Dear Tate Band family,
Words cannot describe how excited I am to be a part of this great band program! I feel truly blessed to have this opportunity to work with all of you for many years to come. I am anxious to meet all of our dedicated students and parents and I will do my very best to put names and faces together as quickly as possible. Again, I am extremely honored and proud to be a part of the Tate family and I look forward to meeting all of you soon!
I’d like to take the time to tell you a little more about me. I grew up in Delhi, LA which is a very small town in northeast Louisiana. My musical journey began there and continued when my mother and I moved to Pensacola in 1987. I attended Warrington Middle School (8th grade) and graduated from Escambia High School in 1992. During my time at Escambia, I was the ultimate “band geek”. I immersed myself in that program and fell in love with music and teaching.
I attended Pensacola Junior College, the University of Southern Mississippi, and finished my Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education at the University of West Florida, completing my internship in the spring of 1997 at Tate High School with Mr. Hooten. It was at PJC that I met my wife Amy, who is a Tate Band alumnus (c/o 1993). She played Oboe and was in the pit. We have been married for 11 years and have three wonderful children, Madison (9), Tucker (5), and Clay (2).
My teaching career began as the Band Director at Ferry Pass Middle School (1997-2000) while also serving as an assistant at Woodham High School. In June of 2000, I was honored to take over as the Director of Bands at Woodham High School (2000-2006). In July 2006, I took over as the Director of Bands at Davidson Middle School in Crestview, FL. This past January, I was elected to serve as District Chairman for FBA District One (Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties). Over the next two years, I will be representing all of the students, parents, and my colleagues on the FBA Executive Board.
Over the past 11 years, the Tate band has always remained a part of my life in many different ways. I truly feel like I’ve come home and couldn’t be happier! I owe a huge thank you to Mr. Hooten and Mr. Shackle for giving me this awesome opportunity. I promise to do all I can to continue the tradition of excellence that the Tate Showband of the South is known for!
Sincerely,
Mike Philley
