Torey Riser

Torey Riser, a huge Manchester United supporter, is a native of Greenwood, SC where he attended Lander University, majoring in Music Education. Mr. Riser currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Carolina Winter Ensemble Association, a position he has held for 6 years and has previously served on the CWEA Board of Directors as the organizations Open Class Percussion Representative, Classification Committee, and as Interim Percussion Coordinator.

Mr. Riser was a charter member of Palmetto Percussion in 2007 and aged out as the snare line section leader in 2009. For the last 20 years, he has worked with many successful high school and independent programs in South Carolina as an instructor, designer, and composer, including:

• BHP High School (2004-07)

• Greenwood High School (2008-2012 & 2019)

• Palmetto Percussion (2010)

• Bluffton High School (2013-2017)

• North Greenville Independent (2016)

• Civitas Independent (2018-2019)

• Charles Towne Percussion (2018, 2023-2024)

• Midland Valley High School (2023-2024)

• Lewisville High School (2023)

• Cheraw High School (2024)

• Clinton High School (2024)

• Horizon HS (AZ) (2024)

Mr. Riser has also served as Director of Percussion and Designer/Arranger for Ninety Six High School’s Marching and Indoor Programs from 2017-2024.

Since joining Ninety Six High School in 2013, Mr. Riser has help design the program to 9 SCBDA Marching Band 1A State Championships (2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) in the past 12 seasons. After founding the school’s first ever indoor percussion program in 2015, the ensemble was awarded 4 straight SCBDA Indoor PSA State Championships (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018).

The indoor percussion ensemble has also earned 6 CWEA Gold Medals (PSA: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2021, 2022 and PSO: 2024 ) and 1 Silver (2023 PSO), 3 WGI Regional Championships (Spartanburg 2016, Spartanburg 2024, Atlanta 2024), and advanced to WGI PSA Semifinals twice (2018, 2019). The ensemble won the PSA Bronze medal at the WGI World Championships in 2022, and after being promoted at the beginning of the 2023 season, advanced to PSO Finals at the WGI World Championships finishing in 13th place. This past season the ensemble competed in PSO, winning the WGI Spartanburg Regional and the WGI Atlanta Regional.

In the past, Mr. Riser has coached Boys’ Soccer at Westview Middle School (2010-2012), Boys Varsity/JV Soccer at Battery Creek High School (2014) and Varsity Girls Soccer at Ninety Six High School (2015-2018).

In his free time, should he ever actually have any, Mr. Riser likes to hack it around the golf course, travel, or hang out with his pack: Georgia, Lily, Roxie, Jenny, Dilly, Dixie, Billie Pen (4 of which are rescues).

Mr. Riser would like to thank E.L. Manigo, Chris Turner, Tiger Woods, A.J. Pace, Erik Crook, Colin Brown, Joel Gardner, Luiz Riviera, Mike McIntosh, Paul Rennick, Cliff Sutton, Teddy Mascari, Mike Leitzke, Terry Sanders, Derrick Shannon and Alan Barone for their immeasurable influences, direct or indirect, on his life as a music educator.