CONDUCTOR :: FEBRUARY 21, 2016
Tom Stites is a native of Hopkinsville, KY, completing his Bachelor degree in Music Education at Western Kentucky University and his Master’s degree in Educational Leadership at East Tennessee State University. Beginning his career as an assistant band director at Sylva-Webster High School in Sylva, NC, he was part of the staff that won the 1979 National Championship at Marching Bands of America. Assuming the band director role at Sylva in 1979, the band performed in the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami, FL. Hired as the band director at The Marist School (1980-87) in Atlanta, GA he built a fine arts program involving seven new faculty members in seven years while quadrupling the band program.
Taking the position of Director of Bands at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, TN in 1987 he created a band program recognized for outstanding concert bands, large numbers of successful graduates, and outstanding marching band performances. Highlights at Science Hill included twenty years of Superior ratings in Grade 6 Concert performance, performances in the 1996 and 2000 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 1999 and 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade, two concert performances at the TMEA State Music Convention, the Waikiki Holiday Parade, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
In addition to his career as a high school band director, he has served twenty years as a fine arts department chair; eight years as assistant conductor for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra; two years as Music Director and Conductor of the Johnson City Symphony; and currently serves as Associate Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra. Honors have included the Owensboro Public Schools “Golden Apple” for Excellence, Science Hill Teacher of the Year, Director’s Award from the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, and staff member with the US Army All-American Marching Band in 2008.
Professional highlights include full concerts onstage at the National Concert Band Festival, National Adjudicators International, and the 2007 New York Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall. Collaborations with guest artists such as Jay Ungar, Cirque de Symphony, Edgar Meyer, the Ahn Trio, the Canadian Brass, Mark O’Connor, the National Symphony Orchestra and more have been great opportunities to involve students and the community with outstanding artists. In his current role with the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra, he is looking forward to a return engagement at Carnegie Hall in June of 2017.
Serving currently as Coordinator of Fine Arts in Owensboro Public Schools, he supervises 32 arts teachers in all arts disciplines and all schools. Recognized as a leading district in the arts, OPS arts programs have been chosen as a model in the state reform models for arts assessment. He is an active member of the RiverPark Center Board of Directors, Owensboro Dance Theatre Board of Directors, The Kennedy Center Partners in Education, and serves on multiple committees within Kentucky Music Educators and the Kentucky Department of Education. Tom and his wife Debbie are blessed with two children who are both professional musicians.
Taking the position of Director of Bands at Science Hill High School in Johnson City, TN in 1987 he created a band program recognized for outstanding concert bands, large numbers of successful graduates, and outstanding marching band performances. Highlights at Science Hill included twenty years of Superior ratings in Grade 6 Concert performance, performances in the 1996 and 2000 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the 1999 and 2009 Tournament of Roses Parade, two concert performances at the TMEA State Music Convention, the Waikiki Holiday Parade, and the Hollywood Christmas Parade.
In addition to his career as a high school band director, he has served twenty years as a fine arts department chair; eight years as assistant conductor for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra; two years as Music Director and Conductor of the Johnson City Symphony; and currently serves as Associate Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Orchestra and Conductor of the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra. Honors have included the Owensboro Public Schools “Golden Apple” for Excellence, Science Hill Teacher of the Year, Director’s Award from the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, and staff member with the US Army All-American Marching Band in 2008.
Professional highlights include full concerts onstage at the National Concert Band Festival, National Adjudicators International, and the 2007 New York Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall. Collaborations with guest artists such as Jay Ungar, Cirque de Symphony, Edgar Meyer, the Ahn Trio, the Canadian Brass, Mark O’Connor, the National Symphony Orchestra and more have been great opportunities to involve students and the community with outstanding artists. In his current role with the Owensboro Symphony Youth Orchestra, he is looking forward to a return engagement at Carnegie Hall in June of 2017.
Serving currently as Coordinator of Fine Arts in Owensboro Public Schools, he supervises 32 arts teachers in all arts disciplines and all schools. Recognized as a leading district in the arts, OPS arts programs have been chosen as a model in the state reform models for arts assessment. He is an active member of the RiverPark Center Board of Directors, Owensboro Dance Theatre Board of Directors, The Kennedy Center Partners in Education, and serves on multiple committees within Kentucky Music Educators and the Kentucky Department of Education. Tom and his wife Debbie are blessed with two children who are both professional musicians.
