Meet the Farragut High band director who played sax with jazz notables

Nancy Anderson
·3 min read

The Farragut High School Marching Admirals have a new feather in their band hats with the addition of Rodney Brown as assistant band director.

Brown comes to Farragut after a four-year stint as band director for Union County High School and a six-year stint as band director at West High School.

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Asked why he chose to join Farragut’s music program, he said, “I’ve been in East Tennessee going on 11 years, and without being too clichéd in using a  naval reference, Farragut High School has been the flagship of Knox County Schools for the entirety of its existence. Why not join a program this strong and have the opportunity to do the things this band program does on a regular basis.

“Farragut is a great school with a great band program and I’m just humbled to be here.”

Brown, a lifelong musician, said he comes from a musical family with dad (a Baptist minister) playing guitar, mom playing piano and organ, and older sister playing saxophone.

New assistant band director Rodney Brown in the band room at Farragut High School, Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
New assistant band director Rodney Brown in the band room at Farragut High School, Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

“My sister is 16 years older than me. When she was graduating college, I was graduating kindergarten. After graduation, she went to work and put down her saxophone; but I knew where they were and they beckoned to me.

“I grew up in Atlanta and that school system had elementary band, so I started band in third grade. I’ve been playing ever since. Once music gets in your blood, it simply cannot get out.”

Brown said his earliest memory is being passed around the band at football games at his sister’s high school.

Brown came to Knoxville originally to get his master’s in music education at the University of Tennessee. He didn’t get the assistantship he was hoping for and out-of-state tuition was too great a burden, so he transferred to the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg.

But fate intervened. He met his wife, Erin, one month before he was due to leave Knoxville.

Rodney Brown moves into his new office as assistant band director, placing a photo of himself with his twin daughters front and center on his desk at Farragut High School Tuesday, July 12, 2022.
Rodney Brown moves into his new office as assistant band director, placing a photo of himself with his twin daughters front and center on his desk at Farragut High School Tuesday, July 12, 2022.

“I had a pretty bad attitude about Knoxville when I didn’t get the assistantship, but then I met Erin. We did long distance while I got my master’s with me coming to Knoxville every other weekend. I guess I sort of never left.”

The pair live off Middlebrook Pike near Karns with their 20-month-old twins, Allison and Alexandria.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw, Georgia. After playing with several notable jazz artists such as Branford Marsalis, Denis DiBlasio, Jon Faddis, and Jimmy Heath, he returned to Kennesaw State to earn another bachelor’s in saxophone performance.

As assistant band director, Brown will assist Kenneth Carrico in the day-to-day operations of the band. He will direct the Concert Band and the Winter Guard.

“I’m really excited about the program. We’re going to have a lot of fun,” Brown said.

Info: www.farragutband.org/directors.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Farragut High band director Rodney Brown played sax with jazz notables