Mr. Boone attended undergraduate school at Western Carolina University, from 1971 to 1975. During the summer of 1975, he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education. Mr. Boone’s first teaching job, Assistant Band Director, was at Franklin High School during the school year ‘75 –‘76. The Assistant Director’s job at Franklin HS was open because the previous director joined the Ringling Bros. Circus in January of 1976.

After a short stint at Owen High School in Black Mountain, Mr. Boone was fortunate to gain employment at Waynesville Jr. High during the school year ‘77-’78. During the next 5 years, Sandy Boone was the Band Director at Waynesville Jr. High and the Asst. Director at Tuscola where he worked for his longtime mentor - Jim Crocker.

In the fall of 1982, Mr. Crocker and Sandy Boone exchanged jobs. Mr. Boone was fortunate to have Mr. Crocker “coach” him through his first year as a high school director at Tuscola High School. During the next 7 years, Tuscola High School enjoyed some of the finest bands ever assembled in Western North Carolina. The Tuscola High School Marching Mountaineers were Regional BOA Champions and were ranked in the top 17 bands at the Bands of America Grand National Championship for 5 consecutive years. During those years the Tuscola Band received Superior Ratings at District Concert Festival in Grade V and Grade VI and the Tuscola Jazz Band regularly toured throughout the state to perform on college campuses and jazz festivals.

In the fall of 1989, Mr. Boone received an offer to attend James Madison University on a Graduate Teaching Assistantship. He left Tuscola High School to pursue studies in wind conducting and music theory at JMU in Harrisonburg, VA. Mr. Boone’s Graduate Assistant duties at JMU included: Marching Band, Concert Band, Music Theory, Opera Orchestra Conductor, and Student Teacher Supervisor. In the spring of 1991, Mr. D. Sanford Boone received the first - Master of Music Degree in Wind Conducting from James Madison University.

In the fall of 1991, Mr. Boone moved his 4 girls and lovely wife, Randi, to Marietta, GA where he accepted the job as Director of Bands at Marietta High School. In 1991, the Marietta Band was in disrepair and it took several years of hard work to rebuild the program from 30 students to over 150 band members in the year 2002. Mr. Boone has many fond memories of the Marietta Band Program. The MHS Band Booster organization started from scratch to help build and foster the fledgling band program. Without the parental support, the MHS Band would never have gotten “back on their feet.” During his 11 year tenure in Marietta, 3 of Mr. Boone’s children graduated from Marietta High School.

In the fall of 2002, a series of events, including 9/11, brought Mr. Boone back to the mountains of WNC. Mr. Boone, his wife and children returned to WNC to pursue some family business interests.

In the spring of 2003, Mr. Boone accepted the job as Director of Bands at North Buncombe High School. For the past 4 years, the North Buncombe High School Blackhawk Band has grown in quality and quantity. North Buncombe High School now has the best balanced band program in Western North Carolina. In Mr. Boone’s words, “This is my dream job!!!!”

Mr. Boone is the proud father of 4 daughters – Abby, 30 – Kadee, 28 – Jennie, 26 – and Nattie – 21. Mr. Boone has three new son-in-laws – Je’Vone Primus, Chris West and Brian Spann. Je’Vone and Kadee are living in Western North Carolina. Kadee has accepted a PT position at Mission Hospital in Asheville. Je’Vone will be attending Graduate School at WCU. Chris and Jennie recently bought a house near Cartersville, Ga. Jennie is teaching near Cartersville and going to Graduate School at Valdosta State University. Brian and Abby were married in June of 2009 at the Francis Mill in Waynesville. They are living in Smyrna, Ga. Abby teaches for Cobb County Schools.

Mr. Boone and his lovely wife, Randi, have been married for 33 years. In Mr. Boone’s words, “She is the only person on the planet that could put-up with me for that long.”