Directors
Director of Bands - Thomas Richardson
Mr. Thomas Richardson is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music in Education and the University of Southern Illinois with a Masters in Music- Wind Conducting. Prior to joining Collierville High School, Mr. Richardson was Director of Bands at Berkeley High School in South Carolina, where he grew the program from 50 to over 120 students. Under Mr. Richardson's direction, the Berkeley High School (BHS) band program was a SCBDA marching band state finalist and received consistent Excellent ratings at Concert Performance Assessment. The BHS band program under Mr. Richardson had many performing groups including, concert band, marching band, jazz band, chamber ensembles, winter guard, and percussion ensemble. From July 2017 to July 2019, Mr. Richardson was vital to the growth of Collierville High School as the associate director of bands. The concert bands earned consistent superior ratings. The winter guards were MIA medalists in both 2018 and 2019. The jazz band became a competitive ensemble and earned its first Superior rating in 2019. Mr. Richardson's professional organizations include: National Association for Music Educators, Tennessee Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Music Fraternity. He still performs and is involved with multiple professional performing groups including the Charleston Wind Symphony and Sacred Winds Ensemble.
Associate Director of Bands - Cari Burgess
Mrs. Cari Burgess is from Algonquin, IL and graduated from Harry D. Jacobs High School in 2006. She received her Bachelors Degree in Instrumental Music Education with an influence in Clarinet Performance from the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater in 2011. While in attendance Cari was the Warhawk Marching Band Drum Major for two years. Mrs. Burgess taught with the Shadow Armada Marching Band (currently the Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps) based out of Oregon, WI from 2010-2013 where they earned the title of MACBDA Champion each year. She was the Director of Bands at Stoughton High School in Stoughton, WI from 2011-2012. Here she directed two concert bands, the marching band, musical theatre pit orchestra, and jazz ensemble. All ensembles received superior ratings in state and local festivals. Mrs. Burgess served as the Director of Bands for Lake Cormorant Middle School and the Assistant Band Director at Lake Cormorant High School from 2013 - 2019. She directed two middle school bands, the front ensemble, and assisted with the high school band. During her tenure, the LCMS Advanced Band received consecutive superior ratings in concert and sight reading in the North Mississippi Young Band Festival and the MHSAA State Concert Evaluations. The Lake Cormorant High School bands received superior ratings in concert, sight reading, marching band, and drum major; resulting in the Mississippi Sweepstakes Award yearly. Mrs. Burgess was a member of the Hernando Desoto Band Directors Association from 2013-2019, serving on the executive board as secretary and concluding as the president. Mrs. Burgess continues to perform and teach private lessons in north Mississippi.
Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Percussion- Devin Burgess
Devin Burgess is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin at Platteville earning degrees in both Instrumental and General Music Education with an emphasis on percussion performance under Joe Caploe. Devin currently lives in Southaven, Mississippi and has most recently served as the Assistant High School Band Director and Percussion Coordinator for Desoto Central Schools. He directed the Desoto Central Middle and High School Percussion Ensembles and also taught general and world music. The Desoto Central High School Percussion Ensemble has performed in multiple venues including the Northwest Mississippi Day of Percussion and the University of Memphis Percussion Festival where they were awarded the highest honors for their performance in 2021. Devin is an active clinician in the Memphis area and has served previously as a clinician in Wisconsin. Devin is a Mapex-Majestic, Remo, Sabian, and Salyers artist. Devin’s performance experience includes the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, The Rountree Chamber Ensemble, The Rountree Wind Symphony, and the Beloit-Janesville Symphony Orchestra. Devin also performed with the Latin group, Soulsa, based out of Dubuque, Iowa on drum kit. He earned numerous awards while in college receiving the Distinguished Soloist award at the 2008 Eau Claire Jazz festival and was selected as a marimba soloist for the 2005 Concerto Aria Contest.
Devin is most recognized for his marching arts arrangements and electronic sound design. He has written and arranged for the Pride of Desoto Central Marching Band in addition to several other competitive high school programs across the United States
that have received numerous accolades. He has composed and arranged for the Desoto Central Indoor Percussion program that has competed in the WGI, Mississippi Indoor Association, and the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit. Devin is the co-founder
and co-owner of D Squared Music and Design, specializing in music composition for several types of mediums. He is an artist and composer for Back Beat Inc. and the Song Shack.
Devin Burgess’ performance in the marching arts includes the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps and the Gateway Indoor Percussion Ensemble. He has taught with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps and the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps and served as sound
engineer for the Shadow Drum and Bugle Corps. Before moving to the Memphis area in 2012, Devin served as the front ensemble coordinator and arranger for the Shadow Drum Corps and Shadow Indoor Percussion.
Devin is beyond excited to join the accomplished Pride of Collierville team as the Director of Percussion Studies and the Assistant Director of Bands.
Director of Color Guard - Jake Cosby
Jake grew up in Batesville, Mississippi, where he joined the band world by participating in high school as a trumpet player. He later took a shot with his school’s winter program and flourished as a color guard member. Throughout high school he continued to participate with the winter group and playing his instrument during the fall.
After graduating, Jake attended Itawamba Community College in Fulton, Mississippi. It was there that he joined Magnolia Independent Winter Guard where he marched for three years. While he attended ICC he worked with Itawamba High School Band, where he explored his love for teaching. With the guidance of the director at Itawamba, he worked towards gaining skills in both writing choreography and cleaning technique. Eventually he would help produce and design their winter programs which is where he has found that his heart truly lies with teaching.
Jake participated with the Open Class Drum Corps: Music City. After his stent with Music City, he went on to the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps, where his passion for the activity only grew and he made many connections that would help shape where he is today. He would then rejoin Music City’s color guard staff as an intern learning more about teaching and crafting his style.
After drum corps, he participated with the Paramount Winter Guard where he marched with the “A” Class Guard in 2016, which won a WGI “A’ Class Championship that year. Then he continued as a member of the Paramount Open Class Guard in 2017.
During his second year with Paramount he began working as a tech with Oxford High School, where he has been for the past 3 years. At Oxford Jake’s love and passion for the activity was truly able to grow. Here his groups participated in WGI regionals, as well as traveling to Dayton, Ohio for world championships in his second year.
In 2017 Jake decided to create an Independent Winter guard for the North Mississippi/ Memphis area. Jake is a founder and the director of Colibri independent winter guard. For two years the Colibri Winter guard has been an MIA class “A” Champions for both years of their existence. The group has also competed in several WGI regionals.
Jake looks forward to moving to Tennessee and begin his work with Collierville High School Band. He hopes to continue working with Colibri and collaborate his efforts with the Collierville program. It is his hope to find a home here at Collierville and be with the group for years to come!
