Conductor - Dr. Thomas Rohrer
Thomas P. Rohrer is Professor of Music, Director of Bands, and Director of Music Education at Utah State University, where he has conducted the Wind Orchestra, Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, and the Aggie Marching Band as part of his leadership of a diverse collegiate band program and teacher training curriculum. Having established an international reputation as a conductor and clinician, he is the Music Director and Conductor of the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds, the region’s most prolific wind and percussion ensemble, the quality of which is demonstrated by performances at the national convention of the National Association for Music Education and the Utah Music Educators Association conference. He consistently receives high praise from colleagues and composers for meticulous preparation and insightful interpretation.
An active composer, Dr. Rohrer twice earned honors as a winner of the Dallas Wind Symphony's composition competition in its first five years of existence, completed several commissions, had works performed at conferences of the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and received the international premiere of Excessive Force for Wind Ensemble. Under his leadership, the Utah State University Wind Orchestra is held in high regard, three times receiving invitations to the CBDNA Regional Conference and hosting noted artists, composers, and conductors. A frequent conductor and clinician, Dr. Rohrer is published in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Band Research, Instrumentalist, and several state professional journals, and he has been invited to present at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, CBDNA conferences, and individual state conventions.
Dr. Rohrer has been cited numerous times for outstanding teaching, including the recipient of the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation Young Scholar Award and the Utah State University Music Department and Fine Arts Teacher of the Year. In addition, he was honored as a top-five finalist for the campus-wide Master Teacher Award at Bowling Green State University. He also taught collegiately at Florida State University and held positions at Northern Arizona University and the University of Cincinnati. His public school experience includes teaching instrumental music in the public schools of Southwest Ohio. A proponent of music education, Dr. Rohrer has visited hundreds of classrooms, and he maintains strong ties with pre-service and in-service teachers.
Dr. Rohrer's professional affiliations have included the College Band Directors National Association (for which he served as Western Division President and is currently Executive Secretary-Treasurer), the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the Conductors Guild, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the CBDNA Journal, a scholarly publication founded online under his direction.
As a community member, he has served on the Community Council for Hillcrest Elementary School in Logan, Utah, participated on the Logan High School Athletic Boosters Board (chairing concessions), and coached basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer for the Logan Parks and Recreation Department, as well as baseball for the Rocky Mountain School of Baseball. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma—national band service organizations—and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Dr. Rohrer has degrees in music education and wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University.
An active composer, Dr. Rohrer twice earned honors as a winner of the Dallas Wind Symphony's composition competition in its first five years of existence, completed several commissions, had works performed at conferences of the College Band Directors National Association [CBDNA], and received the international premiere of Excessive Force for Wind Ensemble. Under his leadership, the Utah State University Wind Orchestra is held in high regard, three times receiving invitations to the CBDNA Regional Conference and hosting noted artists, composers, and conductors. A frequent conductor and clinician, Dr. Rohrer is published in the Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, UPDATE: Applications of Research in Music Education, Journal of Band Research, Instrumentalist, and several state professional journals, and he has been invited to present at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, CBDNA conferences, and individual state conventions.
Dr. Rohrer has been cited numerous times for outstanding teaching, including the recipient of the Marie Eccles Caine Foundation Young Scholar Award and the Utah State University Music Department and Fine Arts Teacher of the Year. In addition, he was honored as a top-five finalist for the campus-wide Master Teacher Award at Bowling Green State University. He also taught collegiately at Florida State University and held positions at Northern Arizona University and the University of Cincinnati. His public school experience includes teaching instrumental music in the public schools of Southwest Ohio. A proponent of music education, Dr. Rohrer has visited hundreds of classrooms, and he maintains strong ties with pre-service and in-service teachers.
Dr. Rohrer's professional affiliations have included the College Band Directors National Association (for which he served as Western Division President and is currently Executive Secretary-Treasurer), the Music Educators National Conference, the National Band Association, the Conductors Guild, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the CBDNA Journal, a scholarly publication founded online under his direction.
As a community member, he has served on the Community Council for Hillcrest Elementary School in Logan, Utah, participated on the Logan High School Athletic Boosters Board (chairing concessions), and coached basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer for the Logan Parks and Recreation Department, as well as baseball for the Rocky Mountain School of Baseball. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma—national band service organizations—and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Dr. Rohrer has degrees in music education and wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and a Ph.D. in music education from Florida State University.
Assistant Conductor - Christian Earl
Christian Earl (b. 1967) has recently turned the page after 31 years of teaching instrumental music at the middle school/junior high school level in Utah. He began his career teaching band in at T.H. Bell Junior High School in Weber School District. After two years there, he moved on to Fairfield Junior High School in Kaysville, which was a brand-new school at the time. Chris taught band and general music there for 14 wonderful years. Some of those memorable students are music educators and professional musicians today. Following Fairfield Junior High, he taught both band and orchestra at Hillcrest Junior High School in Murray School District. His most recent public school teaching position was as Director of Bands for thirteen years at South Davis Junior High School in Bountiful, Utah. Beginning in the fall of 2023, he was asked, and subsequently hired, to supervise music student teachers for Utah State University.
His compositions for both young band and concert band have been published by both Wingert-Jones Publishing and C.L. Barnhouse Publications. His commissioned works have been performed at the junior high school, high school, and collegiate levels. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Instrumental Music Education from Weber State University where he studied composition with the late Thomas Root. While attending there, he received both the Outstanding Graduate of the College of Arts and Humanities and the Outstanding Graduate of the Department of Performing Arts awards. He has conducted both junior high and high school honor bands throughout Utah and is also active as an adjudicator. He has played clarinet in the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds for 30 years and currently serves as Associate Conductor for that ensemble.
Mr. Earl holds memberships in the National Band Association, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), The National Association for Music Education, and Utah Music Educators Association where he was editor of The Utah Educator, The Official Journal of the Utah Music Educators Association for four years and has also been in charge of reviewing new works for band for that magazine.
After encouragement from friends and colleagues, ChristianEarlMusic.com was created as a vehicle for self-publishing his many works for band that he has written over the years. These works were tested in his classrooms and written especially for them.
His compositions for both young band and concert band have been published by both Wingert-Jones Publishing and C.L. Barnhouse Publications. His commissioned works have been performed at the junior high school, high school, and collegiate levels. Chris holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with an emphasis in Instrumental Music Education from Weber State University where he studied composition with the late Thomas Root. While attending there, he received both the Outstanding Graduate of the College of Arts and Humanities and the Outstanding Graduate of the Department of Performing Arts awards. He has conducted both junior high and high school honor bands throughout Utah and is also active as an adjudicator. He has played clarinet in the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds for 30 years and currently serves as Associate Conductor for that ensemble.
Mr. Earl holds memberships in the National Band Association, the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP), The National Association for Music Education, and Utah Music Educators Association where he was editor of The Utah Educator, The Official Journal of the Utah Music Educators Association for four years and has also been in charge of reviewing new works for band for that magazine.
After encouragement from friends and colleagues, ChristianEarlMusic.com was created as a vehicle for self-publishing his many works for band that he has written over the years. These works were tested in his classrooms and written especially for them.