Directors
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Mr. Carl Major is the Director of Bands at Foley High
School. Mr. Major has been the Director of Bands at
Foley High School for 11 years. Mr. Major has led an
extraordinary Foley Band program to a Grammy Award,
numerous marching and concert band superior
ratings and championships, proclamations from Local
and State Representatives, and commendations from
the President of the United States. Mr. Major earned
his Bachelors degree from the University of Southern
Mississippi and his Masters degree from the
University of Phoenix. Mr. Major has teaching
experience in Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama.
Mr. Major has performed in Taiwan, Hawaii, the
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the Fiesta Bowl
Parade, the Tournament of Roses parade, and
Carnage Hall in New York City. Mr. Major has taught
over 110 summer band and percussion camps, as
well as judged band and percussion contests in
Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma,
Tennessee, Minnesota, and Georgia. Mr. Major has
composed drill or music for halftime shows for over 70
bands in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and
Mississippi, and he has written over 400 percussion
arrangements for bands in Mississippi, Alabama,
Tennessee, Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and
Florida during 25 years as a percussion arranger. Mr.
Major currently serves as the Percussion Editor for
both the Jalen and Matrix Music Publishing
Companies. Mr. Major has over 145 original and
arranged compositions published with Jalen
Publishing, Matrix Publishing, Pepper Music, and the
Southern Music Company. According to both the Jalen
and Matrix Publishing Companies, in 2011 over 450
band programs worldwide have performed music
written by Mr. Carl Major. Mr. Major worked as an
instructor on the collegiate level when he served as a
private studio teacher at Chipola Jr. College in
Marianna, Florida.
Mr. Major holds professional memberships
with the National Band Association, Percussion Arts
Society, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Florida
Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National
Conference, the International Association of
Rudimental Percussionist, and he is also a member
of the National Who’s Who among American High
School Teachers and Music Educators. In 2004, Mr.
Major became a member of the American School
Band Directors Association. A very elite membership,
this organization has only 12 active members in the
state of Alabama. Under Mr. Major’s guidance in 2000,
the Foley Band Program was designated as a
“Grammy Signature School” for having one of the top
100 band programs in the United States, and earned a
“Grammy Award”. For this outstanding
accomplishment, Mr. Major was awarded the “Citation
of Excellence” through the National Band Association
for excellence in Music Education. Mr. Major’s bands
have also been listed in the Drum Corp Internationals
“Commitment to Excellence” program, recognizing
only 937 bands in the United States and, at that time,
only 37 bands were from Alabama. In 2010, Mr. Major
was awarded the, "Outstanding Contribution to Band",
award at the 2011 Little Big Horn Marching Band
Competition. This award is given to only one band
director each year.
In 2004, Carl Major, received a personal
endorsement from the Innovative Percussion
Company. With this endorsement, Mr. Major is
currently listed as an endorsement educator on the
Innovative Percussion Company website and research
brochures sent to thousands of schools systems
across the United States. With all of these personal
and musical accolades, Mr. Major has placed many of
his band students at major Universities with music
scholarships including Troy University, Auburn
University, The University of Southern Mississippi, The
University of South Alabama, Mississippi State
University, The University of West Alabama, Ole Miss
University, Louisiana State University, Alabama A & M,
Interlochen School of Music, Gulf Coast Community
College, United States Marine Band, University of
Tennessee, and The University of Alabama, and
various professional performing ensembles in New
York City.
Carl Major has been married to Amanda Major of
Fairhope, Alabama for 19 years. Mrs. Major received
degrees in English, Philosophy, and Instrumental
Musical Education from the University of Southern
Mississippi, where she attended college on a music
scholarship. Mrs. Major received a Masters degree,
with honors, in English from The University of South
Alabama. Mrs. Major is currently an English and Life
Skills teacher at Foley High School, as well as being
on the band staff at Foley High School. Mrs. Major has
been playing trumpet and french horn for over 25
years, and she has been a member of many world-
class ensembles from Drum Corp International to
collegiate level winning ensembles. Mr. and Mrs. Major
have three children; 13-year-old Madison Leigh, 12-
year-old Carson, and 10-year-old Grayson.
School. Mr. Major has been the Director of Bands at
Foley High School for 11 years. Mr. Major has led an
extraordinary Foley Band program to a Grammy Award,
numerous marching and concert band superior
ratings and championships, proclamations from Local
and State Representatives, and commendations from
the President of the United States. Mr. Major earned
his Bachelors degree from the University of Southern
Mississippi and his Masters degree from the
University of Phoenix. Mr. Major has teaching
experience in Tennessee, Florida, and Alabama.
Mr. Major has performed in Taiwan, Hawaii, the
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, the Fiesta Bowl
Parade, the Tournament of Roses parade, and
Carnage Hall in New York City. Mr. Major has taught
over 110 summer band and percussion camps, as
well as judged band and percussion contests in
Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Oklahoma,
Tennessee, Minnesota, and Georgia. Mr. Major has
composed drill or music for halftime shows for over 70
bands in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and
Mississippi, and he has written over 400 percussion
arrangements for bands in Mississippi, Alabama,
Tennessee, Florida, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and
Florida during 25 years as a percussion arranger. Mr.
