Michael Tackett

Michael Tackett is a Professor of Music and Director of Bands/Orchestras at College of the Sequoias, Visalia, CA. He has been in this position for the past nine years. Mr. Tackett earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and a Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from the University of Denver’s Lamont School of Music. In 2002 he was appointed Assistant Conductor of the Lamont Symphony Orchestra/Opera Theatre and the Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Prior to his tenure at College of the Sequoias he served as Director of Band/Orchestral and Musical Theatre Activities at El Diamante High School in Visalia. During his tenure at El Diamante his ensembles performed throughout the country. In 2007 his Orchestra competed in the National Orchestra Festival in Detroit, Michigan, and in 2009 his Wind Ensemble traveled to New York to perform in Carnegie Hall as part of the National Wind Ensemble Festival. As director of The El Diamante Marching Miners, Michael led the group in winning four Western Band Association Class 4A Championships.

Michael has served fifteen years as conductor for the College of the Sequoias Music Theatre Program and eighteen years for the Tulare County Office of Education Musical Program. He has currently conducted and/or directed over fifty musical productions for a variety of theatre companies across the United States. Michael also conducts the Sequoia Winds in Visalia, CA. This is a position he has served in for the past eight years. He has been a guest conductor with The Tulare County Symphony Orchestra, The Citrus Wind Ensemble in Southern California, The TKMEA Honor Orchestra and Band, The VUSD High School Honor Band and The Fresno-Madera Counties Music Educators Association Honor Orchestra. Michael currently serves as the California Music Educators Association Central Section Past-President and Exhibit Host for CASMEC on the California Band Directors Association Board.

Mr. Tackett has been awarded a Certificate of Merit from the National Band Association (2007), was named Tulare/Kings County Band Educator of the year (2008), Orchestra Educator (2011), and Teacher of the Year for Visalia Unified School District in 2013. Michael is a member of The California Music Education Association, California Band Directors Association, National Association for Music Education, and The College Band Directors National Association. Michael loves his job and feels blessed to work with such wonderful students.