meet our directorS

Dr. Dwayne Wasson joined the Wheeler High School faculty in the fall of 2006 as director of orchestras. He came to Wheeler from Kent State University where he was Assistant Professor of instrumental music education. Prior to Kent State, he taught in Austin, Texas, where he was director of orchestras at Austin High School and served as coordinator of the Austin Youth Orchestra. From 1991-1999, he was orchestra director at the Academy for Academics and Arts in Huntsville, Ala. While in Huntsville, Wasson was assistant conductor of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra and was region chairperson and state secretary for the Alabama Orchestra Association. From 2003-2008, he was on the staff at the University of Richmond as orchestra director at the Virginia Governor’s School. Currently, he is cellist of the Mariwell String Quartet, and he is a member of the Georgia Symphony Orchestra.

Dr. Wasson received a bachelor of music education degree from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee, and a master of music education degree from Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. In May 2002, he completed his doctorate in music education from the University of Texas at Austin. He is an active clinician and adjudicator. He has presented workshops that the Ohio Music Educators Convention and the national convention of the American String Teachers Association. He received National Board certification in 2003, which he renewed in 2013. He is actively involved as an adjudicator in the Georgia Music Educators Association.

April O’Keefe joined the faculty of Wheeler High School in the fall of 2019. Previously, she served as Associate Director or SoliMusica Academy, a homeschool orchestra program. While at SoliMusica, Mrs. O’Keefe served as clinician at several Cobb and Fulton County schools. Prior to SoliMusica, Mrs. O’Keefe was the director of orchestras at East Cobb Middle School from 2004-2014. Mrs. O’Keefe serves as the music education assistant at Kennesaw United Methodist Church where she directs adult, children and handbell choirs.

Mrs. O’Keefe graduated from Georgia State University in 2002 with her Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. While at Georgia State, she studied cello under Martha Gerschefski. She received her teaching certification in 2004. She is an active member of GMEA, has served as adjudicator for Governor’s Honors Program, Large Group Performance Evaluation and Solo and Ensemble Festival and serves as co-chair of the District XII Honor Orchestra.

While not teaching or leading music, April loves to watch her kids play sports, spending time with her family and friends, and planning vacations for herself and others.