Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tom Palmatier. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Tom thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

In high school I was sure I would pursue a career in music. After getting bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education and lots of experience as a gigging musician, I joined the Army Music Program hoping to stay in for three years and then get a doctoral degree and teach at a university. Little did I know that three years stretched to nearly 38. I worked my way from a tuba player at the lowest rank to ultimately being the senior director of music in the Armed Forces and Leader and Commander of The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” After retirement from the Army I needed to do what I advise many peers to do – don’t dwell in the past; decide who you are now!

Tom, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My post-Army life has included several “side hustles,” all related to music education. I work all over as a conductor and clinician for bands and orchestras of all ages. This requires me to tailor the music selection and teaching methods to the group. I also own and manage a ballet studio! My daughter is a wonderful ballet dancer and teacher and I handle all of the non-dance parts of the business. Her three kids also dance and the oldest, a 12 year old, just completed a three week intensive (think ballet boot camp) with the Bolshoi Ballet. We offer classes to all ages and ability levels and starting from scratch in early 2019 and weathering a pandemic, the studio is thriving.
For four years, I was a columnist for School Band & Orchestra (SBO) magazine, a print and digital product that goes monthly to nearly 40,000 subscribers, mostly music teachers. About 18 months ago, I was moved up to Editor-in-Chief. Besides continuing to write myself, I curate, edit, and shape the articles that go into each issue. It’s a tremendous amount of work but is an opportunity to help our readers serve their students better. The magazine has rebranded as SBO+ and now includes choral, music theater, jazz, and modern band (rock) genres.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

In addition to the aforementioned “side hustles,” I conduct an adult community band and frequently work as a substitute teacher. All of those activities relate to my goal of helping young (and old) people have a richer life by active participation in the arts. Whether it’s music, dance, theater, or visual arts, every person should have opportunities to experience the thrill that comes from collaborating and creating something of beauty.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Certainly the biggest “pivot” in my life was retiring from the Army. With a comfortable pension and being in my 60’s, it would have been easy to kick back and be “on vacation.” Instead, despite having conducted musicians and music at the very highest level, I chose to focus on being a music educator. Transitioning from being at the peak of my profession and working 60+ hours per week to being a “retiree” with no goals was not an option. Indeed, I refuse to use the word “retired.” I’m self-employed! I get to decide what projects I want to work on and who I work with.

Contact Info:

• Website: ThomasPalmatier.com and EvergreenBallet.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/THPMusicLLC
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colonel-thomas-palmatier-7b6ba822/