ROBERT (DEE) BISHOP

Director Of Bands

Robert Dee Bishop became Director of Bands at Lafayette High School in 2021 after joining the program as associate director in 2016. Prior to his tenure at Lafayette, he served as Director of Bands at Tates Creek High School from 2006-2015, and Director of Bands at Murray High School in Murray, KY from 2001-2006. Before coming home to teach in Kentucky, Mr. Bishop taught for 10 years in Tennessee concluding his tenure in Union City, TN as Associate Director of Bands at Union City High School. Mr. Bishop is a native of Princeton, KY and a graduate of Loyola University in New Orleans, LA with a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He has also received a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN. His bands have consistently received distinguished ratings in concert and marching band festivals on the local, state and national level. In addition to his teaching, Mr. Bishop has served as guest conductor for area honor bands and as an adjudicator for marching and concert band festivals across the United States. Mr. Bishop holds membership in many professional music and educational associations including NAfME, Kentucky Music Educators Association, National Bandmasters Association, Phi Beta Mu and Phi Mu Alpha fraternity. He also performs as a member of the Lexington Brass Band. Mr. Bishop and his wife Johnnie reside in Lexington with their daughter, Anna.

AARON JONES

Associate Director of Bands and Director of Percussion

Aaron Jones comes from Hopkinsville, KY but is an eastern Kentucky native. He is the Director of Percussion of Lafayette High School. Mr. Jones has a bachelor’s degree in music education from Morehead State University with a focus on percussion studies where he studied under Frank Oddis and Dr. Brian Mason, and a master’s in teacher leadership through the University of the Cumberlands. Mr. Jones has an extensive background in the marching percussive arts having served as a performing member of the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps under the advisement of Paul Rennick, and as the Front Ensemble Technician and Arranger for the 2007 DCI Division III World Champions, the Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, who were also awarded with the highest division percussion honors. Other national experiences of his include serving as percussion consultant and arranger for the University of Texas of El Paso Marching Miners. Over the last 7 years Mr. Jones has been serving as the music teacher and assistant band director at Millbrooke Elementary where, in 2013, he was chosen as Millbrooke’s Christian County Representative Teacher of the Year. From July of 2016 through June of 2018 he also served as a Kentucky Department of Education Regional Arts Representative where he helped develop, implement and assess the current state arts curriculum in the western region of Kentucky. All the while Mr. Jones has continued to teach, consult, adjudicate and work with numerous music and percussion programs from around the state and country including the Daviess County High School percussion program in Daviess County, KY, the Akins High School Band in Austin TX, and the reigning runner-up and previous champion in KMEA 4A State Marching Band Championship Competition, the Hopkinsville High School Band in Hopkinsville, KY. Mr. Jones is a returning resident of Lexington where he resides with his wife, Delana Jones.

DR. CHRIS STRANGE

Associate Director of Bands and Director of Jazz Ensemble

Dr. Strange, a native of Windham, Maine, has been teaching the Lafayette Jazz Ensemble since 2008 and been the Associate Director of Bands at Lafayette since 2021. Prior to his appointment at Lafayette High School he served as the Director of Bands at Jessie Clark Middle School for over 10 years. He earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Maine and Master’s and Doctoral degrees from the University of Kentucky. Upon completing his Master’s degree he spent a year touring the country with the Glenn Miller Orchestra as its lead tenor saxophonist. While on the road, he performed at several well-known jazz venues including the famous New York club, Birdland. From 1998 through 2012, Chris served on the staff of Maine Summer Youth Music, a music camp held at the University of Maine in Orono. His duties there included teaching saxophone and directing Jazz and Concert bands. Prior to teaching in Kentucky, he taught instrumental music at public schools in Maine and Indiana. Dr. Strange has presented jazz clinics and directed All-State as well as District Jazz/Concert Honor bands in Maine, Kentucky and Indiana. He currently lives in Lexington with his wife Julie.