Sarah McKoin
Director of Bands
Professor of Music
Chair, Conducting Area

Dr. Sarah McKoin is the Director of Bands at Texas Tech University and Associate Professor of Music as well as Director of the Wind Ensemble at the Brevard Music Center in Brevard, North Carolina. Dr. McKoin conducts the Texas Tech University Wind Ensemble and teaches all levels of conducting and wind literature. She is entering her ninth summer in residence at the Brevard Music Center where she serves on the conducting faculty and conducts the Transylvania Wind Ensemble comprised of college-aged musicians from throughout the country.

Prior to her appointment at Texas Tech, Professor McKoin was the Director of Bands at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and held appointments at the State University of New York at Buffalo and SUNY Fredonia. Her UMKC Wind Symphony was selected as a featured ensemble and performed for the 2005 Missouri Music Educator's National Association Conference. In addition, the Wind Symphony under Dr. McKoin's leadership performed for the College Music Society's National Conference and for the opening concert of a nationally recognized month long festival honoring Igor Stravinsky which involved all of Kansas City's major arts organizations. While Director of Bands at the University at Buffalo, the UB Wind Ensemble was invited to perform for the New York State Band Directors' National Association, the first invitation of its kind for that ensemble.

Dr. McKoin maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician. She served as the 5-A Concert Band All-State Conductor for the Texas Music Educator's Association conference and has been contracted for upcoming Iowa and Florida All-State band festivals. While in Kansas City, she was frequently called upon to guest conduct NewEar, a professional chamber ensemble specializing in contemporary music. In 2001 Professor McKoin traveled to Tel Aviv, Israel to serve as producer for the world premiere recording of Roberto Sierra's Fantasia Correliana with the Castellani-Andriaccio guitar duo on the Fleurdeson label, Arie Lipsky conducting.

Committed to performing literature of today's prominent composers, ensembles under Dr. McKoin's leadership have won the praise of local music critics and guest composers. She has performed several regional and world premieres including works by Chen Yi, Lukas Foss, James Mobberley, Paul Rudy, Dan Welcher, Donald Freund, Walter Hartley, David Maslanka and others. Her position at Brevard has allowed her to collaborate with a number of soloists which include Charles Vernon of the Chicago Symphony, Fred Mills, Tim Morrison, Marty Hackleman, Sam Palafian, Scott Hartmann, Joseph Lulloff, Timothy Northcutt, Rhythm and Brass, and the tuba/euphonium ensemble Symphonia.

Her publications include Leslie Bassett's Colors and Contours: An Analysis for Conductors and Joseph Turrin's Two Sketches published in Volumes 3 and 5 of Teaching Music through Performance in Band. Her DMA research is on the music of Dan Welcher and the ensuing treatise is entitled, "Three Places in the West: A Critical Analysis and Reference for Conductors."

McKoin holds her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin as well as degrees from Wichita State University and Michigan State University. She is active in the College Band Director's National Association having served as the New York state chairperson and has taught secondary school in both Michigan and at L.D. Bell High School in Texas.

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 Eric Allen
Associate Professor of Music 
Associate Director of Bands

Dr. Eric Allen is Associate Professor of Music and Associate Director of Bands at Texas Tech University. He serves as conductor of the Symphonic Band, teaches undergraduate conducting and assists with the direction of the Goin' Band from Raiderland. He also teaches music education courses within the summer masters program.

Under his direction, the Texas Tech University Symphonic Band has performed a diverse series of concerts including many collaborative performances with faculty solo artists. The ensemble performed at the 2016 CBDNA Southwestern Division Conference in Boulder, Colorado and is scheduled to perform at the 2020 Conference in Norman, Oklahoma. Allen's recent work with conductors includes presentations at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference, Colorado Music Educators Association Conference, and the Florida Music Educators Association Conference and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Dr. Allen has also been featured clinician at the Conducting Symposium at Puebla State Conservatory in Puebla, Mexico.

Dr. Allen also serves as Coordinator of Instrumental and Special Music at LakeRidge United Methodist Church (Lubbock, TX) where he conducts the worship orchestra at weekly services. As part of the LakeRidge Concert Series he serves as Artistic Director and Conductor of the LakeRidge Chamber Orchestra, an ensemble featuring professional musicians from the Lubbock Community.

