About the Director

  • Matthew Skiba was born and raised in West Lafayette, Indiana. He received his Bachelor's in Music Education from DePauw University after completing a student teaching placement with Avon High School. Following completion of this degree, Mr. Skiba worked for two years as the Graduate Assistant for Athletic and Concert Bands at Purdue University working with multiple concert and pep bands as well as the "All-American" Marching Band.

    Mr. Skiba began teaching at Tipton High School in June 2018, and the program has seen a number of successes, such as four consecutive earnings of the prestigious ISSMA All-Music Award; a trip to St. Louis; performances for the Indiana Pacers, Indianapolis Indians, and Indy Fuel; and the marching band's first-ever appearances at Bands of America Grand Nationals and the Indiana State Fair Band Day Night Show. Mr. Skiba earned his Master's degree in Music Education from the American Band College in 2021. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and supporting his favorite sports teams (Indiana Pacers, Chicago Bears, and Boston Red Sox).

Recent Highlights

  • Some recent highlights of the Band Department include:

    • Annual trips to Indiana Beach after the conclusion of the middle school summer band program
    • Pre-game or national anthem performances for the Indiana Pacers, Indy Fuel, and Indianapolis Indians
    • 3-day trip to St. Louis
    • Upcoming trip to Orlando, Florida
    • Marching band's first-ever appearances at Bands of America Grand Nationals and the Indiana State Fair Band Day Night Show
    • Jazz band's attendance at jazz festivals at Purdue and DePauw University
    • The color guard program has tripled in size over the last two years
    • The color guard program participated in its first full winter season during the 2021/2022 school year
    • The middle school concert band recently commissioned a new piece by composer William Owens
    • The middle school band program has earned decades of Gold ratings
    • The high school program has earned the prestigious ISSMA All-Music Award for seven consecutive years

Band & Guard Gallery

Band Department Overview

  • The Band Department is primarily run by its two directors: Rob Shaver with the middle school program, and Matthew Skiba with the high school program. The Band Department is responsible for a number of ensembles:

    • 6th grade Cadet Band
    • 7th/8th grade Concert Band
    • THS Wind Ensemble
    • Pride of the Blue Devils Marching Band
    • Blues Devils Jazz Ensemble
    • Blue and White Sound Pep Band
    • Cadet Color Guard
    • Varsity Color Guard

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Leadership Opportunities

  • There are a number of leadership and community service opportunities within the band program. Upperclassmen students in high school can be selected as drum majors for the marching band, student leaders for the concert band, or band leaders for the pep band. Members of the band and color guard are also eligible for membership in the Tri-M Music Honor Society once they turn 16 years old and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.5.