Edward L. Graves, has served as Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Tennessee State University in Nashville since 1979. Teacher and mentor to hundreds of students and graduates in his 25 years at Tennessee State, "Prof. Graves" has developed a band program that has won national and international acclaim for outstanding musical performance, innovative arrangements and precision marching.
Under Prof. Graves' leadership, the Tennessee State band program has flourished and is appropriately named "The Aristocrat of Bands" for its prominence as a college band program and its quality of musicianship. Graves' leadership mentors 250 student band members recruited from all over the country, and five assistant band directors and majorette coordinators.
With its polished and professional image, the Band is often called upon to represent the University's image among potential students, alumni, corporate supporters and audiences around the world. Under Graves' direction, the Band has traveled to Japan to perform at halftime in the Mirage Bowl, and the Jazz Ensemble has traveled to Switzerland as part of the Montreaux Jazz Festival as well as touring Nigeria. In 1993 and 1997 the Band performed in the Inaugural Parades of President Bill Clinton. In addition the Band has been featured during numerous television halftime shows and specials.
In addition to his role at Tennessee State, Graves is often sought as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator, and performs several of these engagements each year.
Named one of the Outstanding Educators of America, and a past chairman of the Tennessee College Band Directors National Association, Mr. Graves' professional affiliates include the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the National Association of Wind and Percussion Instructors, the Music Educators Association, and the Tennessee Bandmasters Association. He is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu National Band Honorary Society, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi Band Fraternity. He currently serves on the board of directors for the Historically Black College and University National Band Directors Consortium.
His career has spanned positions at North Carolina A&T State University as instructor of Music, Tuskegee Institute as Director of Bands, and Shaw University as Director of Bands and Coordinator of the Music Department.
Born in Starksville, Mississippi in 1940, Graves holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Tennessee State University and a masters degree in music education from the University of Illinois
Reginald A. McDonald, Associate Director
Reginald A. McDonald, a native of Atlanta, Georgia serves as Associate Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Tennessee State University. Prior to his appointment at Tennessee State University, Mr. McDonald served as Director of Bands at McNair Middle School in College Park, Georgia and Director of Bands/Music Department Chairman at Southwest Dekalb High School in Decatur, Georgia. During his public school tenure, Mr. McDonald’s middle and high school bands received ten years of consecutive superior ratings at marching and concert band competitions and festivals. His bands have performed for prestigious audiences such as the Atlanta Falcons nationally televised NFL-playoff game and President Bush’s visit to the Atlanta Fernbank Museum. He has been cited as an “expert teacher” by Fulton County Board of Education and honored as “teacher of the year” in 1996. Mr. McDonald has appeared as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator in Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia. He is a member of Music Educators National Conference, Historically Black College and University Band Directors Consortium, Tennessee Music Educators Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Who’s Who in America. A graduate of Alabama State University, Mr. McDonald also holds a Masters Degree in Music Education from the State University of West Georgia and an Educational Specialist Degree in Education Leadership from Clark Atlanta University. Presently he is pursuing a Doctorate in Music Education at The University of Alabama.
James Sexton, Assistant Director / Director of the Jazz Ensembles
James Sexton serves as Assistant Director of Bands, Director of the Jazz Ensemble and Instructor in the Department of Music. He has developed innovative arrangements and contributed greatly to the outstanding musical performance of the Tennessee State University Band since 1992. Throughout his career, he has served as an arranger, guest conductor, clinician, and band festival judge.
Mr. Sexton holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music and a Master of Science degree in Music Education, both from Tennessee State University. His professional affiliations include the Music Educators National Conference, the International Association of Jazz Educators, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Sean Daniels , Assistant Director
Judy Fenton Gentry, Majorette Coordinator
Ms. Gentry began teaching in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance as Dance Instructor in the Fall of 1980 at Tennessee State University. She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education, with an area of specialization in dance from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt, and her M.A. Ed. From Tennessee State University.
She has studied with Donna Rizzo, Tom Pazk, Jim Piersall, Mable Love, Fenecia Briggance, Bruce Taylor, Chuck Davis and the late Raymond Clay. She studied dance in Taipei Taiwan, Formosa (China) and danced professionally with the Centennial Dancers for 5 years and served as lead Dancer and choreographer for the Nashville Mistrial Players for 3 years. Mrs. Gentry choreographed for the spring 1986 production of “Purlie” and Treemonisha”.
Mrs. Gentry and the T.S.U. Dance Experience Ensemble performed in the Nashville Symphony’s 1987 Spring Pop series featuring Bobby Jones and New Life and performed for the famous Dr. Pearl Primus.
Mrs. Gentry worked on a T.V. special with Ben Vereen and David Soul entitled, “Making It” with Cheryl and Friends, and served as judge for the 1996, 1997 and 1998 U.S. American All-Star Dance and Drill Team Championship held at Opryland U.S.A.
Mrs. Gentry served two weeks as a Master Instructor for the Bahamas Dance Theater at the College of the Bahamas Nassau, Bahamas in July 2000, 2002.
In addition to teaching in the Department of Human Performance & Sport Sciences, Mrs. Gentry is the founder, choreographer, and Artistic Director of the T.S.U. Dance Experience Ensemble and has served eighteen years as the Coordinator and Choreographer for the T.S.U. Aristocrat of Bands, “Sophisticated Ladies”. She was Master Instructor for Malone Studios of Dance for six years. Mrs. Gentry was selected as one of the most inspiring teachers in America for the Academic years 2002-2003, 2003-2004. She was inducted into the Tennessee State University College of Education’s Wall of Fame 2005.
Michelle Allen, Office Manager
Since 1997 Michelle Allen has served as secretary and office manager for the University Band program. Born in Chicago, Illinois, she is an alumnus of Tennessee State University and the Aristocrat of Bands.
Melva Tate, Secretary
Melva Tate, a native of Memphis, TN serves as Secretary for University Bands at Tennessee State University. Miss Tate holds a Bachelor of Business Administration Degree in Business Information Systems from Tennessee State University. She is an Aristocrat of Bands Alumnae as well as a charter member of the Kappa Iota chapter of Sigma Alpha iota International Music Fraternity for Women.
