When Chief Sealth High School hired Denny Middle School band director Marcus Pimpleton two years ago, the class size jumped from 45 to 63, then to 80, and Chief Sealth ran out of uniforms for its new motivated musicians. Pimpleton, a West Seattle resident, attended both schools and graduated Sealth in 1996.

"Now I teach at both," said Pimpleton with pride. This is his ninth year at Denny. Sixty of his Chief Sealth band members marched in this years Macy's Holiday Parade Friday, Nov. 26.

Pimpleton listens to jazz and gospel music during what free time he has, which couldn't be much. He also directs the Seattle University Redhawks Pep Band and Seattle Public School All City Band.

"I keep kids interested in music by using the middle school relationships I have with the students and their parents to keep them in when they go to high school. I can also use the high school kids to mentor the middle school kids to continue.

"We (Chief Sealth) have the largest contingency of any one high school in the All City Band," he said. "Last year we added a second jazz band. That band will travel to the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at the University of Idaho. Big names come out.

"I'm really excited about the new facilities at the high school. The band room has a touch screen white board. The kids can see classical jazz performances on YouTube large on the board. They can hear Benny Goodman, Louis Armstrong, Lionel Hampton. It's a great learning space.

"It's just a really great group of kids. They stay busy doing positive things. They had to arrive at the school at 7:00 a.m. the morning of the parade. They work for it because they enjoy it. A lot of my students who have gone on to colleges came back and helped out at the parade, and passed out pamphlets."

The pamphlets, and Pimpleton urge fans of the Chief Sealth Marching Band to vote for them in the KZOK Battle of the Bands contest. They are one of 33 area bands competing. The winner is awarded $10 thousand. Vote through Dec. 15, up to 10 times per day by texting "rock8" then 24300. You can see all the bands' videos, and more details at www.therockwfp.com/category/botb/

Here is a portion of Marcus Pimpleton's biography:

Marcus J. Pimpleton is in his ninth year as music director at Denny Middle and his second as director of the Chief Sealth High School Concert and Marching Band. Pimpleton completed his undergraduate training and residency teacher certification at the University of Washington, where he served three years as drum major of the famed University of Washington Husky Marching Band and president of the Gamma Chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. Following four years of teaching, Pimpleton resumed graduate studies earning a Master’s in Theology in 2008 from the Bishop AL Hardy Academy of Theology, a professional teaching credential through Seattle University in the winter of 2010, and a doctorate in Religious Education from the Academy in the spring of 2010.