Dr. Donny Allen
Donald F. Allen serves as the Director of Athletic Bands and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Central Florida. His duties include direction and administration of the Marching Knights and pep bands, conducting the Concert Band and University Band, supervision of student interns in music education, and course instruction in music education and orchestration.
Prior to his arrival at UCF, Donny served as Conductor of the Wind Ensemble and Assistant Professor of Music at the Georgia Institute of Technology. His ensembles were known for their commitment to the commissioning and performance of new music for winds. His transcriptions of major works have been performed at conferences throughout the South, including CBDNA – Southern Division. He was Assistant Director of Athletic Bands, responsible for music instruction, drill design, and administration of the marching band. His duties also included both chamber ensemble and music history instruction.
A native of Winston-Salem, NC, Donny earned his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Memphis, and his Master's in Music and Bachelor's in Music Education from East Carolina University.
Allen previously served in the U.S. Army as principal horn and staff conductor for the bands at Ft. Gordon, GA and Ft. Benning, GA. Dr. Allen has public school teaching experience, working as Director of Bands at West Craven High School in Vanceboro, NC. Allen serves on the brass staff for the Bluecoats of Canton, Ohio and has served on the instructional staff for the Spirit of Atlanta. Donny is active as a designer and arranger for college and high school marching bands throughout the country. He is a member of CBDNA, the International Horn Society, MENC, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.
Mr. Dave Schreier
Dave Schreier is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Central Florida. His duties include assisting in the instruction and direction of the UCF Marching Knights and Jammin’ Knights Pep Bands. Additionally he is one of the Assistant Directors for the Concert Band Program, including the UCF Wind Ensemble, Concert Band and University Band. He also teaches Low Brass Methods to Music Education Majors and is the Director of the UCF Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble.
Prior to his appointment at UCF, Mr. Schreier served as the Director of Bands at Osceola High School in Kissimmee, FL from 2002-2008. During this time he oversaw all aspects of the award winning instrumental music program at OHS including the Marching Kowboys, OHS Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, Chamber Groups, “Percussion Theater” Indoor Drumline, and “Euphoria” Winterguard.
Mr. Schreier earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from UCF in 2002. After his six-year tenure at Osceola High School, he returned to UCF to pursue his Master’s degree. He was awarded a full graduate assistantship to work with the athletic and concert bands. In spring of 2010 he earned is Master of Arts in Music Degree, with an emphasis in Conducting. His primary teaching and conducting influences are Mr. Michael Garasi, Mr. Ron Ellis and Dr. Richard Greenwood. Mr. Schreier is also a Euphonium Player and has studied with Mr. Roy Pickering, Mr. Mike Roylance, Mr. Paul Weikle, and Ms. Gail Robertson.
Through his experiences, Mr. Schreier has become a sought after clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator in the state of Florida. He is a member of CBDNA, FMEA, MENC, FBA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi. He is a past Chair of the Marching Knights Alumni Association, and Founder, past President and current Treasurer of the Central Florida Alumni Association of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is also currently a faculty advisor for the Zeta Tau chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota.
Dr. Thad Anderson
Thad Anderson is a member of the percussion faculty at The University of Central Florida. In addition to the percussion area, he also teaches courses in music composition and technology. Furthermore, Dr. Anderson currently serves as artistic director of the Cage Percussion Players; an ensemble dedicated to the performance of historic American percussion ensemble repertoire.
Active as a solo, orchestral, and chamber musician, some of Dr. Anderson’s performance credits include Days of Percussion in Florida, Texas, Idaho, and Oklahoma, the Texas Music Educators Association convention, Percussive Arts Society International Convention, Victoria Bach Festival, Austin Chamber Music Center, Round Top Festival-Institute, Austin, Waco, and Brevard Symphony Orchestras, and as a guest soloist with Conspirare and the Monroe Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Anderson specializes in the creation and performance of new music through commissioning and by collaborating with composers. Some of these projects have produced new works by Paul Lansky, Halim El-Dabh, Jonathan Kolm, and Travis Jeffords, to name a few. Also active as a composer, Dr. Anderson wrote and recorded the soundtrack for the award winning documentary film Standard Deviation. Universal Edition, +Two Media, Santa Barbara Music, and C.F. Peters are currently publishing some of his compositions and adaptations.
Additionally, Dr. Anderson is highly active in the Percussive Arts Society community where he has served as chair of the Collegiate Committee and as a representative on the Board of Directors. Dr. Anderson completed his undergraduate work in Music Education at the University of Central Florida and received his Masters of Music and Doctorate of Music Arts in Percussion Performance from the University of Texas at Austin. Some of his primary teachers have included Jeffrey Moore, Thomas Burritt, and Tony Edwards.
Thad Anderson plays Yamaha Percussion, Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets, and Remo Drumheads.