John Carnahan

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, Professor Carnahan served as Associate Director of Bands at

the University of Texas, Arlington.

Professor Carnahan brings a broad based knowledge and extensive background to all

idioms of instrumental music performance. His ensembles have performed at

numerous regional, national, and international music conferences including the

Music Educators National Conference, the College Band Directors National

Association Regional and National Conferences, the American Bandmasters

Association National Conference, and as the featured ensemble at the Korean

International Wind Band Festival. The Los Angeles Times hailed the University Wind

Symphony as, "...thoroughly disciplined and euphonious!"

In addition to his university duties, Professor Carnahan is active internationally as a guest

conductor, adjudicator, clinician, lecturer, author, and composer/arranger. He has

conducted countless honor ensemble performances at the local, regional, national, and

international levels. He served as a visiting professor at Hanyang University in Seoul,

Korea and conducted acclaimed performances in the Seoul Arts Center Theater. He also

worked as a music/performance consultant with the nationally renowned Dallas Brass.

Professor Carnahan is a sought after rehearsal clinician. He has presented numerous

performance demonstrations for notable national and international music education

conferences including the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Il and the World

Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles International Conference in Utrecht,

Netherlands. His innovative and thought-provoking sessions on ensemble rehearsal

techniques and the art of conducting are consistently well received.

Professor Carnahan is also an award-winning composer. His compositions are performed

throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia. In 2007, he won the College Band

Directors National Association Young Band Composition Contest with his piece, ...and

the antelope play, which is published by Manhattan Beach Publications. The composition

was selected to be included in the book, Guide to Band Masterworks, Volume 6, by

Meredith Music Publications. Additional compositions are published through C. Alan

Publications and World Projects Publications. Three of his other works can be found in the

Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Series, through GIA Publications, Inc.

Most recently, he completed the first volume of his three volume set of the Definitive Guide

Series for wind band: The Wind Band Sound, A Definitive Guide to Ensemble Intonation,

is now available through World Projects Publications.

Professor Carnahan holds membership in the College Band Directors National Association,

where he serves as Past President of the Western Division. He was voted a Life-Member

of the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association and was honored with

membership in the American Bandmasters Association in 2013.