Prior to his work in Lubbock, Allen served as Director of Bands at Sebastian River High School in Florida where his ensembles performed at the National Band Association Conference, the Florida Music Educators Association Conference, the National Concert Band Festival and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic.

Dr. Allen frequently serves as a guest clinician and adjudicator for secondary schools throughout the region. He holds Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from Florida State University and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Allen is an active member of the Texas Music Educators Association, the College Band Directors National Association and the Alpha Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. He holds honorary memberships with Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

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Joel E. Pagán
Associate Director of Bands
Director of Athletic Bands
Assistant Professor of Music

Dr. Joel E. Pagán is Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands, and Director of Athletic Bands at Texas Tech University where he serves as the director of the Goin' Band from Raiderland, conductor of the Concert Band, and director of the Court Jesters Indoor Athletic Band. He joined the faculty at TTU in the Fall of 2017 as Visiting Assistant Professor of Music Education where he taught courses in music education and supervised student teachers. He received a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Western Carolina University, a Master in Music Education from Florida State University, and a Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of South Florida. His primary areas of research interest include music teacher preparation, music teacher effectiveness, secondary student engagement, conducting, and educational psychology.

Prior to Texas Tech, Dr. Pagán was the Director of Bands at Sebastian River High School in Sebastian, FL; Ida S. Baker High School in Cape Coral, FL; and LaBelle High School in LaBelle, FL. He also served on the Board of Directors for the Florida Music Education Association as Conference Chairman and served as a District Chairman for the Florida Bandmasters Association. He was a frequent band clinician in Florida and served as a brass and concert band adjudicator for the Florida Bandmasters Association. He holds professional memberships in Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, College Band Directors National Association, American Education Research Association, College Music Society, National Association for Music Education, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, and Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society. 

Graduate Conducting Students

 Christopher Agwu

Christopher Agwu grew up in Lewisville, TX, where he attended and graduated from Lewisville High School. Upon graduation, he then attended the University of North Texas. He had the opportunity to study with great trumpet professors, John Holt and Keith Johnson, and learn from many great conductors and music educators. He graduated from the University of North Texas with a Bachelor of Music Education in 2009.

Prior to teaching, Mr. Agwu was a member of the Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003, and later marched with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps during the Summers of 2006 and 2007. After marching drum corps, he came back to the activity as a Marching Tech with the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015. He is now working on the Brass Staff at the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps. He also worked as a marching band field technician for Marcus High School from 2006-2009, Lewisville High School 2009, and the University of North Texas Green Brigade Marching Band 2007. He also taught trumpet private lessons in Lewisville ISD and Plano ISD.

Mr. Agwu taught 3 years at Shepton High School in Plano ISD before coming to Lewisville High School. He then spent the next 7 years working at Lewisville High School with Dr. Marty Courtney. While at Lewisville HS, he was the lead director of marching band and the second and fourth ensembles. He also worked with the Percussion Director Quiyan Murphy in running the Lewisville High School Winter Drumline.

Beth Hermanson

Beth Hermanson is a Masters student in Wind Conducting at Texas Tech University. A native Arizonan, she is a graduate of Northern Arizona University with a degree in Instrumental Music Education. Her primary instrument is the Euphonium, but had the opportunity while attending NAU to play euphonium, trombone, and tuba in various performing ensembles. Ms. Hermanson has been in the Deer Valley Unified School District in Phoenix, Arizona, for the last 10 years. She started her career teaching K-6 general music, band, and choir before making the move to the middle school level where she taught at Deer Valley Middle School. During her time at DVMS, she taught band, orchestra, choir, and general music. In addition to her duties at the middle school, Ms. Hermanson was the assistant Marching Band Director at Barry Goldwater High School for the last 8 years, and ran the BGHS Winterguard and Indoor Percussion units for the last 3 seasons. While teaching, she also had the opportunity to be a performing member of the Tempe Symphonic Wind Ensemble and the Phoenix College Community Choir, and teaches low brass private lessons to students in 5th-12th grade.

