Meet Northshore Concert Band's Newest Member

Photo credit: Todd Rosenberg

David Roush has joined the Northshore Concert Band as our new Business and Operations Manager.  

David is a Doctoral Assistant in Wind Conducting at Northwestern University. Get to know him in this mini-interview and be sure to say hello when you see him at our 2023/24 Season-opening concert, Treats & Tricks, on October 29, 2023.

Please tell us a bit about your journey in music and in life.

I am originally from Mahomet, Illinois, and attended Mahomet-Seymour High School. It was during my junior and senior years that I decided to major in music in college and discovered a love for teaching music. I attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got my bachelor's degree in instrumental music education in the fall of 2012. I taught band in the public schools of Louisville and Neoga, Illinois, for six years before going back to graduate school. I received my master's degree in wind conducting from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities in 2021, and immediately started my DMA studies in wind conducting at Northwestern the following fall. I am now entering the third year of that program, and following the completion of the degree, my goal is to conduct and teach at the collegiate level. I hope to be able to remain somewhere in the Midwest, but we'll see where the job search takes me!

Do you have a favorite musical memory?

I remember a particular performance at the Midwest Clinic one year that really saved me musically. It was over the Christmas break after a very rough first semester of public school teaching. The ensemble was from Japan. I, unfortunately, don't remember the name of the group, but they played absolutely wonderfully. On that program I also got to hear one of my trombone idols play live for the first time — Joe Alessi made a surprise guest appearance playing John Mackey's trombone concerto called Harvest. I also realized about halfway through the opening piece of the concert that I was sitting directly behind Chris Martin (still playing in the CSO at the time). I was in band nerd heaven, and this performance helped to re-invigorate me. It was also one of the formative experiences that guided me toward trying to make it as a collegiate band director. It made me realize how much I wanted to make music at a higher level.

What have been some of your musical influences?

First and foremost have been my music teachers through the years. It is their guidance and support that got me to this point, and their example that will try to follow when I am in their position in the future. Some of my biggest conducting influences include H. Robert Reynolds and Carlos Kleiber, and as I mentioned above one of my biggest trombone influences was Joe Alessi.

Do you play a musical instrument?

Trombone!

What is on your Spotify playlist or in your music library?

When I'm not listening to wind ensemble music or other classical music, I am a huge fan of metal. A couple of my favorite bands include System of a Down and Oh, Sleeper. Some other music I am enjoying right now includes Billie Eilish, Lorde, the Hush Sound, and Walk Off the Earth.

Please share any thoughts that you may have about the Northshore Concert Band.

I have had the distinct privilege to be around the Northshore Concert Band for two years now as part of my duties as a graduate assistant at Northwestern, and have even had the opportunity to conduct the ensemble on a few occasions. The level of musicianship in the group is tremendous, and the kindness and generosity of the people in it is a joy to be around. I am so glad that I get to be a part of this ensemble in a more official capacity!

Please add anything else that you would like our audience to know.

I am so happy to be here and so thankful for the opportunity. I can't wait to get started!