About
Thomas J. West is an active music teacher, composer, adjudicator, and clinician in the greater Philadelphia area specializing in Blended and Hybrid Learning models for secondary ensembles. He has over twenty years of experience as a concert band director, marching band director, jazz improvisation instructor, choral director, orchestra director, private instructor, arranger/composer, and marching drill writer in the states of Pennsylvania and New Jersey. He has served as a music adjudicator for Drum Corps International since 2016. He has served as a music, visual, and jazz judge for the Cavalcade of Bands Association since 2008. He also performs as a freelance clarinetist, saxophonist, and flutist. He currently is the music department chairperson, instrumental music teacher, jazz studies instructor, electronic music instructor, educational technology coach, and blended learning coordinator for Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School's Center for Performing and Fine Arts. Tom has been pioneering techniques in Blended Learning for Music Education since 2008. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Penn State University and a Certificate in Modern Band from Lebanon Valley College, where he anticipates earning a masters degree in music education in December 2023. He was an Associate Director for the Warren Junior Military Band of Youngstown, Ohio from 1995 to 2005 and holds memberships in NAfME, PMEA, JEN, ASCAP, and TI:ME.
Services
Private Music Lessons
Mr. West provides both local (within 10 miles of Allentown, PA USA) and online music lessons via webcam. For local lessons, please contact Mr. West directly. For online lessons, please visit Mr. West's TakeLessons profile.
Original Instrumental Ensemble Music & Custom Arrangements
Mr. West composes and arranges music for scholastic and community concert bands, WGI Indoor Winds ensembles, jazz bands, jazz combos, and wind and string chamber ensembles. To learn more about Mr. West's instrumental music compositions and arrangements, visit the Composition page. To commission Mr. West for an arrangement or composition project, please contact him.
Vocal Music Arranging
Mr. West has written over 100 vocal arrangements for a variety of contemporary vocal groups, including contemporary a cappella, barbershop quartets, and barbershop choruses. For more on Mr. West's contemporary a cappella and barbershop harmony arrangements, visit the A Cappella page.
Adjudication and Clinician Services
Mr. West regularly serves as an adjudicator for marching band, drum corps, and jazz band competitions and is available for clinics and masterclasses with concert bands, marching bands, drum corps, jazz bands, contemporary a cappella, and barbershop harmony ensembles. Please contact Mr. West for a quote.
Live Performance
Mr. West performs as a freelance woodwind instrumentalist and vocalist for various events and ensembles, including solo jazz and pop music for private and corporate events, reeds book performing for musical theater, session playing for studios, voiceover work, and substitute performing for ensembles. To hire Mr. West for a private or corporate function, contact him directly.
Curriculum Vitae
WestCV07-2022.pdf