Cary High Band Director

Meet our director...

Matthew John Minick was born October 16, 1966 in Elgin Illinois. Shortly thereafter his family moved to Charlotte North Carolina, and then four years later they moved to Rolesville North Carolina, just outside of Raleigh. In 1980 he attended Enloe High School as a part of the first High School Magnet Program in Wake County. After graduation in 1984 Mr. Minick attended East Carolina University, graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1989 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree.

In 1989 Mr. Minick was hired as director of bands at Fieldale-Collinsville High School in Collinsville Virginia, a small town next to Martinsville Virginia one hour north of Greensboro. Mr. Minick was at Fieldale-Collinsville H.S. for eleven years. Under his direction the band grew from around 60 members to 122 at a school of just over 500 students. His marching bands have consistently received high ratings at contest and have won numerous awards and grand championships, including class championships at Bands of America regional events. His concert bands have received superior ratings at state festival and perform at numerous civic events. While at Fieldale-Collinsville he also developed a well liked jazz band and highly successful winter guard program that competes on the national level.

Mr. Minick and his wife Laura have one child. The two were engaged oddly enough on the football field at Cary High School following Cary Band Day in 1996. Mr. Minick "popped the question" on the field in front of his band after his band was named grand sweepstakes champion. They had dated for about 5 months and he was quoted as saying "if she can make it through a whole marching season and still love me, then she's the one!"

Mr. Minick enjoys judging marching band when not participating and has been on staff for the Magic of Orlando Drum and Bugle Corps and is now the Brass Caption head for the Tarheel Sun Drum and Bugle Corps, based in Cary NC. He marched in the Garfield Cadets, now the Cadets of Bergen County, in 1987. He also enjoys sports, especially basketball (a die hard Tarheel Fan), and other outdoor activities. He has been a long time admirer of the Cary HS band program, having either taken his band to or participated in Cary Band Day for 15 years before coming here. He looks forward to an outstanding future at Cary High School, continuing its excellence and moving forward into the 21st century.