TRHS Golden Regiment

Director of Bands - Harrison Thornton

Mr. Thornton's philosiphy on education has always been to build better people first and better musicians second. Mr. Thornton is a graduate of the University of South Carolina where he studied Music Education and Music Performance. Mr. Thornton is a native of South Carolina and attended Boiling Springs High School in Spartanburg, SC. Mr. Thornton spent 3 Summers marching with the World Class Drum and Bugle Corps Carolina Crown. During his time with Crown, the corps recieved 2 Jim Ott Awards for Best Brass Performance, and 1 John Brazale Award for Best Visual Performance. Mr. Thornton also taught for 4 summers at the World Class Drum and Bugle Corps The Madison Scouts. There he served as the lead Mellophone technician and Assitant Brass Caption Head. This will be Mr. Thornton's 5th year at Travelers Rest High School. During his time as the Director, he has lead the band to receive many awards such as the 2023 3A South Carolina State Marching Band Championships Silver Medal, consistent Superior with Distinction awards at CPA, 2024 CWEA Winter guard Championships Silver Medalist, multiple Outstanding Performance Awards, WGI Clayton Winds Regional Champion, and most recently being named the CWEA 2025 Winds Scholastic A Champion. Mr. Thornton was also named Greenville County School's First Year Teacher of the Year for the 2021-2022 school year and a finalist for Emerging Teacher of the Year for the 2022-23 school year. Mr. Thornton plans to continue pushing all of his students to the greatest version of themselves in the 2025-2026 School year.

Director of Color Guard - Madison Thornton

Madison Thornton is a dedicated and accomplished color guard professional with a rich background in both performance and leadership. A proud alumnus of River Bluff High School, Mrs. Thornton honed her skills and passion for the art of color guard early on. She went on to perform with the world-renowned Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, further refining her talent at the highest level of marching arts. In 2018, Mrs. Thornton was a member of Paramount Winter Guard, contributing to the team’s remarkable achievement of winning the WGI World Championship that year. Her experience on the national stage has deeply informed her approach to instruction and choreography. For the past four years, Mrs. Thornton has served as the Color Guard Director at Travelers Rest High School, where she has led the program with creativity, discipline, and a commitment to excellence. Under her guidance, the team has grown both in skill and confidence, reflecting her passion for developing young performers. She encourages her students to remember that “I can’t” really means “I can’t yet,” turning challenges into opportunities for growth.

Director of Percussion - Ethan Platt

Ethan Platt is the percussion instructor at Travelers Rest as well as the band director at Spartanburg Christian Academy. He is a graduate of James F. Byrnes High School and North Greenville University, where he studied Music Performance. He also performed with Palmetto Indoor Theatre in their 2023 indoor percussion show “Mélange”. Mr. Platt believes strongly in building confidence and work ethic through music. In his words, “If you’re going to be wrong, be confidently wrong.” Mr. Platt has been teaching percussion since 2021, and has taught at Travelers Rest since January 2022. In addition to teaching, he is a composer and arranger, and arranged the percussion score for TR’s 2023 marching show “Gold Rush.” Since 2021, each percussion section under his direction has received numerous best percussion awards in addition to great overall success in marching competitions.

Color Guard Technician - Caroline Watson

Miss Watson has always loved performing and helping others perform. She is currently studying English Secondary Education and Christian Studies at North Greenville University. She graduated from James F. Byrnes High School and performed for eight seasons with the Colorguard. She was named Co-Captain her sophomore year and moved up to Captain her junior and senior years. She was named Rookie of the Year in 2021, Upper State Champion in 2021 through 2023, and was awarded the Outstanding Leadership Award in 2024. She was also named a BOA Semi-Finalist in 2022 and a WGI Semi-Finalist in 2024. She has been on staff at Travelers Rest High School since the fall of 2024. Miss Watson has a background in ballet, pointe, lyrical, and modern styles of dance, as well as years of experience spinning flag, rifle, and saber. In high school, she wrote choreography for small shows and coached spin clinics at her high school. Miss Watson loves seeing her students grow as performers and young adults. She is so excited to see the growth of students in the 2025-26 year.