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Taylor Sitzman
Associate Director of Bands
Taylor Sitzman has served as the Associate Director of Bands at Braswell High School since 2017. Prior to moving back to Texas, Mr. Sitzman was on the band staff at Union High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. During his tenure at Union, Mr. Sitzman was fortunate to work with students ranging from sixth grade beginners all the way up the ladder to graduating seniors. In his five years, the marching band at Union was a Bands of America Regional Medalist, Grand National Finalist, and the band medaled in all five years at the Oklahoma Bandmasters Association State Marching Championships. His concert ensembles have performed varying levels of literature and have been consistent sweepstakes award winners. One of the highlights of his time at Union was taking his 8th grade Symphonic Band to the 2017 state convention where they performed as an Oklahoma Music Educators Association Honor Band.
Before his years at Union, Mr. Sitzman taught privately and worked with many high school bands across Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma while obtaining a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas. During his time at the U of A, Mr. Sitzman became an established horn player in the Northwest Arkansas region; performing with the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Brass Choirs, and Brass Ensembles at the University. Mr. Sitzman spent his undergraduate career studying privately with Dr. Tim Thompson, Dr. Chris Knighten, and Dale Warren. He spent the 2011-2012 school year student teaching with Scott Tomlinson and Dr. Brandon Hults at Bentonville High School where he worked with all facets of the Bentonville band program.
Mr. Sitzman’s marching arts experience includes performing with Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps (Rockford, Illinois) during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Following his age-out summer with Regiment he was hired as a member of Phantom Regiment’s brass staff for the 2013, 2014, and 2015 seasons. In those summers Mr. Sitzman was given the opportunity to teach and collaborate with such pedagogues as Christian Carichner, Mike Martin, Freddy Martin, and Mason Daffinee. He went on to teach one additional summer on the brass staff at the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps in 2018. As the visual and movement specialist for the Union Renegade Regiment High School Marching Band, Mr. Sitzman was fortunate enough to learn from and teach with some notable clinicians on varying styles of movement and choreography; including John Bradford, Johnny Escalante, Jared Huntley, Michael Raiford, and John Vanderkoff.
Mr. Sitzman served as the University of Arkansas Chapter President of College Music Educators National Conference in his senior year in Fayetteville, and is currently a member of the Texas Music Educators Association. During the winter months, Mr. Sitzman serves as a general effect judge for winter guard circuits across the country including: Winter Guard and Percussion of Oklahoma, Texas Color Guard Circuit, North Texas Colorguard Association, Florida Federation of Colorguards Circuit, and West Coast Winter Guard.
Mr. Sitzman is a native North Texan, graduating from Lewisville High School in 2007. He is excited to be “home” in DFW and closer to his family. Aside from teaching band, Mr. Sitzman enjoys traveling, cooking, and relaxing at home with his husband and their two dogs, Apollo and Luna.