Erin Holmes

Background

About Erin Holmes

Erin Holmes launched her career at the beginning of the millennium by attaining a teaching position for Farmington Area Public Schools, District 192. As the Director of Bands at Farmington High School, Ms. Holmes conducts the Wind Ensemble, Varsity Band, Jazz I, Birdland Jazz, and is the head director of the Farmington Tiger Marching Band. Her ensembles have made appearances on the Dave Ryan in the Morning show on KDWB, and as KSTP’s High School Band on Sports Wrap. She has a host of responsibilities at Farmington High School that range from planning tours for her bands, hosting band festivals attending jazz festivals with her ensembles, to being a devoted staff and team member of several building leadership positions such as a Mentor for new teachers, and the FHS Music Department Chair. Ms. Holmes’s jazz ensembles have appeared in many prestigious festivals and honor bands. In 2017, School Band and Orchestra Magazine named Holmes one of the nation’s “50 Directors Who Make a Difference.” When asked what is your proudest moment as an educator? She responds, “My proudest moment as an educator has yet to come. Each day brings a new experience that challenges my mindset, intellect, and emotions on such a wide-ranging scale. Each year has also brought my own expertise to new levels. To try and define my pride of what we have created here in Farmington to one moment just isn’t possible.” Her favorite phrase she lives by and attempts to instill in her students is “every day is a good day to get better.” Most notably to her career, she has been appointed as the Jazz Chair for Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA) in 2018, she is the first woman in the organization’s history to be chosen for this position. Erin is also active as a director for honor bands, clinician for band and jazz festivals, an adjudicator for small and large group contest, solo & ensemble contest, and teaches master classes for saxophones for jazz and classical saxophone in the metro and surrounding areas. Ms. Holmes loves to teach private lessons, has performed in several jazz ensembles such as Southern Minnesota’s REAL Big Band, Swing Sisterhood Big Band, and the Caprice Saxophone Quartet.