Saginaw Valley State University Department of Music

08/25/2026

08/17/2026

SAVE THE DATE — SVSU Piano Day 2026
November 20–21, 2026
Saginaw Valley State University

Saginaw Valley State University is pleased to announce SVSU Piano Day 2026, hosted by the SVSU Piano Faculty Dr. Chia-Ying Chan

We are honored to welcome two distinguished guest artists and scholars:

José Ramón Méndez, Guest Artist, Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Mio Hanabusa, Visiting Scholar, Shikoku University, Japan

The two-day event will feature a guest artist recital, masterclasses, lectures and conversations, student performance opportunities, and a gala concert.
Participants will receive achievement certificates, and this year’s Piano Day will also introduce a Best Performance Award.

SVSU Piano Day is open to college and pre-college piano students. We warmly invite teachers, students, and colleagues to share this announcement with those who may be interested.

Admission is free. Registration is required for all masterclass and gala concert participants.

Non-SVSU students who wish to perform for José Ramón Méndez will be required to submit a video audition.

Registration: https://forms.gle/RL75nvxiwTLLPFVJ7

For questions or additional information, please contact SVSU music department or Dr. Chan at [email protected]

We look forward to welcoming piano students, teachers, and music educators from across the region for this special event.

08/13/2026

Attention prospective students: The SVSU Department of Music is excited to announce our 2026-2027 auditions for the music program! If you are interested in becoming a music or music education major at SVSU in the 2027-2028 school year, you should audition on one of the following 2027 dates: 1/15, 1/29, 2/12, 2/26, 3/26, 4/9. To set up your audition, please call the Music Department office and talk to Kelly McQuarter at 989-964-4159.

If you are not interested in being a music major, you can still join any of the many ensembles we have available (listed on the attached flyer)! If you have questions about a specific ensemble, please call using the number above or email [email protected].

We are excited to see new and returning faces in just a few weeks.

08/11/2026

Hey band members, as we get closer to band camp, make sure you have all the essentials! Black shorts and shoes, sunblock, water bottles, and printed music are a must for band camp. Make sure to check in with your section leader about what color shirt to wear on the first day!

We cannot wait to see everyone in two weeks and begin working toward an amazing season!

07/16/2026

We are excited to welcome new applied faculty to the department for the upcoming school year:

Aron Scott Callard will be teaching Jazz Combos and Jazz History - he is an active trombonist and educator in the area with groups including the Saginaw Elite Big Band, Saginaw Eddy Concert Band, and his own Prospect Brass Band.

Dr. Catherine Goode will be teaching applied voice. Dr. Goode is a soprano with a wide range of experience in opera, orchestral, and solo performance. She has an affinity for new music and recently commissioned several new songs and song cycles from living women composers.

Eric Markley will be teaching applied bass. An alum of SVSU and Wayne State University, Prof. Markley has experience in both classical and jazz bass playing on upright and electric.

Please help us welcome these new instructors!

05/16/2026

Incoming and returning marching band members, check out this post for information about the upcoming season!

Hey incoming and returning Cardinals! Please check out this checklist and dates for the upcoming season. It will come faster than we realize!

Make sure you fill out the marching band form ASAP on the music department website using this link:
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=_0UPVYM-oUKX2XCtiTWwxRHppzkYxO5Ksfm-GGGutHlUNFpDR1FZSTlXNlFSMkFENE8wVjFIQVE4RS4u
Don’t wait to fill it out!

Have a great summer and we are excited to see you soon!
Leadership Team introductions will be coming within the next few weeks.

05/07/2026

The SVSU Music Department is excited to congratulate our graduating students.

Victor MacDonald is graduating with his Bachelor's in Music Education! Congratulations, Victor!🎵

05/04/2026

Thanks for a great semester, Cards!

Enjoy your summer break, and we'll see you back in August for Fall 2026!

05/01/2026

We are proud to announce our new Director of Bands for next school year! Please help us welcome Dr. Hawkins!

Dennis A. Hawkins, Jr. has facilitated national and international performances on the podium as a conductor, in ensembles professionally as a trumpet player, in lecture-based courses as an instructor, and administratively as a certified nonprofit professional. Dr. Hawkins is also a published author and reviewer who has a passion for teaching that continues to be cultivated through the support of many mentors with whom he has had the privilege of studying. He finds great inspiration through collaborations with guest artists, composers, educators, and students.

In addition to numerous professional and honor organizations, Hawkins is a proud brother of both the Kappa Alpha and Alpha Alpha chapters of Kappa Kappa Psi, the Eta chapter of Phi Beta Mu, and the Delta Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Education: D.M.A - University of Minnesota, M.M. - Youngstown State University, M.M. - Boston University, B.M. - Youngstown State University