•  Professional Biography
      
    Falcon Image Duane Minnick, Director of Band/Fine Arts Chair
      
     

    Mr. Minnick is entering his 35th year as a high school band director. He is a graduate of Louisiana State University where he was a low brass major, specializing in trombone. He has a degree in Music Education from LSU and has done Master's work at the University of North Texas. One of the most profound aspects of his career was his involvement in The Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps from Rockford, IL. He was both a performer and instructor with professional DCI Corps from 1980 to 1993. In 1993 he served as the Visual Caption Head of the Phantom Regiment.

    He has taught high school band in Louisiana, Texas, South Carolina and Virginia and was the founding band director at Briar Woods High School in 2005. The Briar Woods Band has traveled to many places across the United States and performed in important events in New York, Chicago, Boston, Williamsburg, Pigeon Forge and Atlanta. They have performed in (2) nationally televised bowl games, The Russell Athletic Bowl (2014) & Camping World Bowl (2019) in Orlando FL and also performed in The London New Year's Day Parade in London, England (2011). In December of 2016, they performed in the 75th Anniversary Ceremony and Parade of the remembrance of Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Hawaii. The band has performed in The New York Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall in New York City 3 times and the Briar Woods Band has consistantly earned "Superior" ratings and the "Gold Award" in this prestigious event. They have once again been invited to perform in the New York Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall in the spring of 2022. The Briar Woods Band is a Virginia Honor Band & Briar Woods is a Virginia Blue Ribbon Fine Arts School.

    The Briar Woods Falcon Regiment Marching Band, Symphonic Ensembles and Jazz Bands are rated consistently superior at contests throughout the country and the award winning Falconaires Winterguard and Falcon Drum line are competitively active throughout the entire school year. 

    My 2021-22 Schedule:

     
     1st  Dept. Chair Meeting  5th Jazz Class
     2nd  Symphonic Winds  6th Wind Ensemble
     3rd  CLT Planning Blcok (Fine Arts Dept. Meeting)  7th  Symphonic Band
     4th  Falconaires Colorguard Class  8th Teacher Planning
     
    email
      Email   dminnick@lcps.org
    Course Information
    Gradebook & Class Page  School Resources
     Phoenix
    Phoenix Gradebook
     
    PLEASE VISIT THE BRIAR WOOODS MUSIC BOOSTER WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BRIAR WOODS BAND. (Click on link below).
     
     
     
    Extra Curricular Positions
     - None
     
     
    BWHS Band Booster Website 
    The band booster website is a website containing dynamic day-to-day BWHS band information and is a key resource for parents and students.

    Falcon Regiment in London Parade 2011
     
    Briar Woods HS Falcon Regiment Band at
    The London New Year's Day Parade     
    Briar Woods Symphonic Winds at Carnegie Hall 2013      
    Briar Woods HS Symphonic Winds & Band
    at Carnegie Hall in New York City
     
    Teaching Philosophy:

    Mr. Minnick strives to teach all of his students the importance of becoming life long learners. The patterns and procedures that students develop in high school will follow them the rest of their lives through both their college and career. Elements of responsibility, discipline and respect for the people and things that we encounter in everyday life, are cornerstones of his teaching techniques. Every student should be given a chance to succeed, provided that they put time and effort into the preparation of the given performance opportunity. To contact Mr. Minnick, please click on this link:   email @ 

     

    Personal Statement:

    Duane and his wife, Shannon, enjoy spending time with their 21-year-old daughter Payton who now attends JMU and performs with the Royal Marching Dukes, and 18-year-old son Brody who is a freshman and "Jazz Studies" Major West Virginia University. Brody was a 3 time Virginia All-State Musician. Duane and Shannon are both avid sports fans and enjoy following their alma mater, LSU in all areas. Duane enjoys living in Northern Virginia, where he is now within driving distance of his two favorite professional teams; The Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Orioles.

     
Last Modified on September 15, 2021