Three years after retiring from Habersham Central High School, longtime band director Ryan Dukes is heading back to the band room he once called home.
The unusual twist? Dukes will be replacing the very person who succeeded him — current band director Jacob Weinstein.
Weinstein announced he will be leaving Habersham Central after his fiancée, Brittany, accepted what he described as a “once in a lifetime opportunity” at Clemson University.
“She’s accepted a job as a professor at Clemson University in their communications department,” Weinstein said. “She does pretty groundbreaking research on generative AI and misinformation.”
Weinstein said Clemson heavily recruited Brittany for the position and that the couple felt the move was the right decision as they prepare to begin married life together.
“We eventually want to start our family and start our lives together,” Weinstein said.
The couple is set to marry June 25.
As the school district began searching for Weinstein’s replacement, the answer ultimately came from a familiar face.
Dukes, who retired from Habersham Central in 2022 after more than three decades in music education, said the possibility of returning first came up after Weinstein shared news of the potential move earlier this year.
“I immediately thought, ‘Well, let’s get the band back together,’” Dukes said with a laugh.
The title may sound like a cliché, but in this case, it is remarkably accurate.
After retiring, Dukes never fully stepped away from music education. He worked with Jefferson City Schools helping expand its music programs before later joining the Habersham Central band staff in a supporting role alongside Weinstein.
When another candidate for the Habersham Central position backed out late in the hiring process, Dukes decided to apply.
Within days, he had interviewed for the position. Shortly afterward, the Habersham County Board of Education officially approved his return.
“It’s pretty rare that this happens,” Dukes said. “It gives us a chance to really not lose momentum of anything. We can just kind of keep moving and go right on out and just keep on going.”
Dukes praised Weinstein for maintaining the strength and culture of the program during his tenure.
“He’s been great,” Dukes said. “He was so gracious when he came in three years ago, and he’s been gracious on the way out.”
For Dukes, returning to Habersham Central also represents a renewed passion for teaching music.
“I’m not done,” he said. “I’ve got things that need to get done. I have more to do.”
While much of the program will remain familiar, Dukes said he does plan to make some adjustments, including changes to classroom scheduling designed to strengthen the school’s concert band foundation year-round.
He also pointed to the growing role of technology in modern music programs, particularly in marching band performances.
“The pageantry arts has changed,” Dukes said. “You have to have amplification. You have to have all of these extra things if you want to compete with everybody else doing it.”
Dukes said the marching band’s upcoming show, titled “Indivisible,” will celebrate America’s upcoming 250th anniversary through patriotic themes and modern production elements.
For Habersham Central students and band families, the transition creates a rare full-circle moment: the return of a familiar leader while preserving continuity within one of the school’s most visible programs.
