Brent Hopper has served as the middle school band director of Lakeland Prep for the past 5 years. Under his direction, the band received consistent superior ratings at concert and jazz festivals, and has greatly grown in size, from 80 students to nearly 170 students. Most recently, Mr. Hopper was named one of the 2024 Country Music Association Music Teachers of Excellence, as well as Lakeland Preparatory School Middle School Teacher of the Year. Under his leadership, the LPS Middle School Concert Band received the ASBDA Award of Distinction and has been part of numerous consortiums for new band works. Prior to his appointment at LPS, Mr. Hopper taught middle school band and elementary general music at Riverdale School in Germantown, TN for three years.

Mr. Hopper holds a Masters of Music Education - Teaching Artistry degree from Bowling Green State University and a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Tennessee at Martin. In his spare time, Mr. Hopper enjoys songwriting and composing. Mr. Hopper is associated with West Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association, Tennessee Bandmasters Association, Memphis Songwriters Association, National Association for Music Education, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity. Although his primary instrument is trumpet, he also plays guitar, bass guitar, banjo, mandolin, and ukulele.  Mr. Hopper looks forward to helping the MYSP concert band grow to new heights!