Faculty

Dr. Megan Boutin

Dr. Megan Boutin is the Assistant Professor of Music in Trombone at East Texas A&M University. Dr. Boutin has performed, presented, and adjudicated at conferences and festivals including the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop, Midwest Clinic, International Women’s Brass Conference, Big 12 Trombone Conference, and the Music by Women Festival. She is the winner of the 2019 International Women's Brass Conference Tenor Trombone Category II solo division, and has been a guest soloist at the Midwest Clinic. Dr. Boutin has held the position of principal trombone with the Temple Symphony Orchestra, Austin Civic Orchestra, and the Tri-Cities Opera Company Orchestra (Binghamton, NY). An active freelancer, she has performed with orchestras including Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Paducah Symphony Orchestra, Bangor Symphony Orchestra, as well as Austin Lyric Opera, Austin Symphony Brass Quintet, Stiletto Brass Quintet, Mirari Brass Quintet, and the Athena Brass Band.

As an educator she has been a featured guest artist for conferences as well as performed and presented masterclasses at universities throughout the United States. She served as a coach to the International Trombone Association’s Quartet Competition 2021 winners, and was an assistant conductor for the TAMUK Trombone Choir’s performance at the 2021 Midwest Clinic. An advocate for diversity and inclusion in music, Dr. Boutin is a member of the International Women’s Brass Conference and serves as a mentor with the IWBC mentorship program.

A native of Brunswick, Maine, Dr. Boutin holds degrees in Music Education from Ithaca College (B.M., Music Education), the Eastman School of Music (M.M.) and the University of Texas at Austin (D.M.A.). Principal teachers include Dr. Harold Reynolds, Mark Kellogg, Dr. John Marcellus, and Dr. Nathaniel Brickens. Dr. Boutin has held positions as the Assistant Professor of Music at Murray State University, and Adjunct Professor of Trombone at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Mr. Jimmy Clark

Jimmy Clark is Adjunct Professor of trombone and euphonium at East Texas A&M University. Mr. Clark is a native of Commerce, Texas. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of North Texas where he was a member of the One O'clock Lab Band on bass trombone and tuba. He began his graduate work at Yale University and received his Master's degree from East Texas State University (Texas A&M University-Commerce).

In addition to his teaching responsibilities at East Texas A&M University, Mr. Clark has an active performance schedule. He is the retired principal trombone of the Dallas Opera Orchestra and the principal trombone of the Dallas Wind Symphony, with whom he has recorded thirteen CDs. He has performed with the New York City Ballet Orchestra, Santa Fe Opera, Singapore Symphony, Fort Worth Symphony, San Antonio Symphony, East Texas Symphony, Richardson Symphony, Plano Symphony, and Keith Brion's New Sousa Band.

Mr. Clark¹s former students have gone on to prestigious graduate programs including the University of North Texas, Yale University, Curtis and the Juilliard School of Music as well as performing the nation's top military bands and American Wind Symphony. Mr. Clark's son Chris, is currently the trombone section leader with the "President's Own" United States Marine Band in Washington D.C. In 2000, Mr. Clark led the Texas Trombone Octet to a first place finish in the International Trombone Association Remington Trombone Choir Competition and performed in Finland at the International Trombone Association Festival. In March 2013 the twenty-eight member Texas A&M University-Commerce Trombone Choir performed as one of the featured ensembles at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington D.C.

Mr. Chris Oliver

Chris Oliver serves as an adjunct instructor of low brass at East Texas A&M University. He has been performing with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra since 2008, and was named 2nd trombone of the Symphony in February of 2010. Since his appointment, his title has been changed to Associate Principal Trombone. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Oliver was Principal Trombone of the Akron and Canton Symphonies in Ohio, and the Wheeling Symphony in West Virginia. He also performed frequently with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Oliver received his undergraduate degree in Trombone Performance from Southern Methodist University in 1999, where he studied with John Kitzman, and his Masters of Music degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music in 2006, where he studied with Steve Witser. He spent the summer of 1996 at the Round Top Festival Institute, in Round Top, TX, and the summer of 2000 at the Music Academy of the West, in Santa Barbara, CA. In 2001, he took part in the National Orchestral Institute at the University of Maryland. Mr. Oliver has also been heard in the orchestra of the Music in the Mountains festival in Durango, CO, since 1996.

Mr. Jack Courtright

Jack Courtright currently serves as Director of Jazz Ensembles at East Texas A&M University. He holds a Bachelor’s and Performer’s Certificate from the Eastman School of Music where he studied with Mark Kellogg and Larry Zalkind, as well as a Master’s from the University of North Texas where he studied with Nick Finzer, serving as a Teaching Fellow and as Jazz Chair trombonist in the One O’Clock Lab Band.

He has been the winner of four international trombone competitions at the International Trombone Festival, American Trombone Workshop and UNT/Conn-Selmer JTBN Day. Under Jack's direction, UNT's jazz trombone ensemble, The U-Tubes, were named winners of the ITA's 2021 Kai Winding Jazz Trombone Ensemble Competition. Also an in-demand composer and arranger, Jack’s works for big band and trombone ensemble are performed by professional, collegiate and high school groups across the U.S.