Sigma Alpha Iota

sai-national.org • Summer 2023 27 FRIEND OF THE ARTS a man or woman who is supportive of and actively involved in the arts at a local or regional level of the Bulldog Marching Band at California State University, Fresno in 1993. Aer 13 years in this position, Dr. Gilroy became Director of Bands in 2006. During this time, Dr. Gilroy harnessed a robust collegiate marching program and continued to guide the virtuous Fresno State Wind Orchestra, conducting and arranging for the ensemble through opportunities such as the Summer Olympics (Beijing 2008) and the Australian International Music Festival (Sydney 2015). Gilroy also served as faculty at CSU, Stanislaus and as a graduate assistant at the University of Oregon in Eugene, Oregon where he completed his doctorate in 1995. Dr. Gilroy is a highly sought-aer guest conductor and adjudicator across the United States. He has devoted nearly 20 years as a clinician and guest conductor throughout the West-Midwest region of the United States and has long-served as a leader of the California Band Directors Association, the National Band Association, and as a co-founder of the Western Band Association (formerly Western Scholastic Marching Band Conference). As an adjudicator and guest conductor he has served in 40 states, Canada, China and England. Dr. Gilroy has been the conductor for all state groups in Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and Oregon as well as the All- Northwest Wind Symphony, the California Band Directors Association All-State Junior High School Symphonic Band, and the All-State High School Symphonic Band. An ASCAP Award-winning composer with more than 200 publications to his credit, Gilroy's music is published for concert band, marching band, and various ensembles through the Arrangers Publishing Company, BRS Music, Inc., C. Alan Publications, Daehn Publications, Gary P. Gilroy Publications, Kagarice Brass Editions, Matrix Publications, TRN Publications, Warner Brothers, Wingert-Jones, Inc., TrevCo Music Publishing, and CPP/Belwin Mills. His compositions have been featured at the American Bandmasters Association Convention, the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington, DC, the International Trombone Festival in New Orleans, and on many occasions at the International Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. Dr. Gilroy served as the arranger/composer for the 2008 Olympic Orchestra in Beijing, China. He has been an ASCAP Composers Award recipient every year since 2001. DR. JOHN LOPEZ Dr. John Lopez was initiated as a National Arts Associate by the Lambda Lambda Chapter at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville in April. Dr. Lopez joined the faculty of the Texas A & M University-Kingsville School of Music as Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Javelina Marching Band in the Fall of 2022. From 2013 to 2022, he served as the Director of Athletic Bands at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA, where he was the director of the 200+ member Marching Captains and Pep Band and was conductor of the University Concert Band. His academic achievements include a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from e University of Georgia (UGA), a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Ohio University (OU), and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Glenville State College. His wind-conducting teachers included Dr. John Lynch, Dr. Andrew Trachsel, Mr. Frank Wickes, and Mr. John Whitwell. Prior to his graduate work, Dr. Lopez served as the Director of Bands at Gilmer County High School in Glenville, WV, where his teaching earned him the 2007 West Virginia Region 7 Teacher of the Year Award. During his graduate studies at Ohio University, he earned the 2010 Ohio University Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associate Award and the Ronald Socciarelli Award for Outstanding Service to the Ohio University Marching 110. While at OU and UGA, Lopez routinely conducted all the bands, assisted with, and taught undergraduate conducting, and served as a teaching assistant with the OU Marching 110 and the UGA Redcoat Band. During his time at Christopher Newport University, e Marching Captains doubled in size and became one of the largest NCAA Division III athletic band programs in the country. e band was featured in the 2016 St. Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, and the 2019 anksgiving Day Parade in Chicago. He has been honored twice by the Northeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi with the Outstanding Sponsor Award for his work as the advisor to the Mu Nu chapter of the organization. Dr. Lopez is also an active scholar on wind band music with extensive contributions to the Teaching Music rough Performance in Band series. He routinely presents at state and regional music conferences and serves regularly as a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the eastern United States. Additionally, Lopez holds professional memberships in Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda. T. j. Anderson T. j. Anderson was initiated as a Friend of the Arts by the Epsilon eta Chapter at Appalachian State University in April. Mr. Anderson is currently pursuing a D.M.A in Wind Conducting at the University of Texas at Austin. He recently finished his Master's of Music at Appalachian State University, with an emphasis in Wind Conducting, while serving as a graduate teaching assistant to the Appalachian Bands and studying with Dr. John Stanley Ross and Dr. Jason Gardner. A native of Conway, South Carolina, Anderson received his Bachelor's of Music from Coastal Carolina University, where he studied percussion with Dr. Jesse Willis. He has also studied conducting with Dr. T. André Feagin, Mr. Garrett Griffin, and Dr. Timothy Koch. In addition, Anderson has been a guest conductor and clinician for schools and festivals in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, and a marching percussion director and consultant in Myrtle Beach, SC. He is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and an honorary member of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha. Distinguished Members Anderson Anderson

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