The pandemic has impacted more than the way we all go about our various roles in the music profession. It has challenged us collectively and personally while illuminating the commonalities between professional, community, and educational organizations at every level. We have all been forced to reexamine the “why.” This session will explore the true purpose of our chosen vocations and offer a wealth of ideas for us all to consider as we make decisions about “what happens next.”
Ryan Nowlin
- Biographical Information
Assistant Director Major Ryan Nowlin joined “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band in August 2010 as staff arranger. He was appointed Assistant Director and commissioned a first lieutenant in July 2014, earned the rank of captain in July 2016, and was promoted to his current rank in January 2020. He has arranged and composed music for the Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra, brass ensemble, and various small ensembles. Nowlin has written arrangements for guest artists for national events, including a 2013 collaboration with Kelly Clarkson and Beyoncé for the second inauguration of President Obama. His music has been performed at the White House to include state dinners and President Trump’s televised Fourth of July South Lawn celebration, and his wind band transcriptions have been recorded on four Marine Band albums. In 2013, Nowlin composed the concert march “The Montford Point Marines” honoring the first African Americans to serve in the United States Marine Corps, and in 2018, he wrote the march “Century of Service” in honor of 100 years of women’s service in the Marines. As Assistant Director, he conducts the Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra in the winter/spring concert series and summer concerts on the National Mall as well as at the White House and on tour. Nowlin is a 1996 graduate of North Royalton High School in Ohio. He earned both a bachelor’s degree in music education in 2000 and a master’s degree in music education and conducting in 2004 from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.