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An Introduction to Dorico for Finale Users (Longer Webinar)
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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.
How Grit Builds Championship Marching Band Shows
If you’ve ever watched a top-tier marching band show and thought, “How do they keep performing at that level?” — the answer isn’t luck or natural ability. It’s grit. Psychologist Angela Duckworth defines grit as the combination of passion and perseverance toward...
14 Leadership Lessons Every Band Director Can Steal From Ted Lasso
Every band director has a "Believe" sign. It may not hang above your office door like it did at AFC Richmond, but it's there. It's what you choose to believe about your students after a disastrous rehearsal. It's what you choose to believe about your staff when...
The Art of Advocacy: Communicating with Administrators About Your Marching Band Program
The Silent Skill Every Band Director Needs Designing a marching band show takes creativity, teamwork, and technical expertise.But the skill that keeps your program running year after year isn’t found in the score or the drill—it’s communication. Every time you request...
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