From a Spirit press release Dr. Chip Crotts has accepted the position as Sprit from JSU's brass caption head for the 2006 season. The corps is extremely excited to have him in this position and look forward to all of the wonderful things that are in store for the upcoming season's horn line.

Crotts is in his fourth year as assistant professor of trumpet and director of jazz studies at Jacksonville State University. Raised in North Carolina, Crotts received a bachelor of music business degree from East Carolina University. During his time at ECU, Chip marched as a lead soprano player with the Phantom Regiment and for two years as soprano soloist with the Blue Devils. In 1997, Crotts received a master of music degree in trumpet performance from Penn State University and began working as a full-time trumpet player at a theme park in Orlando, Fla. This led to his appointment as assistant director of the International Student Show Band in Paris. After spending two summers at a theme park in Paris, Chip moved to Austin, Texas, where he completed a doctor of musical arts degree in trumpet performance and jazz studies at the University of Texas at Austin. Former teachers and mentors include Ray Crisara, Jerry Junkin, Carroll Dashiell and Wayne Downey. In addition to being an on-call trumpet artist throughout the U.S. and Europe, Crotts has toured and performed with artists such as Ray Charles, Rhythm & Brass, The Manhattan Transfer and Maynard Ferguson. A Grammy-nominated trumpeter, Chip is in frequent demand as a freelance musician throughout the Southeast and is a first call lead player for many national touring companies and artists. Crotts is also a member of the Tuscaloosa Horns, with whom he tours nationally with artists such as the OJ's, Four Tops and the Temptations. As a clinician and consultant, Crotts has worked with numerous high school and college groups over the past 15 years, most notably the Kennesaw Mountain High School Band and Spirit from JSU. Chip has been an adjudicator for Bands of America and Drum Corps International and is currently affiliated with the International Association of Jazz Educators, International Trumpet Guild and MENC.

As well as serving as the 2006 Brass Caption Head for Spirit from JSU, Crotts will serve as a Yamaha Trumpet Performing Artist.