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Directors

Mr. Milligan, Band Director, is in his 26th year of teaching in the East Tennessee area. Prior to his appointment to Gibbs High School,  he taught at Karns Middle School, Karns High School, Bearden High School, Powell High School, Webb School, Oak Ridge High School, and most recently at Carter High School in Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Milligan attended the University of Tennessee at Knoxville participating in the “Pride of the Southland” Marching Band and various ensembles. 

Mr. Milligan is a member of MENC, TMEA, Who’s Who Among American Teachers, ETSBOA, Phi Beta Mu Professional Music Fraternity, and a current member of the 572nd Air Force Band – The Air National Guard Band of the South.

–Spence Milligan

Thomas Bates is the assistant director of bands at Gibbs High School. Thomas is an alumnus of Gibbs and after graduating has worked with the program as the trumpet instructor from 2015 – 2019. Thomas did his university studies at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro, TN. Here, he studied Instrumental Music Education under Prof. Craig Cornish, Prof. Allen Kennedy, Dr. Dennis Hawkins, and Dr. Christopher Dye. While at MTSU he also studied trumpet performance under Dr. Michael Arndt. Thomas graduated MTSU in Spring of 2019 with a Bachelor’s of Instrumental Music Education and Trumpet Performance. He started his time as the director with Gibbs High in the Fall of 2019. Thomas plans to grow the numbers in the program and create a high achieving music ensemble in concert and marching bands.  

Thomas Bates

–Thomas Bates

Jim Foust has been a percussion instructor and freelance percussionist in the Knoxville area for the past 16 years and a middle school band director for the past 8 years. He studied music education at the University of Tennessee Knoxville where he developed his skills as a teacher and player. He studied Percussion under Mark Douglas . Jim participated in the UT Wind Ensemble , Symphonic Band , Concert Band , Orchestra, Percussion Ensemble , Pride of the Southland Marching Band, and many other ensembles . To his credit he was a member of the Spokane Thunder Drum and Bugle Corps in 2008 where he was under the instruction of Jeff Willis and Anthony King. In 2010 he returned to Spokane Thunder as a tech under Zac Robason.

–Jim Foust