Dr. Corey Spurlin - Director

Auburn University

 

Corey Spurlin serves as Professor of Music, Marching Band Director, and Associate Director of Bands at Auburn University. In addition to his leadership of the athletic band program, he conducts the Concert Band, is associate conductor of the Auburn Symphonic Winds, and teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate conducting, wind band literature, and graduate instrumental leadership. Under his leadership, the Auburn University Marching Band recently won the inaugural Metallica Marching Band Competition and was the first marching band to record the main theme for the popular EA Sports College Football video game. Dr. Spurlin was recently elected as the first President of the SEC Band Directors Association. For the past eight years, he has served as the Southern Division Chair for the National Band Association. He is also a member of Phi Beta Mu International Band Fraternity and CBDNA, for which he has served on the athletic band committee for seven years.

 

Dr. Spurlin is also active throughout the U.S. as a conducting and marching band clinician and adjudicator. He currently serves as the Director of the Pearl Harbor 85th Anniversary Collegiate Mass Band and recently served as the Director of the D-Day 80th Anniversary Collegiate Mass Band, which performed for the 80th Anniversary D-Day celebrations in France in June 2024. He has conducted the Alabama All-State Blue Band; collegiate honor bands at Colorado State University, University of Georgia, West Virginia University, and Southern Illinois University; and he served as a marching band adjudicator for the University of Hawaii, University of Illinois, University of Missouri, Washington State University, BYU, Eastern New Mexico University, and for UIL Texas State Finals. He has served as a guest lecturer and/or conductor at the University of Oklahoma, West Virginia University, Georgia State University, Ohio State University, University of Alabama Birmingham, University of Texas Wesleyan, University of Texas at Arlington, Eastern New Mexico University, and the University of Akron.  He is published in six volumes of Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, twice in the National Band Association Journal, and he is a contributing author for the marching band textbook The System by Gary Smith. He has presented twelve times at the CBDNA Athletic Band Symposium, co-presented at the Midwest Clinic, presented twice for the Reach Through Music series, and was as a feature guest for Music for All Lunchtime Chats. In addition, he served for 13 years as the head drill design clinician at the Smith Walbridge Camps at Eastern Illinois University.

Dr. Craig Aarhus - Assistant Director

Mississippi State University

 

Dr. Craig Aarhus is Associate Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Mississippi State University. At MSU, he co-directs the Famous Maroon Band and basketball pep bands, conducts Wind Ensemble "B," the Concert Band, and Campus Band, and teaches Conducting and Brass Techniques in the Department of Music. He also currently serves as the area coordinator for Music Education in the department. As a member of the band faculty, Dr. Aarhus has been part of a team that has helped lead the band program to unprecedented growth, making it currently one of the largest bands in the Southeast.

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A native of Alabama, Dr. Aarhus received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Auburn University and his Master of Arts and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in Conducting from The University of Iowa.  While at Iowa, he was the recipient of the prestigious Iowa Performance Fellowship and was a conducting student of Dr. Myron Welch.  He also served as a graduate conductor for all of the concert bands, arranged music and wrote drill for the Hawkeye Marching Band, and was co-director of the Iowa Pep Band.  During this time, he was also the director of the Southeast Iowa Concert Band at Iowa Wesleyan College for one year. Prior to his appointment at MSU, Dr. Aarhus was a successful high school and middle band director in the public schools of Lanett, Tallassee, and Mobile, Alabama.

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Dr. Aarhus is a member of several professional organizations including Phi Beta Mu (Past-President, Delta Chapter), the College Band Directors National Association, Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma and the Mississippi Bandmasters Association. He is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the National Band Association and recently completed a ten year tenure as a Governor for the Southeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi.  Dr. Aarhus has been an adjudicator and clinician throughout the Southeast, Midwest, and in Canada, and is a contributing author to five volumes of the popular Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He has presented at numerous state and national conferences, including The Midwest Clinic, the CBDNA Summer Athletic Band Symposium, and the Mississippi Bandmasters Association State Band Clinic.

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In the summer of 2024, Dr. Aarhus served on the staff of the D-Day 80th Anniversary Collegiate Mass Band and helped lead performances in the Normandy region of France to honor the 80th anniversary of the D-Day invasion. The Delta Chapter of Phi Beta Mu selected Dr. Aarhus as the 2022 “Outstanding Bandmaster” in Mississippi, and in 2019, the Southeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi named their "Outstanding Director/Sponsor" Award after him. Other recent honors and awards include the A. Frank Martin Award from Kappa Kappa Psi for excellence in fraternity service (2017), the Clyde Muse Service Award from the MSU College of Education (2015) and selection to the George Duke Humphrey Faculty Leadership Program (2015). In 2010 and 2011, he was a recipient of the “StatePride” Award for excellence in teaching, research, and service. He has been a clinician/instructor at the Smith-Walbridge Drum Major Clinics for over 20 years, and in that capacity has had the opportunity to teach hundreds of high school and college drum majors from across the country. Dr. Aarhus and his family reside in Starkville and are members of First Presbyterian Church, where he has served as Music Director since 2007.

Dr. Tony Falcone - Assistant Director

University of Nebraska

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Anthony M. Falcone is the Associate Director of Bands at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His duties include directing the Cornhusker Marching Band, conducting the Symphonic Band, and assisting with the administration of all University Bands. He is also active in the Percussion Studio, teaching lessons, and coaching the Percussion Ensemble. He has held previous appointments at the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville; James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA; and Truman State University in Kirksville, MO. He earned his B.M.Ed. and M.M. degrees from James Madison University where he studied percussion with C. William Rice and conducting with Dr. J. Patrick Rooney. He was also a student of concert artist Leigh Howard Stevens in his intensive Summer Marimba Seminar.

 

Prof. Falcone is very active as a marching and concert band clinician, arranger, and adjudicator for school music programs throughout the country. He serves regularly as a guest conductor for honor bands and his clinics have been received at several state conventions including TMEA and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Arranger’s Publishing Company and Alfred Publications have published his arrangements. He has also performed across the nation as a percussionist and percussion soloist appearing on national television, radio and motion pictures. Locally he is a member of the Plymouth Brass, a regular performer with the Lincoln Municipal Band, and was recently appointed Principal Timpanist of Lincoln’s Symphony Orchestra. He is also an educational artist for Innovative Percussion and Remo Inc. He has served as Midwest District Governor and National Vice President for Professional Relations for Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity, Concert Band Chair for the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association and Nebraska Chapter President of the Percussive Arts Society.