MSU Department of Music

With school less than a week away, we have enjoyed having students from the Famous Maroon Band in the building this week for band camp. This year 15% of the marching band students are majoring in music. It is the largest major in the ensemble!

It was a wonderful weekend at the National Flute Association Convention in Portland, Oregon! Dr. Olivia Boatman and Dr. Rosangela Sebba presented a lecture recital featuring the flute and piano works of Brazilian composer Osvaldo Lacerda Additionally, Dr. Sebba collaborated with Miyazawa Emerging Artist Caleb Estrada-Valentin on music from Puerto Rico.

Jacob Taylor, an MSU freshman majoring in piano performance and recipient of the Kathy and Bob Olsen Scholarship, was recognized as the recipient of the John Allegrezza Memorial Scholarship presented by the Landrum Piano Gallery in Jackson. The award presentation was followed by a performance.

The MSU Department of Music is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr. Julia Stowell to our faculty as Assistant Professor of Trumpet!!

She has performed as a soloist with the Mantzaros Philharmonic in Corfu, Greece and is active as a recitalist in such organizations as the International Women's Brass Conference and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG). She is a founding Co-Chair of the ITG Podcast Committee and serves as a Sheet Music Reviewer for the ITG Journal.

Dr. Stowell recently completed her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Kentucky, where she served as Teaching Assistant for the trumpet studio.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to Dr. Stowell!! 🎺

We are thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Kyam McCormack as Assistant Teaching Professor of Music – Low Brass in the Department of Music at Mississippi State University!

Dr. McCormack joins us with extensive experience as an artist on trombone, euphonium, and tuba. His distinguished career includes service on all three instruments with the 312th Army Reserve Band, as well as performances with such ensembles as the Volker Brass Quintet, Fountain City Brass Band, Kansas City Symphony, Lyric Opera of Kansas City, and Topeka Symphony.

Please join us in welcoming Dr. McCormack to our faculty!

Congratulations to BME graduates Sabrina Infanger, Emily Jennings, and Seth Matlock for being named Stephen D. Lee Scholars.

From teaching positions to medical school, our Stephen D. Lee Scholars' classroom success is already leading to their next steps! We're so proud of these spring College of Education graduates who earned a perfect 4.0.
Learn more about the scholars and their future plans through the link in the comments.

Over the weekend Olivia Boatman performed with the orchestra for the United in Song: A Mississippi America250 Celebration, a landmark event honoring America’s 250th birthday and celebrating Mississippi’s rich musical heritage.

Last night, several FMB alumni played in the Mississippi Wind Symphony's "American Celebration" concert at Hinds Community College, in honor of America's 250th birthday. From L to R: Matt Killen, Jorge Castillo, Melynn Arendale, Aubrey Arendale, Olivia Boatman, Katie Sweat, Dustin Hazlett, and Brett Causey. Congratulations to them, their conductor Dr. Joseph Earp, and the entire band on an outstanding performance!

Congratulations to Department of Music BME graduate Dr. Wes King for his outstanding presentation yesterday at the CBDNA - College Band Directors National Association Athletic Band Symposium in Blacksburg, VA. "Automation, AI, and Other Ways to Help Run Your Band Program" was very well received by those in attendance.

Dr. King is the Director of Bands at the University of Findlay in Ohio. In this photo, he is with the MSU Band Directors, who also presented at the same conference earlier in the week.

University of Findlay Bands
University of Findlay
Famous Maroon Band

Congratulations to the 2026-27 Famous Maroon Band drum majors! Chosen from auditions, the 2026-27 drum majors include:

—Olivia Dickerson, senior biochemistry major, Gautier

—Josh Ducey, sophomore aerospace engineering major, Arlington, Tennessee

—Ava Hinyub, junior music education major, Gulf Shores, Alabama

—James Leon, junior electrical engineering major, Biloxi