TJC Director of Bands Jeremy Strickland has been elected to membership in Phi Beta Mu, an international school bandmaster fraternity.
Established in 1938, Phi Beta Mu is an honorary fraternity with about 350 active members in Texas, with additional chapters in most of the 50 states as well as Canada, Japan and Europe.
Strickland was inducted at the annual new members’ breakfast on Feb. 11, during the annual Texas Music Educators Association convention in San Antonio.
He was sponsored by former colleagues and educators Bobby Francis, Brian Youngblood and James Coffman.
To be considered for membership in Phi Beta Mu, prospective members must have at least 10 years of successful teaching experience and must have produced and maintained an outstanding and consistent band program in the public schools.
Strickland was named TJC director of bands in 2015. The TJC band program consists of: Apache Band (marching band), three concert bands, two jazz ensembles, jazz combo, two percussion ensembles and indoor drumline.
Before joining TJC, Strickland was assistant director of bands at Texas Christian University and had served as both assistant and head band director at Springtown High School.
Strickland is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Adjudicators Association and the College Band Directors National Association.
He earned his master’s degree in music from TCU. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music from The University of Texas at Austin, where he was a member of the internationally acclaimed UT Wind Ensemble and Longhorn Band.
His wife Ashley is a pharmacist, and they have three children: Kaden, age 10, and Hailey and Abigail, both age 6.
For more on the TJC band program, go to www.tjc.edu/band.
For information on upcoming events at TJC, go to www.tjc.edu/Performing.