Meghan MacFadden is a musician and educator based in Amherst, Massachusetts. Currently, she is the Director of the Wind Ensemble at Smith College, Assistant Conductor of the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and the Valley Winds, and Staff Accompanist at the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. Meghan is a sought-after guest conductor for student honor bands and festivals across New England and abroad. In 2024, she will conduct the wind ensemble for American Music Abroad's tour of Prague, Vienna, Salzburg, and Budapest. Meghan has taught instrumental music at Beaver Country Day School, the Dana Hall School, Clark University, and Tufts University. She is a 2024 recipient of the CBDNA Mike Moss Conducting Grant for study with Jerry Junkin and Mallory Thompson. Meghan is a passionate champion of diversity in the wind band world and works to facilitate discussions on gender dynamics in instrumental music and music education.
|
Meghan currently plays piccolo with the Metropolitan Wind Symphony and flute/piccolo with the Valley Winds and the Valley Winds Quintet. She is the former second flutist with the New England Philharmonic. Meghan has done significant work as a pit musician, and is an experienced doubler on all single reeds as well as period and traditional woodwinds, including Irish penny whistle and recorder. Favorite reed books include In the Heights, West Side Story, and Into the Woods. Although Meghan’s degree training is in flute and piccolo, much of her musical work has centered around the piano. She is a skilled collaborative pianist, having accompanied her first musical (42nd Street) at the age of 12. Favorite musical theater keyboard books include The Last Five Years and Footloose. Once upon a time, she toured Japan for 47 performances as the pianist and featured performer of Odyssey, a "music-in-motion" show produced by the Min-On Concert Association. Meghan has significant experience with keyboard programming, and has used Apple's Mainstage to program keys books for shows such as Sunset Boulevard and Children of Eden.
|
Meghan believes strongly that her experience on secondary instruments has allowed her to better connect with her students. In addition to woodwinds and piano, she has significant brass experience from two years playing mellophone with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, and currently sits on the Executive Committee of the Bluecoats Alumni Council. Meghan also studied percussion for two years with Bret Kuhn, voice for two years with Colleen Timler, and harp for a year with Amanda Romano Foreman. Her own experience as a multi-instrumentalist has led her to encourage and enable her students who have diverse and eclectic musical interests.
|
Meghan’s work as a theater music director has been recognized with awards from the Eastern Massachusetts Association of Community Theaters (DASH Award) and nominations from the Independent Reviewers of New England (IRNE). She has had the pleasure of working with a number of Boston-area theater companies, including Bad Habit Productions, Arlington Friends of the Drama, Hovey Players, Heart and Dagger Productions, and Longwood Players. As a conductor, she is equally adept working with a baton or from the keyboard.
|
Meghan's teachers include Flora May Edmondson and Melody Lord on piano, and Donna Milanovich, Alex Murray, and Jonathan Keeble on flute. She holds her Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Illinois, and her Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from Sam Houston State University. She is a member of the College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA) and Women Band Directors International (WBDI).
Meghan grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and continues to be thrilled that playing and teaching music has become her career. Her first real "gig" was playing piano for her uncle's wedding when she was in 5th grade. She was paid with a Sony Walkman and Ace of Base's The Sign on cassette. Meghan lives in Amherst with her husband Oliver and son Jack.