EMU Music & Dance

📣 WE'VE MOVED! Head over to our official page, EMU School of Music & Dance, for all news, events, audition information, and student & faculty highlights. See you there!

EMU Marching Band Camp is underway!

In our Band Camp era ✨

Congratulations are in order for Prof. Jason Ihnat, Lecturer of Music Theory in the School of Music & Dance and Director of the EMU Drumline. Prof. Ihnat spent his summer serving as the Front Ensemble Coordinator for the Boston Crusaders, who just won the 2025 DCI World Championship.

What's more: the Boston Crusaders won the Fred Sanford Award for Best Percussion Performance under Prof. Ihnat's direction. Wow - way to make us proud!

More info in comments:

ANNOUNCING: The EMU School of Music & Dance is proud to welcome Dr. Charles (Chad) Lilley as our new Lecturer of Saxophone. Dr. Lilley holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), Northwestern University (MM), and UMKC Conservatory (DMA), and he brings a plethora of both performance and teaching experience. You can read his full bio below. Welcome to EMU, Dr. Lilley!

****************************************************************

Hailing from Olney Maryland, Charles (Chad) Lilley is a dynamic classical saxophonist and pedagogue currently based in Kansas City, MO. Described as a “Superstar performer” (Pulitzer Prize Finalist, Augusta Read Thomas) and a “Major talent” (GRAMMY winner, Kenneth Fuchs), Charles prides himself on championing the work of living and underrepresented composers. Over the course of his career, he has performed at some of the Nation’s most prestigious venues, including Carnegie Hall, The Kennedy Center, L.A.’s Walt Disney Concert Hall, Tanglewood’s Seiji Ozawa Hall, Philadelphia’s Kimmel Center, Chicago’s Millennium Stage, and Lincoln Center’s Alice Tully Hall. Most recently, he gave his NY solo debut recital as a part of Carnegie Hall’s Well-Being concert series, forming unique connections between live music performance, spoken word, and audience mindfulness.

As a competitor, Charles received First Prize at the 2021 Northwestern University Concerto Competition, where he performed as soloist with Symphonic Orchestra in March 2022. At the 2017 Arosa Kultur Academy, Charles was awarded the International ‘Hans Schaeuble’ award which included his debut International Solo Recital in Switzerland. Other awards include top prizes at the 2022 North American Saxophone Alliance Solo Competition, the 2015 President’s Own U.S. Marine Band Concerto Competition, and the 2015 National YoungArts Foundation, where he was named a Finalist and one of twenty Nationally recognized U.S. Presidential Scholars in the Arts.

Orchestral highlights include contracted performances with Miami’s New World Symphony and the Ann Arbor Symphony, as well as The Juilliard Orchestra and their AXIOM New-Music Ensemble, where he is on staff as a Collegiate Guest Artist. In the summer of 2018, Charles embarked on a premier studio recording project of the new critical editions of Gershwin’s symphonic music with the National Orchestral Institute, culminating in three CDs that are now released on the NAXOS American Classics Label. These experiences led him to completing his dissertation on the subject matter, titled: A Performer’s Guide to Orchestral Saxophone Playing, which is the first resource of its kind for the symphonic minded saxophonist.

As a pedagogue, he most recently held the positions of Instructor of Saxophone at William Jewell College, Visiting Professor of Saxophone at the University of Kansas (Spring 2025), and Visiting Instructor of saxophone at the University of Missouri-Kansas City (Spring 2024). Dr. Lilley presents yearly at National and International conferences, and has helped students go on to win collegiate and high school concerto competitions, achieve top rankings at district and state solo festivals, and win positions in regionally and nationally auditioned ensembles.

An in-demand guest artist, Dr. Lilley has been invited to teach at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Missouri-Kansas City, University of Kansas, MidAmerica Nazarene University, Lawrence College Conservatory, and the University of Memphis. He has additionally been invited to teach at Interlochen Arts Academy.

Charles’ holds degrees from the University of Michigan (BM), Northwestern University (MM), and UMKC Conservatory (DMA), with primary teachers including Dr. Timothy McAllister, Professor Taimur Sullivan, and Professor Zach Shemon, respectively.

Congrats, Eric! Continuing to make us proud!

🌟 Huge congratulations to Eric Molina, a recent EMU master’s graduate (Class of 2025), on being selected as a fellow member of the New World Symphony! 🎉 Eric auditioned earlier this year, and we are beyond proud of his incredible success. We wish him all the best as he embarks on this exciting new chapter!

On top of that, Eric has been invited to perform as a substitute with major orchestras across the U.S., including the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, and New Jersey Symphony. Bravo, Eric!!! 🎶👏

Eric Molina Pereira New World Symphony

JOIN OUR TEAM! The School of Music & Dance is looking to hire an additional instructor in the area of Music Theory and Aural Skills. See the link below for more information.

Part-Time Lecturer (Music Theory) - Ypsilanti, Michigan, United States Title: Part-Time Lecturer (Music Theory) Employee Classification: LL - Adjunct Lecturer Pay Grade: LL 00 Division: Academic and Student Affairs Subdivision: School of Music and Dance Department: College of Arts and Sciences Campus Location: Main Campus General Summary The Eastern Michigan University...

Join Dr. Brandon Johnson, EMU Director of Choral Activities and Beyond, for the Brahms Requiem this Saturday in Pease Auditorium. Registration on the Beyond webpage.
https://www.beyondchoir.org/event-details/summer-sing-workshop,

Summer Sing Workshop https://www.beyondchoir.org/event-details/summer-sing

Help the EMU Marching Band March in Style — And Double Your Impact! 💚🤍

The Pride of the Peninsula is raising funds for brand new uniforms through our "Hats Off to You" Campaign — and now is the perfect time to join in. Thanks to a generous $10,000 matching gift, your support will go twice as far!
EMUMB brings energy, tradition, and school spirit to every game and performance — let's give back to the students who give us so much pride. 🥁🎺

👉 Give now and double your impact: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/EasternMichiganUniversity/emu-marching-band-hats-off-to-you-uniform-campaign

Let's suit up the Pride of the Peninsula — together! 🦅

Wishing all our Eagles a safe and joyful Fourth of July! 💚 🇺🇸