Director
Email: greats@aol.com
Dr. Gary Thomas Scott retired as Dean of the School of Creative Arts and Applied Sciences at Long Beach City College after 38 years in education. He previously served as the Director of Bands at the college for 10 years and has continued as the Director of the college’s Evening Wind Symphony for the past 35 years. He is the founder and musical director of the Band of the California Battalion, a fully reenacted Union Civil War Brass Band that is celebrating its 30th year as an ensemble. The Band has traveled all over the country providing concerts and living history performances including the National Civil War Brass Band Festival, the Grammy Museum, the Smithsonian in Washington D.C., the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, PA, Antietam, Harper’s Ferry and two performances on the Battlefield at Gettysburg. In June of 2015 the Band performed as guests of the National Park Service at Fort Sumter in Charleston, S.C.
Dr. Scott previously served two terms as an elected member and past President of the Board of Education for the San Gabriel Unified School District and was reelected to a third term in 2013 again serving as Board President. He recently began serving his fourth term on the Board in 2018 once again serving as Board President. Dr. Scott is also a member of the CSBA (California School Board Association) Delegate Assembly representing Region 23A and also serves on the Governing Board of the San Gabriel Valley ROP. Gary has been a music director and church cantor at St. Anthony Catholic Church in San Gabriel, CA for the past 40 years as well as Chair of the Pastoral Council. Additionally, Dr. Scott has frequently served as a guest clinician, judge and conductor for honor bands and festivals throughout the Southwestern United States.
Dr. Scott earned his BA and MA degrees in Music Education from California State University, Los Angeles and a Doctor of Education from UCLA. He has been married to his wife Mary for 47 years, has an adult son and daughter and identical twin grand daughters.
Dr. Scott began his musical career playing clarinet in 4th grade. Although he was a clarinet major in college, Dr. Scott asserts, "I spent most of my time playing sax and made all of my money playing drums”. In the past, Dr. Scott has also served as the Director of Bands at Bellflower High School, Director of Bands at Cerritos Community College, Associate Director of Bands at California State University, Los Angeles and Instrumental Musical Specialist for the Rowland Unified School District. The position in Rowland required Dr. Scott to drive modified school bus that served as a "mobile” band room. This innovative and award-winning program, including the CSBA Golden Bell, served multiple school sites in the district.
When not playing, conducting music or tackling the challenges of our educational systems, Dr. Scott loves traveling with his wife Mary in their motorhome and enjoys reading techo-thrillers.