About:

Dr. Arris Golden is the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Spartan Marching Band at Michigan State University. In this capacity,  Dr. Golden conducts the Concert Band, teaches courses in conducting and marching band techniques, coordinates Spartan Brass, and is coordinator of the MSU Performing Arts Camps. Prior to joining the faculty at Michigan State University, Dr. Golden was a member of the conducting faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she served as the Assistant Director of University Bands.

Before her collegiate appointments, Dr. Golden had a distinguished 18-year teaching career in the public schools of North Carolina. In her last public school assignment, Dr. Golden conducted the premiere of three commissioned works that have become standards in the middle school band repertoire: “Kitsune: The Fox Spirits,” by Brian Balmages (2009), “The Machine Awakes” for young band and electronics by Steven Bryant (2012), and “The Cave Your Fear” by Michael Markowski (2014).

Dr. Golden maintains an active schedule with engagements throughout the United States and internationally as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator. Dr. Golden has also shared presentations at the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, Midwest Band, and Orchestra Clinic, Michigan Music Conference, the Music For All Summer Symposium, the North Carolina Music Educators Conference, and the Virginia Music Educators Conference based in her research interests: undergraduate music education preparation, conductor decision-making, Mindset in the music classroom, repertoire selection and programming, and the student teaching and mentorship experience.

Dr. Golden has worked with many notable composers in the preparation and performance of their works for the wind band medium. Recent and future artistic collaborations include Brian Balmages, David Biedenbender, Katahj Copley, Danielle Fisher, Tyler S. Grant, Michael Markowski, Tyler Mazone, Peter Meechan, Aaron Perinne, Alex Shapiro, Erika Svanoe, and Omar Thomas. Dr. Golden’s professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association and the National Band Association; she also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Band Association and as Chairperson of the National Band Association’s Music List Committee. A published author, chapters by Dr. Golden have been featured in Women in Wind Band (2023) and GO ON, Tell Your Story!: Voices of Women Band Directors (2023).

Dr. Golden holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She completed the Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting from Michigan State University as a 2014 recipient of a Michigan State University Distinguished Fellowship.

Spartan Marching Band Website