The Milford High School Fine Arts Department is pleased to announce that Milford High School alumn Jacob Carpenter will become the new Director of Bands for Milford High School.
Carpenter brings over ten years of band directional experience, including programs at both the high school and collegiate levels. For the first three years of his teaching career, Carpenter served as an assistant director of the Milford Bands. During that time, the band experienced robust growth and was named a Semifinalist at the Bands of America Grand Nationals Championship.
In 2018, Carpenter was selected to participate in a full time masters degree program through Bowling Green State University. During those two years, Carpenter worked closely with all facets of the university band programs, including both their concert and marching programs.
Most recently, Carpenter has served as the assistant director of the nationally recognized Dobyns-Bennett High School Band in Kingsport, Tennessee. During his five year tenure at Dobyns-Bennett, Carpenter has been the primary director of the marching band. Under his direction, the band has excelled on the national stage, including being named Bands of America Class AAA National Champion twice(2021, 2022), national semifinalist (2025), and national finalist three times (2021, 2022, 2024) at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, earning an overall finish of 6th place in the nation with their 2022 performance. Over the past year, Carpenter has successfully earned the Dobyns-Bennett band a selection in the 2026 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.
“We hate to see Jacob leave us, but Milford high school just got an amazing new Band Director who now has nationally competitive experience and roots in the community," said Lafe Cook, Director of Bands at Dobyns Bennett. "This combination, when combined with his musicianship makes him an amazing asset for students and families in the Milford high school band.”
In the classroom, Carpenter is an exceptional music educator. His students have regularly earned highest marks on the AP Music Theory exam and his curricular ensembles have been recognized multiple times at the state and regional levels. Twice during his tenure, the Dobyns-Bennett band has been selected to perform at the Tennessee Music Educators Association state conference.
The Milford Exempted Village School District Band program has a strong tradition of excellence, serving students for more than 100 years across multiple ensembles, including marching band, jazz band, winter guard, and winter percussion. The program has earned numerous awards and accolades, including recognition as a Bands of America AAA Semifinalist and performances at Cincinnati Music Hall. It continues to provide high-quality performance and educational opportunities for students.
“The Milford Band is a cornerstone of this incredible community and has been for over 100 years,” said Josh Kauffman, Director of Fine Arts. “I couldn’t be more excited to have someone with Jacob’s experiences and successes lead this program into its next 100 years. Jacob is a product of this incredible band program and he comes home to lead this program with heart and passion. The best days of the Milford Band are ahead of it under Jacob’s leadership.”
Carpenter is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and has served as an adjudicator of competitive bands throughout the country. A 2010 graduate of Milford High School, Jacob returns home to Milford and his alma mater with his wife, Michelle, and daughter Evelyn.
“I could not be more proud or excited by the opportunity to return to the Milford band! Not only is Milford a special place for anyone to live and raise a family, but it is also my home,” expressed Carpenter. “The Milford band has provided great experiences for me both as a student and a young educator and I am so honored to be entrusted to provide great experiences to current and future students.”
Milford Exempted Village Schools looks forward to the growth and musical excellence of the Milford Band program under Carpenter’s leadership as the District begins to write the chapter of the next 100 years of this storied band program.