Patrick Wittmann, 23, is Central’s band director and teacher. He also teaches the history of music. Whittmann spends most of his free time rehearsing with the school’s marching band. Outside of that, he tends to his and his girlfriend’s farm.

Wittmann is originally from Nashville, Tennessee but moved to Chattanooga two to three weeks after scoring the job at Central High. He decided to take the job at Central due to the staff’s hospitality before and during the interview. He says

“I have genuinely fallen in love with this school and the band program at Central.”

Being associated with the band is not new to Wittmann as he had previously been a student teacher at Knoxville Central High with a small band. He claims his previous school and current school are very similar. The communities surrounding both schools are very similar and the support from other schools is the same. The only difference is that his previous school in Knoxville had around 60 members and at Central, there were only 14 members. But the ones he does have are some of the hardest-working and passionate students that he has ever worked with. He is known to be approachable to students and creates an environment that makes his students feel safe and comfortable in their learning environment.

Wittmann says he feels very comfortable at Central, saying that the administration always has his back when he needs support with the band, and the kids are genuinely some of the best students he has taught. He is currently not the head of any clubs but would love to start a club named, “Honors Wind Ensemble.” This club is reserved for any students who would like to get better at playing their instruments. They will eventually get to compete in competitions around East Tennessee and represent Central High. He is looking forward to the growth of the program the most.

Wittmann knows it takes time and effort to rebuild the program to where it once was and even bigger. He believes that his students are highly capable of taking on such a task and has overall enjoyed his time at Central High.