Mr. J. Jeff Beckman, Director Emeritus of the McGavock Band program, grew up in Donelson, Tennessee where he attended McGavock High School and was a successful member of the McGavock Band program. He retired from the Metro Nashville Public Schools system in 2013.

At McGavock, Beckman was selected as an All-State Musician and elected to the position of Band President. After graduating from McGavock High School, Mr. Beckman attended Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, TN, as a Music Education Major. As an undergraduate student, he served as the Percussion Instructor at McGavock High School. Mr. Beckman earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, Tennessee. Additionally, he received his Master of Arts Degree in Education and “Plus Thirty” Certification from Cumberland University in Lebanon, Tennessee. He is a Career Ladder teacher in the State of Tennessee and has achieved “Highly Qualified” Status in the “No Child Left Behind” program. In 2005, he was named “Teacher of the Year” at McGavock High School and received the “Educator of the Year” award from the Donelson-Hermitage Chamber of Commerce.

Mr. Beckman served as a Band Director at McGavock High School for just over twenty-five years. While under his tenure, the McGavock Band has been named the Tennessee State Marching Champion fifteen times, Grand Champion at the Contest of Champions in Murfreesboro, Tennessee ten times, Grand Champion of the Bands of America Southern Regional Competition three times, and has received numerous superior and first place ratings in both concert and marching festivals and competitions. The McGavock Band has participated in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, New York, the Orange Bowl Parade in Miami, Florida and the Hollywood Christmas Parade in Hollywood, California.

In 1994, both the McGavock Band and Mr. Beckman were awarded the Sudler Shield Award presented by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. Beckman has been awarded the Certificate of Merit for Marching Excellence by the National Band Association three times.

Mr. Beckman is currently President-Elect of the Tennessee Bandmasters Association and serves on the Executive Committee of the Middle Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association. He served on the Tennessee Music Educators Board of Control and was the Chair of the Music Department at McGavock for thirteen years.   He holds active membership in the National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu National School Bandmasters Fraternity, Tennessee Bandmasters Association, MENC, The National Association for Music Education, Tennessee Music Educators Association, Tennessee Education Association, Metro Nashville Education Association, Percussive Arts Society, and the Middle Tennessee Band and Orchestra Association.