Samuel Campbell has been Director of Bands at FCHS since 2022, and he has been deeply involved with music for the majority of his life.

Campbell was raised in northern Virginia and attended Broad Run High School in Ashburn, Virginia. Campbell first joined the band in middle school and eventually went on to continue his passion at James Madison University, playing trombone in the marching band and pursuing a degree in music education.

“I did not always [want to pursue music]. That’s something I figured I wanted to do in high school,” said Campbell.

Eventually, he said, “Band was my home, my group of people, and I wanted to provide that to other people,” he said. So he decided to become a music teacher.

Now, Campbell is in his third year at Fluvanna and is currently in the middle of marching band season. Many don’t realize just how long and taxing that season can be, as it begins in July when the marching band has a three-week band camp. For two of those weeks, the band practices 10 hours a day, often outside and in the heat. Students are aware of these challenges when joining the band, but the end, result can be more than rewarding.

“With my personal experience, I would say it’s not too difficult and it’s definitely worth it, but the long hours and heat are challenging,” said sophomore band member Jordan Baxter.

So far this year, Campbell and the marching band have participated in three competitions, going up against other A-class bands and performing their show “Aurora Borealis,” which celebrates the Northern Lights. The band took home a first-place trophy at two of their competitions, with the first at South County High School in Fairfax and the second at Hanover County High School. The band also had a competition on Oct. 25 at Liberty University, where they placed fourth.

Outside of the marching band, Campbell also teaches music classes, such as Beginning Band and Guitar in the fall, or Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble in the spring. This past year, FCHS hosted the regional band assessment, where Campbell and the advanced wind ensemble scored straight Superiors, the highest grade a band can receive.

As the marching band season begins to wrap up its 2025 season, you can often see Campbell getting his band ready for their next competitions or at home football games. You can see their “Aurora Borealis” performance at the halftime show.