Dr. Scott Anthony Jones, Director of The School of Music and Director of Bands
Dr. Scott Anthony Jones serves as Director of the School of Music (SOM) and Director of Bands at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Dr. Jones oversees all aspects of this acclaimed institution, conducts the premiere Wind Symphony and leads the graduate wind conducting program, which he established in 2018. He also serves as Coordinator of the Music and Culture in Vienna Study Abroad Program. Prior to his 2022 appointment as SOM Director, Dr. Jones also taught courses in music education, undergraduate conducting and wind literature and served as Faculty Facilitator for the Association of College and University Educators (ACUE) Effective Teaching Practices Course. Dr. Jones is the recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Alumni in Music Award from Grand Valley State University and the 2020 William J. Hall Faculty Excellence Award from the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Under his direction, the Wind Symphony has garnered national recognition for its outstanding musicianship, virtuosity and innovation, placing 2nd in the 2020 American Prize Competition, 3rd in the 2020 Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music Competition, performing at the 2019 Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and giving world premieres by composers Zhou Tian, Roy Magnuson, Jess Turner, Nathan Hudson and Katahj Copley.
Prior to Kingsville, Dr. Jones was Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Georgia, where he worked with the 440-member Redcoat Marching Band, directed Concert Winds and Basketball Band, and taught courses in conducting and orchestration. Dr. Jones has also held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Morgan State University, Maryland Conservatory of Music, The Peabody Institute, and The Highlands School in Maryland.
Dr. Jones holds the Doctor of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Master of Music in Saxophone from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and the Bachelor of Music from Grand Valley State University. Dr. Jones serves frequently as a guest clinician throughout Texas and the United States. He currently holds memberships in CBDNA, NAfME, TMEA, TBA and is an honorary brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Email: scott.jones@tamuk.edu
Prior to Kingsville, Dr. Jones was Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Georgia, where he worked with the 440-member Redcoat Marching Band, directed Concert Winds and Basketball Band, and taught courses in conducting and orchestration. Dr. Jones has also held positions at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, Morgan State University, Maryland Conservatory of Music, The Peabody Institute, and The Highlands School in Maryland.
Dr. Jones holds the Doctor of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, the Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Master of Music in Saxophone from The Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University, and the Bachelor of Music from Grand Valley State University. Dr. Jones serves frequently as a guest clinician throughout Texas and the United States. He currently holds memberships in CBDNA, NAfME, TMEA, TBA and is an honorary brother of Kappa Kappa Psi and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
Email: scott.jones@tamuk.edu
Dr. John Lopez, Associate Director of Bands
Dr. Lopez serves as Associate Director of Bands at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he directs the Pride of South Texas Javelina Marching Band and Symphonic Band, and teaches courses in conducting and music education.
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 the conductor of the University Concert Band. His academic achievements include the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Georgia, the Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Ohio University, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Glenville State College. His wind conducting teachers include 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. 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, The Marching Captains over doubled in size and became one of the largest NCAA Division III athletic band programs in the country. The band was featured in the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the 2019 Thanksgiving 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 Through 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.
Email: john.lopez@tamuk.edu
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 the conductor of the University Concert Band. His academic achievements include the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Georgia, the Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Ohio University, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Glenville State College. His wind conducting teachers include 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. 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, The Marching Captains over doubled in size and became one of the largest NCAA Division III athletic band programs in the country. The band was featured in the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the 2019 Thanksgiving 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 Through 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.
Email: john.lopez@tamuk.edu
Dr. Evan Harger, Adjunct Assistant Director of Bands
Dr. Evan Harger serves as Adjunct Professor of Ensembles, Conducting, and Entrepreneurship at Texas A&M University Kingsville. In that capacity, he conducts the Concert and University Bands, teach undergraduate conducting, leads undergraduate conducting lessons, assists the Javelina Marching Band, and delivers a brand-new Entrepreneurship course within the School of Music. Dr. Harger is elated and humbled to be working alongside such an esteemed team of educators, conductors, and human beings.
An advocate for new music and living composers, Dr. Harger continues to expand his contemporary music conducting as a Staff Conductor for the Sofia Symphonic Summit, Vienna Summer Music Festival, Tonal Composers Festival, and the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival – where he collaborates with world-class ensembles and living composers to promote new music and international collaboration. Additionally, he serves as Managing Director for the Los Angeles Music Industry Summer Academy – an immersive hands-on festival housed within Paramount Recording Studios for students interested in production, engineering, and management. He is also excited to have been invited to work with the Austin-based chamber orchestra and new music collective Density512 this upcoming year.
Dr. Harger also serves as Associate Conductor for the Newfound Chamber Winds, an ensemble made up of professional musicians from around the United States and Canada. In that capacity he guest conducts the ensemble, produces and co-produces ensemble recording projects, and plans and implements children’s concerts.
