Department of Music Faculty
The South Dakota State University Music faculty are eminently qualified by degrees, specialization, and experience to accomplish the mission, goals, and objectives of the music department. There are fifteen full-time music faculty including the music executive, each bringing to the classroom and podium a broad range of expertise.

Thirteen faculty are active as performers, seven as conductors, and two as composer/arrangers. This diversity extends to the applied studios as well. There are two piano instructors, three vocal instructors, three woodwind instructors, four brass instructors, a string instructor, and two percussion instructors. In addition, three of the faculty possess expertise in music literature and history, four are experts in the training of music teachers, one provides leadership for the music merchandising major, and eight faculty have expertise in various areas of pedagogy.

Meet the Staff

 Connie Lemke  |  Jerri Olson

Meet the Faculty

Department Head 

•  David Reynolds (Music History)

Instrumental

• John Brawand (Strings, Orchestra, History)
• James Coull (Band, Theory)
• Don Crowe (Music Ed, Low Brass)
• Nathan Jorgensen (Woodwinds, Jazz Bands)
• James McKinney (Band)
• Eric Peterson (Band)
• Dori Quam (Flute)
• Aaron Ragsdale (Percussion)
• Alan Taylor (High Brass, Band)

 Vocal

• Laura Diddle-Hildebrant (Voice, Music Ed)
• Steven Grives (Choir, Voice)
• Emily Wood Toronto (Voice, Opera Workshop)

Piano

• John Walker (Piano, Theory)
• Mary Ermel Walker (Class Piano, Organ)

 Theory/History

• Anthony Lis (Theory, History)
• Ricky Crawley (Jazz History)