Craig Young

Craig Young served 23 years as the Director of Bands and Professor of Saxophone at Mississippi College, where he served as the head of the Instrumental Music Department, guided all aspects of the MC Band Program, and taught both undergraduate and graduate courses in instrumental music education, conducting, and saxophone, among others.

Prior to teaching at the university level, Dr. Young received a Bachelor's Degree from Bowling Green State University and both a Master's Degree in Instrumental Conducting and a Ph.D. in Music Education from The Ohio State University.  He has taught music at the elementary and secondary levels, and is the Founder and Conductor of the Mississippi Wind Symphony, a professional-level ensemble that he formed in 2001 that presented a Summer Concert Series for 20 years.  In 2022, Dr. Young was awarded the Distinguished Service Award by the National Band Association.

Dr. Young continues to regularly play the saxophone in both the Classical and Jazz venues.  Besides receiving numerous awards and recognition for his saxophone performances, he has been a featured soloist with the Mississippi Symphony and Metropolitan Orchestras, has recorded for Delos, performed as a member of the Black Swamp Saxophone Quartet, and was honored by being invited to compete at the 1st International Adolphe Sax Competition in Dinant, Belgium in 1994.  Dr. Young is currently the Music Director of the Missouri Youth Symphony and performs regularly with the Mississippi Symphony, the Columbia Jazz Orchestra, the Columbia Community Band, and in musical pit orchestras, including the Lyceum Theater in Arrow Rock, Missouri.

My teaching style is very student-centered, as I understand that each student has different needs and needs more of a facilitator to help them along their musical journey.  This is true whether in a private lesson or classroomm situation.