Director of Bands
Ryan Fitchpatrick is currently the director of bands at Hoover High School in Hoover, Alabama. He attended Jacksonville State University where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree. He then served as a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Alabama where he earned a Master of Music Education.
Mr. Fitchpatrick is in his twenty third year of teaching as a high school director. Prior to serving at Hoover, he was the director of bands at Oak Grove High School in Oak Grove, Alabama. While at Oak Grove he helped lead the program to such accomplishments as Bands of America Super Regional Class Champion and performing at the Alabama Music Educators Association Conference.
While serving as the director at Hoover High School for the past thirteen years, the band program has received superior ratings consistently. Under his leadership the marching band has grown to membership exceeding 350. The competition marching band has been a finalist at BOA regionals on numerous occasions as well as 4A class champion at the Jacksonville BOA regional. Mr. Fitchpatrick has conducted Hoover’s top jazz ensemble at the 66th and 72nd Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has led the Hoover “Symphonic Winds” to premier performances at numerous honor band festivals and National Adjudicators Invitational, Grand NAI. The ensemble has also been a featured band at the 2017 Music for All National Concert Band Festival and the College Band Directors National Association Conference in 2019.
Mr. Fitchpatrick has served on the Alabama Bandmasters Association Executive Board as District IV Chairman. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, Alabama Music Educators Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Delta Pi. He has been featured as one of School Band & Orchestra’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference” as well as the recipient of the National Band Association’s Citation of Excellence. Additionally, Mr. Fitchpatrick has enjoyed performing with the Birmingham based, Super Jazz Orchestra and Alabama Winds, a statewide community band.
Mr. Fitchpatrick lives in Hoover with his wife Adrian, son Brayden, and daughters Kinsley and Ellerey.