Steve Barnett Position: Director of Marching Thunder Alma Mater: Ole Miss

Steve Barnett is currently the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Marshall University. He directs the "Marching Thunder" Marching Band, where he also serves as music arranger and drill designer and the Marshall University Wind Symphony. Mr. Barnett also serves as Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education. He teaches arranging, graduate conducting, and other music education courses at Marshall University.

Mr. Barnett received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Mississippi and a Masters of Music Education degree from Mississippi College. He has held band directing positions in Mississippi at the University of Mississippi, Copiah-Lincoln Community College, Madison, Forest, Oxford, Newton and Pearl High Schools, and has served music education in the state for 24 years. He has served as President of the Mississippi Junior and Community College Band Director Association and as Editor on the Phi Beta Mu International Board. Mr. Barnett is also a member of the College Band Directors National Association and has served as President of the Copiah-Lincoln Education Association. While Director of Bands at Copiah-Lincoln Community College, he received the HEADWAE Award (Higher Education Appreciation Day: Working for Academic Excellence) for most outstanding instructor and was honored by the Mississippi Legislature.

Mr. Barnett is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the southeast and mid-west and is currently a staff arranger for Jalen Publishing Company of Orlando, FL where he currently has 15 marching band arrangements published.