Dr. Nash is a native of Flint, Michigan and holds a Ph.D. in Music Composition from Michigan State University. He was Associate Professor of Music Composition and Theory at Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, Mississippi from 1996 until 2003.
As a composer, Dr. Nash's music has been performed in all major regions of the United States and in many countries around the world including Canada, China, Philippines, Taiwan and the UK. He has received numerous grants, commissions and awards for his compositions including the Mississippi Arts Commission, American Composers Forum, Mississippi Humanities Council and Fulbright, where he was visiting Professor of Music Composition at University of the Philippines, Diliman, in 2000 and 2001.
Dr. Nash's music is bright, strongly rhythmic and shaped by his musical roots and traditions in the African-American community. He is able to use blues/gospel/jazz elements and morph them into a solid, crafted style based on Western classical disciplines with a keen understanding of instrumentation and a particularly wonderful sensitivity to all types of instruments. Audiences are affected by the intense, dramatic power of his style and the intellect behind the music.
Five of Dr. Nash's compositions are featured on compact disc, the latest being Tradition and Innovation (2004) for band on the CD Tradition and Innovation:150 Years at Millersville University of Pennsylvania featuring The Millersville University Band.
In 2010, SoCal Dream is blazing a new path for their future and Dr. Nash's latest composition will help pave the way. As SoCal Dream returns to national competition and makes the trip to Rochester NY for Drum Corps Association (DCA) Championships, Dr. Nash's music will see a new venue in the drum & bugle corps realm.
For questions about membership, staff positions, or support, contact us at director@socaldream.org