Major currently serves as the Percussion Editor for
both the Jalen and Matrix Music Publishing
Companies. Mr. Major has over 145 original and
arranged compositions published with Jalen
Publishing, Matrix Publishing, Pepper Music, and the
Southern Music Company. According to both the Jalen
and Matrix Publishing Companies, in 2011 over 450
band programs worldwide have performed music
written by Mr. Carl Major. Mr. Major worked as an
instructor on the collegiate level when he served as a
private studio teacher at Chipola Jr. College in
Marianna, Florida.
Mr. Major holds professional memberships
with the National Band Association, Percussion Arts
Society, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Florida
Bandmasters Association, Music Educators National
Conference, the International Association of
Rudimental Percussionist, and he is also a member
of the National Who’s Who among American High
School Teachers and Music Educators. In 2004, Mr.
Major became a member of the American School
Band Directors Association. A very elite membership,
this organization has only 12 active members in the
state of Alabama. Under Mr. Major’s guidance in 2000,
the Foley Band Program was designated as a
“Grammy Signature School” for having one of the top
100 band programs in the United States, and earned a
“Grammy Award”. For this outstanding
accomplishment, Mr. Major was awarded the “Citation
of Excellence” through the National Band Association
for excellence in Music Education. Mr. Major’s bands
have also been listed in the Drum Corp Internationals
“Commitment to Excellence” program, recognizing
only 937 bands in the United States and, at that time,
only 37 bands were from Alabama. In 2010, Mr. Major
was awarded the, "Outstanding Contribution to Band",
award at the 2011 Little Big Horn Marching Band
Competition. This award is given to only one band
director each year.
In 2004, Carl Major, received a personal
endorsement from the Innovative Percussion
Company. With this endorsement, Mr. Major is
currently listed as an endorsement educator on the
Innovative Percussion Company website and research
brochures sent to thousands of schools systems
across the United States. With all of these personal
and musical accolades, Mr. Major has placed many of
his band students at major Universities with music
scholarships including Troy University, Auburn
University, The University of Southern Mississippi, The
University of South Alabama, Mississippi State
University, The University of West Alabama, Ole Miss
University, Louisiana State University, Alabama A & M,
Interlochen School of Music, Gulf Coast Community
College, United States Marine Band, University of
Tennessee, and The University of Alabama, and
various professional performing ensembles in New
York City.
Carl Major has been married to Amanda Major of
Fairhope, Alabama for 19 years. Mrs. Major received
degrees in English, Philosophy, and Instrumental
Musical Education from the University of Southern
Mississippi, where she attended college on a music
scholarship. Mrs. Major received a Masters degree,
with honors, in English from The University of South
Alabama. Mrs. Major is currently an English and Life
Skills teacher at Foley High School, as well as being
on the band staff at Foley High School. Mrs. Major has
been playing trumpet and french horn for over 25
years, and she has been a member of many world-
class ensembles from Drum Corp International to
collegiate level winning ensembles. Mr. and Mrs. Major
have three children; 13-year-old Madison Leigh, 12-
year-old Carson, and 10-year-old Grayson.
Jimmy O'Cain is in his Seventh year of
teaching at Foley High School. He came to
Foley after teaching three years at St.
Stanislaus College in Bay St. Louis,
Mississippi. While at St. Stanislaus, the
band received numerous awards under Mr.
O’Cain’s leadership. During Mr. O’Cain’s
tenure at St. Stanislaus, he established a
Winterguard and Winter Drumline.
Jimmy O'Cain received his Bachelor's
Degree in Music Education from the
University of Southern Mississippi in
Hattiesburg. He also holds a Master of Arts
Education in Curriculum and Instruction from
the University of Phoenix.
During his college career he was a member
of The Pride of Mississippi Marching Band,
USM Concert Bands where he was the
principal percussionist, and member of the
USM Percussion Ensembles. Jimmy was a
member of the USM Steel Band I where he
performed as a double second soloist. He
also instructed the University's Steel Band II
as a student at the University.
Jimmy O’Cain is a member of the Music
Educators National Conference, Alabama
Bandmasters, the Percussive Arts Society,
and is an Educator Endorser for Pro-Mark
Drumsticks. Mr. O'Cain is listed as an
Educator Endorser on the Pro-Mark
drumsticks website. With this endorsement
he will perform exclusively with products
from the Pro-Mark Company. Mr. O’Cain is
an avid Percussion Instructor and Arranger
for bands in Mississippi, Alabama, and
Louisiana.
Mr. O’Cain has also been an Adjudicator for
Band programs across the Southern United
States. Jimmy has been married for 16
years to Mrs. Aimee O’Cain who is also a
musician. Aimee O'Cain has played the flute
for 19 years. She is currently employed by
South Baldwin Regional Medical Center,
where she works in Administration. They
have 3 children; Hadyn- 15, Hope- 11, and
Iain- 6 years old.