Directors

About Our Directors

Jamie Weaver
Director of Bands

Mr. Jamie Weaver is the Director of Bands at Liberty HS after serving for eleven years as Director of Bands at Creek Valley Middle School in Lewisville ISD (Hebron HS cluster) since the school opened in 2001. Before his tenure at Creek Valley, Mr. Weaver was the director of bands at Groesbeck Middle School in Groesbeck, Texas. While in Groesbeck, his middle school band was awarded the first UIL Sweepstakes award in the history of the school and was named a State Finalist in the ATSSB Outstanding Performance Series in 2000. He concurrently served as assistant director at Groesbeck High School where they were named State Finalist in the TMEA State Honor Band Competition in class AAA.

As founder of Front and Center Motivational Seminars, Mr. Weaver spends approximately 150 days each calendar year presenting leadership and team-building seminars for teachers and students around the United States. He has been on staff at the Music for All Summer Symposium since 1991 and became Director of the elite SWAG Team in 2002. He can be found “at-the-gate” each fall at many of the Bands of America Fall Marching Band Regional Championships as well as Grand Nationals Championships leading bands onto the field.

Mr. Weaver is one of only three to serve as drum major of the University of Kentucky “Wildcat” Marching Band for four years and has been an instructor with the nationally acclaimed George N. Parks Drum Major Academy since 1991. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Mr. Weaver studied trumpet with Vince DiMartino, Bob Thompson, and Terry Everson and was awarded honorary membership into the Theta Epsilon chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. Mr. Weaver recently earned his Master’s Degree in Non-Profit Administration from Louisiana State University at Shreveport.

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CECILY YOAKAM
ASSOCIATE Director of Bands

Ms. Cecily Yoakam serves as the Assistant Director of Bands of Liberty High School. Her duties include directing the Symphonic Band as well as assisting all other ensembles.

Ms. Yoakam graduated from the University of North Texas where she studied Oboe with James Ryon and completed her student teaching practicum with Kathy Johnson at Argyle HS.

After graduating from UNT, Ms. Yoakam taught for two years in Buda, Texas. For the past two years, she has been the Educational and Advocacy Resources Coordinator for Music for All, Inc. in Indianapolis.

She was the Drum Major for the Union HS Band in Tulsa, OK; Drum Major for the University of North Texas Green Brigade; and Drum Major for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. Ms. Yoakam served on the field staff for the Liberty High School Band in 2015 and 2016 and is extremely excited to join the family full-time.

JoHnathOn Jadvani
Director of Percussion Studies

Johnathon Jadvani received his B.A. in percussion performance from the Jordan College of Fine Arts at Butler University under the instruction of Professor Jon Crabiel.

Johnathon received a Graduate Assistantship with the University of Miami starting in 2006, and completed the program while studying under Dr. Wan Chun Liao, Shannon Wood, Dr. Ney Rosauro and Ted Atkatz (former principal of the Chicago Symphony). Johnathon received his Masters of Music degree with high academic honors from the University of Miami in December 2007 and was adjunct faculty as the Director of Percussion for the University of Miami Band of the Hour from 2007 to 2012.

In 2003 Johnathon was a co-winner of the esteemed Butler Concerto Competition and in 2005 was deemed the co-winner of the Florida International University concerto competition.

Johnathon has performed as a freelance artist throughout Indiana and South Florida and has toured with many ensembles, performing across the nation and in Japan. These travels include a Carnegie Hall World Premier of Wolf Rounds by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Rouse along with the University of Miami Frost Wind Ensemble, marching Drum and Bugle Corps with the Wabash Crusaders, and serving as the unit section leader of the WGI Independent Drumline Finalist "Stryke Percussion." 

Johnathon has written and arranged for percussion sections of several Indiana State Championship and BOA Finalist bands, as well as, writing and arranging for many Indiana and Florida WGI Championship Level percussion ensembles.

In recent, Johnathon spent the past 3 years as the Director of Bands with Cypress Bay HS, where the program experienced great successes and received division 1 ratings marching band/concert band, and winter percussion/winter guard were well represented at WGI finals in Dayton, OH.

Johnathon now lives in Frisco, TX with his wife Allison, 3 year-old son Charlie, and their 2 cats (Djembe and Snickers) and 2 Dachshunds (Peanut and Baxter).  He currently serves as Percussion Director/Assistant Band Director at Liberty HS.

ALEX RODZEWICH
Assistant Director of Percussion Studies

Alex Rodzewich is a first-year Assistant Percussion Director for Liberty High School and Vandeventer Middle School. Mr. Rodzewich received a Bachelor of Music Education from Texas Christian University where he studied under Dr. Brian A. West, Jeff Hodge, and Joey Carter.

In his years at TCU, Mr. Rodzewich performed with the Percussion Orchestra at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 2019 and 2022, the Wind Symphony at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention in 2020, and was the principal percussionist of the Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Rodzewich also served as the percussion section leader of the Horned Frog Marching Band in the 2020-2022 seasons. In the marching arts, he has vast experience in both battery and front ensemble, earned from his time teaching at various schools across the metroplex.

Outside of school, Mr. Rodzewich enjoys hiking, playing video games, and spending time with his friends and family.

Scott Mills
Director of Guards

Mr. Scott Mills, originally from St. Louis, Missouri, serves as the Color Guard director for Liberty High School. Scott has worked with various ensembles throughout Missouri, Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas. Some of these schools included Parkview High School, Deep Run High School, Cleveland High School, Marcus High School, Allen High School, Pattonville High School, and Green Hope High School.

Mr. Mills graduated from Pattonville High School, where he was an active member in the marching, concert, and jazz bands. As a senior, he served as the Drum Major for the Pride of Pattonville marching band. He then went on to march in the Missouri State University Pride Color Guard (2007-2010). Since then, he has performed in several other ensembles including National Avenue Winter Guard (2008), The Pride of Missouri State Winter Guard (2009-2011), First Flight Winter Guard (2012-2014, 2016), and CGT Dallas Winter Guard (2017). Scott was also able to spend three summers (2008-2010) marching with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.

As an instructor, Mr. Mills has helped marching bands and color guards achieve positions in both Bands of America Grand National Semi Finals, as well as Winter Guard International Finals. He also acted as the Assistant Caption Head/Technician for the Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps (2013-2016). As a member of the Carolina Gold staff, he acted as one of the charter staff members for the Independent A class Legacy Independent presented by Carolina Gold Winter Guard.