McNEESE STATE UNIVERSITY BANDS

Dr. Timothy Pardue

Director of Bands

Dr. Tim Pardue is the Director of Bands in the W.A. and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University where he conducts the Wind Symphony, Pride of McNeese Marching Band, assists the Courtside Cowboys Basketball Pep Band, and teaches music education, music theory, and conducting courses.

He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in wind conducting from the University of Oklahoma, a Master of Music degree in wind conducting from the University of Arkansas, and Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Louisiana Tech University.

Pardue is an active arranger and clinician. He has arranged for The Pride of McNeese, The Pride of Oklahoma, and University of Arkansas Razorback Marching Band. He has conducted honor bands and adjudicated throughout the gulf south region. Pardue has presented his research on flexible scoring as a means to provide quality repertoire to small band programs with limited instrumentation.

Prior to pursuing graduate studies, Pardue taught middle and high school bands in St. James Parish at Lutcher High School and Gramercy Elementary and in Plaquemines Parish at South Plaquemines High School. He holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, Pi Kappa Lambda music honor society, Tau Beta Sigma, and Kappa Kappa Psi.

Dr. Davaron Edwards

Assistant Director of Bands

Dr. Davaron Edwards is the Assistant Director of Bands at McNeese State University in the W.A. and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University where he conducts the Symphonic Band, Courtside Cowboys Basketball Pep Band, co-directs the Pride of McNeese Marching Band, and teaches additional music courses in the Department of Performing Arts.

Dr. Edwards earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia, a Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Winthrop University in 2012, and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting at the Hugh Hodgson School of Music, University of Georgia in 2022. At UGA, he served as a graduate teaching assistant, council member for the Graduate Student Association, and the Student Advisory Board for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Office of Student Affairs).

Dr. Edwards has ten years of varied secondary public school teaching experience in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and South Carolina. His professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education (NAfME); Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA); College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA); and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity of America, Inc.

Dr. Lonny Benoit

Department Head/Associate Professor - Percussion

Dr. Lonny Benoit is Associate Professor and Head of the W.A. and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana. In addition to teaching music courses, Benoit is the director of the McNeese Steel Drum Band, Cowboy Bloco, and the McNeese West African Drum and Dance Ensemble.

Benoit has performed with the Lake Charles Symphony, Las Vegas Philharmonic, Rapides Symphony, Acadiana Wind Ensemble, and TAD Wind Symphony (Tokyo, Japan). Benoit regularly presents clinics and master classes throughout the United States and abroad and has been a featured clinician at several PAS State Days of Percussion.

Benoit has served as the Front Ensemble Caption Manager of the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps from Santa Clara, CA. Benoit is the former Percussion Caption Head of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps from Rockford, Illinois. During his tenure with the Phantom Regiment, the group consistently placed in the top 6 at the DCI World Championships and members won the keyboard, snare drum, bass drum ensemble, and percussion ensemble titles at the DCI Individual and Ensemble Competition. Prior to working with Phantom Regiment, Benoit was a staff member for the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps (Denver, CO) and is a former member of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps (Rosemont, IL).

Lonny Benoit received his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas under the tutelage of Dr. Dean Gronemeier. Benoit endorses Pearl Drums and Adams Musical Instruments, Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Zildjian Cymbals, and Remo Drumheads.

PRofessor William Rose

Jazz Ensemble Director/Assistant Professor - Low Brass

William G. Rose is presently Associate Professor of Music and Assistant Department Head in the W.A and Dorothy Hanna Department of Performing Arts at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA, where is in his 36th year of teaching at the University. He teaches the low brass studio, music theory, music technology, conducts the brass choir, and has served as Musical Director for music theater productions, as well as holding the position of Coordinator of Equipment and Technology for the department. He holds degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Michigan State University; his principal teachers are Leonhard Rose, Dr. Gerald Grose, Donald Haack, Curtis Olson and Philip Sinder. He has served as principal trombone/euphonium with the Milwaukee Civic Orchestra, Concordia (*Concord) Chamber Orchestra, Music Under the Stars Orchestra & Present Music (Kevin Stahlheim, music director) of Milwaukee, bass trombonist with Acadiana Symphony and Chorale Acadiane, and has performed with the Milwaukee Symphony, the Greater Lansing Symphony, , the Detroit Chamber Winds, Shreveport Symphony, Plymouth, MI Symphony and the Ron Devilliers-Jack Carr Big Band, among others. He has performed and recorded with many distinguished musicians including Kevin Clark, Les Elgart, Chuck Hedges, Slide Hampton, Leif Pederson and Skitch Henderson; and performed in shows for Johnny Mathis, Bob Hope, Donald O’Conner, Liberace, Neil Sedaka, Lena Horne, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra and the Nelson Riddle Orchestra, the Rat Pack, the Four Tops, Marie Osmand and Percy Sledge.

He currently serves as principal trombonist with the Lake Charles Symphony in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and the Rapides Symphony in Alexandria, Louisiana, plays lead trombone/bass trombone with the Lake Charles Jazz Band, lead trombone with the 1944 Big Band, and performs on tenor banjo and tuba with the Bayou Jazz Kings. He is also Music Director at St. Luke-Simpson United Methodist Church in Lake Charles. As a theatrical conductor, he has served as Music Director and conductor for many productions in the SW Louisiana area for the McNeese Theater, Lake Charles Little Theater, Louisiana Choral Foundation, Itinerant Theatre, Chamberlain Productions, the Lake Charles Civic Ballet and the Lake Charles Symphony. As a composer and arranger, his catalog includes works for ballet, band, orchestra, jazz ensemble, choir, handbells, brass ensembles/alphorn choir and solo works for brass; his publishers include TAP Music, Kagarice Brass Editions, Gulfwind Music Press, Treble C Music, Fred Bock Music, Editions BIM, Warwick Press and GIA Music. He holds the Henry Alexander Endowed Professorship #2 in Music, and has held the AT&T Professorship 2017-18 & the JP Morgan Chase Professorship 2018-19 at McNeese State University. Mr. Rose is a Yamaha Performing Artist and a Melodious Accord Composition Fellow.

Mr. Mathew McMillen

Drumline instructor

Mr. Mat McMillen is the assistant drumline instructor and Director of Bands at Sulphur High School.

Ms. Cortney Lyon

Head Color Guard Instructor

Ms. Cortney Lyon is the head guard instructor for the Pride of McNeese and guard instructor for Barbe High School.

Mr. Thomas Logan

Color Guard Instructor

Mr. Thomas Logan is the assistant guard instructor for the Pride of McNeese and guard instructor for Sulphur High School.

Mr. TIM McMillen

Voice of the Pride of McNeese, Staff Arranger

Mr. Tim McMillen is the voice of The Pride of McNeese and our staff arranger. He is the former director of bands at Sulphur High School and is currently a music consultant for Calcasieu Parish Schools.