“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
Thomas Edward McKee is a South Florida-based trombonist, music educator, composer, and arranger currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Trombone Performance at the University of Miami Frost School of Music. He also holds an Artist Diploma and Master of Music from the University of Miami, as well as a Bachelor of Music from Louisiana State University.
As an active freelance performer throughout South Florida, McKee serves as Second Trombonist with the Florida Grand Opera and the Symphony of the Americas, and regularly performs as a substitute trombonist with Miami City Ballet. His performance career has also included appearances with the New World Symphony, Orchestra Miami, South Florida Symphony Orchestra, Boca Symphonia, Nu Deco Ensemble, Space Coast Symphony, and numerous chamber, jazz, and commercial ensembles. His versatility as a performer has allowed him to appear in orchestral, chamber, jazz, contemporary, and commercial settings throughout the southeastern United States.
Equally passionate about music education, McKee is the Fine & Performing Arts Teacher at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School, where he leads the Contemporary Music Ensemble, teaches Group Piano, Music Appreciation, and Music Theory while directing extracurricular ensembles including choir and drumline. Previously, he served as Music Teacher at Sports Leadership & Management (SLAM) Miami Charter School, where he developed the school's music curriculum from the ground up.
In addition to his classroom teaching, McKee has maintained a thriving private studio since 2015, teaching trombone, piano, guitar, and drums to students of all ages. He has also served as a clinician, teaching artist, and masterclass instructor for organizations including Symphony in the Schools, Nu Deco NXT, the Frost School of Music, Miami Music Project, and numerous summer music camps throughout Florida, Louisiana, and Texas.
As both a performer and educator, McKee is dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians while maintaining an active and diverse performing career. His professional interests include orchestral performance, contemporary music, music technology, and expanding the repertoire for trombone through composition and innovative performance practices.