Title: Director of Bands
Company: Hampton County High School
Education: Bachelor’s Degree, South Carolina State University (2020)
Career History: Director of Bands, Hampton County High School (2023-Present); Director of Bands, North District Middle School (2023-Present); Director of Bands, Estill Middle School (2023-Present); Teacher and Band Director, Dorchester School District Four (2022-2023); Band Director, Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School (2021-2022)
Brandon Raukeif Knowlin, Director of Bands at Hampton County High School, has been recognized as a Marquis Emerging Leader for their contributions and achievements in the field of education.
Working in academia as a music educator since 2021, Mr. Knowlin is active across Hampton County School District in South Carolina, where he teaches classes to 12 students at Estill Middle School and North District Middle School and directs the marching band program at Hampton County High School. Since starting within the school district in 2023, the marching band program has expanded to include 70 members and has been invited to perform outside the state, in Georgia and Kentucky, at college and university activities, including homecoming parades.
Before these appointments, Mr. Knowlin served as a teacher and band director at Dorchester School District Four and previously launched his career in 2021 as a band director at Holly Hill-Roberts Middle School. Backed by a bachelor’s degree from South Carolina State University, he was a member of the school’s marching band, The Marching 101, and now belongs to the SCSU Alumni Band Association.
Looking ahead, Mr. Knowlin aims to ensure that the programs he oversees are fully aligned with the curriculum and that his students have scholarship opportunities for higher education and assistance in joining bands, ensembles, or even professional orchestras. In addition, he wants to continue studying and working on his craft as an educator, learning pedagogy that would assist students and expanding the instrumental aspect of being in a band. He also plans to bolster his credentials by earning a master’s degree in higher education and becoming the director of a collegiate-level band.
Mr. Knowlin advises aspiring music educators to be prepared to put in more effort than what they are compensated for. He believes that, while it may not always seem fair, going above and beyond ensures that students receive the full value of their education.