Blake Unger - PRHS Director of Bands

peachtreeridgebands@gmail.com​
        Blake Unger, a native of Atlanta, Georgia is in his first year as the Head Director of Bands at Peachtree Ridge High School. He is extremely excited to be a part of the supportive and active community of PRHS and Suwannee,GA. Formerly, Mr. Unger has held positions as the Head Director of Bands at Rock Canyon High School in Denver, CO and Assistant Director of Bands at Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins,CO and as a graduate conductor and staff member with the University of Georgia Bands. In 2016 Mr. Unger was named one of the National Top 50 Directors that Make a Difference by School Band and Orchestra Magazine. Mr. Unger received a Master of Music with Distinction in Wind Conducting with Dr. John Lynch and a Bachelor of Music Education with a concentration in Euphonium with David Zerkel at the University of Georgia.  He enjoys playing and continues to be an active performer and clinician.
        At The Peachtree Ridge Bands Mr. Unger instructs and manages all aspects of a diverse music program which includes a Wind Ensemble, Symphonic band, Concert Band, a GMEA Competitive Marching Band, Percussion Techniques, Color Guard, and Winter Guard. His goals for the program in the coming years involve  giving students a well rounded musical experience, growth and expansion of program size and  offerings, and teaching PRHS Bands students to achieve above and beyond expectation in their lives through a medium of music. 
          Mr. Unger has an extensive amount of experience with concert ensembles and conducting pedagogy. In April 2014, Mr. Unger was recognized by the National Band Association's Young Conductors’ Project as a top 10 national finalist under age 29. He worked for multiple years as a rehearsal assistant and guest conductor with the UGA Summer Music Institute, UGA High School Band Festivals, and UGA Middle School Band Festivals.
          While at UGA, Mr. Unger performed with the UGA Wind Ensemble, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, Georgia Brass Band, Emory Summer Wind Band and UGA Brass Band. Mr. Unger has been recorded on several CD projects including the most recent UGA Wind Ensemble album, Street Song, with the Naxos label. 
          In his graduate study at the University of Georgia, Mr. Unger assisted with all aspects of the UGA Bands including the UGA Wind Ensemble, Wind Symphony, concert bands, and The Redcoat Marching Band.  In the summer of 2013, Mr. Unger participated in a research-based project that took him to various cities in Russia to film an educational documentary about Russian music. During the tour, he had the opportunity to guest conduct the Royal Admiralty Naval Band of St. Petersburg, Russia and engross in the musical culture of Moscow and St. Petersburg.  Following the trip, Mr. Unger served as an associate producer and one of the collaborative arrangers for the UGA Wind Ensemble CD, Music for the Czars.​
          Mr. Unger’s educational practices center around building quality relationships, providing valuable musical experiences for his students, and facilitating a well-rounded and diverse learning environment. His professional affiliations include The Georgia Music Educators Association, The Tri-M Music Honors Society, The International Tuba and Euphonium Association, The National Association for Music Education, and The College Band Directors National Association.

Go Lions! ​