Mr. Jonakaufzki is no stranger to our program. He served on our marching band staff this past season and was an integral part of our success, working closely with students and staff to support musical growth, ensemble achievement, and a strong culture within the program. We are thrilled to officially welcome him into this expanded leadership role.

Mr. Jonakaufzki brings over a decade of experience as a percussion educator and performer, having worked with a variety of local ensembles since 2012. Most recently, he spent five years serving students in Walker County at Ridgeland High School and Chattanooga Valley Middle School, where he led percussion programs to the highest growth and retention rates in their history. Many of his students have gone on to perform in collegiate percussion ensembles throughout the Southeast.

As a performer, Mr. Jonakaufzki was a member of Palmetto Percussion in 2015 and later founded and organized an inter-county indoor percussion ensemble serving Walker and Catoosa Counties. These ensembles competed in both Independent A and Scholastic A divisions within the Southeastern Color Guard Circuit.

In addition to his work in music education, Mr. Jonakaufzki is an active writer and creative artist. He is a contributing writer for the Signal Mountain Mirror and CHATTER Magazine, and an award-winning screenwriter whose work has earned multiple honors, including two LAFA awards and a Best Short Screenplay award at the Lovesick Film Festival in New York City in 2025.

We are excited to build on last season’s momentum and look forward to the leadership, creativity, and dedication Mr. Jonakaufzki will continue to bring to our percussion students and band program as a whole.