Phil Chumley, Freshman Director and Assistant Director at Lakota West, is a 1977 graduate of the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, located just outside Washington, DC. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and pursued his Master’s Degree in Music Performance there as well. He has studied with Steve Kowalski of the United States Army Band, Barbara Duman, Robert Genovese of the National Symphony Orchestra, and Dr. Norman Heim. He was Band Director at the Robert Goddard Junior High School in Lanham, MD where he developed one of Prince George’s County’s top Junior High music programs, which included Advanced Band, Intermediate Band, Beginning Band, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Choir and General Music. His bands received Superior Ratings at County Band Festivals and participated in State Band Festivals as well.
Relocating to Cincinnati from the Washington, DC area in 1989, Mr. Chumley joined the Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band in 1994. He joined the music faculty at Northern Kentucky University in 1998 where he was Adjunct Professor of Clarinet and assisted with the band program
by directing sectional rehearsals as well as playing with both the Concert Band and the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. While at NKU, he also served as Clarinet Instructor in the College Preparatory Program. In the summer of 1998, Mr. Chumley traveled with the NKU Symphonic Wind Ensemble on its Japan tour where the Wind Ensemble visited Gifu and Kyoto, Japan. He gave master classes and performed with the group while on this tour. During the spring of 1999, Mr. Chumley soloed with the NKU Symphonic Wind Ensemble and in December 1999, Mr. Chumley soloed with the Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band.
In the fall of 1999, Mr. Chumley left the business world and returned to full time teaching, directing the programs at the St. Cecelia and St. Joseph’s School in Independence and Cold Spring, KY. During this time, he also served as clarinet coach for the prestigious Lakota Local School District, working with several schools and directors in the district. In the fall of 2001, Mr. Chumley assumed the position of Music Director at Jac-Cen-Del Jr/Sr High School. He taught Junior High Choir, High School Concert Choir, 5th and 6th grade Bands, Junior Band and High School Concert Band, and Marching Band. The Marching Band performed before over 60,000 people at the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day Parade each year he was there, and, the both the Concert Band and Concert Choir participated in the Music In the Parks Festivals held at Kings Island in the spring of 2002.
Offered a position with the Lakota Local School District during the summer of 2002, Mr. Chumley left Jac-Cen-Del and assumed the position of band director at the new Lakota Plains Junior School. He team taught two-7th grade bands, two-8th grade bands, both 7th and 8th grade Jazz Band and 7th grade General Music comprised by over 270 students. In the spring of 2004, Mr. Chumley led the Plains Junior 8th grade band with 86 students in their first performance at the OMEA District XIII Large Group Adjudicated Event where the band became the first band in the history of Lakota Junior School participation in this event to perform Class A music. The band received the coveted Superior or “I” rating from each of the three judges on the panel. Going into the 2007-08 school year, the band program has continued to grow and prosper with approximately 400 students participating in three-7th grade and two-8th grade concert bands, a 7th and 8th grade jazz band. The 8th grade band has performed annually at the OMEA Junior High Large Group Adjudicated Event, receiving Superior ratings in Class A twice more. In February 2006, the 8th Grade Band was invited to and performed in a clinic session at the OMEA Northcoast Convention held in Cleveland, OH.
In addition to his work at Lakota Plains, Mr. Chumley has worked with the Lakota East High School Marching Band for the last 9 years, four as a volunteer and five as a member of the staff, helping the band achieve it’s highest ratings and maintain it’s tradition of Superior Ratings at every competition it has attended since the opening of the school. In the winter of 2004, Mr. Chumley volunteered with the Lakota East Winterguard, helping them achieve their highest score at State Finals. For the Fall 2004 marching season, he was named Assistant Colorguard Director with the band. The Colorguard received a score of 98.5 at one of the fall competitions, which was the highest score the Colorguard ever received and the highest score given at an OMEA sanctioned event.
Mr. Chumley is a sought after private instructor for clarinet performance. He maintains a studio of as many as 37 students. In 2005, two of his students were selected to participate in the master class held by the world renowned clarinetist, Richard Stoltzman. His students have been named members of the OMEA District XIII Honor Bands every year at all the different levels and he has had a student selected for the OMEA All-State High School Band each of the last 6 years.