William M. Whitt, Director of Bands, is the founding director of the Kirkwood High School Band in Clarksville, TN 

Prior to his appointment at KiHS, he served 18 years as Director of Bands (2003-2021) for the Houston County School System, where his duties included, teaching 6th grade General Music, 7th grade Beginning Band, 8th grade Intermediate Band, directing the Houston County High School Concert Band, the Fighting Irish Marching Band, pep band, and organizing various ensembles for community events. 

He also served as the music director for the spring musical.

During his tenure the band program in Houston County grew from 11 to well over 100. His bands have received numerous superior ratings, first place awards, and eight times have been finalists in the state marching band contest.

He has also had students in the All-State and All-Midstate Band and Orchestra, Governor’s School for the Arts, and various other honor groups throughout the region. Many of his students have also received music scholarships. 

His concert band performed at the 2019 TMEA State Concert Festival. They also qualified for the 2020 Festival and the Tennessee Bandmaster’s Sweepstakes Award.

Mr. Whitt holds a Master of Music degree, with Honor, from Austin Peay. He is also a 2003 graduate of APSU where he earned a B.S. in Music Education, graduating Summa Cum Laude.

He is currently finishing his DMA in Wind Conducting at the University of Memphis. From 2021-2023 he served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Band Program. 

On multiple occasions, he was a guest conductor of the university’s two concert bands and worked with the Mighty Sound of the South. He also taught undergraduate Marching Band Techniques.

Mr. Whitt has won numerous awards and academic scholarships including Music Major of the Year and the Presser Scholarship, Freeman-Meise Endowed Scholarship.  He was also named the Related Arts Teacher of the Year by the faculty at the Houston County Middle School in 2007 and has twice been named Outstanding Educator by the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. 

He was named Teacher of the Year for Houston County High School in 2017 and was awarded the Nancy Award from the Houston County Arts Council for outstanding contributions to the arts of Houston County.

As a performer, he was a member of the Austin Peay Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Symphony Orchestra, sitting principal in each and served as the horn player for the University Brass and Woodwind Quintets. He was also involved in the University Chamber Singers in which he toured the southeastern United States and has sung with the Nashville Symphony and Gateway Chamber Orchestra.

 While at Memphis, he played with the university’s Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band. In addition to his teaching and performance duties, he has adjudicated festivals in both Tennessee and Kentucky.

His professional memberships include, NAFME, TMEA, MTSBOA, Tennessee Bandmasters Association, is an elected member of the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

 He was also the founding President of the APSU Governor’s Alumni Band Chapter and has served on the APSU National Alumni Association Board of Directors.