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HHS hires band director

Jim Phillips

Hendersonville High School has a new band director, its first since Fran Shelton arrived in 1987.

HHS principal Bobby Wilkins hired Shelby Middle School band director Jim Phillips to lead the band program that has sent ensembles to the most renowned concert stages in America.
“We spent quite a while looking for the best person and we felt like he is it,” said Wilkins, whose father, George Wilkins Sr., was the band’s second drum major. “I feel really good about hiring him. He understands the tradition of what we’ve always had and we felt like he knew what we needed.”
Shelton, an HHS graduate who played trumpet and drums, retired this summer after leading the band for 28 years.
Phillips earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Appalachian State University in 1996 and has taught sixth through 12th grade bands in the Montgomery County, Shelby city, Gaston County and Cleveland County schools. He earned a masters degree in school administration from the University of Phoenix. Phillips enjoys spending time with his family and dog, hiking, visiting the Biltmore Estate and traveling, according to the Shelby Middle School website. He could not be reached for comment.
Wilkins was looking for the stability that has defined the HHS band, which has had only three band directors since 1948.
“I asked him that. I told the parents the other night that’s something he said that kind of stuck with me,” he said. “He’s got 15 years of teaching in and you can go 30 or more and he said, ‘I plan on being here 15 or more years,’ and I thought, he wants to do what we want him to do. That meant a lot, too, that he wants to stay with it.”
Wilkins said Phillips agreed with Shelton’s approach of forming two bands — a concert band and symphonic band — based on experience and skill level. He is already forming a marching band and plans to keep the HHS Jazz Band, a popular ensemble that plays for benefits and public events.
“He wanted to build the marching band program back up to be stronger than it was when Fran left,” Wilkins said. “That would be a big plus for us. I’m pleased with that.”
Phillips also endorsed the annual trips the HHS band takes, including competitions at such places as Carnegie Hall, Chicago Symphony Hall, Boston Symphony Hall and the Kennedy Center.
“He was happy with that,” he said. “He said, ‘I think that’s great. When you have a class act band you need to show it off as much as you can and one of the best ways Fran did that was take it on the road.’”
Wilkins announced the hire in a meeting with band parents last week. The concert and symphonic bands will travel to St. Louis next April for a competition.

Information from “History of the Hendersonville High School Band,” a 2010 HHS senior project research report by band member Katie Wells, was used in this report.