An exciting clinic designed to give classroom teacher insight about how to fix common woodwind alternate fingerings in their ensembles and why!
Nicholas Thomas
- Biographical Information
Nicholas Thomas, Ed.D, received the Bachelors of Science degree in Music Education from Florida A&M University (FAMU) in Tallahassee, Florida in the spring of 2001 where he was a conducting student of Drs. William P. Foster, Julian E. White, and Shelby R. Chipman. Also, while at FAMU, Dr. Thomas served as the student arranger and conductor for FAMU’s Sudler Trophy award winning Marching “100” Band.
Dr. Thomas serves as Coordinator for Music Teacher Education at FAMU, where his duties include teaching music education method courses, advising undergraduate music education students and serving as Assistant Director of University Bands. Dr. Thomas previously taught at Southwest DeKalb High School for eight years (2001-2009) in the DeKalb County School System of Metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. His responsibilities included music arranging for the Southwest DeKalb High School “Marching Panthers” Band and conducting the Southwest DeKalb High School Wind Symphony, Symphonic, Concert, Cadet, and Jazz bands. The Southwest DeKalb High School Bands received 8 years of Superior ratings in Marching and Concert Evaluations at the Georgia Music Educators Association Large Group Performance Evaluations from 2001-2009, and were featured in the 2002 20th Century Fox Motion Picture “Drumline”, the 2005 Tournament of Roses Parade, and the 2009 Music For All/Bands of America National Concert Band Festival.
Dr. Thomas’ personal teaching philosophy is to “motivate and prepare students to achieve and reach their highest potential in quality of character and music”
A native of Pompano Beach, Florida, Emmanuel Rodriguez graduated from Blanche Ely High School in 2012. Prior to matriculating at Florida A&M University, Mr. Rodriguez attended the University of Florida. A 2016 FAMU graduate, Mr. Rodriguez served as a student leader in the FAMU Department of Music and College of Education. An outstanding woodwind pedagogue, Mr. Rodriguez's interest include conducting, composing and arranging. For the 2016-17 academic year, Mr. Rodriguez served as Assistant Director of Bands at his Alma Mater, Blanche Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Florida. Mr. Rodriguez is the newly recently appointed Director of Bands at Miramar High School in Miramar Florida.