Treutlen High School Band Brings New Director into Festival Tradition

The Treutlen County High School marching band will serve as the opening performance of the Million Pines Arts and Crafts Festival on November 7, a longtime tradition for the school but a first for the most recent band director.

Travis Mansfield is a native of Americus, where he first developed his love of music in middle school. This love of music would follow him through high school, where he acted as a drum major, and into his secondary education at the University of Georgia, where he would serve as a member of the Redcoat Marching Band.

“I was a member of the UGA Redcoat Band all four years while I was in college during undergrad, where I played sousaphone and tuba for concert,” said Mansfield.

At the university, he studied elementary education, eventually graduating in May of 2026 with a bachelor’s degree in education, and recently graduated a second time with his master’s degree in education.

However, while he initially aimed to pursue a career as an elementary school teacher, his love of music drew him to seek out work as a band director.

“I originally was looking to do elementary education, but I just enjoy music so much,” said Mansfield. “I had a great band director who I looked up to, and she taught me all the ropes, and music is just a big part of my life, so I decided that I wanted to be a band director and make a positive impact. You know, give back to [a] music program the same way that a music music program gave that to me.”

When he began serving as Treutlen County High School’s band director, Mansfield aimed to foster an environment of enjoyment and involvement. He has encouraged his students to take pride in their work as a band, as well as the community to be involved with the band.

“I like to get the community involved, and I just like to have something that everybody can have a sense of pride over,” said Mansfield.

One of the primary methods Mansfield uses for community involvement is through band events and performances, such as having the band perform in marching band competitions for the first time “in over a decade,” as well as in parades and festivals.

“So, a lot of what we’re doing this year is just getting out there, making sure that people know who Treutlen Vikings are and what they are all about, and, you know, just having some pride in what we have in Treutlen County,” said Mansfield.

While the band’s performance in the Million Pines Arts and Crafts Festival will serve to further that goal, the Treutlen County High School marching band has a tradition of performing at the event which stretches back many years.

For the event, the band will perform the United States national anthem followed by sections of its halftime show performance used during football games. The show is a collection of popular songs pulled from several different periods, aiming to resonate with audience members of all ages.

“There’s a couple of different songs, but again, just a lot of songs that people are familiar with, every generation, you know,” said Mansfield. “Just some recognizable tunes.”

Mansfield is confident in his band’s performance for the festival and in the community’s attention towards them. The band has been practicing for the event, aiming to incorporate new songs into their repertoire for the festival.

“We are feeling pretty good, and I am feeling pretty confident about our performance at the Million Pines Festival,” said Mansfield.