Mark Walker serves as Associate Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Troy University where he assists with the “Sound of the South” Marching Band, teaches applied low brass, serves as conductor of the Campus Band and 10:00 Concert Band, directs the Basketball Pep Band and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in music history, music education, and conducting.

In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Walker serves as the Coordinator of Graduate Music Studies, Executive Director of the Middle School Southeastern United States Band Clinic and Honor Bands, is on the Board of the Southeastern United States Band Clinic, and is the Director of the “Sound of the South” Summer Music Camp and Director’s Clinic.  Dr. Walker is also a published author, whose articles appear in state and national music education publications.

Dr. Walker earned his bachelor’s degree in music education at Tennessee Technological University, where he studied euphonium with R. Winston Morris, conducting with Joseph Hermann and composition with Robert Jager.  He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign during which time he studied euphonium with Mark Moore, conducting with James Keene and research methods under Drs. Deborah Sheldon and Greg DeNardo. Dr. Walker is also the recipient of the prestigious A.A. Harding Award from the University of Illinois Bands.

As a performer, Dr. Walker can be heard on the Grammy Award nominated compact disc Euphoniums Unlimited on the Mark Records label. He has performed as featured soloist with the Tennessee Tech University Symphony Band, the Westwinds Brass Band, Troy University Summer Band, and the Plainview (TX) Symphony Orchestra.

Bands and students under Dr. Walker’s direction have received many honors at the regional and state level in Texas, where he taught middle school and high school band.  In addition, Dr. Walker has appeared as clinician and adjudicator throughout Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Tennessee and Texas.

Dr. Walker’s research interests include investigations of individual and audience perception of live musical events, music perception, rehearsal techniques and philosophical perspectives of music performance and understanding. Currently, Dr. Walker at work on articles pertaining to subject of precision in ensemble rehearsal, philosophical implications of precision which impact music performance, and the impact of titles on individuals’ perception of music quality.

Dr. Walker’s past and present professional affiliations include CBDNA, National Band Association, Music Educators National Conference, Alabama Music Education Association, Alabama Bandmasters Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Delta Pi, Phi Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Sigma, Texas Bandmasters Association, and World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles.

Dr. Walker is married to Jessica Walker, who teaches sixth grade at Goshen Elementary, and resides in Troy with their daughter, Emily.