About the Horizon High School Band
The Horizon High School Band is a comprehensive band program which includes a focus on individual fundamentals, group performance and musicianship, and a positive, inclusive atmosphere which welcomes students of all abilities, backgrounds, and experience levels.
Course offerings include beginning band, three concert ensembles, two jazz ensembles, percussion class, and eurhythmics class which includes our fall color guard and a competitive, nationally-recognized indoor winter guard program. Percussion students also have the opportunity to participate in a collaborative indoor percussion program called District 8 Percussion made up of students from multiple OCPS high school band programs. All students are a part of the Horizon High School marching band, "The Sound of Horizon," which performs at all Horizon High School Varsity Football games in the fall, as well as community, state, and national performances throughout the school year.
The Sound of Horizon traveled to Savannah and Atlanta, GA in the 2022-2023 school year for their first national appearance, performing in the 199th Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade in March 2023. In April 2023, the Horizon High School Wind Ensemble performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in the auditioned UCF-Orlando Music for All Concert Band Invitational. In April 2025, The Sound of Horizon traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and in March 2027, The Sound of Horizon will march down the streets of Chicago, IL for the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Student opportunities continue to grow as the program grows, from 36 our first day together in 2021 to over 280 students enrolled in classes today.
Course offerings include beginning band, three concert ensembles, two jazz ensembles, percussion class, and eurhythmics class which includes our fall color guard and a competitive, nationally-recognized indoor winter guard program. Percussion students also have the opportunity to participate in a collaborative indoor percussion program called District 8 Percussion made up of students from multiple OCPS high school band programs. All students are a part of the Horizon High School marching band, "The Sound of Horizon," which performs at all Horizon High School Varsity Football games in the fall, as well as community, state, and national performances throughout the school year.
The Sound of Horizon traveled to Savannah and Atlanta, GA in the 2022-2023 school year for their first national appearance, performing in the 199th Savannah St. Patrick's Day Parade in March 2023. In April 2023, the Horizon High School Wind Ensemble performed at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts in the auditioned UCF-Orlando Music for All Concert Band Invitational. In April 2025, The Sound of Horizon traveled to Washington, D.C. to perform in the National Cherry Blossom Festival Parade and in March 2027, The Sound of Horizon will march down the streets of Chicago, IL for the Chicago St. Patrick's Day Parade.
Student opportunities continue to grow as the program grows, from 36 our first day together in 2021 to over 280 students enrolled in classes today.
Band Director, Charlene Cannon
Charlene Cannon has 15 years of band teaching experience and is the Band Director at Horizon High School which she opened in 2021. Prior to Horizon, she taught band at Freedom High School and Bridgewater Middle School. Ms. Cannon holds a Master of Arts degree in Music Education from the University of South Florida and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University, where she graduated Magna cum Laude.
Bands under Ms. Cannon’s direction have earned performance invitations including Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Professional Development Conference (2014, 2016, 2022), National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. (2019, 2025), Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2023), and Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2023). She was the Bridgewater Middle School Teacher of the Year (2015) and received the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS)/Kessler Grand Bohemian Excellence in Teaching Fine Arts Award (2015). Recently, she was named a Yamaha Corporation of America “40 Under 40” Music Educator (2024) and a Finalist for the Music for All George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award (2025).
Ms. Cannon is active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the state of Florida and has presented sessions at conferences for FMEA, Florida Flute Association, National Flute Association, and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 2018, she was a featured speaker for the “Women in Music” series at the University of Central Florida. Among her other instructional duties at Freedom High School, Ms. Cannon also developed and directed a Flute Choir class and program for three years which included an emphasis on the development of individual musicianship, flute performance fundamentals, and flute pedagogy for high school flutists.
Ms. Cannon serves in leadership roles for FMEA and the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) and is an active member of the Florida Flute Association (FFA), National Flute Association (NFA), and the National Band Association (NBA). She is also on staff for the Florida Band Director Workshop in Titusville, a retreat-style workshop for band directors which is focused on conceptual teaching and band pedagogy. Ms. Cannon is the Department Lead for Horizon High School Performing Arts.
Bands under Ms. Cannon’s direction have earned performance invitations including Florida Music Education Association (FMEA) Professional Development Conference (2014, 2016, 2022), National Cherry Blossom Parade in Washington, D.C. (2019, 2025), Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2023), and Savannah St. Patrick’s Day Parade (2023). She was the Bridgewater Middle School Teacher of the Year (2015) and received the Orange County Public Schools (OCPS)/Kessler Grand Bohemian Excellence in Teaching Fine Arts Award (2015). Recently, she was named a Yamaha Corporation of America “40 Under 40” Music Educator (2024) and a Finalist for the Music for All George N. Parks Leadership in Music Education Award (2025).
Ms. Cannon is active as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the state of Florida and has presented sessions at conferences for FMEA, Florida Flute Association, National Flute Association, and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 2018, she was a featured speaker for the “Women in Music” series at the University of Central Florida. Among her other instructional duties at Freedom High School, Ms. Cannon also developed and directed a Flute Choir class and program for three years which included an emphasis on the development of individual musicianship, flute performance fundamentals, and flute pedagogy for high school flutists.
Ms. Cannon serves in leadership roles for FMEA and the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) and is an active member of the Florida Flute Association (FFA), National Flute Association (NFA), and the National Band Association (NBA). She is also on staff for the Florida Band Director Workshop in Titusville, a retreat-style workshop for band directors which is focused on conceptual teaching and band pedagogy. Ms. Cannon is the Department Lead for Horizon High School Performing Arts.