Josh Tyree is brand new to River Ridge after serving six years as director of bands at West Forsyth High School.  Under his direction, the three concert bands have earned many superior ratings.  The Pride of the West Marching Band has won many grand champion trophies.  The three jazz bands perform regularly in the community.  The two award-winning winter guard teams are well-represented in WGI and SAPA.  The chamber ensemble program is also blossoming.

Previously, he was the director of bands at Liberty Middle School since the fall of 2009. His last important achievement there was seeing the completion of the band room construction which doubled the size of their space in the spring of 2017.  Also due to the growth of the Liberty program, he added an assistant in the fall of 2015. In the spring of 2015, the LMS band won the Southern Star Music Festival at Six Flags Over Georgia (which they also won in 2012). Mr. Tyree was a quarterfinalist for the Grammy’s Music Educator Award for 2014. Of the 7,000 applicants, he was one of just 222 remaining. In 2013, Mr. Tyree was the Teacher of the Year at LMS. During the summer of 2012, Mr. Tyree attended a summer conducting workshop at the Julliard School of Music in NYC studying with Eugene Corporon. In 2011, the band program won a $25,000 grant from the Glee-Give-A-Note Grant Competition enabling them to buy many new instruments.

Before becoming head director at Liberty Middle School he was the associate band director at South Forsyth High School teaching various levels of band courses and music theory including AP Music Theory. He worked extensively with the SFHS concert program, marching band, jazz band, pep band, woodwind choir, and chamber wind ensembles. Prior to that assignment, he was the head band director at Monroe Area High School in Monroe, GA teaching band classes, marching band, jazz band, orchestra, and chorus. After graduating from the University of Georgia in 2003 with a Bachelor of Music Education, he soon went back for more education earning his Master of Music Education in 2006 from UGA. He also studied piano privately for 5 years after his Master’s program. He has been teaching for 16 years. Josh is currently a member of the Georgia Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Educators, National Band Association, and World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. Mr. Tyree currently lives in Dawsonville, GA with his wife, Mandy, and his nine children but will be relocating to the Woodstock area soon.  

Sierra Ray– Director of Guard Studies Sierra Ray was born in Rhode Island, but raised in Florida. She has been a part of the Marching Arts since 2002, where she fell in love with the Trombone. Due to medical reasons, Sierra was unable to continue marching her instrument in the winter of 2005. Thankfully for her, the color guard appeared in her life shortly after receiving the news. From that first band camp during her freshman year of East Bay High School, she was hooked. Sierra had always had a love for performing and dancing, but the color guard gave her another outlet. By her Junior year of high school, she was marching with the Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps in '08 and '09. Maintaining her passion, Sierra later auditioned for the University of South Florida Winter Guard and was contracted by both their winter and field programs for their 2010-12, '15 & '16 seasons. While performing she enjoyed teaching groups such as; East Bay HS, Sickles HS, Braden River Northeast HS, Racine Scouts D&B Corps, and Tampa Bay Thunder DCA Corps. At the end of 2020, she moved to Georgia where she was soon hired as a tech at Pickens High School and worked with other programs such as Weeki Wachee HS and Cherokee High School until October of 2022. She joyfully accepted the role of Color Guard Director at River Ridge High School in November 2022. Mrs. Ray currently resides in Woodstock, GA with her husband, 1-year-old son, and their two adventurous dogs. Sierra is very excited to be continuing with the River Ridge Knights and can't wait to see the students grow into outstanding performers.

Dean Giddens– Director of Percussion Studies T Dean Giddens is currently serving in his 3rd year at River Ridge Bands, 2nd as Director of Percussion. This is Mr. Giddens’ 25th season as a percussion specialist with programs throughout Georgia and Tennessee. Mr. Giddens currently oversees the percussion studies for 3 concert bands, conducts the Percussion Ensemble, and is caption head and Audio/electronics technician for the marching band. Prior to arriving at River Ridge, Mr. Giddens worked as a front ensemble technician for many programs including Ooltewah HS (TN), Kennesaw Mountain, (Ga) Cleveland HS (TN), Centennial HS (Ga), Woodstock HS (GA) and Central Carroll HS (Ga). Mr. Giddens also has a strong background in WGI Indoor Percussion working with groups such as Music City Mystique (2001-2007) and Chattanooga Independent. (2009-2010). Mr. Giddens currently resides in Kennesaw, Ga with his sweetie Kathy Kyle and their two furry critters Scarlet and Roo. Along with his teaching, Dean is also a general contractor and home remodel specialist with his company TDGCon and a private tubing outfitter on the Chattahoochee River.