Dr. Hayes Bunch joined the faculty of Young Harris College in the Fall of 2022. He conducts the Young Harris College Concert and Jazz Bands, teaches Percussion Class and Advanced Conducting for music education majors, and Applied Major Percussion lessons.

As a conductor, Dr. Bunch has led works and collaborated in rehearsal and performance with Oberlin Conservatory’s Stephen Hartke, Harvard Professor Emeritus and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Bernard Rands, University of Missouri – Kansas City Conservatory professor and Pulitzer Prize winning composer Zhou Long, and eighth blackbird. He has presented research on programming possibilities for electronics and ensemble at the Southwestern Division Conference of the College Band Director’s National Association, and has participated in conducting symposia with Richard Clary, Eugene Corporon, Michael Haithcock, Craig Kirchoff, Gary Lewis, H. Robert Reynolds, Kevin Sedatole and Mallory Thompson. Bunch has also served as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator for various concert, marching, chamber music, and solo events in Georgia, Kentucky, Virginia, South Carolina, Missouri, Texas, Michigan, and Tennessee. Dr. Bunch has served on the faculty of the University of South Carolina Aiken, the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp (MI), the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX), the Temple Independent School District (TX), the Interlochen Arts Academy (MI), and the Obion County Schools (TN).

Dr. Bunch performed as a percussionist under the baton of Leonard Slatkin on the Grammy Award Winning recording of William Bolcom’s Songs of Innocence and Experience (Naxos), internationally at the Beijing Modern Music Festival at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China, with the Fountain City Brass Band (MO), Temple Symphony Orchestra and Temple Jazz Orchestra (TX), Plymouth Symphony (MI), and with artists Randy Brecker, Allen Vizzuti, Gordon Goodwin, Bill Watrous, among others. He currently enjoys playing with the Tri-State Community Band in Blue Ridge, GA.

Dr. Bunch’s professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, Georgia Music Educators Association, Percussive Arts Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, as well as honorary memberships with Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi.

Dr. Bunch is student-centered and feels that YHC students are thoughtful, kind, driven, intellectually curious about art and music, and committed to making a difference in their communities and academic disciplines. When not teaching and researching, he enjoys watching sporting events, visual art, and reading.

Ms. DeFoor was appointed adjunct instructor of music in 2000 and instructor of music in 2012. She has studied with Elizabeth Buday (piano), Peter DeWitt (organ), and Jan van Otterloo (organ).                                                                                  Ms. DeFoor has been an independent music teacher for 40 years in Florida and Georgia. Ms. DeFoor has extensive accompanying and collaborative music experience in both chamber and orchestral settings.
Ms. DeFoor is a nationally certified member of Music Teachers National Association, Georgia Music Teachers Association, Past President of Fort Myers Music Teachers Association (1993-1995), Past President (2013-15) of the Northeast Georgia Music Teachers Association and past Georgia Music Teachers Association State Certification Chair (2016-2018).  Ms. DeFoor serves as the faculty advisor for the Young Harris College collegiate chapter of MTNA.  A member of Mu Phi Epsilon International Honor Fraternity since 1979, Ms. DeFoor was instrumental in forming YHC’s first chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, Zeta Kappa, in 2011 and is the chapter advisor.  She is also a member of Phi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Fraternity, the Associated Board of the Royal School of Music USA and the International Ernst von Dohnanyi Research Center.

Ms. DeFoor is an adjudicator for piano auditions, festivals, and competitions in Georgia and the Southeastern states.

Gina Marie Dropp joined the Department of Theater as a guest artist in 2020, teaching Sketch Writing for the student devised production of "POC: People of Change." Dropp then returned as a guest artist in Fall of 2021, teaching a playwriting workshop and directing the production of "The Wolves." In Spring of 2022, Gina joined the faculty as an adjunct instructor of theater. Gina enjoys working with students in the classroom and at rehearsal teaching script analysis as a foundation for expanding their acting ability, growing as theater collaborators, and writing their own original material. As a YHC alumna, Gina finds working with the most recent generation of YHC talent inspiring and energizing. Gina is also a playwright, working on full length plays, such as "Ghosts From a Secret Past," a mystery drama that received a reading at Pumphouse Players Theater in Cartersville, GA. 

