Dr. Shawn Knopp is the guest on The Growing Band Director Podcast with Kyle Smith.

Alex McMahon is an experienced music educator, conductor, and professional musician who has worked with students from elementary through high school. His teaching responsibilities have included concert band, jazz band, marching band, pep band, and beginning instrumental music. In addition to his classroom work, he has coordinated honor bands, professional events, and other large-scale music activities within his district.

Alex currently serves as president of the South Central Kansas Music Educators Association, where he helps oversee district activities, coordinate honor ensembles and professional events, support area music educators, and work with association leaders on programming, policies, and organizational planning.

He earned bachelor’s degrees in music education and trombone performance from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio, and a Master of Music degree in instrumental conducting from Wichita State University.

His professional interests include educational and music technology, and expanding access to music through creative teaching approaches.

Connect with Alex:

• Email: alexander.l.mcmahon@gmail.com

• KWCH News: "Andover 5th grader with dwarfism uses adaptive instrument to play in school band"
• • https://www.kwch.com/2026/04/11/andover-band-teacher-helps-create-adaptive-instrument-fifth-grader/

• Andover Public Schools Documentary
  • https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14ixzfnD6J2/

Dr. Myra Rhoden serves on the faculty at the University of West Georgia where she conducts the UWG Symphonic Band and teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in Music Education.

As the founder of Athena Music and Leadership, Rhoden has created programs and opportunities to empower young women through music while equipping them with lifelong leadership skills that can be used in any profession.

Drawing on over 30 years of experience as a high school band director, Rhoden frequently serves as a guest conductor for state, regional, and university honor bands and is honored to have presented sessions at The Midwest Clinic, the Bands of America Summer Symposium, national, state and regional conferences, and for school systems and professional development clinics throughout North America. Her concert bands have performed at national and international venues while her marching bands have won numerous Grand Championships and earned finalist positions at Bands of America Regional and Super Regional competitions.

Rhoden has received national recognition for her contributions to music education including having the honor of being elected to the prestigious American Bandmasters Association, the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmasters Fraternity, and the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor. She has been awarded the Tau Beta Sigma Outstanding Service to Music Award, the Women Band Directors International Golden Rose Award, the 2018 Band Director of the Year from the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), and multiple National Band Association (NBA) Citations of Excellence.

Connect with Dr. Rhoden

• mrhoden@westga.edu
• https://athenacamp.com/
• Myra's Book: Through My Music: Inspiring the Next Generation of Leaders