About the Brookwood Band Staff

Jack Jean
Associate Director of Bands

Laura Moates Stanley
Director of Bands

Chris Costagin
Director of Jazz Studies and Music Technology
Mr. Jean is currently the Associate Director of Bands at Brookwood High School. A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Mr. Jean received his Bachelor of Music Education and Percussion Performance Degrees from the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, Iowa in 1989. He was selected by Northwestern University in 1994 as a Northwestern Summer Fellow, studying conducting with John Paynter, Mallory Thompson, Steve Peterson and Don Owens.


His professional experience includes Director and Association Director of Band at Whitewater High School (Fayetteville, GA) Director and Associate Director of Bands at Shiloh High School (Snellville, GA), Director of Bands at Dunwoody High School (Dunwoody, GA) and Director of Bands at Saydel High School (Des Moines, IA). In 1991 the Saydel High School Jazz Band 1 was selected to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association In-Service Conference as a featured ensemble. Mr. Jean has also served as an adjunct Percussion Instructor at Drake University (Des Moines, IA), Rehearsal Assistant with the Des Moines Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony. He has performed professionally with the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra, Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, Omaha Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Iowa, New Hampshire Summer Music Festival Orchestra, Des Moines Municipal Band, DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, Tara Winds Community Band and the Cobb Wind Symphony.


During his tenure at Whitewater High School, the Wind Ensemble had many invitational performances. In 2014, they performed at the University of Georgia January Music Festival as a featured ensemble. The ensemble performed a shared concert in 2013 with the Georgia State University Symphonic Winds at the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, GA. The Whitewater High School French Horn Choir also performed a Lobby Concert performance at The Georgia Music Educator’s Association (GMEA) In-Service Conference in Savannah, GA. In September 2011, the Whitewater High School Wind Ensemble performed a shared concert with the Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble at the Rialto Center for the Arts in Atlanta, GA; and in 2009 they performed at both the University of Georgia January Music Festival and the Georgia Music Educator’s Association In-Service Conference as featured ensembles. Mr. Jean has performed four times at the Midwest Clinic. In 1994 and 2001 as a member of Tara Winds Community Band and again in 2011 and 2018 as a member of the Cobb Wind Symphony.

Mr. Jean is an active clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States in both Marching Band and Concert Band arenas. Most recently he served as a Guest Clinician/Conductor at the 2016 University of Northern Iowa’s “Northern Festival of Bands” Honor Band. In 2017 Mr. Jean presented a clinic at the (GMEA) In-Service Conference titled “Rips, Runs and Realities….creating and maintaining French Horn Players of all levels”. He served as the GMEA District VI All-State Band organizer, is a past member and Chairman of the GMEA All-State Band Committee, and is currently member of the GMEA Music Selection Committee.

In 2017 Mr. Jean was named one of 197 quarterfinalists for the 2018 Grammy Foundation’s “Music Educator Award”. In 2014 he named the Whitewater High School “Teacher of the Year” for the 2014-2015 school year. In 2015 he was recognized by the Georgia Music Educators Association for "Twenty-Five Years of Service to Music Education". In addition, he was also awarded the “Distinguished Wildcat Award”, recognizing outstanding service to Whitewater High School in 2013-2014. Mr. Jean is a three time National Band Association “Citation of Excellence” recipient and was the “Excellence in Education Award” winner, sponsored by the Atlanta Braves and AT&T, in 2007. In 2004 Mr. Jean was named a Finalist for “Teacher of the Year” at Shiloh High School. His professional memberships include the National Band Association, National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association and Honorary Music Fraternities Phi Beta Mu and Pi Kappa Lambda.

 Dr. Laura Moates Stanley is currently Director of Bands and is in her seventeenth year at Brookwood High School in Snellville. A native of Blue Ridge, GA, she is a 2001 honor graduate of The University of Georgia where she received her BMUS in Music Education. She also graduated from the same institution in 2003 where she received an MM in Wind Conducting. Dr. Stanley graduated from Boston University with a DMA in Music Education in May 2015 after completing her Dissertation, Between the Hedges: Stories Music Cooperating Teachers Tell of Their Identities as Teacher Educators.

