AoD Bands
Located in Gainesville, GA, the Academies of Discovery Band serves over 350 members in grades 6-8. The AoD Band Program consists of 6th Grade Beginning Band, 7th Grade Concert Band, 8th Grade Symphonic Band, and Football Pep Band.
The AoD Band is active in District XIV of the Georgia Music Educators Association. Students regularly participate in District Honor Band, Large Group Performance Evaluation, First Year Honor Band, and the University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival.
AoD Band students have many performance and travel opportunities throughout the year. The AoD Band recently traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, has attended several Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Concerts, UGA Performing Arts Events, and other regional concerts throughout Northeast Georgia.
Our Director
Kelsey Brunson is the Director of Bands at Academies of Discovery in Gainesville, GA. A native of Georgia, she is a 2012 honor graduate of Columbus State University where she received her BM in both Music Education and Percussion Performance from the Schwob School of Music. She received an MM in Music Education from Reinhardt University in 2014 where she studied with Dr. David Gregory.
At CSU, Mrs. Brunson performed with the Wind Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble, and New Music Ensemble. She served two years as Principal Percussion in both the Wind Ensemble and Philharmonic Orchestra. Mrs. Brunson has studied percussion with Dr. Paul Vaillancourt, Dr. Eduardo Leandro, Dr. Tony McCutchen, and Jack Bell.
Mrs. Brunson has performed with the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra, Athens Symphony Orchestra, Columbus Symphony Orchestra, Ludwig Symphony Orchestra, and Northwinds Symphonic Band of Northeast Georgia. She was the front ensemble instructor for the University of North Georgia Golden Eagle Band, and was a member of The Cadets drum and bugle corps from 2010-2012 where she served as front ensemble section leader in 2012.
In addition to her position at Academies of Discovery, Mrs. Brunson is the percussion instructor and writer for the R.W. Johnson High School Band. She teaches a studio of private percussion students, many of which have enjoyed success at the District and State level, and several have received music scholarships to further their percussion studies in college.
Mrs. Brunson is a member of the National Association for Music Education, the Georgia Music Educators Association, Sigma Alpha Iota Professional Music Fraternity for Women, and the Percussive Arts Society.
She is the daughter of Miles and Helen Adams, retired band directors in Jackson County. She has one sister, Selena, a horn player in the U.S. Army Field Band. Mrs. Brunson resides in Gainesville, GA with her husband, D.I. Brunson, the Director of Bands at R.W. Johnson High School.