Euphoniumist,
conductor, teacher and composer-arranger Donald M. Sherman has taught instrumental music in the Northport-East Northport (NY)
schools since 1984. The 7th-and-8th Grade Band at East Northport Middle School has
received several Gold ratings at New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) Major Organization Festivals under his direction.
He has served as Lead Teacher for the District’s Summer Music Program since 1993 (http://northport.k12.ny.us/music/sms%20faq%2008.doc). In December 2006 he was honored as WLNY TV55’s “Educator
of the Week”, and in June 2007 the Northport-East Northport School District honored him with its annual Professional
Achievement Award.
As Associate Director of the Northport Community Band (http://ncb.homestead.com),he has conducted that fine group before capacity crowds at
Northport Harbor’s edge each summer since 1986. From 1992-2000 Don was Music Director of the band
at Fordham University (Bronx, NY), and in that position performed with the tenor Frank Patterson at Carnegie Hall, and at
New York’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral. He has guest conducted several All-County bands, at all
age levels: in Rockland and Nassau Counties (three times each, so far!); Suffolk County (twice); once in Monroe County (NY);
the North Fork Festival in Greenport, NY and the Hamptons Music Educators Association Middle School Festival Band.
Don holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Education, Composition and Euphonium Performance
from Ithaca College. Teachers included David Unland for euphonium, Karel Husa and Dana Wilson for composition
and Rodney Winther for conducting, while various master classes were taken with David Amram, Frank Battisti, John Corigliano,
Toby Hanks and others.
In addition to the Long Island Tuba Quartet, Don can be
heard playing with the Atlantic Wind Symphony http://www.atlanticwinds.org/, Long Island Symphonic Winds http://www.lisymphonicwinds.com/, Synergy Chamber Winds, Queens Festival Band http://www.festivalband.org/ and many others.
His compositions and arrangements, several of which have
been published by the Tuba-Euphonium Press of the ITEA http://store.iteaonline.org/merchant2/, have been performed by the Long Island Tuba Quartet at SCMEA’s
annual Howard Hovey TubaDay http://www.scmea.org/festivals.cfm?subpage=107390 and elsewhere; the Northport Community Band, Northport Chorale,
Seuffert Band, Gramercy Brass Band, Sam Pilafian and “Travelin’ Light”, Roger Behrend of the U. S. Navy
Band, Fordham University Band and Choir, and others. Don and his wife Debby live in East Northport, NY
with their three children, Emily, Benjamin and Gabriel.