Tony Guzmán
Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Band
Biography
Education: Ph.D., M.A., Florida State University; B.A., Luther College
A conductor, composer, arranger, and music educator from the Dominican Republic, professor Juan Tony Guzmán is director of the Luther College Jazz Orchestra and Jazz Program, and holds the Weston Noble Endowed Chair in Music.
Guzmán is a sought-after conductor of all-state and honor choirs, concert bands, jazz bands, and symphony orchestras across the United States. He frequently serves as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator at festivals across North America, Central and South America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Guzmán has recently done clinics and presentations for the Singapore American School, The Choral Music Experience, Association for Music in International Schools, Universidade Federal da Paraíba and the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte in Brazil, World Choral Symposium, the Scottish Association for Music Education, and the Festival 500 in Canada.
An active arranger, Guzmán is known for his choral arrangements of Caribbean and Latin American music, some of which are published by Boosey & Hawkes and Oxford University Press.
Guzmán holds a Ph.D. in music education, a certificate in pedagogy of music theory, and a master’s degree in music education from Florida State University. He has a bachelor of arts in music education from Luther College and a degree in electromechanical engineering from the Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra in Santiago, Dominican Republic.
MUS 300: Ensemble: Jazz Orchestra
The repertoire of the Jazz Orchestra ranges from early jazz to contemporary compositions and arrangements. The ensemble receives excellent reviews from critics and enthusiastic responses from audiences. The Jazz Orchestra has a four-year tour cycle, which includes an international tour.
View more about Jazz Orchestra.
MUS 247/AFR 247: History of Jazz
A survey of the history and development of jazz, from the 1890’s to the present. Includes origins and early jazz through the modern jazz era. Listening activities focus on the major figures of each historical period. Offered alternate years.
MUS 248: World Music Cultures
An introduction to music cultures outside of the West, which may include the art and vernacular musics of Africa, the Americas, East and South Asia, and Northern and Eastern Europe. This course will be grounded in theoretical perspectives from ethnomusicology, exploring both sound structures and social structures as well as the relationships between them. This course is intended for students fluent in reading and writing Western notation, and able to hear and speak analytically about aspects of musical sound (meter, scale, texture). Students who have this preparation but have not completed the prerequisite are encouraged to speak to the instructor to determine if the course will be a good fit for their interests. Prerequisite: MUS 121L or 111 or consent of instructor.
EDUC 390: Middle and High School Band Methods
A study of the organization, direction and management of the band program in the public schools. The course includes the curricula, pedagogy and assessment of marching, jazz and concert bands. It also covers the organization and business management of the band program and instrument repair/maintenance. Laboratory hours include participation with area school bands. Prerequisite: admission to teacher education and 361.
EDUC 380: Middle and High School Orchestra Methods
A study of the organization, direction and management of the orchestra program in public schools. The course includes the curricula, pedagogy and assessment of the school string program, instrument repair/maintenance, arranging for school orchestra, teaching string instruments, program organization, direction and business management of the orchestra program. Laboratory hours include participation with area school orchestras. Prerequisite: admission to teacher education program and 361.
EDUC 470: Senior Capstone
A study of the organization, direction and management of the school music program. This course includes business management aspects of a school music job from budgeting to creating handbooks, recruiting, publicity, and competitions to communicating with parents, colleagues and principals.
EDUC 384: Marching Band Methods
This course examines the high school and middle school marching band program. Included are studies in marching philosophies, program organization, administration and student recruitment and retention. Students experience marching band instrumentation, unique marching equipment, field topography, terminology, marching drill charting tools and basic drill drawing. This class included a practicum with a local high school marching band.
EDUC 385: Middle and High School Jazz Methods
This course explore the purposes of jazz education, a history of jazz and jazz education, types of jazz ensembles, instrumentations, recruitment and audition methods for the jazz program. Students will learn fundamentals of improvisation and to play the instruments of the rhythm section.
MUS 300: Ensemble: Vocal Jazz
Luther College Vocal Jazz Ensemble is a student-led, faculty-advised chamber ensemble. The group performs regularly with the Jazz Band, Jazz Orchestra and in variety of other on campus venues. Vocal Jazz is for students who are interested in solo and group jazz performance, with opportunities to learn both improvisation and vocal jazz techniques.
EDUC 391: High School Orchestra Methods
A study of organization, direction, and management of the orchestra program in public schools. The course includes the curricula, pedagogy and assessment of the high school string program, instrument repair/maintenance, arranging for school orchestra, teaching string instruments, program organization, direction, and business management of the orchestra program. Laboratory hours include participation with area school orchestras.
- Florida State University (Tallahassee, Florida): Doctor of Philosophy (music education), certificate in pedagogy of music theory; Master of Arts in Music (music education)
- Luther College: Bachelor of Arts (music education)
- Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra (Santiago, Dominican Republic): degree in electromechanical engineering