Alan Sharps

Alan Sharps retired from Johnson High School in 2020. During his time at CTJ, he co-conducted the Wind Ensemble and Symphony Bands and was the director of the school's outstanding Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combo. In addition to his regular instruction duties with the marching band, he also oversaw all of the technical and electronics aspects of the band program. He continues to work with the program in a part-time role, including conducting Jazz Band 1 and co-conducting the Wind Ensemble.

Mr. Sharps received Bachelors and Masters degrees in Music Education from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla. After teaching at North Miami Beach Senior High School and Western High School in South Florida, he returned home to teach in Virginia Beach, Va. Mr. Sharps was the band director at Princess Anne High School between 1986 and 1994. He began the band program at the new Ocean Lakes High School in 1994, and his bands were recognized as Virginia State Honor Band five times and received awards for top brass and percussion captions in their T.O.B. class.

In 1997, Mr. Sharps moved to San Antonio to take a position as assistant director at Winston Churchill High School. During his eleven years at Churchill, the band was a four-time finalist at the Bands of America Grand National Championships in Indianapolis, six-time BOA Regional Champions and placed between third and sixth place six times at the Texas State Marching Band Championships. The band marched in the 116th Tournament of Roses Parade in 2005.

Mr. Sharps has a variety of experience in music, including serving as the Graduate Assistant Director of the University of Miami “Band of the Hour,” assistant director of the Florida Wave Drum and Bugle Corps, recording engineer, adjudicator, percussionist, vocalist, and electronic music consultant. Perhaps his most famous student is singer-rapper-record producer Pharrell Williams, who along with his partner Chad Hugo, was named Music Producer of the Decade 2000-2010 for his work with Brittany Spears, Gwen Stefani, Snoop Dogg, Jay-Z, and countless other artists. In 2013, Williams became just the 12th artist to simultaneously hold the top two spots in Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.