Brandon Martel
Director of Bands
director@caryband.org
Brandon Martel grew up in Cary and is a graduate of Cary High School. Mr. Martel attended East Carolina University and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 2010. He began his teaching career at Southern Nash High School where the concert band earned a superior rating at the Eastern District MPA festival and the jazz band performed at the Thelonius Monk Family Reunion.
Mr. Martel returned to ECU in 2013 to pursue a Master’s Degree in Conducting and Trombone Performance. During his time back at ECU, Mr. Martel conducted the ECU Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Martel performed two trombone recitals, wrote a thesis on music for band and electronics, and was a teaching assistant for the ECU Marching Pirates.
Upon his graduation in 2015, Mr. Martel began working as the band director at Franklinton High School. During his time at Franklinton, the band performed at the NC School Board Association conference in Greensboro and the marching band won 1-2-3A Grand Champion at the 2017 Cary Band Day competition.
Mr. Martel began working at Wake Forest High School in November of 2018. The Wake Forest Band earned a “Superior” rating at the Music in the Parks festival four years in a row. The Marching Cougars were consistent class champions at local marching band competitions. Mr. Martel expanded the band program to include guitar and music theory classes. The band also performed annually at community events and the local elementary schools.
Mr. Martel married his wife Jenna in 2014. She is the music director at West Millbrook Magnet Middle School. Their son Benjamin was born in 2018 and their daughter Josephine was born in 2022.