Our Directors 

Adam Vernon-Young- Director of Bands  adam_young@charleston.k12.sc.us

Adam Vernon-Young is the Director of Bands Laing Middle School in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. Prior to becoming the head director at Laing in 2022, he served as an Assistant Director at both Laing and Cario Middle School since the 2019 school year. Adam received his Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of South Carolina, where he also previously received his Bachelors in Music Theory, as well as an Undergraduate Performance Certificate in Bass Trombone.

Under his leadership, the program at Laing has seen consistent growth over the past four years. Students from Laing regularly place highly in Region and All-State honor clinics, and earn Superior ratings at State Concert Performance Assessment and Solo and Ensemble. The Bands of Laing have performed most recently at the Charleston Music Festival, Carowinds Festival of Music, and the SCBDA Junior State Concert Festival. In 2023/2024 the Laing Symphonic Band was invited to perform as a featured ensemble at the South Carolina Music Educators Conference in Columbia, SC.

During his time at Carolina, Mr. Vernon-Young accumulated numerous performance and teaching credits, including playing with the USC Wind Ensemble, conducting one of the University Bands, and serving as a Graduate Assistant for two seasons with the University’s Marching Band. Other performance credits include being a finalist at the American Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition, and two years marching baritone with World Class Drum and Bugle Corps, Carolina Crown.

Mr. Vernon-Young is a regular instructor, consultant, adjudicator and guest conductor with various groups across the Southeast, working with high school marching and concert programs, as well as University ensembles. In addition to his duties at Laing Middle School, he serves on the staff of the Bands of Wando High School, assisting with their fall marching season. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, and both alumni and honorary membership in the Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity. He resides in Charleston, SC with his wife Natalie, and their cat Leopold.

Justin Clarkson - Assistant Director of Bands justin_clarkson@charleston.k12.sc.us

 Dr. Justin Clarkson is a native of Columbia, South Carolina and a graduate from Irmo High School. He then attended Louisiana State University to pursue a Bachelor of Music degree in 2008, Dr. Clarkson moved to New York City to work towards a Master of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music where he studied with members of the New York Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera. After graduating in 2010, Dr. Clarkson then went on to complete a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Stony Brook University under the guidance of Alan Baer and Michael Powell.

Dr. Clarkson is no stranger to Mount Pleasant as he has been serving as Brass Coordinator for the award-winning Bands of Wando since 2014. In addition to his private lesson studio and other teaching responsibilities he is also Principal Tubist for the North Charleston Pops!, the Charleston Symphony Orchestra, and Mount Pleasant Symphony. He has also performed with the Savannah Philharmonic, Albany Symphony, and the Hilton Head Symphony.

Prior to joining the Laing Band program Dr. Clarkson served as Adjunct Professor of Low Brass and Brass Methods at Charleston Southern University and Adjunct Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at the College of Charleston. He is also proud to have been selected to join the faculty at Louisiana State University's Stately Oaks Chamber Winds and Percussion Camp in the summer of 2016 and was the featured artist at the University of North Carolina - Wilmington in the fall of 2012.

Dr. Clarkson can be heard on the recently released album, Under an Indigo Sky, with the Charleston Symphony and on two of POA's recordings under the Sony label (Travieso Carmesi and Mi Alma Mexicana). While playing an orchestra is his passion, his first love was chamber music. Dr. Clarkson was a founding member of two equally successful brass quintets, M5 and Vector Brass (formerly Trinity Brass Quintet). M5 was in residence at the Bravo Vail Valley Music Festival in 2010 and can be seen performing on WQXR's the McGraw Hill Young Artist Showcase. The other, Vector Brass, was the fellowship Quintet for the Aspen Summer Music Festival in 2008. Dr. Clarkson was also a member of the World Champion Cavalier Drum and Bugle Corp.in 2006.

He currently resides in Moncks Corner, South Carolina with his wife, music educator and soprano, Katherine Matthews Clarkson and their son Henry.