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Meet the Mercer Band Directors!

Band

Mrs. Friend is excited to join the Mercer Middle School community as a band director this year! She comes to you from Gloucester County Public Schools, where she taught middle school band and assisted the high school marching band for two years. Mrs. Friend earned a Bachelors in Music and Masters in Education from Virginia Tech as well as a Masters in Horn Performance from Indiana University. She has performed on stages such as the Kennedy Center and Carnegie Hall, and she enjoys giving regular recitals on her primary instrument, French horn. Mrs. Friend looks forward to bringing her real-life performing experiences into the classroom and is very excited to work hard, have fun, and dig into the music this year with her students!

Guitar & Band

   Mr. Grimes teaches 7th and 8th grade guitar, 6th and 7th grade band, and 6th grade music lab.

   He has worked for LCPS since 1995.

   He has previously taught middle and high school guitar, middle school band, middle school music lab, and elementary general music.

   He is a graduate of Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University .

Choir, Orchestra, & Band

Mr. Odenwelder grew up in Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania. He moved to Virginia in 2013 to teach elementary general music in Fairfax County, and is very excited for the new opportunity to teach at Mercer Middle School!

Mr. O lives in Fair Lakes with his wife, Christina, and his baby, who will be arriving in October of 2018. His favorite activities include walking to Whole Foods for dinner, playing cornhole and fantasy football, and watching cooking shows and Philadelphia Eagles football.

Band

Mrs. Manning earned a Bachelor degree in Music Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA. While at J.M.U., she studied clarinet and performed in multiple music ensembles including Wind Symphony, Opera Orchestra, and Chamber Winds. She is currently pursuing a Master's Degree of Music in Music Education from Shenandoah Conservatory. Mrs. Manning is excited about starting her seventh year at Mercer Middle School!

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