Brandon Martel grew up in Cary and is a graduate of Cary High School.  Mr. Martel attended East Carolina University and earned Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in 2010. He began his teaching career at Southern Nash High School where his concert band earned a superior rating at the Eastern District MPA festival and his jazz band performed at the Thelonius Monk Family Reunion.

Mr. Martel returned to ECU in 2013 to pursue his Master’s Degree in Conducting and Trombone Performance. During his time back at ECU, he conducted the ECU Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Martel performed two trombone recitals, wrote a thesis on music for band and electronics, and was a teaching assistant for the ECU Marching Pirates.

Upon his graduation in 2015, Mr. Martel began working as the band director at Franklinton High School. During his time at Franklinton, the band performed at the NC School Board Association conference in Greensboro and the marching band won 1-2-3A Grand Champion at the 2017 Cary Band Day competition.

Mr. Martel began working at Wake Forest High School in November of 2018. In addition to his band director job, Mr. Martel teaches trombone at the annual ECU Summer Band Camp.

Mr. Martel married his wife Jenna in 2014. She is the music director at West Millbrook Magnet Middle School. Their son Benjamin was born in January of 2018 and their daughter Josephine was born in April of 2022.