 Alicia Crutchlow serves as one of the band directors at Abner Creek Middle School in Greer, SC, where she is leading the band program during its inaugural year in Spartanburg School District Five. With 19 years of teaching experience, Alicia previously served as the band director at Florence Chapel Middle School, also in District Five, where she taught from 2008 until her transition to Abner Creek. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of South Carolina and earned Master’s degrees in School Administration & Supervision and Classroom Leadership from Southern Wesleyan University.
Throughout her career, Alicia’s bands have performed at prestigious events such as the Music for All Southeastern Regional Concert Festival, the Southern Division National Band Association/College Band Directors National Conference, the Grand National Adjudicators Invitational, and the SC Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. While at Florence Chapel, her bands consistently earned Superior Ratings at the SCBDA Concert Performance Assessment, received the SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award every year it was awarded, and placed over 85 students in the SC All-State Band. In 2024, her program was honored with the SCBDA Program of Note Award. Alicia has been recognized as Teacher of the Year, one of District Five’s Finest Teachers, and the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Bandmaster.
Alicia is passionate about contributing to the broader music education community. She regularly serves as a clinician and currently holds the role of Conference Chair for the SC Band Directors Association. She is an active member of NAfME, SCBDA, and Phi Beta Mu.
As a lifelong resident of Lyman, SC, Alicia is proud to teach in the same community where she grew up. Outside of teaching, she enjoys reading, serving her church, embracing the “high school band mom” life, and planning family vacations. Alicia lives with her husband, Jason (whom she met in college band), their sons Grayson and Connor, and their unmannered dachshund. |
Megan Cooper is in her nineteenth year of serving as a music educator. Currently, Mrs. Cooper serves as Band Director at Gable Middle School in Spartanburg School District Six, a position she has held for seventeen years. During her tenure, she has cultivated a vibrant, student-centered program that fosters a positive culture and a tradition of excellence. Under her leadership, the Gable Middle School Band has consistently achieved Superior Ratings at the South Carolina Band Directors Association’s (SCBDA) Concert Performance Assessments and other adjudicated events. Her students have regularly earned placements in Region Honor Bands, the South Carolina All-State Band, and various regional honor clinics. Notably, her program at Gable has been awarded the prestigious SCBDA Outstanding Performance Award thirteen consecutive times, a remarkable achievement that reflects her dedication.