About Us
The founding members of PDF Band Music are four music teachers with zeal to promote music education in our schools. Discovering new composers and offering great music online is one extension of the work these music educators do each day.
Tom Tucker
Tom received his BA and MM degrees in music from Michigan State University. He has taught at high schools and middle schools in Michigan, California and in Germany for the Department of Defense Schools. His varied experience includes teaching every level of both vocal and instrumental music. He has conducted award winning show choirs in California as well as conducting concert, jazz, and marching bands that have performed throughout Europe. He has performed with jazz groups and conducted musical performances on BBC (British TV) and ARD (German TV)
Tom Donaldson
Tom Donaldson has taught all levels of school, from kindergarten through college. He has taught in Battle Ground, WA; Labrador, Canada; Heidelberg and Wuerzburg, Germany; Tom is now currently director of bands at Landstuhl Middle School, Germany. He enjoys performing with a small jazz combo as well as a German concert band. Tom composes for his middle school pop/jazz band as well as for his beginning and intermediate bands. He also does arrangements for his jazz combo.
His publications include "Repulsive Recorder Repast" (known as “Recorder Repast” at www.sweetpipes.com) and a series of guitar and bass instruction booklets (donaldson@pjsnet.de)
Ron Judd
Ron Judd has been a music educator for more than forty years, teaching at all levels from kindergarten through high school. After receiving his Bachelor of Music Education from Wichita State University he taught in Kansas before beginning his overseas teaching career with the Department of Defense Dependents Schools. He has taught instrumental, choral, and general music in Iceland, Portugal, Germany, and is currently Director of Music at David Glasgow Farragut High School in Spain. He has also been very active in community and church music on the military bases where he has taught. In addition to Ron’s teaching and conducting, he has been active as a trumpet soloist and has played in orchestras and brass ensembles in Germany and Spain.
Jeff Pellaton
Jeff Pellaton began his music career as a club drummer in an R&B Band while stationed Germany with the United States Air Force. Following his four year tour in the Air Force, Mr. Pellaton completed graduate studies in percussion performance under the guidance of Professor and Percussion legend Johnny Lee Lane at Eastern Illinois University. From 1979-1985 Mr. Pellaton was the director of percussion studies at Mississippi Valley State University. Some of his students include Ricky Burkhead, director of percussion studies at the University of Mississippi, Pedro Orey, Bethune Cookman director of Percussion, and Ricky McCou who is presently in the United States Navy Band. Since 1985 Mr. Pellaton has been with the Department of Defense School system. He has taught in Okinawa and Germany. His current assignment is director of music at Ramstein High School in Germany. He continues to perform throughout Germany and he serves as Musical Director of the Department of Defense Schools European Jazz Festival.