Brian Merrill

Brian Merrill currently serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor of Music Education for the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. Before coming to SMU, Mr. Merrill taught for 23 years at Duncanville High School and for 7 years in the Irving ISD. He has Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Music Education from the University of North Texas.  Mr. Merrill has twice been recognized with both the Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association and the Leadership and Achievement Award from the Texas Music Educators Association.  Under his direction, the Duncanville Honors Band earned twenty one consecutive UIL Sweepstakes Awards and eleven Best in Class Awards at music festivals in Texas, Illinois, Florida, and Washington D.C.

Mr. Merrill served as co-conductor of the Duncanville Wind Ensemble from 1988 to 2006. During this time, the Wind Ensemble was twice named as the TMEA 5A Honor Band and was also presented the Sudler Flag of Honor by the John Phillip Sousa Foundation as a nationally exemplary concert band. The Wind Ensemble performed for the Music Educators National Conference, the Texas Music Educators Convention, the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic and the All Japan Band Directors Conference. New music commissions for this group have included works by Frank Ticheli, Dan Welcher, and John Gibson.

Mr. Merrill also played an integral part on the staff of the Duncanville High School Marching Band.  The Marching Band won UIL State Championships in 1986, 1990, and 2002.  Mr. Merrill is a member of the Texas Bandmasters Association, the Texas Music Adjudicators Association and the Texas Music Educators Association and has served as Band Chairman, College Division Chair and Region President for Region Twenty.  He is in demand as an adjudicator and clinician throughout the state.

He is married to his high school sweetheart, Nancy, who teaches Montessori pre-school and private piano lessons. Their oldest son Greg, his wife, Sarah, and their youngest son, Steven, are all graduates of SMU. Their middle child, Jeff, graduated from UT Austin.