All About Mr. McKee
Mr. McKee was born in Flint, Michigan, home of rock group Grand Funk Railroad. His family moved to Ohio and Delaware before finally settled in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. His parents had an extensive collection of recordingsand his most vivid memories are of Harry Belafonte, Handel's Messiah, and Fred Waring.
Mr. McKee started playing clarinet in fourth grade and by junior high, he was playing in the county honor band and the high school musical pit orchestra.
Mr. McKee continued playing for musicals and county honor band throughout high school. He also played in the orchestra, jazz band, and marching band. He successfully auditioned for district band and county youth wind ensemble for four years. By the end of high school he played clarinet, saxophone, flute, tuba, and bagpipes.
Mr. McKee graduated from Hempfield High School in 1976 and began attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He studied music education, performing in the symphonic band, wind ensemble, orchestra, marching band, and oratorio chorus.
Mr. McKee graduated in 1980 and moved to Arizona. He has had a variety of positions in small school districts teaching band, chorus, and gifted at all grade levels as well as teaching 4th, 5th, and 6th grade classrooms.
Mr. McKee came to Arrowhead in 2005 to focus on developing a general music and chorus program. He is very happy to be at Arrowhead doing the things he likes best.
Mr. McKee is also a member of the Mesa Caledonian Pipe Band where he is in charge of their grade 4 band. This band went to Scotland in August, 2007 for the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow. They got a 2nd and 3rd place in piping, 1st in tenor and bass drumming, 1st in marching and deportment, and 7th overall out of 45 other bands in their grade from around the world! The expect to do even better when they go again in 2009.
Mr. McKee was also an accomplished solo piper with many awards. He achieved the top level of grade 1 in 2004 before retiring to lead the band.
Mr. McKee currently lives in Mayer where it snows. He lives in a 100 year old miner's cabin with his wife, Sara, an American pit bull terrier named Scout, and a golden retriever named Ruby. He shares his large backyard with raccoons, javelina, snakes, skunks, and the occasional deer.