 

Dr. Stanley served as the Drum Major, Assistant Band Captain, and Band Captain of the UGA Redcoat Band from 1998-2001. Dr. Stanley was a member of the UGA Wind Ensemble from 1997-2003 where she performed as principal clarinetist during the ensembles appearance at CBDNA in Denton, TX. She is also a clarinetist with the Northwinds Community Band and teaches a studio of private clarinet and conducting students. Dr. Stanley has taught clarinet and conducting clinics for Joycliffe Summer Camp, the University of Georgia Marching Band Camp, the University of Georgia Summer Music Camp, ENCORE! Summer Music Camp, and JSU Spirit Camp. She has been honored to serve as guest clinician for the District I, District VII, District IX, District XI, and District XIII Clinic/Honor Bands.

Recently, under her leadership, the Brookwood High School Symphonic Winds was chosen to perform as a guest band at the 2005 University of Georgia January Festival, the 2007 Honor Bands of Georgia Clinic at Columbus State University, the 2008 University of Alabama Honor Band Festival, the 2008 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference, the 2010 University of Georgia January Festival, and the 2019 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference. Dr. Stanley received the 2004 Class Act Teacher award from Channel 11 Alive, was chosen as Brookwood High School’s STAR Teacher in 2007, was selected as the Region IIIA STAR Teacher, and as a Georgia State Finalist STAR Teacher in 2007. Dr. Stanley was chosen as the 2012-2013 Brookwood High School Teacher of the Year as well as one of 25 SemiFinalists for the Gwinnett County Teacher of the Year. She has also received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence on four separate occasions. Recently she was named as the Georgia Representative for the 50 Directors that Make A Difference in December 2018. Col. Arnald D. Gabriel presented Dr. Stanley with his fifth Commemorative Coin from the United States Air Force Band in recognition of her teachings, leadership and work with music education. In June 2019, Dr. Stanley was named as a QuarterFinalist for the Grammy Music Educator of the Year Award.

Dr. Stanley is a member of GMEA, MENC, NBA, PAGE, Golden Key International Honor Society, National Collegiate Scholars, Delta Epsilon Iota, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the International Clarinet Association. She was elected in 2009 to the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster’s Fraternity and is currently the Vice President of Membership. She has served as the GMEA District 13 Band Chair and is currently Past-President on the board of the University of Georgia Redcoat Band Alumni Association. Dr. Stanley served for three years as Associate Conductor of the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony (MAYWE) who performed at the prestigious Carnegie Hall in 2009.

She is the daughter of Elden and Wanda Moates, retired band directors in Fannin County. She has one sister, Amy, who is a school psychologist in Dalton, GA and one brother, John, who is a percussionist and Public Relations Specialist in the Atlanta area. Dr. Stanley resides in Lilburn, GA with her husband, Darren, a freelance musician. They have two children, Chloe (4th Grade at Brookwood Elementary) and Sean (Kindergarten at Brookwood Elementary).

 Dr. Chris Costigan proudly serves as the Director of Jazz Studies and Music Technology at Brookwood High School in Snellville, Georgia. He earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Valdosta State University, and the Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Saxophone Performance from The University of Georgia. His dissertation entitled “The Development of the Rhythm and Blues Saxophone Style: An Analytical and Performance Based Study” contains historically significant R&B saxophone transcriptions with historical and theoretical annotations. Prior to his appointment at Brookwood, he served as the Director of Instrumental Studies at Truett-McConnell College in Cleveland, Georgia. Additionally, Dr. Costigan has taught music/band at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. He is a member of the National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, North American Saxophone Alliance, Professional Association of Georgia Educators, and Pi Kappa Lambda (UGA Chapter).

Dr. Costigan is active as a clinician and performer. He has appeared on numerous jazz and pop recordings and maintains a regular performance schedule. Recent performances include the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, Georgia, the Georgia Theatre in Athens, Georgia and numerous private engagements throughout the southeast. Recent studio credits include recordings for the Dallas, Texas based Deathray Davies, Matt Fink of Prince and The Revolution, Jim White, Casper and the Cookies, Band of Horses, Notar and collaborations with producers John Keane, Dave Barbee, and Bill Doss. Recent live credits include performances with Drivin’ N’ Cryin’, Col. Bruce Hampton, the REM Tribute with Cindy Wilson, and with members of Widespread Panic.

Dr. Costigan has two beautiful daughters, Brooke and Kate.