Dr. Arris Golden

Biography

Arris Golden is an Assistant Professor of Music and also serves as the Assistant Director of Bands and Associate Director of the Spartan Marching Band at Michigan State University. He conducts the Concert Band and teaches courses in conducting and marching band techniques. Furthermore, he coordinates the Spartan Brass and the MSU Performing Arts Camps. Prior to joining Michigan State University, Dr. Golden was a member of the conducting faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he served as the Assistant Director of University Bands. He has an extensive 18-year teaching career in North Carolina's public schools, where he conducted the premiere of commissioned works that became standards in middle school band repertoire. Dr. Golden has an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator, and has presented at major music conferences such as the Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. His research interests focus on undergraduate music education preparation, conductor decision-making, and repertoire selection programming. Dr. Golden has worked with notable composers and is affiliated with the College Band Directors National Association and the National Band Association, where he serves on the Board of Directors. He is a published author with features in significant music education literature. Dr. Golden holds degrees from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and completed his Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting at Michigan State University in 2014, where he received the Distinguished Fellowship.

Research Interests