Scott Boerma is Associate Director of Bands, Director of the Michigan Marching Band and the Donald R. Shepherd Associate Professor of Conducting. Professor Boerma oversees the athletic bands, conducts the Men's Basketball Band, teaches marching band techniques and is a frequent guest conductor of the Symphony and Concert Bands. Prior to this appointment, Boerma was the Director of Bands at Eastern Michigan University. He began his career teaching music in the Michigan public schools at Lamphere and Novi High Schools, respectively.
Boerma earned his master of music degree in music education from the University of Michigan, where he also studied composition with William Bolcom. He received his bachelor of music degree in music education from Western Michigan University, where he studied composition with Ramon Zupko. He is presently working toward his doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting at Michigan State University. Boerma has also studied composition with Anthony Iannaccone at Eastern Michigan University.
An active composer, Boerma’s concert band works have been performed by many outstanding ensembles, including “The President’s Own” Marine Band, the Dallas Wind Symphony, the University of North Texas Wind Symphony, the Tokyo Kosei Wind Orchestra, the University of Illinois Wind Symphony, the University of Michigan Concert Band, the Interlochen Arts Camp High School Symphonic Band and the BOA Honor Band of America, to name just a few. His works have been heard in such venues as Carnegie Hall, Hill Auditorium, the Myerson Symphony Center, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and at the Chicago Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic. Boerma’s works have been featured in the popular series, “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band”. He is commissioned each year by high school, university, and community bands to write new works for the repertoire.
Also a prolific arranger, Boerma receives yearly commissions to write music for many high school and university marching bands and drum and bugle corps. From 1989-2006, he was the music arranger and head brass instructor of the top-ranking Madison Scouts Drum & Bugle Corps. Additionally, Boerma has arranged for drum and bugle corps and bands from Japan, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Thailand. Other credits include marching band arrangements for the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, the University of Texas (both Austin and Arlington), the University of Illinois, Texas Tech University, Baylor University and Jacksonville State University. Most of the Big Ten University marching bands have performed Boerma's arrangements. Boerma has also written arrangements for the Detroit Chamber Winds Brass.
Professor Boerma has been active as a band/orchestra conductor, adjudicator, and clinician. He often serves as a guest conductor for many honor bands and community bands throughout the nation each year, including the Michigan Youth Arts Festival State High School Honor Band and the Michigan All-State Middle School Band. Boerma has given composing, arranging, adjudicating and educational clinics at the Michigan Music Conference in Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids, Michigan, the CBDNA North Central Division Conference in Omaha, Nebraska and the BOA Summer Symposium in Normal, Illinois. He has conducted the Detroit Chamber Winds Brass holiday and summer DSO Concerts, and he served for several years as conductor of one of the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp High School Bands in Twin Lake, Michigan.
Boerma is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the American School Band Directors Association, Phi Mu Alpha Professional Music Fraternity and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma Band Fraternities.
