STAFF

Miranda A.V. Carlsen is originally from Villa Rica, Georgia and was a member of the Villa Rica High School Wildcat Marching Band for six years. She completed her Bachelors of Music in Music Education at Columbus State University in 2004. During her time at Columbus State University, she was a winner of the Columbus State University Concerto Competition, named to the Dean's List and the Director's List, a recipient of the Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Music Education Award, President of the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference and a recipient of the Georgia Music Educators Association Collegiate Member Scholarship.

After graduating from Columbus State University, Mrs. Carlsen was Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Schwob School of Music and toured with the Buckhead Youth Orchestra as a featured guest soloist throughout their European Tour and Premiere Performances for Prince Albert of Monaco. Mrs. Carlsen has performed flute and band clinics for schools throughout Georgia. She has studied flute with Sarah Gill and Dr. Andree' Martin and participated in master classes with Alexa Still, Sarah Gill, and Paul Edmund Davies. Mrs. Carlsen studied conducting with Andre Gaskins and Dr. Michael Marcades and has participated in conducting clinics with Frank Batistti and Paula Crider.

Mrs. Carlsen began performing with the Springer Opera House Pit Orchestra in the Fall of 2001 and performed as a member for 13 years. Mrs. Carlsen has also directed  musical productions at Harris County High School including Curtains, Beauty and the Beast, the Addams Family, and Matilda, her personal favorite.

Currently in her eighteenth year of teaching, the Harris County High School Bands have had Superior Ratings both in Marching Band and at the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluation and Festival Disney. While Director of Bands, Harris County students have had a yearly increase in personnel, as well as a number of students accepted to District Honor Band, All-State Honor Band, and Collegiate Schools of Music. HCHS Band Alumni are currently experiencing the largest number of active Alumni involved in band-related performance arts after high school, perhaps the greatest achievement of the program, including two Division 1 Drum Majors for two years in a row.

Mrs. Carlsen has previously served as the Georgia Music Educators Association District Three Band Division Chair and coordinator of Honor Band and LGPE Activities. She has received the Columbus State University College of Education Outstanding Alumna in Music Education three times, most recently in 2009 and has been named to multiple Who's Who lists.  She has been a recipient of the Claes Nobel Educator Award and the WRBL Kinetic Credit Union Golden Apple Award.  She received the 2019 Harry Kruger Memorial Conducting Award from the Columbus Community Orchestra, served as the 15th Annual Chattahoochee River Honor Band Clinician and was selected as the HCHS Star Teacher by Hannah Kuebrich in 2023.  

Most recently, Mrs. Carlsen has been selected as the Director of Choral Activities for Lee County High School in Leesburg, Georgia.  She is excited to be closer to family, have more time for her daughter Lynnlea, and to embrace a new adventure.

Eric Carlsen  is originally from Leesburg, Georgia and was a member of the Lee County Marching Trojan Marching Band for four years. He has performed in the Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade. As a member of the Georgia Lion's All-State Band Mr. Carlsen performed at the International Lions Convention in San Diego, CA and Honolulu, HI. During his senior year he was assistant drum major and received the directors award.

After high school he marched with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket Marching Band. Mr. Carlsen completed an Associates of Science in Mathematics in 2004 at Darton College. During this time Mr. Carlsen received the Outstanding Student in Mathematics Award. He finished a Bachelors of Science in Mathematics from Georgia Southwestern State University, a Masters of Secondary Education from Columbus State University, and holds his Specialists Degree in Curriculum Design and Instruction from Piedmont College.

Mr. Carlsen moved to Columbus, Ga in 2006 and began his career at Harris County High School as a Math teacher. Currently in his seventeenth year of teaching at HCHS, Mr. Carlsen has been the Math Team sponsor and the Assistant Band Director.

Mr. Carlsen is excited to be moving home to Leesburg to join the faculty of Lee County High School in the fall.