Directors

Director of Bands
Sean Srigley

Sean Srigley is the Associate Director of Bands at Vero Beach High School. He received a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Florida. Prior to Vero Beach High School, Mr. Srigley was the Director of Bands at Storm Grove Middle School, Gifford Middle School, and Oslo Middle School in Vero Beach. While at Gifford Middle School, the Band was selected to perform at the Florida Southern College Middle School Band Symposium in 2008. Mr. Srigley was also selected as the Teacher of the Year from Storm Grove Middle School in 2020.

Mr. Srigley is a lifelong resident of Vero Beach and a graduate of Vero Beach High School. He was a member of the Vero Beach High School Band under the direction of Jim and Sheila Sammons. Sean and his wife Niki, also a teacher at Rosewood K8, have two sons, Ryan and Garrett, both VBHS graduates.

Associate Director
Jeff Daniels

Jeff Daniels is the Associate Band Director at Vero Beach High School. He received his Bachelor of Music from Boston College and his Masters in Music Education from Boston University. Prior to teaching at VBHS, Mr. Daniels was the Band Director at Dedham Middle School in Dedham, MA and most recently served as the Band Director at Danvers High School in Danvers, MA. Mr. Daniels also served as the Pep Band Director at Boston College from 2009-2012 where he led the basketball and hockey bands.  

Mr. Daniels was born and raised in Vero Beach and is a proud graduate of Vero Beach High School and the VBHS Band under the direction of Jim and Sheila Sammons. When not teaching music, he enjoys playing golf, cooking and spending time with his niece and nephew, Olivia and Jordan. Mr. Daniels is excited to join the VBHS Band staff this year!

Director of Bands Emeritus
James M. Sammons

James M. Sammons retired as the Director of Bands in 2016 a position he held since 1980. Mr. Sammons is a native of Colquitt, Georgia and graduated from Miller County High School in 1972. He received his Bachelor of Music Education from Troy University in 1976 and was a member of the famed “Sound of the South” Band under the direction of Dr. John M. Long.

Mr. Sammons is a life member of the Florida Bandmasters Association, serving the FBA for eighteen years in a variety of positions at the district and state level including District Secretary, District Chairperson, Solo and Ensemble Chairperson. Mr. Sammons served as President of the Florida Bandmasters Association from 1996-1998. He is also a member of the Florida Music Educators Association, the National Association for Music Education and the National Band Association. Mr. Sammons was inducted into the Florida Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame in November of 2013 and was featured the School Band and Orchestra Magazine in April 2114.

Mr. Sammons began his career at Goshen High School in Goshen, Alabama (1974-1976) as Director of Bands (including all instrumental activities, grades 4 through 12) while completing his undergraduate studies at Troy University. During his tenure with the Goshen High School Band, the band appeared at the Alabama Bandmasters Association State Concert Festival for the first time in school history. From 1976-1980, Sammons served as Director of Bands at Walton High School in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. The Walton High School Band consistently received superior ratings at both marching and concert band festivals and appeared at the Florida Bandmasters Association State Concert Festival on three occasions, the first such appearances by the band in over 25 years.

Mr. Sammons is an active adjudicator and clinician for state and national events.

He has been recognized as the Indian River County Teacher of the Year and has received Official Proclamations and Citations from the City Council of Vero Beach, the Indian River County Board of Commissioners, the Veterans Council of Indian River County, the Legislature of the State of Florida, and the Office of the Governor of the State of Florida. He has been awarded the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association and the Southeastern United States Concert Band Clinic. Mr. Sammons has also been honored by the Indian River County Association of School Administrators’ with the Best of the Best Award and has received the Principal’s Award for Excellence from Vero Beach High School.

In addition to his duties as Director of Bands at Vero Beach High School, he serves as Chairman of the VBHS Performing Arts Department and Coordinator of Instrumental Music for the Indian River County Schools. He has been married to Mrs. Priscilla Sammons since 1999, working with him as an integral member of the VBHS Band Staff and serving as Director of Auxiliary units since 1995. His son, Dr. Michael Sammons, D.M.A., a 1998 graduate of Vero Beach High School and member of the VBHS Band, currently serves on the percussion faculty at the University of Utah.

Percussion Director
Phil Summerall

With more than 40 years of experience in percussion education, arranging, and performance, Phil Summerall has dedicated his career to developing musicians and building successful percussion programs throughout the Southeast. He holds a degree in Computer Science from Keiser University and was a member of the Vero Beach High School Band from 1982–1984 under the direction of Jim and Sheila Sammons. During his time with the band, he performed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the World's Fair, and the Cotton Bowl.

Throughout his career, Phil has served as a percussion instructor, arranger, and caption head with numerous high school, indoor percussion, and drum corps organizations, including Heat Wave Drum & Bugle Corps and Aquarius Percussion. He currently works in the Paint Department at Piper Aircraft, Inc., while remaining active in music education, composition, and publishing. Phil is also the author of 11 children's books and seven published percussion ensemble arrangements.

He and his wife, who is originally from the Boston area, have two young adult children who both came through the Vero Beach High School music program. His daughter currently serves on the Vero Beach High School percussion staff as Front Ensemble Director and Arranger, while his son recently completed his fourth season with the World Class indoor percussion ensemble Infinity 2, continuing the family's strong tradition of musical excellence.