Dean, Herrmann Join MTC Sales Team
Tom Dean, Travel Designer
After 32 years teaching instrumental music in Indiana, Tom Dean joins the Music Travel sales team. Dean holds Music Education degrees from Ball State University (IN) and Bowling Green State University (OH). In 1993, Tom returned to his alma mater, Castle HS (IN) and began a long and fulfilling career.
Under his leadership, the Castle Band was a consistent Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) State Finalist in marching band, concert band and jazz ensemble. The Castle Marching Knights were four-time Bands of America Regional Champions, a two-time Grand National Finalist and was named the 2017 Class 3A National Champion and Sudler Shield Award recipient. In addition to the marching arts, the concert band, concert percussion ensembles and jazz ensembles were consistent ISSMA State Finalists.
Dean has been a board member for ISSMA and was elected to serve as President on two different occasions. He also served on the Bands of America Advisory Panel and many other committees to further music education. The Castle band kept an active travel schedule including trips to Florida, Chicago, Arizona, Las Vegas, California and Hawaii. Tom is thrilled to help bring the excitement of travel to students, parents and communities. Dean said, “The group travel experiences that MTC provides are a once in a lifetime event for students and will be treasured memories forever.”
Derek Herrmann, Travel Designer
From a young age, music greatly impacted Herrmann’s life. He started on piano at the age of five and later picked up the trombone in middle school. Derek’s marching band career began in the 7th grade when he joined the Mater Dei HS (IN) Marching Band in Evansville, Ind., where he later served as drum major for three years. In college, he spent two years in the Ball State University Pride of Mid-America Marching Band and one year in the Purdue All-American Marching Band.
Herrmann played with the Evansville Philharmonic Youth Orchestra for five years. Always willing to help out where needed, he also played oboe and mallet percussion in multiple ensembles. After a 10-year hiatus from performing, Derek joined the Bloomington (IN) Community Band and the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music All-Campus Band. He now performs with the Pride of Indy Bands.
In addition to music, travel is one of Herrmann’s passions. The first airplane he ever boarded was a 13-hour flight to Tokyo, Japan. He later joined the inaugural Bands of America Honor Band for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, Calif., an MTC-led trip. He also performed with Purdue at the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla. During a study abroad trip evaluating tourism of Central Europe, he traveled to six countries and still calls Vienna, Austria his favorite city in the world.
Derek earned a B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management from Purdue University and a Masters of Public Health from Indiana University-Bloomington. Having worked in eight states spanning California to Maine, he is excited to bring his extensive experience in hospitality, event management and retail into his role with Music Travel Consultants and create once in a lifetime trips for the next generation of performing artists. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with family, grilling, playing competitive volleyball and throwing a frisbee for his German Shepherd, Hans Peter.
