John Carnahan


Biography

John Alan Carnahan is Director of Bands and Professor of Conducting at the Bob Cole Conservatory of Music at California State University, Long Beach. Prior to his appointment at Long Beach, Mr. Carnahan served as Associate Director of Bands at the University of Texas, Arlington, and as Director of Bands at Clovis High School, Clovis, California.

Mr. Carnahan has been involved in field pageantry for the past 40 years as an arranger, designer, and instructor. He served as program coordinator and brass arranger/instructor for the Velvet Knights Drum Corps in the 90’s and as arranger/designer for numerous universities and award-winning high school programs throughout the United States and Japan. Mr. Carnahan has presented numerous presentations and clinics on improving the effectiveness of field performance in both the visual and musical captions. He is in demand as an adjudicator and has served on judging teams throughout the West and Southwestern United States.

In addition, Professor Carnahan is highly active internationally as a guest conductor, adjudicator, lecturer, and composer/arranger. He has conducted ensembles internationally in Europe, Japan, and Korea. He has been honored with invitations to the College Band Directors National Conference and the MENC National Conferences respectively. Mr. Carnahan has conducted countless performances at the local, regional, and national levels.

Professor Carnahan is a sought after concert clinician and has presented numerous clinics and performance demonstrations for national and statewide music education organizations and conferences including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Il.

As a composer, Professor Carnahan’s wind band compositions and arrangements have received many performances and are heard in the United States, Europe, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan. Three of his works are included in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Series, through GIA Publications, Inc.

He also serves as a music/performance consultant with the nationally renowned Dallas Brass.