NAU Bands

Last night, we celebrated a wonderful year for the NAU Bands with special guest conductor Dr. Patricia Hoy. Dr. Hoy was the Director of Bands at NAU starting in 1985 for 17 years. We think at the time she was one of, if not the only, female Director of Bands in the country, and she was also on the national board of and elected to the American Bandmasters Association. She is a trailblazing individual and it was incredible to have her here as we gave out the first “Dr. Patricia Hoy Award for Outstanding Contributions to NAU Bands” to none other than the former Associate Director of Bands at NAU, former fine arts supervisor for Clark County (NV), and current band director at Flagstaff High School in his 39th year of teaching, Dr. Rick McEnaney. What a terrific year it’s been up on the mountain! 🟡🔵

We are thrilled to share that TJ Mack will be continuing his role as Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at NAU! Professor Mack has been an incredible addition to the Kitt School of Music this past year, and we are excited for him to continue in this role! Read more about him below:

Prior to NAU, TJ Mack was the Assistant Director of Bands at Illinois State University for four years where he directed the Symphonic Band, Pep Band, and taught courses in Music Education. He also wrote drill and assisted with Big Red Marching Machine, with over 400 undergraduate students participating. TJ has been a faculty advisor for United Sound, an organization that gives music lessons to adults with disabilities in Bloomington-Normal and was the Director of the Summer Band Camps, hosting over 200 high school and junior high school students on campus. Ensembles under his direction have been featured in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and the St. Patrick’s Day parade in Dublin, Ireland. In 2024, he was awarded the Wonsook Kim College of Fine Arts Outstanding Teaching Award. He is a co-developer of the Emile Rhythm app, and is an active drill writer for many high schools and universities. TJ also enjoys connecting with middle school and high school musicians through opportunities as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator.

NAU Lumberjack Marching Band

Prior to Illinois State University, TJ was a graduate teaching assistant at The Ohio State University while completing his Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting. While at Ohio State, he was awarded the Clare Grundman Scholarship Award and worked extensively with the concert bands, marching and athletic bands, and taught undergraduate conducting. A native of Illinois, he holds his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wheaton College and taught 5th through 12th grade band for six years in Northwestern Illinois.

Due to weather, the party’s moving indoors! 🌧️🎶

Join the Lumberjack Marching Band at 4:30 p.m. in the Skydome (South Campus). Free parking in P66.

Come cheer them on at their final practice before the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! 🥁✨

Northern Arizona University
Northern Arizona University Alumni Association
NAU Lumberjack Marching Band

Check out the Wind Symphony’s most recent performance of Julie Giroux’s Symphony No. 6- “The Big Blue Marble”

Giroux: The Big Blue Marble The Big Blue MarbleJulie GirouxNAU Wind SymphonyStephen Meyer, conductor

Congratulations and best wishes to NAU alums Brad McCann at Timber Creek High School, and Travis Whaley and Beth Hermanson at Summit High School on their upcoming performances at the Music For All National Concert Band Festival!
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Congratulations to our graduating seniors!!

We are so excited to have Kristen Volta back at NAU pursuing her master’s in instrumental conducting. Read more about Kristen below!

Kristen Volta is a clarinet player and an NAU alumni, graduating in 2018 and receiving her degree in Music Education. She has spent the last 6 years in Crescent City CA, where she taught 6th-8th grade music at Crescent Elk Middle School. While in Crescent City she spent time building and dedicating herself to the music program creating an inclusive and quality education for the students. She was also treasurer for the North Coast Section of California Music Educators Association and has been featured in the CMEA magazine over teaching in a rural district. Now, ready to take on the next challenge, she is working on receiving her Master’s degree in Instrumental Conducting from NAU. Working closely with Dr. Stephen Meyer and Dr. Brent Levine, she is thrilled to be a part of this experience and grow as a conductor, leader, and educator.

We are thrilled to share that the Lumberjack Marching Band has been selected to perform at the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! See you in New York City!

Band Directors- if you don't know Will Healy's music, check out the recording below of his work, Passages. This summer, he will be composing a new piece for Grade 4 band, in collaboration with New York City-based lyricists and hip-hop artists. Over the course of 6-8 minutes, the piece will feature female singer, improvised jazz solo (which can be performed on any instrument), and space for rap vocal. If you are interested in the consoritium, shoot me a message!

Frost Wind Ensemble, Will Healy & Spiritchild's "Passages" CBDNA 2023, Robert Carnochan, conductor The Frost Wind Ensemble (The University of Miami's Frost School of Music) performances "Passages", with music by Will Healy and sung lyrics by spiritchild. T...