As assistant director of bands at Oklahoma State University, Tyler Austin ’12 has achieved his longtime goal of working in higher education.
He credits Susquehanna’s music program for preparing him as “a performer, educator and thinker.”
“I will always be grateful for the time I spent at SU with inspiring professors who were personally invested in my personal and professional development,” he says.
Susquehanna also gave him a safe environment to explore, experiment and make mistakes in different aspects of music.
“I left with a clearly defined trajectory and a solid foundation of philosophy and practical experience,” he says.
At OSU, Austin is conductor of the concert band, assistant director of the cowboy marching band and director of the spirit band, and teaches courses in music education.
He works primarily with undergraduates, and with both music majors and non-majors.
“I am constantly surrounded by students from many different backgrounds and experiences, and we all come together to create music,” he says.
Austin also is in his fifth season as artistic director and conductor of the Maryland Wind Festival, which he founded in 2015.
“I wanted to start some sort of project that would both provide an artistic outlet for both myself and my talented network of friends. An equal goal was to give back to my community,” says Austin.
In addition to a bachelor of music in music education from Susquehanna, Austin holds a doctorate in wind conducting from Michigan State University and a master’s degree in bassoon performance from the University of North Texas.
