Congratulations to Dr. Brian Doyle, and Welcome to Dr. Paul Popiel!

Dr. Brian Doyle named Director of Bands at the Crane School of Music

Dr. Brian Doyle has been named Director of Bands at the Crane School of Music (Potsdam, NY), effective August 1, 2006. Dr. Doyle will conduct two of the concert ensembles, and will be teaching music education and conducting courses. We wish Dr. Doyle well in his new position!

Dr. Paul Popiel named Assistant Director of Bands at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music

Dr. Paul Popiel has been named Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Marching Hundred at Indiana University. Starting in August of 2006, Dr. Popiel will conduct the Concert Band, and will teach courses in conducting and Band History. Prior to his appointment at IU, Dr. Popiel was the Associate Director of Bands and Director of the Cowboy Marching Band at Oklahoma State University, where his duties included conducting the Concert Band, supervising student teachers, and teaching courses in music education. A proponent of modern music, Popiel was also the founder/conductor of Frontiers New Music Ensemble, a chamber group of Oklahoma State University students and faculty members committed to the performance of contemporary repertoire.

Popiel recently served as Resident Conductor of the Boston University Tanglewood Institute Wind Ensemble as the Frank L. Battisti Conducting Fellow. He has studied with conductors John Whitwell and Frank L. Battisti, and has conducted for H. Robert Reynolds, Michael Haithcock, Mallory Thompson, Allan McMurray, James Tapia, and Kevin Sedatole at symposia across the country. Dr. Popiel holds degrees in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from Truman State University (BA, BM), and the University of Notre Dame (MM), where he studied trumpet with Vincent Cichowicz of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. As a 1996 Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, he earned a Postgraduate Diploma in 20th-Century Music at the University of Bristol, England. While completing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Conducting at Michigan State University, he worked with each of the five Concert Bands and taught undergraduate and graduate conducting lessons. He has served on the instructional staff of the Band of the Fighting Irish and the Spartan Marching Band.

Dr. Popiel taught in the public schools for several years beginning in Brownsville, Texas and then later in metropolitan Detroit, Michigan. His Warren Mott High School program evolved to include over 300 students in six curricular bands and a nationally recognized marching band.

Dr. Popiel maintains an active schedule as a drill designer, clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor. He holds memberships in College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, Collegiate Music Society, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Tau Beta Sigma.