Dr. Chip Crotts serves as Director of Jazz Studies and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the Georgia Institute of Technology. A GRAMMY-nominated artist, Crotts has performed and recorded for the Disney Company in Europe and the United States and maintains an active career as a first call musician for national touring shows and orchestral dates throughout the United States. Chip has toured and worked with numerous international artists and ensembles, including Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, The Manhattan Transfer, Frankie Valli, Jamie Cullum, Boston Brass, Rhythm and Brass, The O’Jay’s, The Temptations and Maynard Ferguson, among others.
As an educator and clinician, Dr. Crotts presents clinics nationally on Brass Pedagogy, Jazz Pedagogy, Breathing for Wind Players and Versatility in Performance. Currently, Dr. Crotts serves as Vice-President of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators, as well as being a member of NAfME, the American Federation of Musicians, the Jazz Education Network and The International Trumpet Guild. He is a past fellowship recipient from the Aspen Music Festival and Music at the Banff Centre (Canada), as well as a grant recipient from the National Endowment for the Arts, Georgia Tech Foundation, and recent selection as a Georgia Tech “Class of 1969 Teaching Fellow”.
Highly involved in the marching arts, Crotts has served as a brass instructor with Spirit of Atlanta, Phantom Regiment, The Cavaliers, Santa Clara Vanguard and is presently Brass Co- Caption Head for the 19-time DCI World Champion Blue Devils. Chip is very active as a clinician and adjudicator and has served in this capacity with organizations such as Bands of America, Drum Corps International, Drum Corps Japan, DCI Taiwan Marching Academy, Winter Guard International, and numerous state and national music educator associations
Dr. Crotts received his undergraduate degree in Music Business from East Carolina University, a Master of Music in Orchestral Performance from Penn State University, as well as the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trumpet Performance with a Jazz Emphasis from the University of Texas at Austin. His primary teachers include Ray Sasaki, Ray Crisara, John Daniel and Tom Huener, including additional studies with Boyde Hood and Roger Ingram.
Previously, Chip served on the faculties of Samford University, Jacksonville State University and The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Crotts resides in Acworth, GA with his wife Kelly and daughter Abigail.
Dr. Crotts is a Bach Performing Artist, as well as a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician and Instrument Design Consultant.