David M. Santiago is a native of Columbia, South Carolina, where he graduated from Irmo High School in 1981. He received his Bachelor of Music Education in 1985 from the University of South Carolina in Columbia and received his Master of Music Education in 1986 from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. Mr. Santiago is in his seventh year of serving as Director of Athletic Bands and Assistant Band Director at Newberry College in Newberry, SC. He serves as the director of the Scarlet Spirit Marching Band, Scar’s Army Pep Band, and assists with recruiting prospective students to Newberry College and the Music Department. The Scarlet Spirit has enjoyed tremendous growth during his time at Newberry College and is currently one of our state’s largest college marching bands. He enjoys his role as a college band director and looks forward to the opportunity to continue to shape students through his passion for music and education.
Mr. Santiago served as Assistant Band Director for the Chapin School from 1986-2018, demonstrating dedication and loyalty to his schools and community. In 1991, Chapin Middle School was opened, and Mr. Santiago served as Band Director for CMS for 27 years while still assisting with all facets of the entire band program for 6th-12th grades. Under Mr. Santiago’s direction, the CMS Bands received consistent Superior ratings at Concert Festivals and Contests throughout the Southeast. The CMS Bands were awarded 29 consecutive “Outstanding Performance Awards” given annually by the South Carolina Band Director’s Association. In his first year at Chapin, Mr. Santiago started the Chapin High School Jazz Band. Under his direction, the Jazz Band received consistent Superior ratings at State, Regional, and National Jazz Festivals from 1986-2012. His jazz band performed all over the US, including performances in Branson, MO, Hawaii, and San Diego, CA, and for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Mr. Santiago is active as a clinician/adjudicator and served as a guest clinician throughout the state of South Carolina. He also served as Director of Winds and Percussion for the Tri-District Arts Consortium for seven years. Mr. Santiago was awarded the American School Band Director’s Association’s “South Carolina Middle School Band Director of the Year Award” in 1997 and was also awarded the Chapin Middle School “Teacher of the Year” in 1993-94. He was awarded both the Citation of Excellence and the Outstanding Jazz Educator Award from the National Band Association in 2013. Mr. Santiago received the 2014 and 2023 South Carolina “Bandmaster of the Year” Award given by the Phi Beta Mu national band fraternity and was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Hall of Fame in 2018. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Mr. Santiago performs regularly as a professional trumpeter for special services and events throughout South Carolina.
Mr. Santiago currently holds memberships in the MENC, NBA, SCMEA, SCBDA, IAJE, Phi Mu Alpha, and Phi Beta Mu National Band Fraternity. Mr. Santiago served a three-year term (2006-2009) on the Board of Directors for the National Band Directors Association as one of four Middle School/Junior High School representatives on this prestigious Board.
Mr. Santiago lives in Chapin, South Carolina, with his wife, Kimberly, and they are so proud of their three adult children: Christian, Colin, and Nicole.