Dr. Jerry Gatch worked as a public school music educator in South Carolina for twenty-nine years. Currently, he is the Director of Bands at Newberry College. He earned a Master of Music degree in Theory/Composition and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Gatch is active as an adjudicator, clinician, arranger, and performer. He spent twenty years as Director of Bands at Lexington High School (SC), where his bands achieved a national reputation for excellence. Under his baton, the Lexington Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the southern division MENC, CBDNA/NBA, BOA National Concert Band Festival, Grand NAI, NAI, the USC Band Clinic, and multiple times at SCMEA conferences. His marching bands at Lexington were finalists every year, winning a State Championship in 1993 and medaling most other years. Additionally, he was the conductor of the South Carolina Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for twelve years. Dr. Gatch has served as a judge and guest conductor for numerous contests, festivals, clinics, and camps throughout the country. He is a free-lance performer bass and is an active composer and arranger. Dr. Gatch has been awarded the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence seven times and was elected to the John Philip Sousa Foundation’s BandWorld Legion of Honor. He was inducted into the South Carolina Band Directors Association’s Hall of Fame in 2013. Dr. Gatch’s professional affiliations include SCBDA, SCMEA, CBDNA, NAfME, NBA, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha, and Phi Beta Mu.