Jody A. Besse
besse@uakron.edu

Mr. Jody A. Besse is currently serving as Interim Assistant Director of Bands for the 2008-2009 academic year.  He received his Bachelor of Arts in instrumental music education from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Lafayette and his Master of Music Education from the University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg.

Jody Besse recently served as a graduate assistant/instructor at the University of Southern Mississippi.  He assisted the marching band, the wind ensemble, basketball pep bands and the numerous events sponsored by the band program.  He served as the instructor of the Jazz Lab II Ensemble at the University of Southern Mississippi in 2006-2007.

Mr. Besse retired from the Louisiana public school system after completing his twentieth year serving as a high school band director.  As a high school director he directed the marching bands, concert and symphonic bands, jazz ensembles, beginning and intermediate guitar classes and supervised the colorguard and dance team.  During his twenty year career he also taught fifth through eighth grade for six years while continuing his high school duties.  His ensembles have consistently earned superior ratings at the local, state, and national level, and have performed throughout the United States for various events and festivals.  Performances in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opery, the Citrus Bowl Parade, the Fiesta Bowl Parade and Marching Band Championships as well as three performances at Disney World are some of the highlights of a truly outstanding record of performance.  His Jazz I Ensemble was a featured guest on the Good Morning Acadiana television program on three occasions.  Mr. Besse considers the performances of the Acadiana High School Band in Ireland for the St. Patrick’s Day Parades as one of the most memorable.

Mr. Besse served as the Jazz Division Chairman for the Louisiana Music Educators Association for five years.  He was the LMEA District III Director for three years.  His professional affiliations include the National Band Association, Music Educators National Conference, The Louisiana Music Educators Association, and he was elected to the Phi Beta Mu International Band Masters Fraternity.  He was selected as a Lafayette Parish Teacher of the Year Candidate each of the last five years of his teaching career in Louisiana.

Mr. Besse studied conducting with Thomas Fraschillo, Steven Moser, Gary Adam, and James Gilfry.  He also attended a summer conductors symposium at the Interlochen School of Music under the instruction of Robert Reynolds.  In November of 2004 he was one of six conductors selected by the NBA to direct the Italian Army Band stationed in Rome, Italy for a clinic and concert.

Mr. Besse is in demand as an instrumental adjudicator and clinician.  He is currently pursing a DMA in conducting at the University of Southern Mississippi.