ABOUT US
Union County High School is located in Lake Butler, Florida approximately 40 miles north east of Gainesville. Union County is the smallest county in the state of Florida with a population of approximately 12,300 people in a 246 square mile area. Union County plays host to three public schools including Lake Butler Elementary School, Lake Butler Middle school, and Union County High School. All three schools are located next to each other, are purple and gold, and adopt the tiger mascot.
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The “Spirit of Union County Tiger Marching Band” generally averages approximately 85 members. This band includes selected 8th graders from the middle school during marching season only. Union County High School population averages 600 students in grades 9-12. The Union County Band is in the “C” classification according to the Florida Bandmaster’s Association. They have received superior ratings at FBA events for 37 consecutive years.
OUR STAFF
Ms. Kelly Dorsey has been the Band Director at Union County High School since 2003. She spent thirteen years before that at Bell Jr./Sr. High School. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from The Florida State University. Bands under Ms. Dorsey’s direction have consistently received superior ratings at FBA Sponsored events. Ms. Dorsey has served as guest clinician for numerous band programs and honor bands throughout the State as well as serving as the Conductor for the Florida Small Schools Honor Band in 2008 and the FBA Nine Star Honor Band in 2022. In addition, she has served The Florida Bandmasters Association as a member of several committees including the Marching Band Study Committee, State Music Selection Committee, Professional Resources Committee and chair of the Classification Committee. She is currently serving as the chair of the Small Schools Committee. Ms. Dorsey has presented clinics at the FMEA State Convention on “Building Successful Small School Band Programs'', "The Concert Band Sight Reading Experience", "How to Be Successful at the Concert MPA with Limited Instrumentation" and multiple units of the ASBDA sponsored "How to Fix it Series". She was selected as “Teacher of the Year'' at Bell High School in 1997-98 and at Union County High School in 2013-2014 as well as the Union County School “District Teacher of the Year” in 2020-2021. She was also awarded the prestigious "Oliver Hobbs Award'' presented by the Florida Bandmasters Association in 2016 and the Legion of Honor Award presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation in 2024. Ms.Dorsey is a member of the FBA, FMEA, NAfME, NBA, Tau Beta Sigma-National Band Fraternity for Women, and an elected member of the American School Band Directors Association as well as Phi Beta Mu-an International Honorary Band Director's Fraternity.
MS. KELLY DORSEY - BAND DIRECTOR
MRS. PAMILA HIGGINBOTHAM - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR
Mrs. Pamila Carter Higginbotham has been the Assistant Band Director at Union County High School since 2012. She has also been the Music Teacher at Lake Butler Elementary School since 1998. For fifteen years prior to working with the band, Mrs. Higginbotham has coached Girls Softball, Weightlifting and Volleyball at UCHS. She was a member of the Florida All-Star Marching Band in 1981. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Church Music from The Baptist College of Florida in 1997. Mrs. Higginbotham is a member of the Florida Elementary Music Educators Association and the Florida Bandmaster's Association. She graduated from Union County High School in 1982.
MR. MICHAEL MURPHY - ASSISTANT DIRECTOR/LBMS DIRECTOR
Mr. Michael Murphy is the most recent addition to the Lake Butler Middle School family. He is a graduate from Santa Fe College with an associates in music and the University of Florida with a Bachelors in Instrumental Music Education. Mr. Murphy has studied a vast range of music education related topics and practices under some of the finest music professors in the state of Florida. He has also performed with many ensembles such as the University Symphony Orchestra, The Gator Band, The Gainesville Big Band, and other jazz ensembles. Mr. Murphy is a member of music educator organizations such as the Florida Bandmasters Association, the Florida Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education.