Professor Tom Witek elevates Polk State Music with real-world expertise
Tom Witek has played thousands of jazz gigs, toured internationally and even appeared on American Horror Story. But his favorite audience these days? His students at Polk State College.
After more than a decade as a full-time bassist – gigging six or seven nights a week in New Orleans and beyond – Witek now brings his energy and expertise to the Music Program at Polk State, where he is shaping the next generation of musicians and performers.
“For me, music is like an addiction – I can’t escape it. I hear music in my head all the time. It’s not always a symphony – sometimes it’s a beat or someone singing. Sometimes I don’t know if the music I’m hearing already exists. But I always write it down as fast as I can so that I don’t lose it and can compose it,” he explained.
“Now seeing it through the lens of an educator and seeing that spark in students is energizing for me,” Witek added. “I tell my students that if you can hear it in your head and feel it in your soul, with consistent practice, you are going to get it.”
Jersey and jazz
A professional bassist, composer and educator, Witek joined Polk State in August 2024, bringing his extensive experience on stages across the globe to Polk County’s aspiring musicians. But his journey started much earlier – in the school bands of New Jersey, spinning vinyl records and chasing basslines, inspired by a community steeped with jazz legacy.
“I grew up in South Orange surrounded by some serious musicians,” he reflected. “My first teacher played with Dizzy Gillespie and Sonny Rollins. That high level of experience at a young age changes you – it inspires you.”
He would travel to and from New York, immersing himself further in music and performance. He ultimately picked up a friend’s electric bass and was inspired to hone in on jazz after a McCoy Tyner concert in the city.
In 2007, Witek received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Rutgers University – Newark where he studied electric and acoustic bass.
A defining decade
In 2008, he moved to New Orleans to help rebuild homes after Hurricane Katrina.
Witek found a sustainable lifestyle freelancing as a working bassist across clubs and music styles. He earned his master’s degree in Music in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans, and debuted his first album of original arrangements titled “Octagami.”
From early and modern jazz, to funk and folk, Witek found himself performing with his upright bass nearly 330 nights out of the year.
“I’m sure most, if not all, performers experience this – there was some burnout,” he admitted. “There was a point in time where I was performing almost every night, and I started to think about my health and starting a family.”
But his grind in New Orleans still informs his work today.
“What I try to teach my students is that the lessons you learn on the band stand translate to here, to your education and your professional life as a musician,” he explained.
Learning the deeper side
Witek channeled his experience into pursuing a doctorate at the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami. His dissertation, titled “A Comparative Review of Six Sight-Reading Manuals for Jazz and Contemporary Bassists,” is the first academic study to compare educational materials that teach bass players how to sight-read jazz and modern music, helping students and instructors choose the best resources for learning.
“For me, it was more than just getting a degree,” Witek said. “I wanted to learn the deeper side of music.”
“A degree is very valuable in that it can lead you to many other paths within music,” he added. “Whether it’s music business, music law, or music tech, audio engineering or the field’s expansion into artificial intelligence – the opportunities are endless and ever evolving.”
It led Witek to his full-time faculty position with Polk State Music.
But, as someone who wakes up throughout the night needing to write down the latest melody in his head, Witek hasn’t stopped performing. In fact, it’s part of his philosophy.
“Thinking we need to gig, or we need to go teach, is a straightforward way of thinking,” he explained. “If you do one or the other, you are only in that world. I believe that if you are teaching, go out and perform; if you are a performer, go out and educate.”
Investing in the arts
Witek expressed gratitude for the opportunity to not only educate but also to instruct at an institution that invests in its arts programming.
He arrived at the Winter Haven Fine Arts Building during its highly anticipated renovation thanks to $16.2 million allocated by the Florida Legislature. The Arts team celebrated with a ribbon cutting in January 2025.
“There is so much support here and I am grateful for the new building and the people I work with, from The Arts team to the administration,” Witek shared. “I don’t know if you get that at every place.”
And the investments, paired with the expertise and commitment of the faculty, are shown through the success of the students.
Witek recalls the spring concert featuring the Jazz Band, Symphonic Band and String Duo.
“I thought, ‘wow, that was great – I witnessed them doing something great,’” he said. “I was just a conductor. These students actually did something significant, and that’s why I’m here. I’m here for the students to show off and play.”
“I always tell them, ‘We have instruments, we should play them, and we should play them well,’” he added. “If you give me all of your output, then the outcome will be quality and excellence.”
He referred to Sonny Rollins, who practiced for up to 16 hours a day on the Williamsburg Bridge before a gig, and Louis Armstrong, who once said, “If I don’t practice for a day, I know it. If I don’t practice for two days, the critics know it. If I don’t practice for three days, the public knows it.”
“This is what I mean when I talk about output and outcome,” Witek said. “Practice – a lot. Don’t give up trying. Learn from failure and mistakes. My life has been full of it. Some musical concepts took me a long time to learn, and even I am still learning.”
Interested in Polk State Music? Email twitek@polk.edu.