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Evan VanDoren is an in-demand music composer regularly commissioned to create engaging & award-winning music for marching bands and concert ensembles at all skill levels. Evan’s music is regularly performed around the country, including premiere performances at the Texas Music Educators Association Convention and the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. In 2025, Evan was recognized as a National Finalist for The American Prize in Composition for his works, Luminosities & Prophetic Dances.
Evan serves as the brass composer & arranger for the Santa Clara Vanguard Drum and Bugle Corps, based in Santa Clara, California. Additionally, Evan is an active clinician and has presented for Drum Corps International, the Music Educators National Convention, the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Educators Association, and Music for All. He regularly consults with music programs nationwide.
Before devoting his life to creating music, Evan was a band director at Cedar Park High School in Cedar Park, Texas. During that time, the band was awarded multiple marching state championships and national recognition. He received a Bachelor's in Music Education with Honors from Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana. Currently, he lives in Cedar Park, Texas, with his wife, Katie, daughters Anna & Sara, and their dog, Cooper.
7 Marching Band Rehearsal Strategies for a Better Sound
Introduction When it comes to marching band shows, there are several basic concepts that every band program should focus on. Here are seven marching band rehearsal strategies that make the biggest difference in how a performance actually sounds by the time...
7 Emotional Marching Band Show Ideas That Audiences Never Forget
I have stood on a lot of sidelines watching a lot of shows end. Most of the time, the crowd claps politely. The announcer reads off the next school, and everyone moves on. But every so often, there is a different kind of silence right after the last note. In that half...
Teaching Stagger Breathing: A Simple Strategy for Stronger Ensemble Sound
The simple truth is this: your band will not sound good if they don’t make a conscious effort to maintain a body full of air! In marching band, as directors, we must constantly monitor and be aware of this fact, and provide strategies for students to keep their bodies...
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