ALLATOONA
HIGH SCHOOL ORCHESTRA
OUR DIRECTOR
James Palmer
Recipient of American String Teachers Association Elizabeth A. H. Green Award for a distinguished career in string teaching, Mr. Palmer is an editor, arranger, and featured clinician for Alfred Music. Jim became the Orchestra director at Allatoona High School when the doors opened in 2008. He is also the Music Director of the Youth Orchestras of Greater Columbus in Columbus, Georgia; and the former Senior Conductor at Florida State University Summer Music Camps, a post he had held since 1996. Mr. Palmer has served as Orchestra Director at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida; Music Department Chairman and Orchestra Director at Cypress Lake Center for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida; and Orchestra Director at Chattahoochee High School in John's Creek, Georgia. In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Palmer has also served as a conductor with the Florida West Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and former Music Director for the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra and Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. Mr. Palmer's orchestras have performed at the Florida Music Educator's Conference in Tampa, the MENC Southern Division Conference in Savannah, the ASTA National Orchestra Festival in Dallas, the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and the 2005 ASTA National Conference in Reno, Nevada.
Mr. Palmer has received the Teacher of the Year Award in three separate high schools
Manatee High School 1994-1995
Chattahoochee High School 2007-2008
Allatoona High School 2015-2016
He has been inducted into the Florida Collegiate Music Educators Hall of Fame. He is a frequent clinician having conducted All State and Honors Orchestras in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. Mr. Palmer has also maintained a career as a professional violist serving as Principal Violist for the Sarasota Pops Orchestra, section violist, and substitute principal for the Southwest Florida Symphony and Chamber Orchestra as well as a freelance violist in the Atlanta Area. Mr. Palmer is a member of GMEA, Past President of the Georgia American String Teachers Association, Past Chairman of the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, and is a graduate of Florida State University. He lives in Kennesaw with his wife Lydia, son Curtis, and daughter Ericka.
Bachelor of Music Education- Florida State University
Master of Music Education- Florida State University
Recipient of American String Teachers Association Elizabeth A. H. Green Award for a distinguished career in string teaching, Mr. Palmer is an editor, arranger, and featured clinician for Alfred Music. Jim became the Orchestra director at Allatoona High School when the doors opened in 2008. He is also the Music Director of the Youth Orchestras of Greater Columbus in Columbus, Georgia; and the former Senior Conductor at Florida State University Summer Music Camps, a post he had held since 1996. Mr. Palmer has served as Orchestra Director at Manatee High School in Bradenton, Florida; Music Department Chairman and Orchestra Director at Cypress Lake Center for the Arts in Fort Myers, Florida; and Orchestra Director at Chattahoochee High School in John's Creek, Georgia. In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Palmer has also served as a conductor with the Florida West Coast Symphony Youth Orchestra, Georgia Youth Symphony Orchestra, and former Music Director for the Tampa Bay Youth Orchestra and Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra. Mr. Palmer's orchestras have performed at the Florida Music Educator's Conference in Tampa, the MENC Southern Division Conference in Savannah, the ASTA National Orchestra Festival in Dallas, the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, and the 2005 ASTA National Conference in Reno, Nevada.
Mr. Palmer has received the Teacher of the Year Award in three separate high schools
Manatee High School 1994-1995
Chattahoochee High School 2007-2008
Allatoona High School 2015-2016
He has been inducted into the Florida Collegiate Music Educators Hall of Fame. He is a frequent clinician having conducted All State and Honors Orchestras in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Vermont. Mr. Palmer has also maintained a career as a professional violist serving as Principal Violist for the Sarasota Pops Orchestra, section violist, and substitute principal for the Southwest Florida Symphony and Chamber Orchestra as well as a freelance violist in the Atlanta Area. Mr. Palmer is a member of GMEA, Past President of the Georgia American String Teachers Association, Past Chairman of the ASTA National Orchestra Festival, and is a graduate of Florida State University. He lives in Kennesaw with his wife Lydia, son Curtis, and daughter Ericka.
Bachelor of Music Education- Florida State University
Master of Music Education- Florida State University
