Dr. Thomas E. Caneva is
Director of Bands, Professor of Music and Coordinator of Ensembles and
Conducting at Ball State University. At Ball State, Caneva’s responsibilities
include conducting the Wind Ensemble, coordinating the graduate wind conducting
program, teaching undergraduate conducting and administering the entire band
program.
Since his arrival at Ball State in
2006, Dr. Caneva has conducted the Ball State University Wind Ensemble at the
2009 MENC North Central Division Convention, the 2010 CBDNA North Central Division
Conference, the 2011 IMEA State Convention and the 2011 CBDNA National
Conference in Seattle, Washington. In 2007, Dr. Caneva founded the Ball State
University Wind Band Conducting Workshop, which has attracted many aspiring
conductors from throughout the United States. An advocate of new repertoire for
wind band, he has been a part of eleven commission projects and premieres at
Ball State. Additionally, Caneva serves as the Concert Band Coordinator for the
Music for All Summer Symposium.
Previous to his appointment at Ball State
University, Dr. Caneva served on the faculties of the University of Illinois,
University of Colorado, Auburn University and the University of Texas at
Austin. His teaching career began at Lincoln-Way Community High School in New
Lenox, Illinois. In addition to university and public school teaching
experience, Dr. Caneva has served as a conductor of community bands and has
held the position of Artistic Director and Conductor of the Boulder (CO)
Concert Band. Under his direction, the Boulder Concert Band performed at the
1998 CMEA Convention in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
In 2001, Dr. Caneva was elected to
membership in the American Bandmasters Association. He is currently the North
Central Division Chair of the National Band Association, and the Indiana State
Chair of the College Band Director’s National Association. He has held offices
in the Big 12 Band Director’s Association and is a past member of the Board of
Directors of the Colorado Music Educators Association. Other honorary and
professional affiliations include the Music Educators National Conference,
Indiana Bandmasters Association, Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Mu Alpha
(honorary) and Kappa Kappa Psi (honorary).
Dr. Caneva received a Bachelor of Science
in Music Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a
Master of Music in Wind Conducting from the University of Texas at Austin, and a
Doctor of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting and Literature from the
University of Colorado at Boulder.