HEWITT-TRUSSVILLE BANDS
& Band Foundation
Director of Bands
Hewitt-Trussville High School
Mark Knauss is the Director of Bands at Hewitt-Trussville High School. Prior to Trussville, Dr. Knauss taught band at Thompson High School and Mary G. Montgomery High School. His bands consistently have received superior ratings at festivals and have performed in national events such as the 100th Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. He currently serves as the Music & Ensemble Coordinator for Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps.
Dr. Knauss received a Doctorate of Arts in Music Education with a concentration in Wind Conducting from William Carey University. His thesis topic focused on diversity, inclusion, and multi-dimensional curriculum development for secondary wind bands. He holds a Master of Arts in Music Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Jacksonville State University. While at JSU he was a member of the Marching Southerners and JSU Jazz Ensemble One where he performed on two albums, including the Downbeat Magazine award-winning album, Everything In Its Right Place.
His professional affiliations include: the National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi. Mr. Knauss is a native of Rome, Georgia and currently lives in Birmingham with his wife, Katy.
AJ Adair
Associate Director of Bands
Director of Percussion
Hewitt-Trussville High School
AJ Adair is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Percussion at Hewitt-Trussville High School. Mr. Adair was previously the Assistant Band Director at Oak Grove High School where he conducted the Oak Grove Middle School Band and served as the director of the Oak Grove Indoor Drumline. He has also served as an instructor with DoubleStop Percussion and Southwind Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Adair has arranged and instructed for many marching bands throughout the southeast.
Mr. Adair holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and is currently completing a Master of Arts in Music Education from Jacksonville State University. During his time at JSU, he was a member and section leader of the Marching Southerners Drumline, JSU Chamber Winds, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Drum Band, Latin Ensemble, and JSU Jazz. He has also performed with Atlanta Quest “Q2” Indoor Drumline and West Georgia Regional Percussion.
Mr. Adair’s professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, and Percussive Arts Society.
Mr. Adair is originally from Villa Rica, Georgia and currently lives in Trussville with his wife, Ashlyn and son, Jack.
Dwight Caddell
Associate Director of Bands
Hewitt-Trussville High School
Mr. Caddell brings more than twelve and a half years of experience in music education, with a career dedicated to helping students achieve excellence both in the classroom and on the performance field. Throughout his career, he has successfully grown band programs by fostering a positive culture, building strong relationships with students and families, and maintaining high standards of musical achievement.
Mr. Caddell earned bachelor's degrees in Music Education and Marketing from The University of Alabama and a master's degree in Educational Leadership from The University of Montevallo. His educational background, combined with his passion for teaching and leadership, has equipped him to develop musicians who excel not only as performers but also as confident, responsible young adults.
Mr. Caddell is excited to join the Husky Band family and looks forward to collaborating with students, parents, staff, and the community to build upon the program's outstanding tradition of excellence.
Brandon Peters
Director of Bands
Hewitt-Trussville Middle School
Brandon Peters is in his 20th year of teaching and has served as Director of Bands at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School since 2008. A three-time Trussville City Schools Teacher of the Year (2012, 2019, 2026), he currently leads a band program of over 400 students and serves as Fine Arts Chair. He conducts the Honors Band and teaches Beginning Band brass classes.
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His ensembles consistently achieve superior ratings at the Alabama Bandmasters Music Performance Assessment and have been featured at the AMEA Conference, UA Honor Band Festival, and stages across Atlanta, Gatlinburg, and Orlando. A dedicated advocate for professional growth and leadership in music education, Mr. Peters regularly serves as a mentor to student teachers, presents as a clinician at conferences, and guest conducts throughout the region.
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Mr. Peters earned dual bachelor's degrees in Music Education and Corporate Finance and a master's in Music Education from the University of Alabama, where he performed with the "Million Dollar Band” and Wind Ensemble. He maintains active memberships in the National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu. He resides in Trussville with his wife, Jenni, and their children, Adalyn and Hudson.
Corinth Lewis
Associate Director of Bands
Hewitt-Trussville Middle School
Corinth Lewis, a native of Birmingham, Alabama, has been the Assistant Director of Bands at Hewitt-Trussville Middle School since 2013.
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Mrs. Lewis earned her Bachelors of Science degree in Music Education, graduating Suma Cum Laude in 2011, from the University of Alabama. ROLL TIDE! She then continued on earning her Masters of Arts in Music Education in 2014. While attending college she participated in the Symphonic band, Wind Ensemble, Huxford Symphony Orchestra, and the Million Dollar Band. The last two years of her undergraduate degree Mrs. Lewis was selected as a section leader for the Million Dollar Band.
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At HTMS, Mrs. Lewis conducts the Symphonic Band and assists with the Honors Band and Concert Band. She also teaches beginner flute and saxophone. The HTMS Symphonic band consistently earns superior ratings at the Alabama Bandmasters Music Performance Assessment.
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Mrs. Lewis is a native of Birmingham, Alabama and a graduate of Ramsay High school. She is married to her high school sweetheart Erroll Lewis and they have two sons, Elijah and Julian, and a daughter, Elizabeth.
Shannon Moore
Associate Director of Bands
Hewitt-Trussville Middle School
Shannon Moore is a native of Fresno, California. She received her Master of Music degree in wind conducting at Colorado State University and her Bachelor of Art degree in music education from Fresno State University. While at Fresno State she performed with the Wind Orchestra as a clarinetist and was drum major of the Bulldog Marching Band. During the summer of 2010, Mrs. Moore was a conductor of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps.
Before joining the Hewitt-Trussville music team, Mrs. Moore was the Director of Bands at Eagleview Middle School in Colorado Springs, CO. She was also a member of the Air Academy High School band staff. Prior to Eagleview, Mrs. Moore was the Director of Bands at Clovis East High School in Clovis, CA, Her concert and jazz ensembles consistently earned superior ratings at CMEA festivals. In 2015, the Clovis East Marching Band won the Class 3A State of California Western Band Association Championship.
Mrs. Moore is passionate about music education service. While in Colorado, she assisted in hosting the 2019 American Bandmasters Association convention and CSU Honor Bands. While at Eagleview, she created and organized a district-wide middle school band festival. In California, she served on the board for the San Joaquin Valley Color Guard Percussion Review, the oldest indoor pageantry circuit in the state. Mrs. Moore was also a member of the California Band Directors Association, where she was assistant to the Ensemble Host and assisted in running the state music convention and all-state honor ensembles.
Mrs. Moore lives in Trussville, AL with her husband Danny Moore. In their spare time they enjoy hiking and exploring the great outdoors!
Chaney Bowers
Auxiliary Sponsor
Hewitt-Trussville High School
Chaney Bowers is a 2009 graduate of Hewitt-Trussville High School. While at Hewitt-Trussville, Ms. Bowers was involved in the Marching Husky Band as a Highstepper. She began her teaching career at Hewitt-Trussville in 2014.
Ms. Bowers earned her bachelor's degree in Secondary Education Language Arts from the University of Alabama. While at Alabama, she was involved in the Million Dollar Band as a member of the colorguard. She has also received her master’s degree from the University of West Alabama in Secondary Education with a concentration in English.
Ms. Bowers teaches English at HTHS along with sponsoring the Auxiliary and Senior Board. Outside of school, Ms. Bowers enjoys reading, binge watching shows on Netflix, and hanging out with her awesome roommate, Abe the dachshund.