Wind Band Conducting Symposium

Dr. Thomas Gamboa serves as the Director of University Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. At UW-Milwaukee, Dr. Gamboa oversees all aspects of the band program, guides the graduate wind conducting area, and serves as music director of the New Music Ensemble and the Wind Ensemble, the University’s premier wind band.

Previously, Dr. Gamboa was the Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of Wind Studies at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He served as the music director of the CCM Wind Ensemble, taught undergraduate- and graduate-level conducting courses, supervised music education interns, taught graduate-level wind literature courses, and directed the Doctoral Cognate Program in Wind Conducting.

Dr. Gamboa is originally from San Diego, California and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and Music Performance in bassoon from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also earned a Master of Music degree in Conducting from Northwestern University studying with Mallory Thompson, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Michigan studying with Michael Haithcock.

An accomplished conductor, Gamboa previously held the rank of Captain and served active duty as Conductor and Commander of the United States Air Force Band at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. He later served as Associate Conductor and Flight Commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. He earned his commission from Officer Training School, Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama in February 2011. He traveled with the USAF Band on numerous national and international tours including Spain, Germany, Turkey, Qatar, and Kuwait. In 2011, Gamboa was involved with the planning, execution, and editing of the final television broadcast of the band for their “Holiday Notes from Home 2011” performance, which featured guest artists Little Big Town and Lee Ann Womack. The Band of the Air Force Reserve celebrated a historic second nomination for an Emmy Award in Entertainment Programming for this broadcast. The performance was viewed by 1.1 million in 174 countries.

Dr. Gamboa’s scholarly and creative activities include peer-reviewed publications in the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) Journal, contributed to The Horizon Leans Forward: Stories of Courage, Strength, and Triumph of Underrepresented Communities in the Wind Band Field, presentations throughout the United States and internationally, producing recording albums through Klavier Records, and various guest conducting engagements with honor bands and professional ensembles worldwide including the West Point Band at the U.S. Military Academy.

A seasoned educator, Gamboa taught and served as the Instrumental Music Director and Music Department Chair at West Adams Preparatory High School in the Pico-Union neighborhood of Central Los Angeles. During his tenure, he founded and conducted the high school’s marching band, wind ensemble, chamber orchestra, and symphonic orchestra. He was also an instructor of conducting and chamber music for the National High School Music Institute where he served as Assistant Conductor for the Wind Ensemble. Dr. Gamboa also served as co-conductor of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble Symphonic Winds and music director of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble Chamber Winds. Additionally, Gamboa teaches drum major camps as a Head Instructor with the United Spirit Association during the summer. He currently serves as the Chair of the Conducting Curriculum Team where he designs the conducting program and trains drum major camp instructors. Dr. Gamboa continues to be in demand as a speaker, presenter, and conductor throughout the United States and abroad.

Dr. Scott Corley is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Peck School of the Arts. In this capacity, he serves as Assistant Director of University Bands and Music Director of the UWM Youth Wind & Percussion Ensembles program (“UWAY”). Additionally, Dr. Corley directs the Panther (pep) Band, teaches courses in conducting and music education, and assists with the supervision of the University Bands operational area. As a frequent guest conductor with the UWM Wind Ensemble, Dr. Corley has conducted at numerous state, regional, and national conferences.

Scott graduated from the University of Iowa with a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Band Conducting in 2016. At Iowa, he was an Iowa Performance Fellow, Graduate Teaching Assistant, and a staff member of the Hawkeye Marching Band. Prior to his appointment in Milwaukee, Scott earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of South Carolina (his home state), and taught in the state’s public schools for four years. He was then awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship to the Hugh Hodgson School of Music at the University of Georgia, where he earned a Master of Music degree in Conducting. At Georgia, Corley studied trumpet with Fred Mills and conducting with all of the school’s ensemble conductors, and was on the staff of the UGA Redcoat Band.

Since moving to Wisconsin in 2002, Dr. Corley has maintained an active schedule of University service and off-campus activities. He has been clinician/adjudicator and guest conductor for a number of band festivals and middle/high school honor bands. As an advocate of new wind band music, and especially that for young/ developing ensembles, Dr. Corley is frequently involved in commissioning projects, consortia, and assisted in the organization of CBDNA’s Young Band Composition Competition in 2003 and 2005. Dr. Corley has also led numerous premiere performances including works by composers John Mackey and Michael Markowski.