Directors
Director of Bands
Meeka Sivilay graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting from Georgia State University under the guidance of Robert J. Ambrose. As a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University Bands, she conducted and coached a variety of ensembles, assisted with undergraduate conducting instruction, and supported the operations of a large, comprehensive band program. Additionally, Ms. Sivilay worked as the Philharmonia Winds Conductor and Winds & Brass Coordinator for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestras of Atlanta and is a sought-after clinician for various concert and marching band camp programs.
Prior to her move to Georgia, Ms. Sivilay served as a band director in the Mountain Home (AR) School District, where she conducted the junior high band, taught beginning woodwind classes and assisted with all aspects of the high school band program. Along with her official duties, she assisted with the guard programs and trained marching band student conductors.
Meeka graduated Cum Laude from Arkansas Tech University with the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education. Her primary teachers were Dan Belongia and Karen Futterer. During her tenure at Arkansas Tech, Meeka served as a student conductor for various ensembles, was an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant, and served on local and district-wide executive boards of the Tau Beta Sigma music fraternity.
Ms. Sivilay has been recognized numerous times for her leadership and scholarship, including the prestigious Baton from Tau Beta Sigma, the highest honor awarded for exceptional leadership among active members in the organization. She has also received recognition for being a Top Chapter Scholar of the same organization. In 2019, she was named a Who's Who honoree at Arkansas Tech University, which aims to highlight key members of the University's community. She was most recently selected as one of 14 conducting fellows for the 2024 Midwest Clinic's Reynolds Conducting Institute.
Associate Director of Bands
We are thrilled to officially announce Mr. Chandler Mann as the new Associate Director of Bands at Duluth High School.
Mr. Mann brings an exceptional track record of musical and program excellence. He joins us from Camden County High School, where he served as Director of Bands and Associate Director, overseeing large-scale marching programs, concert bands, jazz bands, and percussion ensembles. Under his leadership, his programs earned numerous accolades, including a Grand Championship at the Sound of Gold and multiple Winter Guard circuit championships.
A Summa Cum Laude graduate of the University of Georgia, Mr. Mann holds a Bachelor of Music Education. During his time at UGA, he was recognized as a Presser Foundation Scholar and received the Hugh Hodgson School of Music Director’s Award.
Mr. Mann is looking forward to joining our community alongside his wife, Allison, and their 2-year-old son, Maddox!
As we look toward the 2026-2027 school year, we are incredibly excited for the passion, energy, and expertise he will bring to our students and our entire band program.
Please join us in giving a warm Duluth welcome to Mr. Mann and his family!
Percussion Director
Orynn Murphy (b. 2002) is a composer, arranger, singer-songwriter, and music educator. She is currently serving as the Duluth High School Percussion Director. Orynn got her bachelors in music education at Jacksonville State University in 2025 and is currently pursuing a masters in music composition at Georgia State University.
Orynn has several years of experience in the marching arts. She marched WGI from 2017-2018 with Point Winds Theater and 2019 with Point Indoor Percussion. In 2023 she marched DCI with Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps, and in 2024 she was among 7 people who were selected to be a part of the Bluecoats Fellowship program. The Bluecoats Fellowship is designed to prepare the next generation of designers in the marching arts. There she studied under Tom Rarick in percussion composition, arranging, and design.
Orynn is co-owner, social media manager, and a composer for Blue Aster Music, a publisher aimed at lifting up new and diverse voices. Orynn’s compositions range from solo percussion, large wind ensembles, to experimental projects aimed at pushing the boundaries of what is considered music.
Guard Director
Mara Funk lives in Atlanta, Georgia. She marched two years with Spirit of Atlanta and numerous years with Paramount World. Mara has taught at multiple organizations including Paramount World, Reverie A/Open/World, Fishers HS, Duluth HS, Mill Creek HS, and many more. In her free time she enjoys laying by the pool, her cat and riding a good roller coaster.
