My name is Nickey Horner and I am so excited to be joining the Bandys Community as the new band director at Bandys High School. I have been involved in band programs for over 30 years.  I began my band career at George Wythe High School where we had an extremely successful program.  In 2001, my husband and I came to North Carolina, and I chose to stay at home with our young daughter, Sydney, who is now 24 and pursuing a doctoral degree in flute performance at UMKC.  I have spent the last 10 years at Maiden High School, where again we have built a very successful program.  Music is my passion, so much so that I am involved in and conduct in several community bands and jazz bands.  I am a co-conductor in the Lenoir Concert Band as well as the conductor of the Newton Conover Community Jazz Band. I have played and conducted in groups both in Virginia (Wytheville Community Band) and North Carolina (Mitchell Community College Band and Jazz Band, Newton Conover Community Band and Jazz Band, Sylvio Martinet Swing Band, Lenoir Community Band as well as a founding member of the Catawba Valley Brass.)

As a teacher, I hope to provide students with opportunities to excel and be successful and to enjoy the same love of music and performance.   Music teaches life lessons and skills which will help students to succeed far beyond their school careers and to make memories that will last a lifetime. My goal is to teach them to believe in themselves and what they can accomplish through teamwork and dedication and to know the sense of family these experiences create.  There is simply nothing like the process of making music with other people and it truly takes a village to make it happen.

I am beyond excited to begin this new chapter at Bandys High School as a member of the Bandys community and look forward to continuing to grow the band program into something special for the students and the community.  So, let’s get started Rowing the Boat!

Nickey Horner

Bandys High School

Director of Bands