Kerry Jenkins joined the YHC Art Department in the fall of 2021. His interests and work for clients involve graphic design, photography and illustration for projects that include logo and identity design, publications (books, magazines, annual reports, newsletters) other printed collateral (brochures, direct mail, posters), websites, and other interactive projects. See https://kerryscottjenkins.com for examples of his work and students' projects. When Jenkins is not teaching, researching and helping students, he enjoys photography, design, illustrating, and writing for a variety of clients.

Mr. Mike Lalone joined the YHC faculty in 2019.  Mr. Lalone is the resident clay expert at YHC and enjoys teaching introductory, intermediate, and advanced ceramics courses in the Department of Art. A life-long potter, Mr. Lalone is a masterful artist with wheel throwing, hand building, and glazing techniques. He enjoys working with YHC students from all backgrounds and majors, and his love of clay is contagious. Mr. Lalone regularly teaches popular ceramics workshops at clay centers throughout the Southeast and beyond. His beautifully crafted vessels, forms, and sculptures are featured in galleries and collections across the United States and around the world. 

Kerry R. Rittenhouse joined the Young Harris College adjunct faculty in 2011 and became a full-time faculty member in 2021. At YHC, his primary teaching responsibilities include Marching Band Techniques, Introduction to Music Technology, Woodwind & Brass Instructional Methods, Student Teacher Supervision and Music Appreciation. His has also taught courses in Music Theory, Aural Skills, Brass Pedagogy along with Choral & instrumental Arranging. He has great interest in the training of the next generation of outstanding music educators. In addition to his teaching duties, he is currently the director of the Purple Reign Pep Band at YHC.

Before coming to YHC, he served as the Director of Bands at West Laurens High School and Dublin High School in central Georgia and at Union County High School in Blairsville, Ga. His High School bands have performed nationally several times and consistently received superior ratings and awards throughout his career. An active adjudicator, he has critiqued both marching and concert events throughout the southeastern United States.

Trained on the trumpet, he has performed with the Savannah Symphony Orchestra, the Statesboro-Georgia Southern Symphony Orchestra, the Men of Note Big Band, the Brasstown Big Band, the Dublin Big Band (now the Georgia Big Band), the Northwinds Symphonic Band and the Tri-state Community Band. He has also served as the director of both the Young Harris Community Band and the Brasstown Big Band. 

His past and present professional associations include the Georgia Music Educators Association, The National Association of Music Education, The National Band Association, the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, and the International Association for Jazz Education. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (ZO) and the Phi Beta Mu (Z).

In his spare time, he enjoys cooking, home improvement projects and is a member of several fraternal organizations.

Dr. Andrew Sehmann joined the YHC faculty in 2019.  Dr. Sehmann teaches horn, aural skills, and music appreciation in the Department of Music. Current and former students have place first chair in the Georgia All-state Symphonic Band, been accepted to and attended GHP, and attended NYO-USA at Carnegie Hall.

Andrew plays with multiple orchestras in the Southeast. He is third horn in the Augusta Symphony, and second horn with the South Carolina Philharmonic. He has played under multiple conductors such as Keith Lockhart, Bruno Weil,  Courtney Lewis, Jeff Tyzik, Dirk Meyer, Timm Rolek, Joann Faletta, Ken Lam, Garrett Keast, Matthias Bamert, John Morris Russell, and Morihiko Nakahara.

His previous teachers have included: Marie-Luise Neunecker, Wolfgang Vladar, Johannes Hinterholzer, Jean Martin-Williams Mick Sehmann, Richard Deane, James Naigus, Hazel Dean Davis, Achim Reus, and Kevin Reid. Andrew's horn of choice is a Rauch (No. 127) and is highly proficient on both Wagner Tuba and Alto-Horn. He lives with his wife Ashley, a private piano teacher in Athens with their rescue dog, Stella.

Anne Towns joined the Theatre faculty at Young Harris in 2013. She teaches Acting, Directing and Dramatic Literature. Theatre Young Harris directing credits include Little Women, My Fair Lady, Bakkhai, First Lady Suite and the world premiere of Little Piglet Gets a Sister. Anne has acted and directed professionally around the country. She is a proud Associate of the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society, and an active member of The National Alliance of Acting Teachers, The Michael Chekhov Association and The Playwright’s Center.