Eddie Jiménez
PCA Plano - US Band Director
ejimenez@prestonwoodchristian.org
Eddie Jiménez, Trumpeter, Composer and Educator, is a graduate of Manhattan School of Music where he received a Masters Degree in Orchestral Trumpet Performance and was awarded The Cecil Collins Award for Excellence in Brass Performance. Jiménez also received a Bachelor's degree in Instrumental Performance and Composition from the University of Miami, where he was awarded Most Outstanding Music Student. Jiménez is a busy and versatile free-lance trumpeter frequently performing with The Plano Symphony, Irving Symphony, Allen Philharmonic, Imperial Brass, The Lone Star Wind Orchestra, The Dallas Wind Symphony and multiple Brass Ensembles and Quintets. Jimenez is a former member of The Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corp. and is currently a member of The Blue Devils Hall of Fame. Jiménez often performs with some of the country’s greatest instrumentalists and singers and is often a featured soloist. Influenced as a child by the classical music his grandfather played every afternoon on his old 1950’s radio, the desire to make music has led Jiménez on a very exciting journey. This journey includes performances in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. Jiménez has toured Europe and North America on various occasions with various musical ensembles. He often performs with various Grammy Nominated and Grammy Award winning musicians. On multiple occasions Jiménez has performed for a former President of the United States. A native of Havana, Cuba, Eddie Jiménez joined the PCA family in 2017 as the Middle School Band Director. He and his wife, Kristin, live in Carrollton with their son and are members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano where he is active in the church orchestra. Kristin serves as the Children's Music Director and sings in the choir on Sunday mornings. Jiménez began teaching music at the age of 18 and received coaching from many great educators, including world renown cellist Yo-Yo Ma.
Tamara Thornton
PCA Plano - MS Band Director
tthornton@prestonwoodchristian.org
Tamara (Tami) Thornton is an active clarinet instructor, performer, adjudicator, and clinician in the DFW Metroplex and surrounding areas. She is in her eleventh year of teaching and holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of North Texas where she studied with John Scott and Daryl Coad. Tami worked in Rockwall where she was the Associate Director of Bands at Rockwall Heath High School in 2012. The Mighty Hawk Band earned a UIL sweepstakes award and other regional and national recognition including the Mark of Excellence and placing 6th in the state finals of the Texas Music Educators Association Honor Band Competition. In 2008, the RHHS bands traveled to New York City and performed in Carnegie Hall. In 2007 and 2009, the band placed 4th at the UIL Area C marching contest. Prior to teaching High School, Tami taught at Cain Middle School in Rockwall and Shackelford Junior High in Arlington. She is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association and the Texas Bandmasters’ Association.
Tami grew up in Cedar Hill where her family helped plant a church. Tami is currently a member of Watermark Community where she has been attending for the last twelve years. She has served on the audio/visual team and is active in her Community Group and Bible Study Fellowship. Her children love attending Awana!
During her free time, Tami enjoys traveling and seeing the world and is an avid swing dancer with her husband, Will Thornton. They have two children, William is seven and Avery is six.
Jim Whitfill
PCA North - Drumline Instructor
jwhitfill@prestonwoodchristian.org
Prior to graduating from Spring Woods High School in Houston, Texas; Jim Whitfill was awarded a scholarship to study abroad at the Weiner Hochschule fur Musik in Wein, Orsterreich. It was there that he had the honor to study timpani with the legendary and infamous timpanist of the Weiner Philharmoniker, Professor Richard Hochrainer.
Whitfill finished his formal musical training at Sam Houston State University where he studied wind band technique and conducting. During this time, Whitfill also served as co-drum major of the 250 piece “Bearkat Marching Band”.
He then went on to study percussion at Baylor University with Dr. Larry D. Vanlandingham and wind band pedagogy/conducting with Richard Floyd. He performed with the Baylor Wind Ensemble, Baylor Symphony Orchestra, and professionally with the Waco Symphony. Whitfill graduated in 1977 with a Bachelor of Education degree in music.
In 1979, Jim Whitfill pursued further study at Texas A&M University Commerce graduating in 1985 with a Master of Music Degree in Music Performance. Percussion professor, Dr. Robert Houston, along with director of bands Dave Ward and Gary Hill became Whitfill’s mentors in each respective area of musical study.
Mr. Whitfill was an avid educator, conductor, composer, and arranger within the public schools of Texas for over 34 years. During these years he was a wind/percussion instructor at North Mesquite High School (Mesquite, Texas) Rockwall, Bowie (Bowie, Texas), and C. E. King High School (Sheldon Independent School District-Houston). During his tenure in each institution, bands flourished with superior ratings in marching and concert/sight reading competition both on a district, region, area, and state level.
As a professional musician, Jim performed with the Hubbard Chamber Series of Greater Rockwall, The Starplex Amphitheater Orchestra (Fair Park, Dallas, Texas), The Vocal Majority Chorus of Dallas, The Clear Lake Symphony Orchestra of Houston, and The Houston Wind Symphony, The 1960 Playhouse, along with many other groups.
After 34 years of service, Mr. Whitfill retired from public education and most recently served in the capacity of adjunct instructor of instrumental music at Grayson College in the Sherman-Denison area and worked with the Denison ISD as the coordinator of Percussion activities helping expand the percussion department through performances and clinics.
We are excited to welcome Mr. Whitfill to PCA North!
Friday Night Lights!!!
Middle School Band at Festival
Spring Band Concert
