About
Thomas Wells
Thomas Wells leads, writes for, and performs with the Selby Avenue Brass Band.
Learn More
About Thomas Wells
Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Minnesota
Teacher
After a 36 year career as a public school band director and music teacher, Tom is currently serving as the brass and jazz instructor at Walker | West Music Academy.
Composer
Compositions for young jazz combos with parts and instructional tips on improvisation.
Performer
Tom performs with the Selby Avenue Brass Band and the Minnesota State Band. He also plays electric bass in the Amazing Grace Gospel Choir.
Arranger
Song arrangement for the Selby Avenue Brass Band and vocalists, commissioned works for vocals with accompaniment or a cappella.
An Introduction
Thomas Wells Music
Tom was born into a large musical family in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In three generations over 20 music degrees, 12 of them from Western Michigan University, were awarded. Tom himself holds a Bachelors in Music Ed from WMU (77’) and a Master’s in Jazz studies from Indiana University ( 93’).
During his college years, Tom was Principal Tubaist with the Grand Rapids Symphony from 72-74’, and the American Wind Symphony in 75’ and 76’. In the Twin Cities, where he has resided since 1978, Tom has performed with Bill Banfield’s B-Magic Orchestra, Dick and Jane’s Big Brass Band, The Ulysses Brass Quintet, and the Minneapolis Tuba Quartet. As a Yamaha Clinician, Tom appeared as a guest soloist and clinician in both jazz and classical settings.
Presently, He leads, writes for, and performs with the Selby Avenue Brass Band selbyavebrassband.com, and performs with the Minnesota State Band, with which he has been featured as a soloist. Tom also plays electric bass in the Amazing Grace Gospel Choir.
As a 36 year veteran public school music teacher, Tom has taught in Minneapolis for 34 years, teaching at all grade levels. High Schools were at the beginning and end of his career, including the Visual and Performing Arts Magnet at North High, and, in between, 21 years at Ramsey International Fine Arts Center, A K-8 Magnet Program. Tom ended his teaching career by reviving the band program at Roosevelt High School. His primary areas of focus were band and jazz, but also taught some general music, orchestra and choir.
Tom has also taught at The New England Music Camp in the summers of 1978, 1980, and 1991, as well as the Urban Center for Talented Youth, a cooperative program of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Public Schools. Other summer teaching experiences include the Center for Performing Arts in South Minneapolis and numerous MPLS PS Community Ed summer programs.
Tom Presently teaches at Walker/West Music Academy in Saint Paul.
Columbia University’s Center for U.S. / China Arts Exchange selected Tom to lecture, perform, and teach in Yunnan Province of the People’s Republic of China in April 1994, after which he hosted teachers form Yunnan as they completed the exchange that fall.
The Guyana Lutheran Music Academy in New Amsterdam Guyana selected Tom to supervise music teachers for a month in 2016 and 2017.
In The Heart Of The Beast Puppet And Mask Theater (HOBT) has employed Tom as Music Director and Composer for their annual May Day Festival Ceremony in Minneapolis from 2010- 2019. Tom travelled with the HOBT to South Korea in 2001 for the Madanguch Outdoor Theater Festival in Gwacheon, where he was music director and composer.
Tom is a founding member of the J-Train, a jazz education organization started at the Dakota Jazz Club that now is known as Minnesota Jazz Education. Tom volunteers as the music curator for Friends for a Non-Violent World (FNVW) Holiday Fair.
Keepin' On (presented by Walker|West)
Episode 2 “I Still Got It”. Walker/West faculty member and band leader, Tom Wells, and singer extraordinaire, Thomasina Petrus, share their stories about the benefits of learning and growing through music.
Please find any possible means you can to retain the very fine music teacher at Marshall University. His name is Mr. Wells. This is his first year at the school.
My son is one of his students. I hear nothing but praise for Mr. Wells. My son has learned to play an instrument because of Mr. Wells. It is my belief that as a parent, we always have to be on the alert for the young, vibrant, energetic, responsible teachers that are making a positive contribution to our school.
I, along with several other parents at Marshall-U have been to the concerts that Mr. Wells and the students have put on. It was thoroughly enjoyable.
In today's budget crunch, I understand that there is always the possibility of losing some very fine teachers. It would truly be sad for me and my son if Mr. Wells is one of the teachers to be cut. Please do whatever you can to insure us of another wonderful music year this coming fall. Thank you,
There are a number of things that I wish to compliment you on in this letter and it seems reasonable to combine them. First, only because it is the most recent, I want you to understand. what a valuable and thorough job you performed in taking on the first All City Orchestra. It is an enormous job to break ground in a district this size. Your foresight in making the proposal to continue the orchestra galvanized all of us. You set high standards for the students in your choice of program and you have shown amazing. dedication in the amount of time you have spent calling students, arranging for the guest artists and putting the performance together in three different locations. Whether or not you continue with the orchestra next year, I want you to know how much your effort is appreciated and noticed throughout the district.
Secondly, I want to congratulate you for the time and thought you have given the instrumental program at North. It has taken your clear articulation of problems and goals for us to be able to understand and act on that program. You are building the program because of your understanding of what it needs and I appreciate that very much.
It is a pleasure to work with you.
Sincerely,
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