Jackson State University alum Ollie Liddell, Ph.D., received the Downbeat Lifetime Achievement Award for Jazz Education. Liddell has been the director of bands at Memphis Central High School for more than a decade. He said this recent recognition was completely unexpected.
“I was shocked. I’m 46. A lifetime achievement award,” he said, then laughs. “I’m still working.”
Liddell shared that he has a lot more in his life to give. “I’m honored. Downbeat is the largest and oldest jazz publication. I’m humbled, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of my administration.”
Liddell came from a musical family and followed in his father’s footsteps by becoming a music educator and professional. His father, Lewis Liddell, had a distinguished four-and-a-half-decade career as a high school and college educator, including nearly 20 years as a professor of music and director of the Sonic Boom of the South.
“I was questioning my dad and asked him what he thought I should major in and told him I was thinking about majoring in music,” Liddell recalled. “He asked me, do you want to make some money? I said of course. He replied, ‘well, don’t major in music.’”
During his time at JSU, Liddell was the trombone section leader in the Boom, a member of the jazz band, and the wind ensemble. He enrolled at the university in 1994 and eventually put his college career on hold to travel and perform as a professional musician.
Ironically, Liddell later graduated from Jackson State in 2006 with a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry. Although he was good at chemistry, Liddell said he couldn’t ignore his passion for music.
After graduating from JSU, Liddell decided he didn’t want to work in a lab. In the early 2000s, a Memphis band director asked if he could write arrangements for the marching band and even work with the band. It was during that time he discovered his calling.
“I’ve been in love since I was young. My dad was a band director, and I’ve been around it my whole life. I just love music. I love playing music, and I fell in love with jazz at Jackson State,” Liddell shared.
Liddell earned his master’s and doctorate in music education from the University of Mississippi. In 2006, he began his teaching career at East Flora Middle School. Two years later, he moved to Memphis and taught at East High School for four years before becoming Director of Bands at Memphis Central High School.
Under Liddell’s leadership, the Memphis Central High music program has expanded to include a concert band, symphonic band, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, and several jazz combos. This year he also started an after-school jazz band.
In recent years the music program has won several awards. The Jazz Band won first place at the Savannah Swing Central Jazz National High School Competition in 2019 and was named a finalist in the 2020 and 2021 Essentially Ellington Competitions. The Memphis Central Marching Band was named Grand National Champions in the 2017 and 2018 High-Stepping National Show Band Competition.
“I always strive for perfection, and I tell band directors that you have to push for insanely ridiculous standards. I think that’s the biggest hill in our profession. They’re working really hard, and they’re happy with mediocrity and just being okay. If you’re happy with being okay, then you’ll never be great,” Liddell added.
In addition to the lifetime achievement award, Liddell has received several other distinguished honors. His recognitions include being a Teacher Effectiveness Measure (SCS TEM) level five educator for eight consecutive years, being selected as the 2021 Foster Project Community Development winner, National Band Association Jazz Educator Award, one-time GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year Semifinalist, a two-time GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year Quarterfinalist, 2022-2023 Country Music Association (CMA) Music Teacher of Excellence, and a Minority Scholar Fellowship recipient at the University of Mississippi.