Craig Skeffington

Craig Skeffington has been an active New England composer, arranger and educator for the past 3 decades with pieces in the jazz, marching and wind band genres. A high school band director since 1992, Craig was the 2003 MMEA Teacher of the Year and is currently on the adjunct faculty of the University of Southern Maine as an instructor in applied jazz arranging. His published pieces have consistently received “Editors Choice” in the JW Pepper music catalog. His music has been performed at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Ill. He is both a past president of the Maine Band Directors Association and jazz activities chair for the Maine Music Educators Association. Craig is currently serving MMEA as the instrumental jazz chairperson, as well as the National Federation for Music Education as the Eastern Division Representative for the United States.

As a trumpet player Craig has played with Barry Manilow, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Natalie Cole, Johnny Mathis, Colin Raye, The Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra from Washington D.C, Kris Berg and the Metroplexity Big Band (from Dallas TX) and toured nationally with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. As a soloist, he has appeared with Grammy award winning artists Wayne Bergeron, Eric Marienthal and Bob Mintzer as well as Grammy nominated artist Bobby Shew.

His music can be found on the Portland Jazz Orchestra’s CDs – Nor Easter and Generations available on iTunes and CD Baby.