ABOUT

PHILLIP SIMPSON

Mr. Simpson serves as one of the directors for LaVergne Middle School. His former appointments in his teaching career include Itinerant Director for LaVergne and Smyrna Middle School, Director of Bands at LaVergne High School in LaVergne, Tennessee, Assistant Director of Bands at Coffee County Central High School in Coffee County, Tennessee, and Assistant Director of Bands at Harpeth High School and Harpeth Middle School in Kingston Springs, Tennessee.

Mr. Simpson is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University where he studied clarinet with Dr. Todd Waldecker and Daniel Lochrie. While at M.T.S.U., Mr. Simpson participated with the wind ensemble, Band of Blue, and clarinet choir. Currently, Mr. Simpson is the bass clarinetist for the Nashville Wind Ensemble. Additionally Mr. Simpson received his masters from MTSU in Administration and Supervision in May 2018.

Mr. Simpson resides in Smyrna, Tennessee with his wife Rebecca, his son Christopher and daughters Julie and Madelyn. In his free time Mr. Simpson spends as much time with his family.

PHILLIP KIGAITA

Mr. Kigaita serves as the other director of LaVergne Middle School. He is a recent graduate of MTSU and this is his first appointment. At MTSU he studied clarinet with Dr. Todd Waldecker and saxophone with Don Aliquo, Dr. Paula Van Goes, Pedro Garcia, and Brian Horner. He also participated in the wind ensemble, jazz ensembles, clarinet choir, and Band of Blue. While in the wind ensemble he took part in recording sessions with composers David Maslanka, James Stephenson, Nigel Clarke, Peter Meechan, and Peter Fischer. He has also worked with a number of soloists during his residency in the ensemble.