Phantom Regiment is pleased to announce the hiring of Will Pitts as brass arranger.

Fans may remember Pitts as the conductor for most of the 2008 Spartacus show, however, since he aged out of Phantom Regiment, he has had a successful career as a band director, conductor and composer.

“I’m excited to be back home with Regiment. It’s where I grew up in drum corps as both a fan and performer,” Pitts said.

“I believe I told (1989 conductor) Mark Hourigan in my first audition with Phantom Regiment that I wanted to be drum major and that I wanted to be the brass arranger after that.”

Pitts was conductor of Phantom Regiment in 2005, 2007 and 2008 and was honored with the Mark Glasscoe Memorial Member of the Year Award in 2008. He went on to serve on the Regiment management staff and, most recently, as the brass arranger for Spirit of Atlanta.

He’ll join Jeremy Earnhart (coordinator), Bret Kuhn (percussion battery) and Rob Ferguson (percussion front ensemble), who all return to the music design team. We’d like to thank Don Hill for his years of service as our brass arranger for the previous 4 years.

“I hope to continue the focus on making the Phantom Regiment brand strong and taking what we are so well known for and helping move it forward,” Pitts said.

Pitts grew up in Carrollton, Ga., and graduated summa cum laude from Emory University, where he studied saxophone, conducting and composition. He has completed graduate study at North Georgia University and University of Michigan.

“Will has done some amazing work in his young career, and we look forward to hearing the impact he’ll have on the Regiment,” said Dan Farrell, corps director and program coordinator.

His marching band arrangements have been performed by finalists in the Texas State Marching Band Championships and the Bands of America Regionals and Grand Nationals, while his compositions have been commissioned and performed all over the world. Among those who have commissioned his work are University of North Texas, the Canadian Staff Band of the Salvation Army, Wake Forest University, Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony, Atlanta Trumpet Ensemble, Vega String Quartet, French hornist J.D. Shaw, tubist Christian Carichner and the Northwinds Symphonic Band.

Pitts is composer-in-residence at Pace Academy in Atlanta, where he teaches music theory. Previously, he was a band director at Duncanville High School in Texas. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Emily, who is also a teacher at Pace Academy.