Jeff Whitaker

Jeff Whitaker has been teaching for 22 years and is currently in his 11th year as the Director of Bands at Permian High School. He leads a team of 13 full-time band directors at Permian HS and its three feeder middle schools. Under his leadership, the MOJO Marching Band has been a UIL Area Champion and State Qualifier multiple times. The marching band has also been named a Bands of America Regional Finalist for the past 5 seasons and was named a finalist at the Duncanville Marching Invitational in 2019 and 2022. The marching band staff collaborates with the Permian Dance department for each year's outdoor production.

Permian's concert band program has continued a strong tradition of success. The Permian Symphonic Band has earned the UIL Sweepstakes Award every year that Mr. Whitaker has been the director. The Symphonic Band has been recognized nationally including a Featured Performance at the 2019 Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis. Due to the incredible growth of the Permian Band program now has two jazz bands, four percussion ensembles and four concert bands, all of which received the UIL Sweepstakes award for the past four seasons.

Before teaching at Permian, Mr. Whitaker was the Director of Bands at Monahans High School for 8 years where his bands qualified to the UIL State Marching Contest three times and was 3rd place in the Texas Honor Band finals in 2007. He began his teaching career in Midland, TX in 2001.

Mr. Whitaker is an adjudicator and clinician in Texas and New Mexico. He was recently elected to his 7th term as President of Region 6 of the Texas Music Educators Association and currently serves as the Region 6 Representative for the Texas Bandmasters Association. Mr. Whitaker is also a member of the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu, International Bandmasters' Fraternity, an honorary fraternity for band directors. In 2020 Mr. Whitaker was named Master Teacher of the Year for Permian High School.