Wells School of Music

Steven D. Davis has inspired ensembles around the world and is celebrated as a conductor of wind ensembles, orchestras, opera, ballet, and new music ensembles. In addition to conducting symphonic repertoire of significant composers, Davis is fervently committed to initiating and performing new repertoire written by both emerging and acclaimed living composers, with intentional focus placed on collaborating with diverse artists. Praise stems from Chen Yi, John Corigliano, Michael Daugherty, Roshanne Etezady, Jennifer Higdon, Narong Prangcharoen, Ingrid Stölzel, and Zhou Long, amongst countless others.

Davis currently serves as the Rose Ann Carr Millsap Missouri Distinguished Professor of Music and Professor of Conducting at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory. He leads the Symphony Orchestra of the Youth Symphony of Kansas City, and spends his summers conducting at the Interlochen Summer Arts Camp, where he serves as director of the wind ensemble program. Recent and upcoming events include leading performances at Carnegie Hall and the Musikverein in Vienna. Davis also leads the annual Kansas City Conducting Symposium, which draws nationally acclaimed clinicians, speakers, and participants from around the country. He also serves as the artistic director and coordinator for the Interlochen Band Director Institute that will debut in the summer of 2023 during the Interlochen Arts Camp.

As Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Texas State University, Caroline Beatty conducts the Texas State Wind Symphony, leads the graduate wind band conducting program, teaches undergraduate conducting and band literature courses, and provides primary oversight for the comprehensive band program.

Performances under her direction garner consistent accolades from audience members, composers, and fellow performers for their artistry, excitement, and craft. The Texas State University Wind Symphony has been recognized for musical excellence through multiple invitations to perform for the National Conference of the College Band Directors National Association, the Southwestern Division of CBDNA, and the Texas Music Educators Association.

Dr. Beatty maintains a vibrant conducting and teaching schedule outside of the university. International engagements include leading the Summer Conducting School for the Australia Band and Orchestra Directors Association as well as the serving as Chief Clinician for the Victoria School Music Festival where she enjoyed connecting with over 80 Australian school bands. Domestic invitations have included opportunities to conduct Concordia Santa Fe, the World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Center for the Arts, and numerous All-State and regional honor bands.

Prior to her current position, Dr. Beatty held the position of Associate Director of Bands at Texas State and, earlier, at Northwestern State University-Louisiana. Her secondary school teaching experience includes thirteen years as a high school band director in the Houston area. She holds the DMA degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan and both a MM degree in Conducting and a BM degree in Music Education from The University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Beatty is currently the President of the Southwestern Division of CBDNA and also holds membership in the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Beta Mu.

Dr. Andrew Yozviak is the Director of Bands at West Chester University. Dr. Yozviak's primary responsibilities include conducting the Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds, directing the Golden Rams Marching Band, and teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting classes. Prior to this appointment, Yozviak served as Visiting Director of Bands at Susquehanna University and taught thirteen years in the Pennsylvania public schools.

Dr. Yozviak has earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Music Degree in Composition from Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Wind Conducting from Rutgers University where he studied with William Berz.

Dr. Yozviak maintains a busy schedule as a guest conductor, adjudicator and clinician, regularly presenting at conferences and workshops. His research in the area of eighteenth century Harmoniemusik has produced two modern editions of wind partitas by the Bohemian composer, Antonio Rosetti (1750-1792). His scholarly edition of Antonio Rosetti's Partita in E-flat is published by Amadeus Verlag, Winterthur, Switzerland.

As a composer, Dr. Yozviak has accepted commissions to compose and arrange music in a variety of genres. He has composed commissioned works for winds, chorus, jazz ensemble, and a variety of chamber ensembles. Dr. Yozviak's work as an arranger has yielded more than one hundred fifty marching band shows for some forty high schools, eight universities, and five drum and bugle corps. His original compositions for marching band, which include Africa, Artificial Intelligence, Koto, Four Suits, Water, Winter Sketches and Night Visions are published by Marching Show Concepts' Center X Productions.

Dr. Yozviak is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the Conductors Guild, the National Band Association, the Music Educators National Conference, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Pennsylvania Bandmasters Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Dr. Hannah C. Morrison is the Associate Director of Bands at West Chester University. Dr. Morrison's primary responsibilities include conducting the Wind Symphony, assisting the "INCOMPARABLE" Golden Rams Marching Band, and teaching graduate and undergraduate conducting classes. Dr. Morrison holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Missouri - Kansas City Conservatory (UMKC), where she studied with Steven D. Davis and Joseph Parisi. She holds a Master of Music Degree in Instrumental Conducting and a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Baylor University, where she studied with J. Eric Wilson and Isaiah Odajima.

Dr. Morrison is highly sought after as a collaborator, with experience conducting wind ensembles, chamber ensembles, new music ensembles, and athletic bands. In the spring of 2024, she pioneered a chamber winds outreach concert at UMKC performing for approximately 1,000 elementary students across Kansas City. Dr. Morrison was selected for the National Band Association Young Composer/Conductor Mentor Project, guest conducting the U.S. Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Morrison serves as the Director of the Intermediate Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp. Before her graduate studies, she worked as a band director in the Dallas Metro schools at Lamar Middle School and as a horn instructor and brass pedagogy specialist with the Marcus High School Band.

Through ensembles at Interlochen and the Disneyland All-American College Band, Dr. Morrison performed on horn with notable artists such as Brad Gemeinhardt (Principal Horn, Metropolitan Opera Orchestra) and Wayne Bergeron (trumpet soloist). As an arranger, Dr. Morrison has written for numerous athletic bands and developed outstanding conducting pedagogy reductions for the Kansas City Conducting Symposium, featuring music by Jennifer Higdon, Chen Yi, Roshanne Etezady, and Zhou Tian.

Dr. Morrison is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Dr. Adam J. Gumble is the Director of Athletic Bands at West Chester University. Dr. Gumble's primary responsibilities include directing the 324-member "INCOMPARABLE" Golden Rams Marching Band, "Sixth Man" Basketball Band, and WCU Concert Band. Since his arrival at West Chester University, the WCU Marching Band has performed in featured exhibition at the Bands of America Grand National Championships, was named the 2019 recipient of the prestigious Sudler Trophy (the "Heisman Trophy" for collegiate marching bands), performed halftime shows at multiple NFL playoff and regular season football games, and hosted Championship events for both USBands and the Cavalcade of Bands Association.

Prior to his appointment at West Chester University, Dr. Gumble taught for 13 years in the Pennsylvania public schools as the Director of Bands at Hempfield High School and Associate Director of Bands at Quakertown Community High School. Throughout his career, ensembles under Dr. Gumble's direction consistently earned top ratings, awards, and critical acclaim at festivals and assessments across the region and was invited to perform at the Pennsylvania Music Educators' Association (PMEA) All-State Conference in 2009 and 2013. Dr. Gumble is an active guest conductor, clinician, producer, adjudicator, and conference presenter across the Northeastern United States. He has served as the Band Content Representative on the PMEA State Professional Development Council and has contributed original articles for PMEA Magazine. Dr. Gumble has been a quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Foundation's Music Educator Award and has been nominated for "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" as well as multiple "Teacher Impact Awards" through Central Pennsylvania's NBC affiliate, WGAL.

Dr. Gumble graduated from West Chester University with a Bachelor of Music Education Degree in 2005, a Master of Music Education Degree from Boston University in 2007, a Master of Music Degree in Wind Conducting from West Chester University in 2016, and a Doctor of Education Degree from West Chester University in 2022.

Dr. Gumble is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters' Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Sigma Alpha Iota, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Tau Beta Sigma.