MATT NYGREN
Matt is the Fine Arts Director at Brentwood Academy. While serving in this role, he also is the Assistant Band Director, AV Tech, and BA’s resident boomerang guru. Matt holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Trumpet and Jazz Studies from Virginia Commonwealth University.
In addition to teaching, Matt has acted in a professional capacity as a trumpet player and arranger working with The Temptations, The Four Tops, The Ojays, Brenda Lee, Franki Valli, The Mavericks, The Richmond Symphony, The Great American Music Ensemble and more.
Matt loves working a Brentwood Academy because of the faculty’s commitment to know each student. Both of Matt’s daughters attended Brentwood Academy. Karley graduated in 2021 and Kelsey was a recent graduate of the Class of 2023.
JEFFREY SCOT WILLS
Jeffrey is the lead band director at Brentwood Academy and directs Rock Band and Jazz Ensemble. Jeffrey holds a Master’s degree in Jazz Studies from University of Tennessee Knoxville, but he is more than just a powerhouse jazz saxophonist. Jeffrey is a woodwind specialist, a brass and multi-instrumentalist doubler, a composer, producer, and an educator.
Jeffrey has performed with a “who’s who” list of stars across genres including Take 6, Clark Terry, Donna Summer, Englebert Humperdinck, Victor Wooten, Terry Gibbs, Michael McDonald, Bela Fleck, Christopher Cross, T. Graham Brown, Brian McKnight, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, the National Concert Band of Cuba, the Curb Youth Orchestra, The Yellow Jackets, Dennis Chambers, Artemis Pyle of Lynyrd Skynyrd, Katy Perry, Vail Johnson, The Rude Boys, “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band, and more. As a passionate, and active supporter of the arts, he has passed his appreciation on to his daughters who are also pursuing the arts (one visual arts and one music).
RICK PALMITER
Rick is a Low Brass Instructor at Brentwood Academy. He holds a Master’s degree in Music Education from Peabody School, BME from George Peabody College for Teachers, MME from Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Rick has been teaching students band instruments for 48 years. Outside of the classroom, Rick has spent much time traveling with the Continental Orchestra and other performance groups seeing the world and playing for many different cultures and people.
He loves working at Brentwood Academy because of the environment and the sectional approach to teaching band. “Acknowledging Him [Jesus] in the classroom is the most important thing we’re doing here; music is secondary to our relationship with the Lord.”
JOE SMYTH
Joe Smyth is a percussion instructor at Brentwood Academy. He has a Master’s degree in Music Composition and Percussion Performance from the University of Miami and a Bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from the Berklee College of Music. Joe is a founding and 42-year continuing member of the country group Sawyer Brown, garnering numerous ACM, AMA, CMA, CMT, TNN, and Grammy awards and nominations. Joe is also recognized as the longest continuously signed (to a major record label) country drummer in Nashville history. Joe has played with Sawyer Brown and the Nashville Symphony in all 50 states (including two performances at Carnegie Hall) and seven countries around the world.
Joe loves working at Brentwood Academy where everyone is focused on educating and bringing up amazing young people. All of Joe’s students gain experience across the entire family of percussion instruments (30+ instruments) rather than specializing in just a few.
