HHS’s Fitchpatrick honored as one of ‘50 Directors Who Make a Difference’

Ryan Fitchpatrick, band director at Hoover High School, has been named one of 50 Directors Who Make a Difference in School Band and Orchestra magazine’s most recent issue.

Fitchpatrick is in his 14th year teaching in Alabama. Although he has only been teaching at Hoover High School for three years, his presence at the school has made an impact on his students.

“The most exciting part of leading a group of students that have so much talent and potential is that each day I feel as though I have the opportunity to make a difference and encourage them to grow,” Fitchpatrick said.

His bands have been named a Band’s of America Super Regional Class Champion, performed at the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference and have made consistent superior ratings at the district and state level. It was also a recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence.

“I am blessed to be in a profession where I don’t simply ‘go to work’ each day. I am privileged to do what I love and, in the process, impact students such that they grow musically and as people” he said.

Fitchpatrick is known throughout Alabama for “emphasizing a strong foundation in fundamentals of playing as it pertains to each student’s particular instrument,” he told School Band and Orchestra.

Currently, Fitchpatrick serves on the Alabama Bandmasters Association Executive Board as District IV Chairman.

His professional affiliations include the Music Educators National Conference, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia and Kappa Delta Pi. He is also a regular performer with Super Jazz Orchestra.