Mike Gillespie

Mike Gillespie joined The United States Army Field Band, a Washington D.C. premier military band, in 2020. With the band he has performed as a concerto soloist around the USA and on the PBS national broadcast for Veterans’ Day. He earned a Master of Music degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master of Arts in Teaching degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma. His primary teachers include Jim Ketch, Karl Sievers and Mark Clodfelter with additional studies with Carl Saunders, Charley Davis, and Tom Hooten.

Prior to joining the Field Band he was the trumpet professor at Campbell University. Mike toured the globe with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Shrek the Musical global tour and two runs of Elf the Musical as well as being a musician on cruise ships. As a freelancer he has performed with the Platters, the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus and numerous other ensembles including brass bands, chamber music, jazz big bands, top 40 bands and recording studio sessions as an arranger, producer and performer.

An advocate for music education, Mike taught superior rated ensembles as a high school band director and is Orff Schulwerk certified. He taught Kindergarten through Grade 8 in Hong Kong for two years additionally fronting a jazz trio around the city singing and playing. He has written marching band show formations for dozens of schools, colleges and drum corps and taught drum corps for several seasons after performing in them as a youth.

Mike marched Carolina Crown in 2002 and The Cavaliers 2005-2007 as a trumpet soloist. He taught Cavaliers in 2010 and Santa Clara Vanguard 2011-2014 as well as Carolina Gold 2011-2012. His drill design company, DrillforBand.com has been active since 2006. Most recently Mike wrote the drill and choreography for The Army Field Band’s show in Scotland at the Edinburg Military Tattoo.

Mike is an Appalachian trail thru hiker (2019) and a hot yoga certified instructor. He enjoys studying Tai Chi and thinking about running another marathon one day