Pershauna Johnson

Pershauna Johnson is a recent graduate from Arkansas State University where she received her Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting Performance, magna cum laude. She assisted the University's Sound of the Natural State Marching Band, A-State Wind Ensemble, and undergraduate conducting courses. She is
also an active performing flutist and private instructor. Ms. Johnson received her bachelor's degree in Instrumental Music Education from Arkansas State University in 2015. During her time at the university, she studied flute with Professor Joe Bonner. In addition, Ms. Johnson served as principal flutist in Arkansas State University's Wind Ensemble and Orchestra from 2012-2014. From 2015-2018, Pershauna Johnson served as middle school band director for Wynne Public School district. During that time, she also was a guest clinician for Amro Music's Young Directors Clinics. Pershauna will be attending Texas Tech University as a D.M.A. wind conducting student beginning Fall of 2020. Pershauna Johnson enjoys a variety of activities outside of music including graphic build designing, reading, cooking, and traveling.

Daniel Lee

Daniel Lee is currently a DMA student in Wind Conducting, having started at Texas Tech in the Fall of 2019. Originally from Colorado, Daniel earned his BME from the University of Colorado at Boulder, and his MM from Colorado State University. In addition to his time in Colorado, he spent eight years prior to his arrival in Lubbock in the Pacific Northwest (mostly Portland and Seattle), teaching high school band and orchestra. He is passionate in his role as a teacher at all levels, and values greatly the relationships he forms with his students.
Daniel's main instrument is piano, with his article “Pianists in Large Ensembles” being recently published in The Instrumentalist (April 2020). In Fall 2019, Daniel conducted the TTU production of the musical Creep, and during his master's program he conducted the closing performance of the CSU production of Rossini's La Cenerentola. Daniel was also honored to be named a recipient of the James D. and Mary Hazelwood Memorial Graduate Fellowship for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Tsai-Rung Li

Tsai-Rung Li is originally from Taiwan, a beautiful island surrounded by oceans. Tsai-Rung received his master's degrees in music education and trumpet performance from Northern Illinois University. He has many conducting experiences in wind ensembles and chamber groups. In Taiwan, Tsai-Rung conducted the trumpet choir and rehearsed the wind ensemble at National Tsing Hua University. He also taught and conducted bands and music courses, such as music theory, music history, music appreciation, brass techniques, and instrumental courses at Chu-Shi Philharmonic Orchestra, NTHU's Elementary School, and Rei Mei Elementary School. In Chiayi and Hsinchu city, he conducted multiple student pep bands on different occasions. In Northern Illinois University, he conducted and rehearsed the wind ensemble and multiple chamber ensembles with diverse concert band repertoires. In addition, as a trumpet performer, Tsai-Rung has fourteen years of experience as a collaborative learner playing with orchestras, wind ensembles, and chamber groups. He performed many types of music with different ensembles in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Chiayi, Taoyuan, and Tainan. When he served as a trumpeter in the professional marching band, he played in various ceremonies in Taiwan as well. Tsai-Rung loves music and would like to keep delivering the beauty of music in the world.

Kerri MacPhee

Kerri MacPhee is a D.M.A. candidate at Texas Tech University, specializing in Wind Band Conducting. Prior to Texas, Mrs. MacPhee completed a master's degree in Instrumental Conducting at Memorial University of Newfoundland (Canada) and was the RBC Emerging Artist Resident Conductor of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra. Currently her research at Texas Tech University includes the conceptualization and development of digital software which aides in musical score analysis and efficiently produces a custom reduction of a conductors interpreted score. 

 Mrs. MacPhees conducting journey has included three recurring placements with the Memorial University Junior Band Week summer program, a resident conductor position with the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra, assistant conductor of the Mount Allison University Symphonic Band and guest conductor with the Mount Allison University Wind Ensemble. MacPhee has conducted and performed with all three of the TTU concert ensembles as well as having served as co-conductor of the TTU University Band. Additionally she has worked with the TTU Goin' Band and lead the Court Jesters in indoor athletic events. 

 Growing up Mrs. MacPhee was an active member of the Canadian Cadet Movement, and has since become a senior officer in the Reserve Force while working with various cadet units around the province. During her summers, in her role as Lieutenant(N) MacPhee, she shares her leadership and love of music as director of military marching bands at Canadian Forces base locations in Atlantic Canada. Recently, Mrs. MacPhee was appointed as an Aide-de-Camp to the Lieutenant Governor of Newfoundland and Labrador and has served for Her Honour, the Honourable Judy May Foote, P.C., O.N.L. as well as the Honourable Frank Fagan, C.M., O.N.L. 

