Dell Trotter

Director of Bands Dell Trotter is a proud alumnus of Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College where he was a member of the Band of Gold under the direction of Mr. David Dueitt.  Mr. Trotter holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Delta State University where he studied with Mr. Gary Cook, Ken Lewis, and Bryan Depoy. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Arts and Letters from The American Band College at Southern Oregon University where he studied with some of the world’s most renowned instrumental music educators and composers such as Francis Macbeth, Alfred Reed, Tim Lautzenheiser, Colonel John Bourgeois, and Robert W. Smith.  Mr. Trotter has been recognized as the Middle School and High School Band Director of the year by the Gulf Coast Band Directors Association, has been named Who’s Who among American High School Educators, as well as one of Disney’s Star Educators. He is a member of the The Gulf Coast Band Director’s Association, Mississippi Bandmasters Association, The Gulf Coast Color Guard and Percussion Circuit, The Louisiana Color Guard and Percussion Circuit, The Mississippi Indoor Association, the Gulf Coast Color Guard Judges Association, The National Band Association, The Pro-Mark Educational Endorsement Team, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, The National Federation of Teachers, The Dynasty Instruments Endorsement Team and The Mississippi High School Activities Association. He has also been recently nominated to become a member of Phi Beta Mu, the World’s most prestigious Band Fraternity.

Mr. Trotter is an active Trumpet Player having performed with the Gulf Coast Community Band, the Delta Symphony, The Delta Brass Quintet (faculty brass quintet at Delta State University), The Gulf Coast Messiah Chorus, The Mississippi Symphonic Winds and the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps as a lead Soprano Player.   He is also a sought after clinician and adjudicator, having served as Clinician for many High School Honor Bands throughout the State of Mississippi  and having judged numerous WGI circuit shows throughout the Southeast in the fields of Colorguard and Indoor Drumline.   Mr. Trotter resides in Perkinston with his beautiful wife Karrie Rose Trotter and his two sons, Gabriel and Zachary.

Heather McDonald

Heather McDonald began working at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College in 2007 and is Assistant Director of Bands and Director of the Brass Ensemble.  She also teaches Music Appreciation, Recital Class, Pep Band, and Private Lessons for Euphonium and Tuba.  Mrs. McDonald attended Murray State University where she received her Bachelors of Music in Music Education studying with Dennis Johnson, John Fannin, Ray Conklin, and Dr. Lloyd Bone.  She received her Masters of Music in Euphonium Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi where she studied with Dr. Richard Perry.  She is a member of the International Tuba/Euphonium Association.

Mrs. McDonald has performed on euphonium, baritone, and trombone in various ensembles including brass choir, salsa band, praise band, pep band, wind ensemble, symphonic band, orchestra, and tuba/euphonium ensemble.  She has performed with the Mississippi Wind Symphony, the Murray State University Racer Band and Symphonic Orchestra, and in 2008 performed with the University of Southern Mississippi Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble at the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference in Cincinnati, OH.

Mrs. McDonald has been an event coordinator for such marching competitions as the Murray State University Festival of Champions, Drum Corps International’s Drums Between the Rivers, and the MGCCC Gold Medal Classic.  Mrs. McDonald resides in Picayune with her wonderful husband Hugh and their son Malcolm.

Sean Keady

Sean Keady is Assistant Director of the MGCCC Bands and Director of the MGCCC Jazz Band.  He also teaches Music Theory, applied percussion, and applied and class guitar.

Mr. Keady holds a Bachelor’s of Music Education from Delta State University.   He also holds a Master’s Degree in Arts and Letters from The American Band College at Southern Oregon University.   His trombone teachers included Dr. Edward Bahr and Dr. Karl Hinterbichler.  He studied music education and band directing with Gary Cook at Delta State University, as well as all the faculty of the American Band College which included Tim Lautzenheiser, Robert W. Smith, Francis Macbeth, Kenneth Bloomquist, Gen. John Bourgeois (ret.) and Alfred Reed.

His professional affiliations include the International Trombone Association, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, the Mississippi Bandmaster’s Association, the Gulfcoast Band Director’s Association, the Gulfcoast Colorguard Circuit, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Mr. Keady has performed on trombone, guitar, and electric bass in a wide genre of ensembles such as big band, jazz co

mbo, small chamber ensembles, pep bands, concert bands and symphony orchestras.  He has performed with the Gulfcoast Community Band, the Gulfcoast Wind Symphony, and the Delta Symphony.

Prior to joining the faculty at MGCCC, Mr. Keady was a band director for Harrison County and Grenada school districts.  He has taught all levels of band from middle school through high school.  He is an active arranger of music for various ensembles such as marching band, concert band, and percussion ensemble.

Mr. Keady lives in Gulfport with his wife Leigh Ann Keady and their son Jackson.

Britney Kuehn

Britney Kuehn is a native of Ocean Springs, Mississippi where she grew up training at Donna’s Visual Performing Arts Center. Britney attended The University of Southern Mississippi, where she danced as part of their Repertory Dance Company for four years, graduating Summa Cum Laude with her Bachelor of Fine Arts, in Dance Performance and Choreography and a minor in Theatre.

She has taught the past seven years throughout Mississippi and South Louisiana, dancing and choreographing professionally with the Marigny Opera Ballet, Hinge Dance Company and the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans Dance Team.

Jimmy Spears

Jimmy Spears, “The Voice of the Band of Gold,” is the program director and traffic manager at WXXV-TV in Gulfport. He attended MGCCC – Jeff Davis campus in 1979 before transferring to the University of Mississippi. Jimmy got started in radio in 1980 at WGUF in Gulfport. He is married to Lanie Morris Spears and has three children, Trae, Cody and Jessica – all former MGCCC students.