Dr. Kelvin Jones

Dr. Kelvin Jones is the Director of the LSU Tiger Band and Assistant Director of Bands at Louisiana State University. His responsibilities include conducting the LSU Symphonic Band, teaching undergraduate conducting, teaching Marching Band techniques, working with graduate students, and leading the Sudler-winning, 325-member "Golden Band from Tigerland.” 

 

Bands under Jones’ direction have performed at events on the state and national level, including the Zulu Mardi Gras parade, New Orleans Saints, in Washington DC, Walt Disney World, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Championship in Atlanta, GA, College Football Playoff (CFP) Peach Bowl and the CFP National Championship games. Under his direction, numerous performances of the LSU Tiger Marching Band have been selected for recognition and viewing at regional and national conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, including the Athletic Band Symposium. 

 

Dr. Jones is an active drill designer and music arranger for high school and university music programs across the country with his arrangements being performed throughout the United States, including the Dallas Winds. As a conductor, Jones has conducted ensembles international and nationally, including the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in Memphis, TN and Carnegie Hall in New York City. He has worked on new music commissioning projects and has received praise on his interpretations from composers Steven Bryant, Alex Shapiro, Omar Thomas, John Mackey, Anthony Barfield, Ayatey Shabazz, Joshua Hobbs, among others. 

 

In great demand as a guest conductor, Jones is an active clinician, and has travelled internationally working with music programs in South America (Chile) and with the LSU marching band in Dublin, Ireland. He also serves as a clinician/instructor at the Smith-Walbridge Drum Major Clinic held in Charleston, Illinois working with high school and college drum majors from across the country. Jones has also served as a consultant for school districts and music programs throughout the country along with presenting at international, national, and state music conferences across the United States. He is published in the Instrumentalist magazine, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, distributed by GIA Publications, the Oxford University Press Publications, among others. 

 

Jones is a former recipient of the Louisiana Music Educators Association’s Young Music Educator of the Year, Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra’s Teacher of Distinction, and the LSU A.P. Tureaud award recipient for significant contributions to the university. He has received numerous accolades and distinctions for his contributions within the local community from community leaders including the governor and Baton Rouge mayor. A huge advocate and champion for diversity, inclusion, and equal rights, Jones serves as an ambassador for the university through his service and mentorship across various initiatives and contributions throughout campus, recently he received the 2022 LSU Faculty Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Mentorship award given to faculty who are making outstanding contributions to the mentoring activities of faculty, staff and/or students from underrepresented groups

 

A former K-12 public school educator, he was the band director at West Feliciana High School in St. Francisville, Louisiana. At WFHS, he led an active, comprehensive music program that produced numerous award-winning performances at state and national events, including the 2013 United States National Presidential Inauguration Music Festival in Washington DC. 

 

He holds degrees in Music from Jackson State University and Louisiana State University. He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, Kappa Kappa Psi Fraternity Inc., LSU Black Faculty and Student Caucus, Louisiana Music Educators Association, HBCU Band Directors Consortium, and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. In his spare time, he runs a real estate company entitled APE Investments (All Positive Energy), a bar-b-que catering business (Bones Jones BBQ), and enjoys spending time with his wife Felicia, a nurse practitioner, and sons Samuel and Kye-Parker.