Dr. John Ginocchio

Dr. John Ginocchio has been the Director of Bands at Southwest Minnesota State University since 2006 where he directs the SMSU Jazz Ensemble, Symphonic Chamber Winds, SMSU/Community Concert Band, and the Mustang Pep Band.  As Professor of Music and head of the instrumental program he teaches conducting, orchestration, music theory, and instrumental music education courses. He also serves as the music program coordinator and chair of the Department of Fine Arts & Communication.  Dr. Ginocchio is co-founder and a clinician for the Minnesota Area Conducting Workshop, an annual workshop offered free of charge to music educators throughout the Midwest.

Dr. Ginocchio holds a Doctor of Arts degree in conducting and music education from Ball State University (2006); a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from Ball State; and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Indiana University, Bloomington.

Dr. Ginocchio previously served as a doctoral assistant director in the band department at Ball State University where he directed bands, jazz ensembles, and the East Central Indiana Youth Symphony Orchestra.  Before that, he taught instrumental music for the Adams Central Community Schools in Monroe, Indiana for ten years where he taught middle school and high school concert bands, jazz band, and popular music performance.

Active as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, Dr. Ginocchio has worked with bands of all levels throughout the Midwest and in Spain and has served on the jury for the Certamen Internacional de Bandas de Musica in Valencia, Spain.  Research and writing interests include the music of the Festival of Moors and Christians, conducting, ensemble seating, wind chamber music, popular music in the classroom, and composition in the classroom. His articles have appeared in publications such as The Instrumentalist, Contributions to Music Education, and the Music Educators Journal.  He has also contributed to the popular Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. In addition, he regularly presents sessions at state, national, and international conferences. Dr. Ginocchio is a member of: JEN, WASBE, CBDNA, NAfME, ISME, IGEB, College Music Society, and the Minnesota Music Educators Association (MMEA).

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