Dr. Jon Sweet Washington State University Associate Professor, Director of Athletic Bands, Symphonic Band In demand as a program coordinator and visual designer for marching bands, Dr. Jon Sweet has a reputation for his energetic performances throughout the United States. Dr. Sweet holds the position of Director of Athletic Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Associate Professor of Music, Career track at Washington State University where he directs the Cougar Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and is instrumental in the instruction of musicians throughout the School of Music. Prior to his appointment at WSU, Dr. Sweet enjoyed six years at Purdue University, where he conducted the Concert Band, Gold and Black Sound (the Women’s Basketball Pep-Band), was the advisor for the Gamma Pi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, taught the Band and Engineering Learning Community, and was an Associate Director for the “All-American” Marching Band, where he was the drill designer. He was named the Purdue University Learning Community “Advocate of the Year” in 2019. He received a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Kentucky in 2019, where his dissertation focused on the genesis and analysis of John Mackey’s Wine-Dark Sea: Symphony for Band and also holds degrees from Stephen F. Austin State University and Abilene Christian University. He makes frequent academic conference presentations at regional and national conferences, including the CBDNA Athletic Band Symposium. An active member in marching band pageantry arts, Dr. Sweet has designed over 300 shows and adjudicates marching bands throughout the United States. His designs have been featured at major high school competitions including Bands of America Regionals, Super Regionals, Grand Nationals, State Marching Contests, and many major college football conferences including the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, Pac 12, WAC, Sun Belt, and Conference USA. Dr. Sweet spent 11 years as a public-school band director in Texas, where his groups achieved superior ratings, best in class awards, best in festival awards, outstanding visual awards, and outstanding general effect awards. He has also served as a guest honor concert band conductor for groups in Colorado, Indiana, Idaho, and Wisconsin.
Dr. Sarah Miller Washington State University Associate Professor of Music, Associate Director of Athletic Bands, Trombone Professor Dr. Sarah Miller is the Associate Director of Athletic Bands and Associate Professor of Trombone (Career Track) at Washington State University. In this capacity, she assists with all aspects of the athletic band program and teaches private trombone lessons, as well as performs in the Faculty Brass Quintet. Sarah currently performs across the Palouse as the principal trombonist in the Washington-Idaho Symphony and as a member of the Palouse Brass Company. As a passionate chamber musician, she performs with the Crimson Brass Trio and the In Motus Tuba Quartet. In 2019, she was an invited performer and clinician at the International Women’s Brass Conference and has performed and presented at numerous International Tuba and Euphonium Conferences as well as College Music Society Conferences. Sarah earned the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Low Brass Performance from the University of Kansas where she studied with Scott Watson and Dr. Michael Davidson. While at KU, she assisted with the Marching Jayhawks and directed the KU Women’s Basketball and Volleyball Pep Bands. She received a Master of Music Degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of Arkansas where she studied with Dr. Benjamin Pierce and Gerald Sloan, as well as a Bachelor of Music Degree in Music Education from the University of Georgia, studying with David Zerkel.