Rob Blankenship

Rob Blankenship (b.1974) is a native of Richmond, Virginia and has been teaching music in
Henrico County, just outside the city of Richmond, since 2001. He spent the first five years of his teaching career as an elementary school music teacher before moving to the high school level. Since 2006, Mr. Blankenship has served as the Director of Bands and Orchestras at his alma mater Douglas Freeman High School. Under his direction, all of Freeman’s instrumental ensembles have earned numerous and consecutive superior ratings and awards at local, regional and state events.

Mr. Blankenship graduated from high school in 1992 and enlisted in the United States Army where he attended the Armed Forces School of Music in Little Creek, Virginia. He then served with the 26th Army Band at Ft. Hamilton, NY and the 1st Cavalry Division Band at Ft. Hood, TX. While in the Army, he was active as a clarinetist, saxophonist, vocalist and arranger. After leaving the Army, Mr. Blankenship attended Longwood College (now Longwood University) in Farmville, Virginia where he earned a degree in music education. At Longwood, he studied theory and composition with Dr. Gordon Ring and clarinet and music history with Dr. Charles Kinzer.

Mr. Blankenship’s professional affiliations include membership in the National Association for Music Education, the Virginia Band and Orchestra Directors Association and the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity. He is a regular performer with the Commonwealth Winds and The Richmond Pops Band. Mr. Blankenship has also had the honor and privilege of working with and performing under the baton of Dr. Terry Austin. As a composer and arranger, Mr. Blankenship’s music has been performed by numerous ensembles around central Virginia including the Richmond Concert Band, Commonwealth Winds, Longwood University Wind Symphony, University of Richmond Wind Ensemble and the Richmond Pops Band. In 2012 he wrote “Hail To Longwood U” for Longwood University and it was later chosen by the University as their new fight song. Mr. Blankenship lives in Henrico County with his wife, Angie, and their two children, Jesse and Julie.