Learning a musical instrument is an incredibly rewarding pursuit. Getting the most out of musical study means accessing high quality arts experiences both as a learner and an audience member, finding mentors to navigate the many pathways available to artists in today’s interconnected world, and embracing the understanding that this pursuit is a lifelong journey. Patrick Bailey is a career musician, educator, conductor, and administrator whose professional pursuits center on meeting these needs.
At its core, artistic training serves to deepen one’s understanding of the world and enrich one’s life.
Patrick currently serves as a tenured faculty member of the Pennsbury School District instrumental music program in Southeastern Pennsylvania - Pennsbury has been recognized as one of the best communities for music education in the country by the N.A.M.M. foundation for over a decade. The school district’s instrumental music program provides opportunities for students in 4th through 12th grade to learn a musical instrument in school. Performing ensembles from the district have toured 4 continents, won national and international musical competitions, and been a springboard for the careers of many professional musicians and music educators. Patrick’s roles within the instrumental music program have included director positions with the high school curricular concert bands, co-
curricular marching and jazz bands, extra-curricular pit orchestra and chamber music programs; and director and coordinator positions with the middle school and elementary school curricular band and orchestra programs, and extra-curricular honor programs.
In addition to his work in public education, Patrick is deeply involved in the arts education non-profit sector through his work as on the artistic and administrative staff of the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra Music Institute; he currently serves as the Operations Director & Librarian for the Institute, and Director & Conductor of the Philadelphia Youth Symphonic Band – a new program offering from the Institute which seeks to engage advanced instrumental students through performance of professional level concert band and wind ensemble repertoire.
As a part of his efforts to bridge the gap between participation in school music programs and continued engagement in the arts after graduation, Patrick engages in music education at the collegiate level as well. Appointed in 2019, Patrick has served as the Music Director & Conductor of the Drexel University Concert Band program. The DUCB connects students from across the University through shared experience and performance. Students who make up this ensemble are not music majors, as Drexel does not offer a music performance major: members of the DUCB attend Drexel to study architecture, biology, engineering, computer science, fashion design, behavioral and health sciences, music industry, and more, and stay involved in music through performance in the university’s flagship concert band program. These students rehearse twice a week and perform great works from the concert band repertoire. Past positions in higher education include adjunct professor at Temple University, where Patrick co-authored the Arts Enterprise course on personal financial management and entrepreneurship in the arts, and adjunct professor at Moore College of Art and Design where he taught entrepreneurship in the business minor program.
Patrick is also an active freelance percussionist and private lesson instructor for percussion students: his performances as a soloist included the 2012 North American Debut of John Psathas’s Timpani Concerto Planet Damnation. He also has the distinction of winning the 2009 "Individual and Ensemble" gold medal as a member of Drum Corps International's Boston Crusaders. Patrick is a published composer and author through Bachovich Music Publications. Most recently, his work Journeys for percussion ensemble received its European Premier in the fall of 2019.
He holds degrees from Temple University (B.M. Music Education) and Drexel University (M.S. Arts Administration), as well as continuing education credits from the University of the Arts and the American College of Education. In 2016, Patrick was awarded the Karen Murdoch Scholarship for Visionary Leadership in the Arts by Drexel University. Other honors include Temple University’s Jack Moore Scholarship for contributions to the percussion department, PYO Music Institute’s Helen Carp distinguished service award, Pennsbury’s Stan Kenton Award for excellence in jazz, and membership in various academic honors societies. Patrick is a member of the Vic Firth Education Team; American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers; Pennsylvania Music Educators Association; College Band Directors National Association; and National Association for Music Education.
B.M. in Music Education, Temple University
M.S. in Arts Administration, Drexel University