The Department of Music is pleased to welcome our new Director of Athletic Bands, Mr. Benjamin Harper. See information about Mr. Harper below. Final band camp schedules should be posted soon.

Benjamin Harper will be serving as Director of Athletic Bands at Valdosta State University beginning July 2017. He is currently pursuing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting at Texas Tech University with Dr. Sarah McKoin. Harper holds a Master of Music degree in wind conducting from the University of Kansas with Dr. Paul Popiel, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Iowa State University.
As a graduate teaching assistant at Texas Tech University, Harper conducted Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, and University Band, and assisted, taught, and arranged for the 400-member Goin’ Band from Raiderland marching band. He also directed men’s basketball, women’s basketball, and volleyball athletic bands. Harper performed similar duties at the University of Kansas, in addition to conducting the Helianthus new music ensemble, organizing the Prairie Winds Honor Band Festival, and appearing as guest conductor with the Kansas State Lions Honor Band. He served as Graduate Conducting Fellow with the Youth Symphony of Kansas City in 2014-2015. From 2006-2013, Harper taught high school band and courses in music theory and history in Humboldt, Iowa.
Harper regularly arranges for Division I athletic bands across the nation, has been published in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series (GIA Publications, Inc.), and has presented at the Iowa Bandmasters Association conference. His current projects include transcribing Mirabai Songs by John Harbison for mezzo-soprano and chamber winds