Candidate Tim Oliver

University of Mississippi
Director of Bands

Biographical Statement

Dr. Tim Oliver is the Director of Bands and Professor of Music at the University of Mississippi, where he conducts the wind ensemble, teaches graduate and undergraduate conducting and repertoire courses, and administers the Ole Miss Band Program alongside his colleagues. Tim graduated from a small, rural high school in Missouri and attended Truman State University for his bachelor’s and two master’s degrees. He was a junior and senior high school band director and then earned his doctoral degree from Florida State University. At the collegiate level, Tim has served as an assistant, associate, and director of bands at universities with differing demographics from rural to urban and regional to flagship. His experiences in concert halls and athletic arenas have helped Tim appreciate the contributions of our colleagues who lead the diverse range of bands within the eleven states of our Southern Division.

Tim strongly believes in servant leadership and credits CBDNA for providing opportunities to serve and collaborate with colleagues in several capacities. Tim served as Vice President and President-elect of the Southwestern Division. He was the principal conductor of ensembles that performed at the 2010, 2014, and 2020 Southwestern Division Conferences. He was appointed to the inaugural Music Education Committee from 2009 to 2011 and analyzed survey data, which this group presented at the 2023 national conference. Tim has served on the Research Committee since 2012 and was one of the presentation and poster adjudicators for the 2024 Southern Division Conference. He has presented research at national and multiple divisional conferences. Tim and a CBDNA colleague assembled a database that is over 90% complete of all repertoire performed at our organization’s national and divisional conferences since conference performances began in 1951. Tim led two state-level CBDNA commissioning projects in 2015 and 2018 and has joined numerous other consortia. He is very grateful for the inspiration, nurturing, and support the organization and its members have provided him during the last three decades.

Outside of his musical life, Tim enjoys vigorously cheering for his collegiate and professional sports teams. His love for science fiction is evident through the various television shows and movies he enjoys. He also finds fulfillment in completing home improvement projects and has recently taken up disc golf as a new hobby. Tim treasures his family time with his wife of 27 years, Rebecca, and his now adult children, Ben and Gwen.

CBDNA Southern Division Vision Statement

As an organization, CBDNA and its members have been a cornerstone of my ongoing professional and musical growth, offering me knowledge, insight, and inspiration. Our community of artists, leaders, and educators has excelled in commissioning new works by emerging and established composers, reimagining creative possibilities in wind band performance, and developing collaborative and innovative partnerships. I firmly believe that our organization shines brightest when it supports and celebrates the work and achievements of our colleagues, particularly those individuals and programs who might not otherwise have a platform for professional advocacy and recognition. As a candidate for office within the Southern Division, I am committed to advancing two key priorities that I believe will further elevate our organization.

First, I would like our Southern Division to offer renewed support to our colleagues leading smaller collegiate programs, such as those at some regional institutions and community colleges, through applicable conference sessions and performance opportunities. Often, individuals beginning their collegiate teaching and conducting careers will start at places or positions that may have little in common with the institutions where they earned their graduate or advanced degrees. The transition can be challenging and may even present retention issues within our profession. Further, smaller collegiate band programs may experience a greater proportion of adverse effects as the impending enrollment cliff arrives. One institution in my state just closed its music program at the end of the previous academic year due to enrollment challenges and fiscal deficits after decades of producing music educators and performers. While CBDNA obviously can’t close financial gaps for institutions, we can continue ongoing efforts and pursue new opportunities for our organization to be a resource and support network for all of our colleagues, who, according to our revised CBDNA Vision Statement, “represent a wide variety of college and university band programs.”

Second, one of the unique characteristics of our Southern Division Conference is our collaboration with the National Band Association. As an NBA member for many years, including previous service as a state chair, I would like our NBA collaboration to continue and expand, especially given our organization’s renewed attentiveness to the music education community. In addition to performances, there could be conference sessions on recruiting high school students into our programs or panel discussions led by secondary educators to help our community better understand the current needs of our K-12 colleagues. It would also be fascinating and illuminating for one of the NBA performing ensembles, especially one of the junior high groups, to interact with different conductors in a “mini-symposium” setting led by some of the great conducting teachers within our Southern Division. Sustained investments in the reciprocal relationship with our elementary and secondary school colleagues will continue to pay dividends for CBDNA and our collegiate programs.

My dedication to CBDNA’s purpose, principles, and potential is unwavering. I enjoy professional relationships and friendships, some decades-long, with individuals in our community because of CBDNA. Having attended 15 of our conferences in the last 16 years, I repeatedly witnessed the positive influence that CBDNA can have on people and programs. I was President-elect of the Southwestern Division when I changed jobs and moved to Mississippi. I hope to have the opportunity to serve as an officer within our Southern Division and to once again give back to an organization and community that has enriched my artistic and professional growth in countless ways. I am deeply grateful for your consideration. Thank you!