Kathleen Jacoby

Kathleen Jacoby is the Director of Bands at Herndon High School in Fairfax County.  She conducts three concert ensembles, the Pride of Herndon Marching Band, and Percussion Ensemble.  She teaches AP Music Theory and sponsors the department Tri-M chapter.  

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Mrs. Jacoby is the 2022 Fairfax County Public Schools Outstanding Secondary Teacher of the year. She is Conn Selmer VIP and a member of Phi Beta Mu. In 2019 and 2014 she was awarded commendations from the Town of Herndon and Fairfax County School Board. In both 2010 and again in 2017 Mrs. Jacoby was recognized by the School Band and Orchestra Magazine as “50 Music Teachers to Watch.”  She has received a Presidential Citation from the Virginia Department of Education twice, and has been recognized by “Who’s Who in America.”  Mrs. Jacoby was Courtland (Spotsylvania County, VA) High School’s New Teacher of the Year in 2005. Mrs. Jacoby was on staff with the American Music Abroad for four summer tours, performing concerts across Europe.

Under Mrs. Jacoby’s direction, The Pride of Herndon has repeatedly been a Virginia Honor Band, represented the United States at the 75th anniversary of the D-Day Invasion in Normandy France, won grand champion at the 2013 Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Honolulu while representing Virginia, and been the only band to ever perform at the Central Intelligence Agency headquarters.  In 2014 the United States House of Representatives issued a commendation to recognize the outstanding work of The Pride. The Pride performed in the NATO Parade in 2018, the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Parade in 2017, the National Cherry Blossom Parade in 2016, Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Studios in 2016, and the Disney Electric Light Parade in April 2014.

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Prior to coming to the Pride of Herndon, Mrs. Jacoby spent four years as the Director of Bands at Courtland High School.  In addition to teaching ensembles, she conducted school musicals and founded the school’s Tri-M Music Honors Society chapter and Flute Choir.  During her tenure, the Symphonic Band received its first Superior Rating for Grade VI literature and became one of the few bands in the Commonwealth achieved 10-Year Honor Band status.

Mrs. Jacoby is a native of Arlington, Virginia and graduated from James Madison University with a Bachelors of Music.  While at JMU, she was a Drum Major of the Marching Royal Dukes and President of the JMU chapter of the Music Educator’s National Conference.  Under her leadership, the JMU chapter broke state membership records.  From a pool of nearly two thousand other chapters, JMU CMENC won two out of three National Chapter of Excellence awards. Mrs. Jacoby was also an officer in the Eta Omicron chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi.

Mrs. Jacoby still regularly performs as a flutist with the Fairfax Wind Symphony. Her current pet project is promoting inclusion and diversity in the band world. Mrs. Jacoby is married to another fabulous high school band director – Steven – and they have two beautiful daughters together.