Faculty
David Waybright
Director of Bands
Office: MUB 106B
Phone: (352) 392-0227
email: dwaybrig@ufl.edu
David A. Waybright received his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts degrees at Marshall University and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He taught initially at Wahama High School in Mason, West Virginia and since that time has served as Director of Bands at Ferrum College, Plymouth State College, and Director of Bands and Orchestra at McNeese State University. Dr. Waybright is currently Director of Bands at the University of Florida, where he holds the rank of professor and is the head of the conducting area. He directs the wind symphony and supervises the band program and the graduate and undergraduate conducting curricula. Dr. Waybright is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician with wind bands, orchestras, and choirs, and has appeared in that capacity in most of the 50 states, Europe, Asia and Australia. He has held residencies at many of the nation's leading music schools. In addition, he is active in the commissioning and performance of new music and has won the praise of composers such as Dana Wilson, Michael Torke, Donald Grantham, John Corigliano and Leslie Bassett for his interpretation of their works. There are many recordings available featuring the University of Florida Wind Symphony under his direction. Dr. Waybright is a lifetime member of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He has conducted concerts at three WASBE conferences, most recently Singapore 2005; he also conducted the American Chamber Winds at the Manchester, England conference in 1991, and the All New England Intercollegiate Wind Ensemble in Skien, Norway in 1983. He is co-founder and principal conductor of The American Chamber Winds, whose recent recording “The Art of the Serenade” has been widely acclaimed. Dr. Waybright is an elected member of The American Bandmasters Association, and ensembles under his direction have played at conferences of that organization in 1999 and 2005, and numerous additional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, and the Florida Music Educators Association. Dr. Waybright is also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda, a National Arts Associate honorary of Sigma Alpha Iota, and an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha, Tau Beta Sigma and Kappa Kappa Psi.
John M. Watkins, Jr.
Associate Director of Bands
Director of Gator Marching Band
Office: MUB 106A
Phone: (352) 392-0227
Email: watkins@ufl.edu
Mr. John M. “Jay” Watkins, Jr. comes to Gainesville to join the Gator Nation as the Associate Director of Bands, Director of Athletic Bands, Assistant Professor in the School of Music, and most importantly as the Director of the “Pride of the Sunshine” Fightin’ Gator Marching Band. Prior to his appointment at UF, he served as Assistant to the Director of Bands, Assistant Director of the Longhorn Band, and Conductor of the Longhorn Basketball, Volleyball and Concert Bands at The University of Texas at Austin, where he was the principal guest conductor of the Symphony Band and the show designer for the Longhorn Band. In the last year, ensembles under his direction performed and recorded with over 36 Grammy-award winning artists in a program he developed to integrate the academic, athletics and live music communities of Central Texas. Prior to his appointment at Texas, he served as the Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Charleston Southern University (SC), where he was also the Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education. Mr. Watkins received recognition as the CSU Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year in 1997 and was a recipient of the National Band Association’s “Citation of Excellence”, and was the founder, Music Director and Conductor of The Lowcountry Winds, a professional wind ensemble based in Charleston. He has also served as the Director of the U.S. Navy Drum & Bugle Corps and the Director of Instrumental Music at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD, and as a teacher in the public schools in North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. Prior to his work in music education, he worked for the US Naval Research Laboratory as a research associate in the areas of liquid fuel propellants and their stability, and published over 75 articles in refereed science journals. Mr. Watkins is a native of Falls Church, VA and earned Bachelor of Science and Master of Music Education degrees from George Mason University and Valdosta State University. He holds professional memberships in numerous organizations, served as South Carolina State Chair and Southern Division Chair for the National Band Association, and is an elected member of Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmaster’s Fraternity. Mr. Watkins remains very active as a designer, clinician and adjudicator throughout the country. He is married to the former Natalie Kay McLain and they have one son, Jacob, who will turn 7 during Band Camp.
Archie Birkner IV
Assistant Director of Bands
Director of Gator
Basketball and Volleyball Bands
Office: MUB 104A
Phone: (352) 392-0227
Email: chipbirk@ufl.edu
Chip Birkner has held positions as the Assistant Director of Bands at College Park H.S and Knox JH in The Woodlands, TX, as well as similar positions in Tomball, TX and La Porte, TX.
He received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Percussion Performance degrees from the University of Florida where he studied under Dr. Kenneth Broadway, Dr. David Waybright, and Matt Sexton.
His professional experience includes performances with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, Central Florida Symphony Orchestra, Gainesville Symphony Orchestra, Willis Bodine Chorale, Sunshine Steelers Steel Drum Ensemble, Houston Texans Pep Band, and Trommel Percussion Ensemble. His professional affiliations include the Percussive Arts Society, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity.
Mr. Birkner is an Educational Endorser of Promark Sticks and Mallets. He remains an active clinician/performer across the United States.
Gary Langford
Director of Jazz Studies
Office: MUB 130D
Phone: (352) 392-0227
Email: glangford@arts.ufl.edu
Professor Gary Langford is the Assistant Director of the School of Music at the University of Florida where he is also Director of Jazz Studies.
He came to the university in 1971 from the University of North Texas where he was a member of the famed One O’ Clock Lab Band. He is known throughout the state as an adjudicator and clinician having directed numerous county, district, and all-state bands. He has arranged over 400 selections for the Pride of the Sunshine and was the director of the organization for 10 years before “retiring” to devote more time to the jazz program.
His most recent honors have included the 1997 Musician of the Year presented by the Foundation for the Promotion of Music, the 1998 College Music Educator of the Year presented by the Florida Music Educators Association and the Distinguished Service to Music Medal, the highest honor presented by the national band fraternity Kappa Kappa Psi. In July 2006, he was inducted into the Gainesville Friends of Jazz Hall of Fame “in recognition of his achievements and contributions to jazz.” Mr. Langford is also in his 25th year as the Conductor and Music Director of the Alachua County Youth Orchestra. He will retire at the end of the Spring 2007 semester after 36 years with the University of Florida and the Gator Band program.
News/Events
Gary Langford
Retires!
