The Sound of Southern Utah

About

Assistant Professor of Music
Director of Athletic Bands/Trumpet

Mr. David D. Torres serves as Assistant Professor, Director of Athletic Bands/Trumpet at Southern Utah University. Mr. Torres teaches applied trumpet lessons and conducts the Symphonic Band, Brass Choir, and directs the Thunderbird Marching Band & Sound Machine Basketball Bands. Founded in 2022, the Thunderbird Marching Band has become a staple in the region for its innovative show design and high energy performances, and is known as “The Sound of Southern Utah!” SUU's Athletic Bands and Independent Winter Guard (SUUI) have performed throughout the region and nationally, including UMEA State Championships, Marching Invitationals, NCAA March Madness, The WAC Tournament in Las Vegas, and select WGI regionals. As trumpet teacher, SUU's students have received invitations to multiple International Trumpet Guild Conferences and were recently honored as a quarterfinalist at the 2024 National Trumpet Competition.

A renowned performer, educator, and arranger, Mr.Torres enjoyed a multifaceted career as a professional musician prior to his teaching appointments. Broadway & Touring credits include; Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast”, "Drowsy Chaperone", and the “Producers” among others. In addition, Torres performed for 5 years as trumpet soloist with the Tony award-winning production “Blast!” and “BLAST II MIX”, and was one of the last trumpet/conductors to lead the live band for the famed Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus, “The Greatest Show on Earth”. Torres has performed with such artists as Mariah Carey, Tito Rojas "El Gallo", Rey Sepulveda, Wycliffe Gordon, Wayne Bergeron, Bob Florence, Frederick Fennell, John Clayton, Michael Philip Mossman, and many more. Originally from Florida, Torres got his start playing trumpet at Walt Disney World, and is a proud Alumni of the Disneyland All-American College Band. Before moving to Utah, Mr. Torres was Assistant Professor of Trumpet and Director of Athletic Bands at Southern Arkansas University. At SAU, the Marching Band grew into one of the largest collegiate marching bands in the state of Arkansas and his trumpet students succeeded immensely; earning graduate positions at top programs, winning positions at summer festivals/world class drum corps, and employment in military bands. The SAU Trumpet Ensemble was invited to numerous ITG Conferences, and also advanced to the quarterfinals of the National Trumpet Competition. Other performance credits include the Tuachann Center for the Arts Orchestra, Southwest Symphony, Orchestra of Southern Utah, Texarkana Symphony, South Arkansas Symphony, Tampa Bay Symphony, Las Cruces Symphony, Texarkana Jazz Orchestra, DFW Brass, British Brass Band of Louisiana, UNLV Faculty Brass, Paso Del Norte Big Band, NYGASP, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and PaperMill Playhouse (Tony-Award Winner).

Mr. Torres holds dual Master of Music degrees (Trumpet, Wind Conducting) from New Mexico State University and received his Bachelor of Arts degree (Music Performance) from the University of South Florida School of Music. His primary trumpet teachers include Jay Coble, Pancho Romero, Barbara Hull, Charley Davis, and William Adam. Torres is currently a part-time instructor and Doctoral student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he studies Brass Pedagogy. Further professional affiliations include: ITG, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Fraternity, Utah Music Educators Association, Texas Music Educators Association, and The American Federation of Musicians (Las Vegas #369). Torres is an endorsing artist for Hercules Stands and ChopSaver lip balm, and plays on Yamaha and Powell trumpets. He lives in Cedar City, Utah with his loving wife Anna, and their dog Lola.

About

Mr. Kevin D. Johnson is a percussionist, educator, and freelance performance artist based in the American Southwest. With over twenty years of experience as a percussionist, Kevin has performed in a multitude of musical idioms including jazz, classical, contemporary, chamber, percussion ensembles, marching, and various other world music traditions.

Kevin has been a member, performer, and collaborator with Drum as One© (Drumbots) LED percussion crew since the Fall of 2022, who function as the official drumline of the National Hockey League Vegas Golden Knights, and the American Hockey League Henderson Silver Knights. Kevin has also performed with the Drumbots at other high publicity events such as Super Bowl LVIII, AEW Wrestling Double or Nothing, and the 2024 NHL Awards show. The Information Display and Entertainment Association awarded the Vegas Golden Knights Game Entertainment & Production crew the Golden Matrix award for best overall production in 2023 and best interactive feature in 2024.

As an academic, Kevin has a variety of research interests including works for solo percussion and fixed media, music ethics and the philosophy of music, American preservation and revitalization of Irish folk music, as well as the evolution of rudimental snare drumming.

Prior to his appointment at SUU, Kevin earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance under the tutelage of Dr. James W. Doyle at Adams State University. During his undergraduate studies, he served as the principal percussionist of the San Luis Valley Symphony Orchestra from 2016 to 2020, as well as a substitute percussionist for the Pueblo Symphony Orchestra from 2019 to 2020. Alongside the ASU percussion studio, he annually performed in Durango, Colorado for the Music in the Mountains Goes to School concert lecture series, presenting on a unique world music tradition each year from 2015 to 2020. Kevin earned a Master of Music in Percussion Performance from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas under the direction of Dr. Timothy Jones, Dr. Dean Gronemeier, and Dr. Kyle Bissantz. At UNLV, Kevin has served as a part-time-instructor teaching history of rock n’ roll courses and performed with the likes of Joseph Alessi, Bernie Dresel, Javier Nandayapa, John Patitucci, Eric Marienthal, and the renowned UNLV Wind Orchestra.