10/06/2026
Our featured member for the month of October is internationally recognized educator and performer, Dr. Chris Dickey. Dickey is currently the Chair of the Department of Music at the University of Texas at El Paso having moved from a 15-year tenure at Washington State University. Their original position at WSU was as instructor of tuba and euphonium building a successful studio with students participating in competitions and auditions across all levels. Over time, they added a number of administrative duties, culminating in serving as the Director of the David G. Pollart Center for Arts and Humanities and as Music Graduate Studies Coordinator. In the professional sphere, Dr. Dickey is an active performer and clinician with examples of their professional activity including a featured recital at the upcoming Canadian Regional Conference or their recent regional presentation and performance at SERTEC. Their output also extends into the chamber world as the tubist for the internationally recognized and acclaimed Mirari Brass Quintet. Dr Dickey also serves on the faculty of the Red Lodge Music Festival and has commissioned numerous works from underrepresented composers including Crossroads by Katahj Copley and Abiaka: Suite for Tuba and Piano by Joy Zickau. When away from their many musical commitments, they enjoy spending time as an avid home chef and baker. They note that their favorite hobbies besides cooking include reading, furniture refurbishing, and spending time with their husband Matthew and corgi Apollo.
“I don't have one of those inspiring stories where I can say the first time I heard the tuba or euphonium, it was like a chorus of angels singing to me.” Like many of us, Dr. Dickey came upon the euphonium by seeing someone else playing it and being fascinated by it. They note that they remember seeing their older brother’s friend playing the euphonium and at the last possible moment, asking their beginning band director to play the euphonium and the rest is history. Dickey’s euphonium performance degrees include a Bachelors from Eastern Illinois University, Masters from the University of Iowa, and a Doctorate from Northwestern University. Dickey notes that, despite now being known primarily as a tubist, they only learned the tuba after the fact to improve job marketability. From these degrees Dickey distilled one great lesson “the most valuable thing I learned was recognizing how performance, education, and collaboration are woven into so many parts of being a successful musician. Everyone can play and has certain strengths, many folks are passionate about teaching, but then to tie it all together with a collaborative spirit? That is what I learned throughout my education.” Dickey also credits the immense influence of not only their teachers, but also that of their colleagues and friends who have challenged and encouraged them including Tom Curry, Genevieve Clarkson, Jeremy Crawford, and their husband who has the unique perspective of a non-musician married to a musician.
When asked about their career, Dickey notes that where they are now is quite different from where they started. At El Paso, they are responsible for the entirety of the music department, in a way a culmination of the work they did at Washington State University. They note that much of what made them a successful studio professor—a dedication to detail, welcome environment, hard work ethic, and a drive to improve student success and improvement—all tracked quite well with the needs of a music administrator. In their responses, Dr. Dickey mentions a lot of skills and experiences that carry over between duties, financial experience between music administration and the Mirari Brass Quintet, teaching a studio and overseeing a department, etc.
Everyone who completes the Meet the Member survey is asked about any advice for the reader who is looking to make music their career. I can confidently say that Dr. Dickey has some of the most interesting insights that I have seen so far in writing these Meet the Member segments. Quoting Dickey, “I think of Food Network icon Ina Garten's 2024 memoir. In it, she talks about the idea of being ready ‘when the luck’ happens. This tells me that I should keep working on developing skills, because when an opportunity comes along, you want to be able to confidently say yes. I don't know what that next chapter may be, but I will keep refining skills and learning new ones along the way for sure.” A sound piece of advice that encourages all of us to seek out new skills and opportunities while being ready and open for what the world might choose to throw our way.
“Always look for ways to learn and improve. Never grow complacent. Extract all the knowledge you can from as many experiences as you can.”
Thank you, Dr. Dickey for the encouraging words, the insight into the life of an educator/performer, and for being part of the Meet the Members project. If you enjoyed the read, consider filling out the form yourself. We hope to see some of you readers featured here in the future!
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The primary mission of the ITEA College Students Committee is to make the association more relevant and accessible to college students. Our current ongoing projects and objectives include but are not limited to:
- Advising ITEA on how to better cater to college students’ needs.
- Facilitating the establishment of new student chapters.
- Offering support for guest artist and lecturer events.
- Exploring financial aid opportunities for student chapters and individuals, such as travel grants and scholarships.
We also invite all members, especially college students, to share your feedback and expectations via the survey. Let us know how ITEA can better serve and engage with the collegiate community to ensure the association remains relevant and accessible. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2xo2DQNRcLwwjT8qzQWhQCvj1cwjPsuVLA74KoJFOkjOTuQ/viewform
