biography
Patti Drennan is a distinguished songwriter who has an innate ability to create challenging yet accessible, and reflective yet powerful music in multiple genres with ease.
An active composer and arranger with perfect pitch and with sales of almost 3 million copies, Patti has over 800 choral octavos published with 10 major publishers. She has served as a regular clinician for choral and composer workshops domestically and internationally and has been a featured speaker at the Texas Music Educators Convention on multiple occasions. She has been an adjudicator for choral contests in Oklahoma, Arkansas and Kansas. Her music has been performed numerous times at regional and national American Choral Director’s Association Conventions. Her work has also been regularly performed at Carnegie Hall.
Her first album, Shelter in the Time of Storm, is a compilation of favorite hymns and original compositions. It has edgy arrangements, funky gospel tunes, and inspiring pieces as well as fresh harmonies and exciting vocals. Her second album, A Mother Daughter Christmas, was recorded and released with her daughter, Emily Drennan. It won the IMEA Holiday Album of the Year and featured brass and string arrangements, Hammond B3 organ, a gospel choir and more.
Patti’s 3rd album, Echoes of Grace, is forthcoming this August 9th, 2024. It focuses on her classical roots and is features her choral works as performed by the Sterling Ensemble Los Angeles, under the direction of Michelle Jensen. She and her daughter, Emily, who served as Chorus Master for the project, envisioned an album that encapsulated both sacred and secular works as that is most indicative of her compositional style as well as indicative of the choral music genre. There is often an intertwining of text, themes and harmonies in choral music which are conducive to both the sacred and secular realm. The title, Echoes of Grace, is exactly that. It suggests an exploration of an overarching theme of grace – both sacred and secular-grace given to us, grace we can give each other and grace we can extend to ourselves. Upon release of this album, more information about the incredible team who worked on this album will be released.
In addition to her recorded work, Patti has 20+ published piano books which include: The Angels Sing for 4-Hand Piano; Sacrifice and Victory; Proclaim Messiah’s Birth; The Prince of Glory – piano hymns for Holy Week; The Church Pianist’s Library; Faith, Hope and Love; Sacred Treasures for Piano; Celebrate the Newborn King; High King of Heaven; and Shelter in the Time of Storm among others. Her new choral resource book Rebuild and Renew is now available nationwide.
She earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree at Oklahoma State University and a Masters of Music Education degree at the University of Oklahoma. She taught Choral Music for 28 years in the Norman Public School system. The first 20 years were at West Mid-High School where she was voted Teacher of the Year and the latter 8 years were at Norman High School. There, she directed four choirs consistently receiving Superior (1st place) ratings in District and All-State competitions. She was awarded the coveted Director of Distinction Award given by the Oklahoma Choral Directors Association and also returned to her alma mater as a featured conductor at the new McKnight Center for the Performing Arts. In 2022, she was awarded the Oklahoma State University College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Alumna Award for the Greenwood School of Music.
A co-director and singer with the Oklahoma Ambassadors Concert Choir, she has been awarded the Maestro Award and most recently the William S. Roche Award for commitment, dedication and excellence.
After teaching for 28 years, Patti “retired” and served as Music and Worship Arts Director at First Baptist Church, Norman for almost 10 years. She “retired” again to focus on live symphony performances with her daughter and to focus on writing, yet found herself again serving as a Worship and Arts Director, this time at North Haven Church, Norman. For her service thus far in Music and Worship Arts, she was the recipient of the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship of Oklahoma Award for Excellence.
Patti is also a Voting Member of the Recording Academy (GRAMMY’S ®) and a Board Member of the Norman Arts Council and the Oklahoma Ambassadors Concert Choir.
Patti was married to her high school sweetheart of 54 years, Jim Drennan, until a tragic accident in 2022. With grace and poise, she has continued to make powerful and poignant music amidst unimaginably difficult circumstances. She has two grown children: Emily, a soloist with symphonies across the country, recording artist and Broadway/Off-Broadway actress in New York City, and Adam, a Senior Software Engineer for Hulu. She also has a son-in-law and two adorable grandsons.