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

Dr. Rachael Urquhart is the director of bands at Quakertown Community High School in Quakertown Community School District, Quakertown, PA. Her responsibilities at Quakertown HS include conducting the Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony and teaching keyboard and American music history as elective courses. Dr. Urquhart is also the director of the Quakertown Community High School Panther Marching Band.

Dr. Urquhart earned her Ed.D. in Policy, Planning, and Administration from West Chester University of Pennsylvania in 2026, with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction. Dr. Urquhart’s dissertation was entitled Beyond Superpowers and Stereotypes: Female High School Band Directors Navigating Gendered Expectations in Leadership. Her research centered the leadership perceptions and career aspirations of female music teachers and highlighted the career obstacles and encouragements of female high school band directors (FHSBDs). She was a recipient of WCU’s Graduate Student Association and Graduate Council Award for Excellence in Scholarship and/or Creative Activity (2026).

She also holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education (2011) and a Master of Music in Music Performance with a concentration in Wind Conducting (2016), both from West Chester University of Pennsylvania.

In addition to Dr. Urquhart’s responsibilities as a public school band director, she is an involved member of Women Band Directors International (WBDI), especially at the state level. During the summers, Dr. Urquhart is the clarinet and band ensemble teacher at West Chester University’s Elementary/Middle School Summer Music Camp and a clinician with the drum major staff at Vivace Productions’ Incomparable Marching Band Workshop, West Chester University location. Dr. Urquhart is also a co-author of the book, Marching Band Techniques.

Rachael enjoys spending her time outside of being a band director with her incredible and supportive husband, Matt; her family, and her super cute mini Australian Shepherd, Kelby.

Connect with Dr. Urquhart:

• Email: rurquhart@qcsd.org

Ryan Runyan is the director of 5-12 bands at IKM-Manning High School in Manning, IA. A graduate of Simpson College in Indianola, IA, Ryan has 14 years of experience teaching ensembles such as marching, jazz, concert, and pep bands, as well as color guard and speech.

Ryan has taught entirely in rural Iowa schools, teaching five years at West Marshall High School in State Center, IA, in addition to his nine years at IKM-Manning CSD in Manning, IA.

His passions include music, film,, and spending time with his wife and daughter at Disney World.

Connect with Ryan:

• Email: rrunyan@ikm-manning.k12.ia.us

Matt Treto is a Kansas-based music educator and percussionist from Augusta, Kansas. Since Fall 2025, he has served as the 5th–12th grade Band Director for Haven Public Schools in Haven, Kansas, where he teaches everything from beginning 5th grade band to high school concert band, guitar, and an emerging jazz ensemble. A graduate of Friends University and Butler Community College, Matt brings a student-focused approach to the podium.

Connect with Matt:

• Email: mtreto@havenschools.com

Ryan Partin just completed his 15th year of teaching and is the Director of Bands at Garden City High School in Garden City, KS. He oversees the marching band, 3 concert ensembles, and 3 jazz bands. His previous assignment was teaching 5-12 band in Ulysses, KS.

Ryan was a nominee for Kansas Teacher of the Year in 2017 and was the recipient of the Outstanding Young Bandmaster award, presented by Phi Beta Mu and the Kansas Bandmasters Association in 2018.

He is an active member of the Kansas Music Educators Association, serving in the previous positions of Southwest KMEA High School Band Chairperson and Southwest KMEA District President. He also serves on the Kansas High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) Festivals Committee.

In addition to his role as an educator, Ryan is also an active musician. He has been a member of Julie Groom’s Flatland Big Band since 2012 and plays various small-group jazz engagements throughout the year.

Ryan graduated from Kansas State University in 2024 with a Master of Music and from Wichita State University in 2011 with a Bachelor in Music Education and a Bachelor in Jazz Studies.

Connect with Ryan Partin

• E-mail: rpartin@gckschools.com

A graduate of South Portland High School, Kyle Smith has been the Band Westbrook High School in Westbrook, Maine since 2006. Prior to his appointment at Westbrook High School he was the Band Director at Biddeford High School.

The Westbrook Music Department has received numerous awards and acknowledgments for the outstanding musicianship that the musicians show. Recent honors include performances by the Wind Ensemble at Merrill Auditorium with the University of Maine Symphonic Band, and at the MMEA All State Conference (2009, 2011 with Mr. Samuel R. Hazo, and 2013 with Dr. Andrew Boysen.) In 2013 the Westbrook High School Wind Ensemble was selected as one of two performing ensembles to perform at the National Association for Music Education's (NAFME) All Eastern Conference.

Mr. Smith is the past Vice President of the Maine Band Directors Association, as well as the Instrumental Jazz Chair for the Maine Music Educators Association. He serves as a manager for jazz bands and concert bands for MMEA at the district and state levels.

Kyle is host of the acclaimed weekly podcast called "The Growing Band Director Podcast."

Mr. Smith received his Bachelors of Music in Music Education degree, by scholarship for musical excellence, from the University of New Hampshire. He earned a graduate degree scholarship and teaching assistantship for his masters degree in Music Education with a concentration in conducting from the university, studying under Dr. Andrew Boysen Jr. , Dr. William Kempster, and Dr. Thomas Keck.

Kyle lives in Westbrook with his wife Krystle, Director of Bands at Westbrook Middle School, his daughter Addison and son Jack.

Connect with Kyle Smith

• Email: Smithk@westbrookschools.org

• The Growing Band Director Podcast
  • www.thegrowingbanddirector.com
  • https://youtube.com/@thegrowingbanddirectorpodc7296?si=D2x-uunmLb-XLAam