Dr. Myron Peterson

“Music is my passion. Teaching is my calling. Connecting people through music is my mission.” -Myron Peterson

In August of 2023, Dr. Myron Peterson proudly began his appointment at Boise State University as Assistant Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education. Among his responsibilities are leadership of the Symphonic Winds and myriad programs associated with Boise State’s wind band program, including the All-Star Honor Band, the Wind Band Clinic, and summer camp. He teaches courses in instrumental music and in the instrumental conducting sequence at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Myron enjoys partnering with area musicians and musician-educators to provide a rich, artistic education for Boise State’s music students and to contribute to the already vibrant arts community in Boise and across the northwest.

Prior to his appointment at Boise State, Peterson spent 27 years teaching and learning in public schools and universities. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting from the University of Iowa in August of 2023, studying with Dr. Mark Heidel. He was a frequent guest conductor with the University of Iowa Symphony Band and Concert Band. Additionally, Peterson served as the instructor for the University Band, Iowa Pep Band, and independent study undergraduate conducting students. His teaching assistantship also includes significant work with the 142-year-old Hawkeye Marching Band, for which he designed and taught music and drill for multiple sold-out half-time shows in legendary Kinnick Stadium.  Peterson earned his Master of Music in Wind Conducting at Colorado State University (CSU), with Dr. Rebecca Phillips, where he guest conducted the Wind Symphony-Chamber Winds, Symphonic Band, Concert Band, CSU Marching Band, Basketball Band, and assisted with undergraduate conducting class. 

The majority of Peterson’s professional career was spent at Urbandale High School (Iowa) for 21 years, 13 as its Director of Bands. While Director of Bands at Urbandale High School, he grew the program enrollment from 110 to over 180 students. He was responsible for the vision and management of all aspects of the band department. During his tenure, the Wind Symphony established a record of excellence across the United States, presenting concerts and collaborating with bands in Iowa, Minnesota, Ohio, Indiana, New Jersey, Connecticut, Hawaii, and Missouri. The Urbandale Wind Symphony was invited through peer-reviewed audition to perform at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference as the featured performer and frequently as a clinic session band—including service as the performing ensemble for a young conductor’s symposium, led by his predecessor, Marcellus Brown. Peterson’s initial teaching position was as the Associate Director of Bands at Oskaloosa High School (Iowa) for two years. 

Creatively, Peterson is active as a guest conductor for honor bands, adult wind bands, and collegiate concert bands. He serves as a clinician or judge extensively in the areas of concert band, jazz band, and marching band. His scholarly activity includes conference presentations at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conferences, guest lectures in graduate and undergraduate courses focused on topics of classroom methodology, and wind band repertoire and performance. He has authored, co-authored, and contributed to articles or sections of a book on the topics of classroom methodology and wind band repertoire. As a past president of the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA), Peterson wrote and published extensively on its organizational mission and operations. His masters and doctoral theses focus on the analysis of living composers and their major compositions for wind band. 

As a performing trombonist, Peterson is equally at home in classical, jazz, and commercial settings. He performed with the Boulder Philharmonic during his time in Colorado. While living in the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area, he performed with the national touring productions of Chicago–The Musical, Oprah Winfrey Presents “The Color Purple,” and High School Musical, and with popular artists such as The Temptations and Sonny Geraci. Locally, he was a long-standing member of The Tony Valdez Large Band, which performed a range of styles from Afro-Cuban Jazz to Funk. He was the original trombonist in the NOLA Jazz Band, which focuses on the performance of traditional jazz or using a traditional jazz approach with contemporary popular music. He enjoys chamber music settings, having played for over a decade with the Plymouth Brass Concert and in the Metropolitan Brass Quintet.

In leadership roles, Peterson is mission-focused, striving to align organizational effort with organizational values. From 2016–2019, Peterson served on the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA) Board of Directors and as its President during the 2017–2018 term. As president of the IBA, Peterson led an association-wide self-study that culminated with the adoption of a new mission statement. He also led the vision and implementation of the IBA’s 2018 professional conference. Peterson was the founding treasurer of the Jazz Educators of Iowa; he steered all aspects of the development of a professional annual budget process, and re-organization of the financial structure for the Iowa All-State Jazz Band Festival. Peterson is also professionally affiliated with the National Band Association and College Band Directors National Association. He is “un-professionally” affiliated with the American Homebrewers Association.