Lee Harris is a native of Memphis, Tennessee and comes from a family of educators.  His grandmother taught in a one-room school in rural Arkansas, his father was a teacher, coach and principal in Illinois and Tennessee, and his mother was an elementary and special education teacher in Memphis and later a college professor in Arkansas.  His interest in music began in elementary school, leading to his graduating with a B.A. in Music Education from Harding University.  He taught music in Tennessee and Texas and earned master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Memphis and the University of North Texas.

He has taught music at UTC since 1995 and served for a time as the Music Department head.  Currently, he is Coordinator of Music Education in the Division of Music and teaches courses in music education, aural skills, and music literature.  Each summer he directs the Kodály Institute at UTC, a professional development workshop for music teachers from around the U.S.  He enjoys helping children and adults discover the joys of learning about and making music throughout their lives.