Pam Holt

Bitter Jester Music Festival Judge

Pam Holt is the Director of Bands at Deerfield High School in Deerfield, Illinois.

She directs four curricular bands: Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble and Jazz Band, and teaches AP Music Theory. She also directs the Warrior Marching Band & Monday Afternoon Jazz bands.

Before coming to Deerfield, she was the Director of Bands at Maine East High School for 10 years, as well as teaching both high school and middle school band in Indiana prior to that. In 2019 she had the honor of directing the pit for the Illinois High School TheaterFest All-State Musical in their production of In The Heights by Lin Manuel Miranda.

She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and a Master’s of Music in Wind Conducting, both from Indiana University.

As a bassoonist, Pam maintains an active clinician and adjudication schedule, is co-principal bassoon of the Northshore Concert Band, and taught bassoon and reed-making at the Indiana University Summer Music Clinic for 13 years.

When not doing band, jazz, and musicals, Pam spends time with her amazing family! Her husband Jack Holt is also a high school band director and accomplished percussion arranger, who also performs with the Chicago Brass Band. She has three kids: Claire (9) and Jon & William (7). If there's any time left over, Pam loves to garden, read, and kayak.

She is thrilled to join her longtime colleague Glenn Williams as a Bitter Jester judge for the first time this summer!