Dr. John Lopez is the Associate Director of Bands at Texas A&M Kingsville where his primary teaching responsibilities include serving as the director of the Javelina Marching Band as well as the conductor of the Symphonic Band.
His academic achievements include the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from The University of Georgia, the Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from Ohio University, and the Bachelor of Music Education degree from Glenville State College. His wind conducting teachers include Dr. John Lynch, Dr. Andrew Trachsel, Mr. Frank Wickes, and Mr. John Whitwell. Prior to his graduate work, Dr. Lopez served as the Director of Bands at Gilmer County High School in Glenville, WV where his teaching earned him the 2007 West Virginia Region 7 Teacher of the Year. During his graduate studies at Ohio University, he earned the 2010 Ohio University Outstanding Graduate Teaching Associate Award and the Ronald Socciarelli Award for Outstanding Service to the Ohio University Marching 110.
Prior to his appointment at TAMUK, he served as the Director of Athletic Bands at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA where he was the director of the The Marching Captains as well as the conductor of the University Concert Band. During his time at CNU, The Marching Captains over doubled in size and became one of the largest NCAA Division III athletic band programs in the country. The band was featured in the 2016 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and the 2019 Thanksgiving Day Parade in Chicago. While at CNU he was also honored twice by the Northeast District of Kappa Kappa Psi, the national band fraternity, with the Outstanding Sponsor Award for his work as the advisor to the Mu Nu chapter of the organization.
Dr. Lopez is also an active scholar on wind band music with extensive contributions to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. He routinely presents at state and regional music conferences and serves regularly as a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the United States. Additionally, Lopez holds professional memberships in Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Pi Kappa Lambda.
