Adjunct Faculty, TUBA, Dewberry School of Music, CVPA
Contact Information
Biography
William D. (David) Porter is a retired CMSgt from The United States Air Force Band, Washington D.C. During his 24 year career there, he played tuba with The Concert Band, The Ceremonial Brass and The Symphony Orchestra. He also made appearances with The Airmen of Note, The Singing Sergeants and various chamber groups such as The Dixieland Band and several brass quintets.
Having grown up in Tennessee, David graduated from Alcoa High School in 1976 under the tutelage of Roy Holder. David has a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Tennessee Technological University under Professor R. Winston Morris (1980), a Masters of Music in Tuba Performance from the University of New Mexico under Dr. Karl Hinterbichler (1982) and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Tuba Performance from George Mason University (GMU) under Dr. Michael Nickens. His other teachers have been Mr. David Fedderly, Principal Tuba, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the late Dr. Milton Stevens, Principal Trombone, National Symphony Orchestra, Mr. Gene Pokorny, Principal Tuba, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Chrissellene Petropoulos, Vocal Mastery, Potomac, MD, and Eugene Rabine, Rabine Vocal Institute, Germany.
Besides the USAF Band, David has performed as Principal Tuba with The New Mexico Brass Quintet and The New Mexico Symphony Orchestra, substitute with The Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Principal with The McLean Orchestra, and performing with The American Festival Pops Orchestra. His other performing experiences include many solo appearances with the USAF Concert Band and Chamber Series, touring with Tim Zimmerman and The King's Brass (2010-2014), with Eurobrass (2013-present), performing with Camerata Brass Quintet, The McLean Orchestra Brass Quintet, The National Brass Quintet and many other chamber and orchestra ensembles throughout the Washington DC Metropolitan area.
His very active teaching career of over 45 years includes college clinics, high school band camps, sectionals and clinics, middle school and elementary sectionals and clinics. He currently teaches 20 tuba and euphonium students weekly from five different schools in Fairfax County, VA and has had students gain scholarships at over 16 different major universities. He is also on staff as adjunct Class Brass, Instrumental Pedagogy and Literature, Lab Ensembles, Tuba Euphonium Ensemble, Applied Tuba Instructor, and Brass Coach for “The Green Machine”, the 250 member athletic music ensemble at GMU. During the summers, David is on faculty at the MasterWorks Festival, a Christian performing artist camp in Campbellsville, KY.
David's professional memberships include the International Tuba Euphonium Association, American Federation of Musicians, Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Mu Alpha, National Honor Society, and Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity. His other interests include volunteering as a youth counselor at Fairlington UMC and triathlons. David is married to wife, Judy, and they are parents to two children with spouses and grandparents to five grandchildren.
Degrees
- DMA, George Mason University
- MM, Music Education, University of New Mexico
- BS, Tennessee Technological University