Interim Director of Music
David Stanley began serving as interim Director of Music at Oconee Street in February 2023.
David J. Stanley works as a teacher and musician to champion public music education, affirm regional identity, and promote community.
At the University of Georgia, he is a doctoral conducting associate actively involved in band program planning, logistical support, performances, and instruction. His service to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music has also included work with two committees to foster coalitions and partnerships for actionable antiracism, justice, and engagement. The capstone project for his master’s degree (UGA ’20) joined musicians from across the School in “Appalachian Spring: Music Exploring Regional Identity and Race,” which was presented alongside an exhibit at the Georgia Museum of Art. David’s forthcoming dissertation, “Listening for Community: Ensembles of Purpose and Place,” is the culmination of the Doctor of Musical Arts, anticipated May 2023.
From 2014-2018, David served as Director of Bands for William Fleming High School in Roanoke, Virginia. Responsible for overseeing the program’s complete structural reorganization, his tenure facilitated enrollment and adjudication improvements for concert, marching, and jazz ensembles. He earned the Bachelor of Music Education from Furman University.
Active members of Oconee Street United Methodist Church since 2018, David and his wife, Molly, began singing in the choir in 2019. David is a past chair of the Worship Committee and believes strongly in the potential for transformative worship experiences that meaningfully connect word and music. David and Molly are lifelong United Methodists with strong family ties to both ordained clergy and church musicians. From 2011-2014, David served as the Summer Music Intern for the choirs of Emory and Meadowview United Methodist churches (Virginia), leading music during worship, weekly choir rehearsals, and service planning. Together, they are regular instrumental clinicians for The Fellowship’s Music and Worship Arts Week, held annually at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina.
David and Molly’s young son, Tucker, was baptized at OSUMC in October 2022.
David can be reached at david.j.stanley1@gmail.com.