Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District has named veteran SOCSD music educator, DeMario Jefferson, as its new Director of Bands. The hiring of Jefferson was approved at the April meeting of the SOCSD Board of Trustees on Tuesday.
DeMario Jefferson currently serves as an Assistant Band Director for the district, a position he has held since 2018 and previously in 2010 through 2015. He also directs the Armstrong Junior High School Band as Lead Teacher. In those capacities, he has assisted with overall concert and marching band instruction, as well as the instruction and management of all middle school level ensembles. During his 16-year career in music education, Jefferson has also held leadership positions at Aberdeen School District and Columbus School District.
"DeMario Jefferson was an obvious choice for this important role in our district's Fine Arts program, said SOCSD Superintendent Dr. Tony McGee. "He has demonstrated his loyalty to our district and the Yellow Jacket family during his entire tenure in Starkville, and his care for growing our young band students is unmatched. We look forward to watching him take the helm of our band program and continue its tradition of excellence."
In thirteen years with the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, Jefferson has contributed to the band program earning All Superior ratings from the Mississippi High School Activities Association every year. The SHS Wind Ensemble has earned concert All Superiors for 18 straight years and received the coveted Sweepstakes Award in 2026.
During his time leading band at Armstrong Junior High School, Jefferson began the first Junior High Percussion Ensemble. In addition, his students have regularly auditioned and earned placement in state and collegiate middle school honor bands including the Mississippi American School Band Directors Association (MSASBDA) Middle School All-State Band. In 2026, two Armstrong Junior High band students were selected for the MSASBDA Honor Band, and the AJHS band received All Superior ratings at the Joe Barry Mullins Band Festival, including concert and sight-reading categories.
"Being chosen at Director of Bands is an amazing opportunity, one that I have been aspiring toward for many years," Jefferson said. "To lead these amazing students and staff and to be a leader in the Starkville community is the opportunity of a lifetime. I am honored to have been chosen to succeed Mr. Sullivan, and I look forward to taking the band program to even greater success."
As he reflected on taking the baton from Shawn Sullivan, who has held the SOCSD Director of Bands positions for 19 years, Jefferson shared what he sees as a legacy of high standards and genuine care for every student.
"Mr. Sullivan is leaving a legacy of hard work, constant care and concern for every student," Jefferson said. "Under his leadership, the program as produced some of the most amazing concert and marching bands Starkville has ever seen. Our team has been very fortunate to have been led under his baton."
Jefferson credits Sullivan's leadership and example with helping to hone his own approach to conducting fast-paced, engaging and well-run rehearsals that lead to student success. Throughout the many activities under the band's umbrella, he says Sullivan has continually encouraged students to present themselves well as representatives of their families, the school district and the Jacket band program – lessons he hopes to emphasize moving forward.
"Shawn Sullivan has been an invaluable asset to music education in our district with a standard of excellence that will be hard to match," Dr. McGee said. "But, in DeMario, I believe we have an instructor and leader who can bring creativity, passion and consistency to the program that will not only continue, but expand its success and build on the opportunities we are offering our boys and girls."
Though he has big shoes to fill, Jefferson already has a framework in mind for moving forward that he calls "the four Cs."
"We are going to build character, community, culture, and competency," he says, and he is quick to put that into a larger context beyond the concert hall or marching field.
"Our band program is structured to build not just musicians, but young people," Jefferson says. "Manners, effective communication, and having high character and morals are important to who I am and encompass my leadership style. We want to grow all of these things in our band program from day one, from entering the room to sitting with correct posture in a chair to setting an example for younger students."
Jefferson has seen the importance the band program can play in the student and Yellow Jacket fan experience even for those not participating in it directly, and he recognizes the impact such a high quality arts program can bring to the school district and the community as a whole.
"Our band program is entrenched in the culture of the school district and community," he says. "We add to the culture on Friday nights, Game Day pep rallies, parades, motivating staff at opening convocation and even visiting our elementary schools to pump them up for state testing seasons. Beyond that, our program is synonymous with superior success, as is our A-rated district."
McGee agrees and emphasizes the pivotal role opportunities like band contribute to the district's success beyond the strictly academic classroom.
"Our fine arts programs are one of the areas that really make our district stand out for families as well as across the state," he says. "Band is not only a point of pride, but a key element in engaging students in music, giving opportunities to perform and a pathway to achieving at the highest level. The high-quality performances they produce build confidence in students, and give them experience working together to achieve a goal – all the things that great extracurricular activities should provide.
Participation in band begins in 6th grade for SOCSD students, and exposure to the performing arts brings unique experiences and confidence-building opportunities for all students, regardless of whether they want to pursue music after high school. But, for those students who see themselves continuing in the performing arts or music education as a career, Jefferson says he wants the program to prepare them.
"Not every student will pursue a music education outside of high school," he says. "However, the goal is for them to fall so in love with music that it will allow them to be able to have that option if they wish to do so and to be able to compete for scholarships at a high level anywhere in the world."
As the Starkville High School band takes the field for halftime at Yellow Jacket Stadium under Jefferson's leadership this fall, some things will remain the same. Fans are still likely to hear the familiar "one, two... one, two, three, four" intro to the crowd-pleasing "stands tunes" Jefferson arranges for the marching band, but the voice and baton behind the podium or the megaphone will represent a new era in a long-standing tradition of superior excellence. Although the moment isn't lost on Jefferson, his message to band students keeps it all in perspective.
"You can expect love, support, discipline, and a well-rounded music education," he says. "We are going to pursue the same standard of excellence on the stage and on the field – and making beautiful, fun, exciting, and yes, crowd-pleasing music!"