Wind Bands
We strive to promote personal musical growth within a collective environment.
The students share in this commitment, aspiring to the highest possible standards of musical excellence and maximizing their own trajectory by setting personal goals for the productive use of ensemble rehearsal time. Balancing the needs of the community with those of the individual, the ensembles study and perform a range of wind band repertory on campus and throughout the Valley.
The Wind Band program in the Herberger Institute School of Music, Dance and Theatre at Arizona State University honors its rich history while reflecting the “state of the art” through dynamic and innovative performances. The Wind Bands at ASU have performed multiple times at national conventions of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), the American Bandmaster’s Association (ABA), the Music Educators’ National Conference (MENC) and at the Midwest International Clinic.
Community
Ensembles commonly define “community engagement” as giving public concerts from a stage. This phenomenon is a recent one, however. History demonstrates, for the most part, making music has always been an interactive, participatory activity. To that end, the ASU bands in the Herberger Institute School of Music, Dance and Theatre regularly venture beyond the campus and embark on activities that truly embed our music making in the community. We visit schools and teach children through our art. We offer informal concerts for hospitals, shelters and community events. We perform for retirement communities and small arts series throughout the Valley. Not only do we invite patrons to visit us in ASU concert halls, but we also look forward to venturing into the community and coming to you.
History
The current leadership of Jason Caslor, director of bands; Jamal Duncan, associate director of bands; and James G. Hudson, director of athletic bands, continues to build on the superb efforts of those who preceded them.
- Lillian Williams, 1915–1917
- J. Paul Jones, 1929–1931
- Carl G. Hoyer, 1931–1938
- Robert G. Lyon, 1938–1943
- Miles A. Dresskell, 1945–1946
- Felix E. McKernan, 1946–1952
- Charles D. Bowers, 1948–1950 (associate)
- E. Joseph Scrafford, 1950–1956 (associate)
- Harold C. Hines, 1952–1966
- Ronald A. Holloway, 1957–1963 (associate)
- Ronald K. Fuller, 1963–1968 (associate)
- William H. Hill, 1966–1969
- Kenneth O. Snapp, 1970–1974
- Robert W. Miller, 1970–1973 (associate)
- Eugene D. Anderson, 1973–1974 (associate)
- Richard E. “Doc” Strange, 1974–1999 (Director of Bands Emeritus)
- Robert C. “Coach” Fleming, 1974–2002 (Associate Director of Bands Emeritus)
- Martin Province, 2002–2007 (associate)
- Wayne Bailey, 2007–2015 (associate)
- Gary W. Hill, 1999–2019 (Director of Bands Emeritus)
- Jason Caslor, 2015–2019 (Associate Director of Bands and Orchestras)
- Elliott Tackitt, 2019–2020 (Instructor of Wind Band Conducting)
Listen and watch
Scott McAllister: More Cowbell!
John Cage: 4'33"
Cait Nishimura: Chasing Sunlight
Leonard Bernstein: Slava!
Jordan Nobles: Slipstream (excerpt)
John Frantzen: SKRONK
Wind Band opportunities
Wind band Degrees
Director of bands
Associate director of bands
Director of athletic bands
2023-2024 teaching assistants
Kevin Joseph most recently served as Associate Director of Bands at Basha High School in Chandler. Prior to his appointment at Basha, Kevin was the Director of Bands at Rhodes Junior High School in Mesa, Arizona. Kevin regularly plays Tuba with the Red Mountain Brass Quintet and the Chandler Symphony. Kevin earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Secondary Music Education from Ottawa University.
Grant Knox (he/him) is an Arizona-based music educator, conductor, and musicologist. Originally from Lexington, KY, Grant holds degrees in music education and musicology from Murray State University (BM ’18) and the University of Arizona (MM ’20). With over five years of teaching K-12 music in Kentucky and Arizona, Grant most recently served as the Director of Instrumental Music at Cienega High School in Vail, AZ, instructing all aspects of the string orchestra, concert, jazz, and athletic bands. During his post-secondary studies, Grant entertained a diverse array of scholarly topics. Participating in multiple academic conferences and substantial research projects, Grant has presented research on Chicago hip-hop in addition to exploring racial identity in the music of Tucson-native composer, Ulysses Kay. Grant continues to be passionate about amplifying the wind band works of composers from underrepresented backgrounds. As a music educator, Grant is an advocate for healthy practices of inclusion, representation, and diversity in the music classroom/ensemble, and enjoys interdisciplinary studies of musicology, music theory, and popular music in the wind band idiom. Grant is an alumni brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, and an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority. He also holds active memberships in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Arizona Music Educator’s Association (AzMEA), and the Society for American Music (SAM).
Anna Scott currently resides in Sioux City, IA. This past school year she served as the Saxophone Instructor at Morningside University and Instrumental Methods Instructor at Western Iowa Tech Community College. Previously, Anna was the Head Band Director from 2016-2022 at East High School in Sioux City where she oversaw the Symphonic Band, Black Raider Marching Band, Jazz I, and athletic pep bands. Anna began her teaching career in 2013 as the 5-12 Band Director in Saint Ansgar, IA.
Anna earned her Master’s of Music degree from The University of Kansas in saxophone performance and Bachelor of Music Education from South Dakota State University. Outside of school and teaching, Anna has served in South Dakota’s 147th Army Band for 15 years playing saxophone in the music performance team, SGT Rock. She also has an energetic, 5-year-old mini Goldendoodle, Rey.