Dynamic conductor and educator to begin appointment at Millikin August 2019
Millikin University is pleased to announce that Corey Seapy has been named Director of Bands for the Millikin School of Music. Seapy will begin his appointment as Director of Bands in August 2019. Seapy succeeds Dr. Gary Shaw who will retire in July 2019 after 36 years with the Millikin School of Music.
A dynamic conductor and educator who has spent the last decade maximizing the artistic potential of a wide variety of ensembles, Corey Seapy's versatility has allowed him to work with wind ensembles and orchestras of all ages and ability levels. He is committed to sharing meaningful repertoire, and has led works by historically significant composers including Bach, Beethoven, Copland, Grainger, Holst, Mahler, Mozart, Strauss, Stravinsky and Varése. As a champion of new music, Seapy has recently commissioned works by Robert J. Bradshaw and Stefanie Lubkowski, and has premiered over a dozen student compositions.
"Corey Seapy will bring a new energy and excitement to Millikin's band program and contribute to all facets of our School of Music," said Brian Justison, director of the Millikin School of Music. "His enthusiasm for music and advancing music education makes us eager to see him working with our talented students and faculty."
Seapy is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Missouri – Kansas City (UMKC) Conservatory of Music and Dance where he serves as a graduate teaching assistant and studies conducting with Steven D. Davis.
Seapy's recent appearances in Kansas City include performances of works by Grantham, Pann, Poulenc and Stravinsky. Seapy worked closely with composer Robert J. Bradshaw to premiere "The Cost of Compassion," a piece in which music, narration and dance rely on real-time audience input. He also premiered a work by Viet Cuong with the UMKC Saxophone Ensemble at the North American Saxophone Alliance Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio. Alongside his conducting and scholarly activity at UMKC, Seapy assists with the Conservatory Wind Symphony, Conservatory Wind Ensemble and all Bands Department activities. In 2017, he helped organize and host the biennial National Conference for the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA).
"I couldn't be more thrilled about the opportunity to begin working with the wonderful music students at Millikin University this fall," said Seapy. "It's an honor to join the incredible School of Music faculty and succeed Dr. Gary Shaw as Director of Bands. He has made a profoundly positive impact on countless students over the course of nearly 40 years at Millikin, and I look forward to continuing and building upon this legacy."
Prior to living in Kansas City, Seapy conducted and taught in Massachusetts, where he served as music director of the Charles River Wind Ensemble, an auditioned adult group in Metro-Boston, and as director of bands at Ipswich High School. Prior positions include orchestra director at Ipswich High School, conducting fellow with the Senior Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble at New England Conservatory, assistant conductor of the Gordon College Wind Ensemble, conductor of the Northeast Massachusetts Youth Wind Ensemble and director of bands at Georgetown High School. Seapy has led award-winning student ensembles in venues such as Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall in Boston, Mass., and on tour in England and Florida.
Seapy's recent awards include an Honorable Mention from the American Prize in Conducting (College/University Division) and a Finalist designation from the American Prize in Band/Wind Ensemble Performance (Community Division). His guest conducting appearances include the Orchestra on the Hill, Adirondack Mountain Club Music Retreat Orchestra, MMEA Western Junior District Band, and the Lakes Region Junior High Music Festival, along with many rehearsal clinics at universities and public schools.
"The more I learn about the musical and academic environment at Millikin, the more excited I get about being part of such a special community. It is clear that the arts are alive and well both on campus and around Decatur," said Seapy. "The Millikin students, faculty and administrators share my passion for making meaningful music at the highest possible artistic level. This makes for an ideal teaching scenario. The emphasis on Performance Learning and developing the whole musician also provides the perfect framework for the Millikin University Wind Ensemble to engage audiences through creative, thought-provoking, and enjoyable concerts. I can't wait to get into the band room with the group and start rehearsing."
Seapy holds a Master of Music in Conducting from Ithaca College – New York, where he studied with Stephen Peterson, Cynthia Johnston Turner and Jeffery Meyer. As a graduate assistant, he worked with the Ithaca College Wind Ensemble among other groups, gave conducting recitals and assisted with conducting classes. Seapy also holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Gordon College, where he studied conducting with David Rox and clarinet with Bill Kirkley.
Millikin School of Music
The mission of the Millikin University School of Music is to develop the whole musician – artistically, intellectually, technically – through the integration of theory and practice in an environment where students become active learners through their relationships with faculty, who themselves continue to grow as artists, scholars, and teachers.
The School of Music's core learning goals include developing musical skills through listening, analysis, playing an instrument, or voice, and developing an understanding of music in an historical and cultural context.