instrumental music upper school band
The Upper School Band Program is a composite of the concert/symphonic band, jazz ensembles, woodwind, brass, and percussion ensembles. Members of the Upper School band are encouraged to study privately with Lovett’s Conservatory of Music faculty or local performing artists. Students are further encouraged to participate in select state and local honor groups, including the GMEA All-State Band, the GISA All-Select Band, the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra, Metro Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble, the Rialto Jazz Orchestra, and other extracurricular performing ensembles. Members of the Ellington Jazz Ensemble are selected by audition. The Lovett Ellington Jazz Ensemble and Wind Symphony compete in national festivals and competitions.
faculty SPOTLIGHT TIM PITCHFORD
Tim Pitchford, a native Floridian, lived and taught in the state of Illinois for a decade before becoming Lovett’s Upper School Director of Bands and Director of the Ellington Jazz Ensemble. He spent the last five years of that time as director of the jazz program and trombone professor at Illinois Wesleyan University, a private liberal arts college in Bloomington, IL. Under his direction, the IWU Jazz Ensemble performed for the 2014 Illinois Music Educator’s Conference and the Elmhurst Jazz Festival. He has been a clinician at numerous university jazz festivals across the country including the Marshall University Jazz Festival, the Northwest Oklahoma University Jazz Festival, and the Illinois State University Jazz Festival. As a professional trombonist, Dr. Pitchford has performed with Joe Williams, Maureen McGovern, Arturo Sandoval, Gloria Gaynor, The Manhattan Transfer, John Pizzarelli, Patti Austin, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Band, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Gladys Knight, Aretha Franklin, the Woody Herman Orchestra, and many others. He has recorded on several Grammy and Latin Grammy nominated albums and numerous independent and commercial recordings. From 2002-2005, he performed throughout Europe, North, Central, and South America with pop-music icon K.C. and the Sunshine Band. Recent guest performances include the 2015 Peoria Jazz Festival, the 2014 Midwest Trombone and Euphonium Conference, the 2014 Peoria Jazz Festival, the 2014 Yellowstone Jazz Festival, and the 2012 Blagoevgrad Jazz Festival in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. Dr. Pitchford holds degrees in jazz performance from University of North Florida, Georgia State University, and the University of Miami.
Lovett Fine Arts | 2021-22 • 45
