FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
SCHOOL BANDS
Tallahassee, Florida
Featuring the Florida High Marching Braves
DIRECTOR OF BANDS, AMANDA R. GRIFFIS
Mrs. Amanda R. Griffis joins FSUS with over a decade of success in secondary music education, specializing in concert band, jazz band, dance team, and marching band. Under her direction, ensembles have achieved outstanding ratings at assessments and performed in remarkable destinations such as the French Quarter of New Orleans, Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and Oahu, Hawai‘i. She comes to FSUS from Alonso High School in Tampa where she directed their band programs including the Alonso High School Raven Marching Band and grew it's membership to over 250 members.
A North Carolina native, Mrs. Griffis earned her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her Master of Music Education from Florida State University in 2021. Most recently, she completed her second Master’s degree in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education in March 2025. She is a dedicated honor band clinician, adjudicator, and presenter, with leadership experience in the Florida Bandmasters Association. Her professional affiliations include FMEA, FEA, the National Band Association, and Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity.
With 12 years of Florida public high school experience, Mrs. Griffis is excited to uphold and expand FSUS’s rich tradition of musical excellence. She believes band is a place where all students can grow, reach their highest musical potential, and build lifelong memories.
You can reach her at agriffis@fsu.edu, and we encourage families to check FOCUS regularly for updates and communication.
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC BANDS, MARK KLAICH II
Mark Klaich II is currently a Master of Music Education student at Florida State University. A native of Greenville, North Carolina, Mark earned his BM from East Carolina University. Following his time at ECU, Mark spent 3 years as the Director of Bands at North Pitt High School. He then became the Director of Bands at Waccamaw Middle School in South Carolina, as well as the Assistant Director of the Waccamaw High School Marching Warriors. Mark has consistently earned Excellent and Superior ratings at MPA, as well as presenting sessions at the North Carolina Music Educators Conference. Mark continues to be an active member of the National Association for Music Education, Percussive Arts Society, and an alumni member of Kappa Kappa Psi.