The state’s largest music association is adding a new, but familiar, face to its leadership team.
David Brown, the past president of the New York State School Music Association, is returning to the organization as its executive director. He will assume the role on Thursday, replacing current interim executive director Michael Salzman.
The Westbury-based organization promotes, supports and advocates for music education across the state. Among other things, it provides professional development in music education to schools and hosts annual festivals where kindergarten through 12th-grade students perform solo and small ensemble pieces to receive feedback from judges.
“I’m so excited to get back to my roots of music education,” said Brown, who started his career as a music educator in the DeRuyter School District. He holds an undergraduate degree in music education and theatre from Nazareth College, a master of music degree from Ithaca College, an advanced degree in public school administration from SUNY Brockport and a doctorate in executive leadership from St. John Fisher University.
Though most of his more recent roles, like serving as DeRuyter’s superintendent and the director of graduate education at LeMoyne College, have been in leadership, he said his heart has always truly been in music.
“Music sort of saved my life,” Brown said. “I found a passion in music, and I just wanted to share that with thousands and thousands of children.”
“I’m passionate about music because of what it’s given to me and I know what it does for children,” Brown continued. “People always talk about how music helps students understand math and English. But I believe in music for the power of music itself. Yes, it can serve so many purposes, but the passion one has for music and the social and emotional needs of music come together to just kind of mold a person into a productive member of society.”
Brown said he plans to use his role as executive director to improve the organization’s fiscal health, which he said is continuing to recover from COVID, implement technology updates across the communities the group serves and advance music education across the state.
He referenced the soon-to-be-released digitized version of the organization’s large manual of solos that students can choose from to perform during festival season, saying that he wanted to continue doing work along those lines to improve accessibility and the music education experience in schools.
“I want to bring us into the 21st century when it comes to technologies. We need to really look at how we can serve our communities in a more technological world.” Brown said. “Really, I just want to continue to advance music education for our teachers, our leaders and our children in New York State.”
He said he sees this role as the perfect combination of his leadership work and his love of music.
“This is really the culmination of everything that I have worked to do,” Brown said. “Not just being an executive leader, but being an executive leader of music, which is fueled by my passion and need to change lives through music.”
“I’m humbly accepting the position,” he added. “It’s sort of like one of those opportunities of a lifetime.”
Brown will also assume the presidency of the National Association for Music Education’s eastern division on June 3.