Lisa Tatum

Lisa Tatum is a member of the conducting studio at Texas Tech, pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting. She recently completed a Master of Music in Wind Conducting at Louisiana State University where she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the band department. She holds a Master of Music in Trombone Performance from the University of Utah, where she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the “Marching Utes,” and a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from the University of Alabama. Lisa taught junior high and high school band in the greater Houston area from 2012-2018. In 2008 she joined the cast of “Odyssey” an all-female brass theater show that toured Japan.  Active in the world of Drum Corps International, she is currently the brass caption manager for the Academy Drum & Bugle Corps.

Staff

Debbie Holt

Administrative Assistant, University Bands

Symphonic Wind Ensemble

The Symphonic Wind Ensemble is the premiere wind-performing ensemble at Texas Tech performing a balanced mix of traditional repertoire, chamber music, and enjoys interacting with leading contemporary composers of our time. Emphasis is placed on the highest artistic standards, professionalism in performance excellence while offering pedagogy for the advanced musician. Membership is determined by an annual audition and is open to everyone. This class meets on Mon/Tues/Thur 3:00-4:50.

Symphonic Band

The Symphonic Band is a 65-member ensemble dedicated to excellent performance and diverse repertoire encompassing a wide variety of styles and composers. Membership is determined by audition and is open to everyone. This class meets in the Fall MWF, 2:00 - 2:50p; and in the spring, MWF, 1:00-1:50p and T/Th 12:30-1:50.

Concert Band

The Concert Band is a 75-member ensemble focusing on fundamental pedagogy and diverse programming ranging from grades 3-5. Membership is determined by audition and is open to everyone. This class meets in the Fall MWF, 3:00-3:50; and in the Spring, MWF 3:00-3:50pm and T/TH 12:30-1:50p. 

University Band

The University Band is a 90+ ensemble that meets in the spring each year and performs two concerts of diverse repertoire including traditional music, transcriptions, as well as newer compositions. This ensemble is open to everyone and is non-auditioned. Members are largely non-majors looking to continue their musical involvement past high school while enjoying a less performance oriented pace to the course or music majors further developing secondary instrumental technique. The wide variety of music performed provides a rich service to the diverse campus community at Texas Tech University.

Goin' Band From Raiderland

The award winning Goin' Band From Raiderland is the 450-member marching band of Texas Tech University. Band membership is open to all students regardless of major and a minimum amount of rehearsal time is used in preparing four different shows per season. A mixture of "traditional" and "corps" style techniques are used in these performances. The Goin' Band was the recipient of the 1999 Sudler Trophy given for consistent excellence in collegiate marching bands.

For more information about the Goin' Band,  click here.

Court Jesters

The Court Jesters Basketball Band is the all-volunteer pep band of Texas Tech University performing at all home games for the Red Raiders and the Lady Raiders. This energetic ensemble serves as ambassadors of spirit and tradition for the university throughout North America.

Band Events Calendar 

 

Detailed information will be added when it is available.

Texas Tech University offers progressive and flexible MM and DMA programs in Wind Conducting. The objective of the graduate program is to prepare students for a professional conducting career through study and interaction with all facets of our band program. It is expected that the applicant has had previous professional conducting experience prior to auditioning for the program. Conducting students will work on movement and gestural vocabulary development, score study, aural skills, analysis and pedagogy. There will be weekly seminars and lessons, as well as teaching, arranging, and conducting opportunities with our athletic and concert bands to create a comprehensive experience.

The Texas Tech University School of Music has a distinguished and passionate faculty of scholars and pedagogues. The applied, history, composition, and theory faculty support the holistic education of every graduate student. There are opportunities available to fit every candidate's level of interest and experience to more deeply explore and develop ancillary interests.

Audition Process

1. 1. Apply to Texas Tech University and the School of Music Graduate Program.
   2. Send following materials by December 1 to be eligible for a February audition.
   1. 1. Curriculum vitae with current references.
      2. DVD of conducting (10-15 minutes) and rehearsal (15 minutes).
      3. Repertoire list of studied or conducted works.
      4. Two page analysis.
         MM candidates: Holst, First Suite in E-Flat, Mvmt. I
         DMA candidate: Grainger, Lincolnshire Posy, Mvmt. IV

Mail to:
Dr. Sarah McKoin
Texas Tech University
School of Music
18th and Boston
Lubbock, TX 79409

You will subsequently be notified of your acceptance to visit campus for a live audition with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble. Audition dates and repertoire will be discussed at that time.

Degree Plans

• MM
• DMA

• Band & Orchestra Camp