New Director to Lead the SUU Athletic Bands
Published: July 27, 2022 | Author: Kol Gibson | Read Time: 3 minutes
Southern Utah University’s Department of Music and Thunderbird Athletics are proud to welcome David D. Torres as the new Director of Athletic Bands. Torres comes to SUU with over a decade of experience as a professional trumpet player and conductor of collegiate marching and pep bands. Through aggressive recruiting strategies and consistent philosophy, he has grown the marching band programs at both of his former institutions to well over 200 members and has led his students to gain national recognition for their efforts. An excellent musician in his own right, Torres has played professionally with ensembles across the nation, including national and international tours of Broadway musicals and the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. 
“The search for a new Athletic Band Director has been in the works for several years, and I’m so grateful for the support of the President’s Council and Dean Shauna Mendini for getting the ball rolling,” shares Dr. Adam Lambert, Director of Bands and Professor of Music. “The nationwide search included some very impressive applicants with amazing credentials, which speaks to the quality of the person winning the position in the end. David Torres is a highly enthusiastic individual with grand visions for the SUU Marching Band.”
As a director and mentor, David aims to help his students to master the technical and musical requirements that are necessary in performing different styles of music, and he believes that building this strong foundational approach to performing is the key to consistent results and success. He seeks to create an individualized learning environment where students can ask questions, make mistakes, and overcome obstacles. This ensures that they develop the necessary skills to perform to the best of their ability and accomplish whatever they want to do in today’s music world and beyond.
“I am incredibly excited to work with students to build the best Athletic Bands program in the state of Utah,” says Torres. “I am also excited to learn SUU’s traditions while starting new ones. I have quite a few ideas in the works. I want to build an environment for our alumni, fans, and community that is fun, rewarding, and truly unique.”
In the 120 years since the formation of the first band at what was then the Branch Normal School, athletic bands at SUU have gone through many changes, from the ceremony and renown of the Scarlet & Black, to the more recent Red Rockers. Mr. Torres is sure to continue this great tradition and take the fan and student experience to new heights. The Music Department is currently recruiting students to play in one or both of the Athletic Bands; Marching Band in the fall, and the Basketball Band in the winter and spring. For more information about SUU’s Instrumental Ensembles, visit suu.edu/pva/music/instrumental.html.
About the College of Performing and Visual ArtsThe College of Performing and Visual Arts (CPVA) at Southern Utah University comprises 26 academic programs including liberal arts (BA/BS) and professional (BFA, BM, BMEd) degrees in art, design, dance, music, and theatre. It includes graduate programs in the fields of arts administration (MFA, MA), music education (MME), and music technology (MM). More than 60 full-time faculty and staff are engaged in teaching and mentoring over 900 majors in the College. CPVA presents over 100 performances, lectures, presentations, and exhibitions each year and is affiliated with the Southern Utah Museum of Art (SUMA), Utah Shakespeare Festival, and the Center for Shakespeare Studies. Southern Utah University is an accredited member of the National Association of Schools of Art & Design (NASAD), National Association of Schools of Dance (NASD), National Association of Schools of Music (NASM), and the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) making SUU the first public university in the state of Utah to be accredited by all four associations. For more information about the College of Performing and Visual Arts, visit www.suu.edu/pva.
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