Don Hough is an Associate Professor Emeritus of Music having recently retired from the University of Tennessee after over 41 years of teaching.

He started his musical training in the small Texas town of Silsbee where he was born in 1940. He attended and graduated from Silsbee High School and was a member of the Silsbee High School Band. After high school he attended Lamar University and studied music under Richard Burkart who just recently retired from teaching trumpet at Ohio State University. After four years of college, and two years of active duty with the United States Navy, Mr. Hough came back to Lamar in 1964 to graduate with a B.S. in Music Education.

It was in l965 that he accepted the position of instructor of trombone at the University of Tennessee and also the position of Principal Trombone with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, a position he held for 33 years. It was at UT that Mr. Hough completed a Master of Music in Performance while studying with Frank Crisafulli of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

During these early years at Tennessee, Mr. Hough founded the University of Tennessee Trombone Choir, was instrumental in forming the faculty brass quintet known today as the Brasswind Quintet and also expanded the big band jazz program. In addition to these duties, he directed the brass choir, coached student brass quintets and for several years taught jazz arranging and composition.

In the 1970, Mr. Hough became an artist/clinician for King Musical Instrument Company which carried on for a decade often appearing with the great trombonist Urbie Green.

Some years later with the arrival of renowned jazz educator, Mr. Jerry Coker, a degree in Studio Music and Jazz was added to the curriculum. It was then that Mr. Hough became involved in the jazz program helping to design the curriculum, coaching small jazz ensembles, playing with the faculty jazz sextet and also founded the University Studio Jazz Orchestra. This orchestra was a 45 piece group that appeared throughout the south and performed with such great artists as Jon Faddis, Gene Bertoncini, Manny Album, Sir Roland Hanna, Jerry Coker and the great Joe Williams.

Mr. Hough maintained an active playing career performing with the BrassWind Quintet, the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, The Faculty Jazz Sextet as well as regional orchestras. He traveled with many big bands such as Buddy Morrow, Les Elgart, Charlie Spivak, as well as touring and performing with Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, The Four Tops, Kenny Rogers, Bob Hope, Isaac Hayes, Ray Charles as well as Holiday on Ice which orginated in Knoxville, Tennessee each year. Mr. Hough took the position of copyist/arranger for Holiday on Ice later to become librarian and ultimately resulting in the procurement of the entire Holiday on Ice library to the special collections department of the UT library.

In l984, Mr. Hough enlisted in the Tennessee Air National Guard in order to finish out a full military career. He was featured soloist with the concert band, director of the jazz band and held the highest enlisted position of Band Superintendent. He retired 13 years later holding the rank of Senior Master Sergeant.

Mr. Hough is still active as a clinician, adjudicator, and soloist performing with an directing various regional and all state jazz bands.

The University of Tennessee Trombone Choir was a very important part of Mr. Hough’s contribution to UT. This group performed all over the east coast of the U.S. and at many festivals and workshops including the Eastern Trombone Workshop and the International Trombone Festival. Some of the featured performers were Phil Wilson, Urbie Green and the great Slide Hampton.

In 2003, Mr. Hough founded Tennessee Trombonery a five trombone and rhythm jazz ensemble designed to advance the art of improvisation among student trombonists. Later that same year, the ensemble won the Eastern Trombone Workshop Jazz Ensemble competition and along with the Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble competition resulting in a performance in Helsinski at the ITF.

During the last two years at the University of Tennessee, Mr. Hough was awarded the Chancellor’s Citation for Teaching Excellence presented by the University and the Faculty Outreach Award presented by the College of Liberal Arts.

In retirement, Mr. Hough is still an active player performing with the Knoxville Jazz Orchestra and area bands. He is also the director of the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra a group composed of outstanding high school students from around the region. Mr. Hough spends his spare time now on his 32ft. sailboat, or riding his motorcycle.