Directors
Amanda Klingenberg
Amanda Klingenberg is in her twelfth year of teaching, her first as a Director of Bands at Clay Middle School. Mrs. Klingenberg also serves on staff with the nationally recognized Carmel High School Marching Greyhounds. She has extensive experience working with middle and high school ensembles and private student musicians having previously taught in Mason, Ohio (2023-2025), Central Texas (2010-2023), and Northwest Georgia (2008-2010) .
While in the Leander Independent School District (TX), Ms. Klingenberg opened and helped establish the Danielson Middle School band program and was a director at Canyon Ridge Middle School. The Canyon Ridge band program received the prestigious Sudler Cup Award presented to exemplary middle school band programs from the John Philip Sousa Foundation (2017), performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago (2014), and has given a clinic at Texas Bandmaster’s Association Convention demonstrating rehearsal strategies and practice techniques. Mrs. Klingenberg’s ensembles have earned consistent superior ratings and sweepstakes awards in UIL Concert and Sightreading Evaluations.
Ms. Klingenberg specializes in woodwind and brass pedagogy, beginning instrumental instruction, and building strong individual and ensemble fundamentals. She has served as a guest clinician, adjudicator, and led professional development sessions on effective strategies for developing young musicians.
In addition to her teaching, Ms. Klingenberg maintained a thriving private competitive saxophone studio of over 80 students, performed as a founding member and was on the Board of Directors for the Austin Saxophone Ensemble who performed at the Midwest Clinic (2015), and founded Austin Saxophone Ensemble-Youth for middle and high school saxophonists. She is passionate about fostering musicianship and leadership in young performers through ensemble collaboration, and individualized instruction.
A native of Georgia, Ms. Klingenberg earned her Master’s in Saxophone Performance from The University of Texas at Austin, studying with renowned saxophonist Harvey Pittel and performing with the UT Wind Ensemble under Jerry Junkin, as well as the UT Jazz Ensemble and New Music Ensemble. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Jacksonville State University (AL), where she studied classical and jazz saxophone with two-time Grammy Award–winning artist Mace Hibbard, and served as a graduate assistant for University Bands.
Mrs. Klingenberg resides in Carmel, Indiana with her husband Brian, and sons Hatcher, and Ellison.
Chris Grifa
Chris Grifa in his twenty-second-year teaching and began teaching in the Carmel school system in Indiana in 2010. He is currently the director of Bands at Clay Middle School. His bands have performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and the Indiana Music Educators Conference.
Mr. Grifa has served as a clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator for numerous concert and marching bands. He has presented his sessions on teaching students to practice and implementing fundamentals at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and at state music conferences around the country. He will be presenting his third Midwest Clinic in December focused on personal growth in music education. Mr. Grifa has been an Educational Clinician with the Conn-Selmer Division of Education since 2016. He has worked extensively with Music for All as a member of the faculty at the Summer Symposium, including as a conductor for the middle school band, as well as a judge for the Western Ohio Regional Concert Band Festival.
Mr. Grifa has been heavily involved in high school marching band and drum and bugle corps. He is on staff with the Carmel (IN) High School marching band, a perennial Music for All Grand National Finalist band. Mr. Grifa was a marching member of the World Champion Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps and served on the brass staffs for the The Cadets (2007-2009) and The Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps (2005-2006).
In 2021, GIA published “Foundations: The Essential Elements for Building a Successful Middle School Band Program,” a book that was edited and compiled by Mr. Grifa and Chip De Stefano. He has also written several articles that have been published in The Instrumentalist magazine. In 2021, Mr. Grifa was honored to be inducted into Phi Beta Mu, an International Bandmasters Fraternity and in 2024, Mr. Grifa was named Teacher of the Year at Clay Middle School.
Mr. Grifa received his Bachelor’s degree in music education and minor in trombone performance from Old Dominion University located in Norfolk, VA under the guidance of mentor Dennis Zeisler. He received his Master’s degree in Music Education from the University of Florida in 2018.
Recently, Mr. Grifa has turned his passion into sharing personal growth strategies to help teachers have a happier and healthier career. Mr. Grifa currently resides in Westfield, Indiana with his wife Suzy, his son Geno, and goldendoodle Mickey!