drum corps community as both an instructor and fan.

Mr. Morgan continues to serve the music community as a lecturer on Legal Responsibilities of Music Teachers for Music for All Summer Symposium, many state conventions, and the 59th and 63rd Annual Midwest Clinic for bands and orchestras in Chicago.

Ayatey Shabazz is a native of Biloxi, Mississippi where he currently works and resides. Shabazz has taught elementary, middle school, and high school band in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region and he has written custom arrangements and field shows performed by high school and college marching ensembles throughout the country, as well as drum corps in Europe. He has also composed a number of original works in the concert idiom.

Mr. Shabazz received his formal training in Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi where he also studied composition and jazz arranging under the direction of Dr. Albert Gower. In addition to his published concert works, he has been commissioned to write multiple works for ensembles in the United States and abroad, as well as music for film and television. Mr. Shabazz is also the Founder, President, and CEO of The Devmusic Company. The Devmusic Company is a global music publishing company with worldwide distribution, that focuses on quality print music for marching bands, concert bands, jazz bands, and percussion ensembles.

He is a member of multiple professional and industry organizations including American Society of Composers Authors & Publishers (ASCAP) and National Association of music Merchants (NAMM).