The career of Ron Nethercutt has encompassed many areas including a performer, arranger, conductor, music researcher, music educator, and broadcast manager.  After completing his undergraduate degree, he served as a US Army bandsman for three years prior to becoming a high school band director in south Louisiana while completing a graduate degree.

Leaving New Orleans, he moved north to work on a PhD prior to being asked to join the faculty at Southeastern Louisiana University where he served for twenty years in the Music Department teaching trombone, and music education. The stint produced several award winning jazz ensembles, including winning Best Band at the Southern Intercollegiate Jazz Festival in Memphis, and being the featured Jazz Ensemble at the Music Educators’ National Conference in Knoxville.  In 1971 Ron and the Nouveaux Arts Trio, which he organized, were featured at the initial conference of the International Trombone Association.  The trio was featured on the first cut of the two-album set released by the ITA.

During his tenure at SLU, Ron became involved with publishing music and study materials for trombone and jazz bands.  A complete listing of these can be found elsewhere in this website and were published by The Brass Press, Broad River Press, ITA and other professional publications.  A Yamaha Artist, he served as clinician and guest conductor in New Mexico, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Mississippi, in addition to Louisiana.   Nethercutt was a member of the Louisiana Music Commission for ten years, serving three governors.  The commission sponsored seminars in music publication, recording techniques, intellectual property rights, and other aspects of the music business.
 

In 1986 Nethercutt was offered the position of General Manager of KSLU Public Radio and entered into another aspect of the music business.  He was frequently asked why he left the music business, but replied, “I’m still in music, but my classroom is now measured in miles, not feet, and has many more ‘students’ than in the past!”  During this time Ron found that his new schedule allowed more flexibility and founded “The Jazz Professors,” a bi-lingual jazz band, which made numerous trips to Central America.  Those trips were for the US Embassy and several American corporations in Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Belize.  Ron performed at jazz festivals in Brazil, Italy, France, Spain, Switzerland, and Greece with The Sound of New Orleans, Louisiana Jazz All-Stars, Eddie Bo and others.
 

Performing with the SLU Jazz Band at the first annual Bill Evans Festival.

With JB Davis, N. O. blues singer, at Umbria, France Jazz Fest, 1999

It was during this time that he developed the Bill Evans Archives.  Evans was an alumnus of SLU and after his death Ron began collecting memorabilia in order to compile a reference center for pianists, musicologists, and others.  He later contributed many articles for “Letter From Evans.”  Recently Ron was the moderator for the initial Bill Evans Festival.

The musical scene in New Orleans proved to also be fruitful and as a free-lance artist, he was found on the stage with Tony Bennett, Glen Campbell, Tommy Dorsey Orchestra led by Buddy Morrow, Four Tops, Marvin Gaye, Isaac Hayes, Liberace, Frankie Laine, Henry Mancinni, Andy Williams and many others.

Upon retirement from the university in 1999, Ron moved to the Philippines and accepted a professorship in the College of Music at the University of the Philippines.   He continues to perform and has been featured on several TV shows in that country