Director of Bands
Mr. Matthew F. Baraclough
Mr. Baraclough began playing trumpet as a student in the Cortland City school district in Cortland, New York in 1976. He graduated from North Hagerstown High School, in Maryland, in 1985.
He earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Shenandoah College and Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia in December of 1989. He immediately went to work for Six Flags Music Festivals and helped run band, orchestra, and choral competitions in Atlanta, Toronto, Dallas, Chicago, and Los Angeles. He began his teaching career at Moorefield High School in West Virginia in 1990. Leaving Moorfield in 1995, he headed for Virginia. He taught in Nelson County for 2 years before finally moving into Augusta County.
Mr. Baraclough has been teaching at Wilson since 1997. He has been an active trumpet player with the Staunton Brass Quintet, Colonnades Brass in Charlottesville, and is currently playing with the Massanutten Brass Quintet and the Valley Wind Ensemble. He is a member of VBODA, National Association for Music Educators, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He was the 2019 VBODA District V Band Director of the Year
He enjoys woodworking, binging Netflix, and spending time with his family!
Assistant Marching Band Director
Tim DeSimone
Mr. DeSimone is a 2021 alumnus of James Madison University, where he graduated with a degree in Music Education, and a minor in Jazz Studies. At JMU he was active within the JMU Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Saxophone Quartets, and the Marching Royal Dukes, where he was a Drum Major in his senior year.
He is currently the Band Director at Wilson Middle School, where he teaches 6-8th grade band, and a new 12-week exploratory offering. He is a member of the Charlottesville Municipal Band, the Charlottesville-Albemarle Saxophone Ensemble, and a few Harrisonburg-based Jazz and Funk groups.
He holds affiliation with the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors’ Association (VBODA), the National Association for Music Education (NAFME), and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Mr. DeSimone is the current WMS Teacher of the Year
Music Tech
Austin Gilbert
Mr. Gilbert currently serves as the choir director at WMHS. The Singing Sergeants just earned their first "SUPERIOR" rating in school history under his direction. He also teaches intermediate choir and 2 levels of piano.
Mr. Gilbert is an accomplished clarinetist and is actively performing throughout the Shenandoah Valley. He enjoys running Spartan races and spending time with his adorable cat "Doodles".
