04/10/2025
The Department of Music is excited to announce our new Director of Bands, Dr. Jackie Townsend! Dr. Townsend will be joining us in Fall 2025, when she will conduct Wind Ensemble, Jazz Big Band, and teach a variety of classes.
Dr. Jackie Townsend is an avid conductor and music educator, having worked with musicians of all ages throughout the country. A native of Ohio, she earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from Bowling Green State University, and she taught instrumental music in grades 5-12 for several years in her home state. Dr. Townsend received her D.M.A. in wind conducting from the University of North Texas, where she studied with Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Dennis Fisher, and Nicholas Enrico Williams. During her time at UNT, she also served as the assistant conductor of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra.
Since then, Dr. Townsend has served as the Director of Bands at Lubbock Christian University and the University of Southern Maine, and she most recently has taught at Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dr. Townsend’s passions include mentoring pre-professional musicians and educators, developing collaborative projects, and advocating for wind music as an artistic medium. She is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with the incredible faculty and students at Newberry College this fall!
The Department of Music, a supportive student-centered community, is home to aspiring music teachers
