 
Tom Ferguson, PhD.
Jazz Studies
Thomas C. Ferguson
was born in Smiths Grove, Kentucky, on June 22, 1932.
He graduated from Owensboro (KY) Senior High School in 1950 and entered
Murray State University (KY) in the fall. There he began his professional
playing career as well as receiving his Bachelor of Music Education degree
in June of 1954. He began his graduate study at the Eastman School of Music
in September of that same year. In January, 1956, he received his Master
of Music degree in Theory from the Eastman School.
In 1957 Ferguson entered the service, where he was placed on the faculty
of the United States Naval School of Music in Washington, D.C., teaching
theory, conducting and arranging in the Army Band Master program. Honorably
discharged in the summer of 1959, Ferguson played professionally with "name"
bands as pianist-arranger until he accepted the position of Director of
Bands at Memphis State University in August of 1960. He was promoted to full professor in 1971 and remained there
until 1978.
In the summer of 1961, Mr. Ferguson re-entered the Eastman School of
Music to pursue the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Music Theory; the degree
was completed in July of 1971.
Dr. Ferguson became Professor of Music and Director of Jazz Studies
at Arizona State University in the fall of 1978, remaining there until
May of 1981.
In June of 1981 he left full time teaching to pursue a career as a professional
musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada. Since that time, he has been the pianist
at several "Strip" hotels (Caesar's Palace, Bally Grand, Sands Hotel, etc.)
playing for the major stars. He also was associate pianist/conductor of
the Broadway musical "Sophisticated Ladies" (Duke Ellington) at the Desert
Inn Hotel. He has toured Europe, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines and other
countries over the previous years. In the past decade he has performed
at the Four Queens Hotel Jazz Nite with numerous artists: Lew Tabakin,
Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Carl Fontana, Joe Henderson, Bud Shank, the Condoli
Brothers, and literally dozens of others. Many of these concerts are currently
being broadcast by National Public Radio over 150 NPR radio stations. He
has been featured performer on the program three times. Ferguson has just
concluded a seven year contract as pianist/conductor for the Las Vegas
Hilton Hotel.
In September of 1988, Dr. Ferguson returned to teaching and accepted
the position of Coordinator of Music at Community College of Southern Nevada.
In July of 1989, he was promoted to Chair of the Fine Arts Department at
the college, which he held until 1999. Dr. Ferguson then held the position of Acting Chair of the newly formed Performing Arts Department at CCSN.
At the Community College of Southern Nevada, he has initiated the Joe
William's Music Scholarship Program featuring name artists in concert for
fund raising. He also began the CCSN Jr. and Sr. High School Jazz Band
Festival (1988-). Under Dr. Ferguson's guidance, an Associate of Arts degree
in music was established (1992), as well as introducing an expanded curricula
in speech, theater, dance, and the visual arts.
He is listed in Who's Who in the South and Outstanding Educators of
the United States. He served as Director of Pageantry for the Liberty Bowl
for eight years, as well as being band leader for the Memphis professional
football team. He was pianist for Tanner Studios, Inc. (national radio
commercial/jingle company), and has appeared as piano soloist with the
Rochester Orchestra, the Arkansas Symphony, the Phoenix "Pops" and several
university orchestras. He toured with the Clark Terry Jazz Band in the
spring of 1975. With the Phillips-Matteson Tuba-Jazz Consort he toured
Australia in March of 1978. He returned to Australia as Artist-in-Residence
at the Adelaide School of the Arts in the summers of 1980 and 1982. In
addition, Dr. Ferguson worked with his own jazz trio for 21 years. He was
a news commentator for KOOL-TV (CBS) in Phoenix, Arizona for two years,
appearing on the local nightly news broadcasts.
Dr. Ferguson is a Past President of the International Association of
Jazz Educators (1976-1978). He was a faculty member of the Stan Kenton
Summer Music Camps for its final eight years.
In September of 1976 he was appointed to the Jazz Panel of the National
Endowment for the Arts for a four year term.
He has published articles in the Instrumentalist, IAJE Journal, Journal
of Band Research and the School Musician. Several band compositions and
a book on big band teaching methods, The Jazz Rock Ensemble, have been
published by Alfred Publications. A number of compositions and arrangements
for big band are also published by Alfred, as well as jazz piano pieces.
Dr. Ferguson is a member of ASCAP.
Educationally, he is in demand as an adjudicator-performer. As a clinician,
Dr. Ferguson has conducted the All-State High School Jazz Bands of California,
New York, Wisconsin, Kansas, Georgia, South Carolina and others. He maintains
an active role with the International Association of Jazz Educators, appearing
as pianist and clinician at their annual national conventions from 1989
to the present, and as a member of the Past Presidents' Council.
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