Prior to his engagement at Texas A&M University Kingsville, he served as Music Director for the Young People’s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley. In the Spring of 2023, they were invited and featured as a select ensemble for the PMEA All-State Conference where they performed three world premieres written for them specifically. From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Harger served as Director of Orchestral Activities at Marywood University where he successfully grew the orchestra program during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath – expanding the student numbers, community involvement, and number of concerts offered. Guest conducting engagements have included the Maryland Chamber Winds, Oregon Mozart Players, St. Petersburg State Symphony, Sofia Philharmonic, PHACE New Music Ensemble, PMEA District IX Orchestra, and Marywood University String Celebration Honor Chamber Orchestra.
Dr. Harger earned his D.M.A. in Conducting at Michigan State University in the studio of Prof. Kevin Noe. Prior to his study at Michigan State, he completed degrees in Orchestral and Wind Conducting at the University of Oregon and the University of Georgia respectively.
Email: evan.harger@tamuk.edu
An advocate for new music and living composers, Dr. Harger continues to expand his contemporary music conducting as a Staff Conductor for the Sofia Symphonic Summit, Vienna Summer Music Festival, Tonal Composers Festival, and the São Paulo Contemporary Composers Festival – where he collaborates with world-class ensembles and living composers to promote new music and international collaboration. Additionally, he serves as Managing Director for the Los Angeles Music Industry Summer Academy – an immersive hands-on festival housed within Paramount Recording Studios for students interested in production, engineering, and management. He is also excited to have been invited to work with the Austin-based chamber orchestra and new music collective Density512 this upcoming year.
Dr. Harger also serves as Associate Conductor for the Newfound Chamber Winds, an ensemble made up of professional musicians from around the United States and Canada. In that capacity he guest conducts the ensemble, produces and co-produces ensemble recording projects, and plans and implements children’s concerts.
Prior to his engagement at Texas A&M University Kingsville, he served as Music Director for the Young People’s Philharmonic of the Lehigh Valley. In the Spring of 2023, they were invited and featured as a select ensemble for the PMEA All-State Conference where they performed three world premieres written for them specifically. From 2020 to 2023, Dr. Harger served as Director of Orchestral Activities at Marywood University where he successfully grew the orchestra program during the initial phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath – expanding the student numbers, community involvement, and number of concerts offered. Guest conducting engagements have included the Maryland Chamber Winds, Oregon Mozart Players, St. Petersburg State Symphony, Sofia Philharmonic, PHACE New Music Ensemble, PMEA District IX Orchestra, and Marywood University String Celebration Honor Chamber Orchestra.
Dr. Harger earned his D.M.A. in Conducting at Michigan State University in the studio of Prof. Kevin Noe. Prior to his study at Michigan State, he completed degrees in Orchestral and Wind Conducting at the University of Oregon and the University of Georgia respectively.
Email: evan.harger@tamuk.edu
Mr. Matthew Gallegos, graduate conducting associate
Mr. Matthew Gallegos is currently earning a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting under Dr. Scott Jones. As a graduate assistant, he regularly works with the various concert bands and the Javelina Marching Band. He is also working on earning a Master of Music in Trombone Performance. He received his bachelor’s in music education, with magna cum laude, from Texas A&M University Kingsville in spring 2023.
As a trombonist , Mr. Gallegos has performed at multiple festivals and clinics with the TAMUK trombone choir, including the International Trombone Festival, the International Women’s Brass Conference, and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has also performed with various ensembles at TAMUK such as the JMB, jazz band, wind symphony, and the pit orchestra.
As an educator, Mr. Gallegos has worked with the MacArther High School band as a music and visual tech for the marching band. He has also worked as a camp counselor at the TAMUK band camp in the summers of 2022-2023.
As a trombonist , Mr. Gallegos has performed at multiple festivals and clinics with the TAMUK trombone choir, including the International Trombone Festival, the International Women’s Brass Conference, and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. He has also performed with various ensembles at TAMUK such as the JMB, jazz band, wind symphony, and the pit orchestra.
As an educator, Mr. Gallegos has worked with the MacArther High School band as a music and visual tech for the marching band. He has also worked as a camp counselor at the TAMUK band camp in the summers of 2022-2023.
Mr. Alex Nava, Graduate conducting associate
Mr. Nava is a graduate of Texas A&M Kingsville, where he received the Bachelor of Music Education degree with Teacher Certification, and the Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance. He is currently pursuing his Master of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting under the direction of Dr. Scott Jones. Mr. Nava currently holds a Graduate Assistantship where he assists TAMUK faculty & staff with instructing the Javelina Marching Band and the TAMUK concert bands.
As an educator, Mr. Nava has been a music technician and clinician for Robstown ISD and Laredo ISD. Mr. Nava led small and large ensemble rehearsals, gave private lessons to low brass students, and assisted with summer band camps and marching band. He currently gives private lessons to students around the area and Corpus Christi.
