Pitt State Music Department

10/27/2026

Wow was last week's Jazz Band concert fun! Find your person in these photos taken by student photographer and Music minor Kaylee Dillow, then make plans to attend their next gig on Nov. 10 in the U-Club at the Overman Student Center. Downbeat is at 7:00!

10/27/2026

High school students, parents, and band directors: it's three weeks until Music Major Test Drive and Audition Day. Register now and you'll get to:

1. attend jazz, choir, and band rehearsals
2. connect with current music majors during a Q&A session
3. tour our world-class performance venues
4. audition for a music scholarship
5. experience what it's like to be a college music major for a day

At Pitt State, music majors can get:

🎶 Stipends for marching and pep band
🎶 Academic achievement awards each semester based on GPA
🎶 Ensemble participation starting freshman year
🎶 Scholarships
🎶 And more!

A music degree can open the door to countless career opportunities. Come see where your passion for music can take you!

Register today at the link below — lunch is included

10/26/2026

Introducing the final talented member of Pitt State's Low Brass Studio before the Octubafest recital on Oct. 28.

Joshua Maxwell (left) has a unique career goal: becoming both a professional euphonium performer and an accountant.

Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, he chose Pitt State because of a family connection: his grandfather is a Pitt State alumnus! Joshua enjoys the close-knit community he has found here and is currently preparing “Noble Element” for performance.

Octubafest:
🗓 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28
📍 McCray Hall

The Low Brass Studio is taught by Dr. Jobey Wilson (right), assistant professor of music.

Dr. Wilson also directs the Pride of the Plains Marching Band, Pep Bands, and Symphonic Band, and teaches applied tuba, euphonium, trombone, and brass chamber music courses.

He has been a freelance musician for 25 years, served as principal tuba of several notable symphonies on the east coast, performs with the Tulsa Symphony, and is the founder of Camp Jobey Summer Brass Institute.

10/25/2026

Introducing more talented members of Pitt State's Low Brass Studio, who are preparing for Octubafest on Oct. 28 under the direction of Dr. Jobey Wilson!

Devin Williams
Max Battaglia
Bertha Becerra Dominguez
Mason Greathouse

Learn more about each student in the caption under their photo, then plan to enjoy an evening of solo and ensemble works for tuba, euphonium, and trombone by Bach, Rossini, Alec Wilder, and many others, starting at 7 p.m. in McCray Hall.

10/24/2026

Introducing more talented members of Pitt State's Low Brass Studio, who are preparing for Octubafest on Oct. 28 under the direction of Dr. Jobey Wilson!

Enjoy an evening of solo and ensemble works for tuba, euphonium, and trombone by Bach, Rossini, Alec Wilder, and many others, starting at 7 p.m. in McCray Hall.

Learn more about each student in the caption under their photo!

10/23/2026

Gorilla sighting 👀

That’s our department chair and Wind Ensemble director Dr. Andrew Chybowski!

Yesterday the Golden Tornado Marching Band had a fun trip to the Southern Plains Marching Festival in Andover KS. The band received a II (Good) Rating and got valuable feedback for improvement.

We also want to thank Dr. Andrew Chybowski from Pittstate for working with the band in preparation for the PSU Activities we did last weekend. (pictured)

The band plays at another football game this Friday, and then they participate in Neewollah next weekend on 10/31!

10/22/2026

Did you know? When one musician plays, it’s a solo. When an entire section locks in together, it’s a soli.

Not only is a saxophone soli exciting to hear, it's one of the most challenging things to tackle in big band jazz at the collegiate level. Every note, accent, and phrase must line up perfectly across the entire section.

Here's an excerpt of a soli from Thad Jones's Cherry Juice by the Pitt State Jazz Band saxophone section in last night’s concert at the Bicknell Center — an exciting concert that earned a standing ovation!

The band is directed by Dr. Todd Hastings and is open to all students by audition, regardless of major.

10/22/2026

Introducing Peyton Winnett, a member of the Pitt State Low Brass Studio preparing for the Octubafest recital on Oct. 28, and his junior recital on Oct. 26!

A Music Performance major from Weatherford, Oklahoma, Peyton plays both baritone sax and tenor sax in jazz band and even composes music in his spare time.

Peyton chose Pitt State after seeing his friend Gavin thrive in the music program. One of his favorite parts of campus life: performing with the student funk band, The Little Green Men. His current focus: working on Alec Wilder's “Sonata for Tuba and Piano.”

After graduation, Peyton hopes to continue performing while pursuing a career teaching music at the collegiate level.

Junior Recital:
🗓 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26
📍 McCray Hall

Octubafest:
🗓 7:30 p.m. Oct. 28
📍 McCray Hall

10/20/2026

You can expect a brand new set-up at the Pitt State Jazz Band concert Oct. 21 — one that brings the band closer to you for a more intimate, jazz club-like experience! The set list will include:

Off to Buffalo (Paul Baker)
Standing Up in a Hammock (Bill Potts)
Pretty Blue Eyes (Bill Holman)
Cherry Juice (Thad Jones)
Armando’s Rhumba (Corea/Tomaro)
Feather Report (Kris Berg)
Count Bubba’s Revenge (Gordon Goodwin)
Orange Colored Sky (Stein/DeLugg/Sims)

The music begins at 7 p.m. in the Bicknell Center for the Arts; admission is free!