As a trombonist, Mr. Nava has performed in a variety of classical, jazz, and other popular music settings. While attending TAMUK, Mr. Nava performed with premier ensembles such as the Wind Symphony, the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra, the trombone studio’s top octet (also known as The South Texas Trombone Sound), Jazz Combo I, and Jazz Band II. As a member of these ensembles, Mr. Nava had the opportunity to perform at prestigious events like the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, The Chicago Midwest Clinic, and the International Trombone Festival (ITF). Mr. Nava has also shared the stage with artists such as Joe Alessi, Marshall Gilkes, and Zoltan Kiss while at TAMUK. Outside of school, Mr. Nava has been an active trombonist in Laredo performing with groups of different genres such as Salsa, Blues, Tejano, and variety music/pop bands, even doing double duty with some of these groups as a singer.
Several note-worthy moments for Mr. Nava while at TAMUK include being selected for a drum major position in the 2018 marching season, getting a chance to conduct the Wind Symphony after winning the 2018 – 2019 Conducting Competition, and recording an album (Dendrology) while being a member of Jazz Combo I.
As an educator, Mr. Nava has been a music technician and clinician for Robstown ISD and Laredo ISD. Mr. Nava led small and large ensemble rehearsals, gave private lessons to low brass students, and assisted with summer band camps and marching band. He currently gives private lessons to students around the area and Corpus Christi.
As a trombonist, Mr. Nava has performed in a variety of classical, jazz, and other popular music settings. While attending TAMUK, Mr. Nava performed with premier ensembles such as the Wind Symphony, the Kingsville Symphony Orchestra, the trombone studio’s top octet (also known as The South Texas Trombone Sound), Jazz Combo I, and Jazz Band II. As a member of these ensembles, Mr. Nava had the opportunity to perform at prestigious events like the Texas Music Educators Association (TMEA) Convention, The Chicago Midwest Clinic, and the International Trombone Festival (ITF). Mr. Nava has also shared the stage with artists such as Joe Alessi, Marshall Gilkes, and Zoltan Kiss while at TAMUK. Outside of school, Mr. Nava has been an active trombonist in Laredo performing with groups of different genres such as Salsa, Blues, Tejano, and variety music/pop bands, even doing double duty with some of these groups as a singer.
Several note-worthy moments for Mr. Nava while at TAMUK include being selected for a drum major position in the 2018 marching season, getting a chance to conduct the Wind Symphony after winning the 2018 – 2019 Conducting Competition, and recording an album (Dendrology) while being a member of Jazz Combo I.
mR. caRLOS nAVARRO, GRADUATE cONDUCTING Associate
Mr. Carlos Navarro is currently earning a Master of Music in Wind Conducting at Texas A&M University Kingsville under Dr. Scott Jones. In addition to his studies, Mr. Navarro serves as a Graduate Assistant for the band program where he assists in the direction of the “Pride of South Texas” Javelina Marching Band, guest conducts the Wind Symphony, the Symphonic Band, the Concert Band, and University Band. Mr. Navarro also contributes to the teaching of conducting classes.
As a conductor, Mr. Navarro founded Kingsville Winds, a community ensemble comprised of Texas A&M University at Kingsville's current students and alumni. Kingsville Winds, founded in Spring 2023, performs major band concerts in the Winter and Summer breaks of the collegiate season. Kingsville Winds' purpose is to perform music of all calibers; the ensemble has performed works such as Festive Overture, movements from the Pines of Rome, Hounds of Spring, and (Anti) Fanfare.
Native to San Antonio, as an educator, Mr. Navarro has worked with the MacArthur High School Band from 2021-2023, where he assists visually and musically with the marching band program. During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Navarro served as a Drum Major for the Pride of South Texas marching band from the fall of 2019-2021, where he would conduct, and assist in music and visual learning process. Mr. Navarro is a 2022 Graduate, with honors, of Texas A&M University at Kingsville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree in Music Education.
Mr. Navarro is a member of TBA and TMEA, is a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority, and a brother of Phi Mu Alpha, National Fraternity.
As a conductor, Mr. Navarro founded Kingsville Winds, a community ensemble comprised of Texas A&M University at Kingsville's current students and alumni. Kingsville Winds, founded in Spring 2023, performs major band concerts in the Winter and Summer breaks of the collegiate season. Kingsville Winds' purpose is to perform music of all calibers; the ensemble has performed works such as Festive Overture, movements from the Pines of Rome, Hounds of Spring, and (Anti) Fanfare.
Native to San Antonio, as an educator, Mr. Navarro has worked with the MacArthur High School Band from 2021-2023, where he assists visually and musically with the marching band program. During his undergraduate studies, Mr. Navarro served as a Drum Major for the Pride of South Texas marching band from the fall of 2019-2021, where he would conduct, and assist in music and visual learning process. Mr. Navarro is a 2022 Graduate, with honors, of Texas A&M University at Kingsville, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and Science Degree in Music Education.
Mr. Navarro is a member of TBA and TMEA, is a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority, and a brother of Phi Mu Alpha, National Fraternity.
