MUMB Staff
Dr. Ryan Yahl, Director
001 Presser Hall
513.529.9739
yahlr@miamioh.edu
Ryan M. Yahl has recently been appointed Visiting Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at Miami University. Prior to this appointment he served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Texas A&M University-Commerce for five years, and as a part-time Assistant Professor of Music at DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana. Dr. Yahl taught middle school and high school band for nine years in Northwest and West-Central Ohio.
Dr. Yahl earned his bachelors (2006) and masters (2009) degrees in music education from Bowling Green State University, and his doctorate in wind conducting (2018) from the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. Yahl studied percussion with Michael Sander and Roger Schupp, and conducting with Emily Freeman Brown, Carol Hayward, Kenneth Thompson, Bruce Moss, Walter Huff, and Stephen Pratt. Yahl was a recipient of the Dr. Richard and Annette Ecker Award in Music Education, the Mark and Helen Kelly University Band Award, and the Ray E. Cramer Graduate Scholarship.
Dr. Yahl currently holds memberships in the Ohio Music Education Association, Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, Pi Kappa Lambda, the American School Band Directors Association, and life membership in Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Service Fraternity. Yahl is a past president of the BGSU Band Alumni Society, a past president of OMEA District III, and currently serves as the Research Committee Chair for ASBDA.
Kent Covert, Associate Director
315 Hoyt Hall
513.529.7317
covertka@MiamiOH.edu
Kent Covert has been involved with the Miami University Marching Band since 1986. During those years Kent has participated as a member of the trombone section, as a volunteer staff member, and, since 1987, as the Assistant Director. As Associate Director, Kent is involved with many of the logistical, administrative, and financial activities of the band. Kent is also an active participant in the Miami University Pep Bands and a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary fraternity for college band members. Kent considers the Marching Band as his “fun” job – a departure from his full-time job with Miami University’s IT Services department. In addition to his work with Miami University, Kent is heavily involved with the Destination Imagination program on the Regional, State, and Global levels.
Chris Herrmann, Assistant Director
215 Center for Performing Arts
513.529.1506
chris.herrmann@MiamiOH.edu
Chris Herrmann (BME ’99, MME ’05) returned to Miami University in 2022 after 20 years as a music educator, serving as a band director in Ohio’s public schools. Chris is a former member of the tuba section (’93-97) as well as Graduate Teaching Assistant (’03-05). In the role of Assistant Director, Chris supports Dr. Yahl and Kent Covert with administrative and instructional duties for the MUMB and Pep Band. When not working with Athletic Bands, Chris serves as the Director of Integrated Technology for the College of Creative Arts.
Chris is a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national honorary fraternity for college band members. He assumed the role of Chapter Sponsor in May 2023 and looks forward to many years of supporting the great work of the active members of the Epsilon Xi chapter.
Chris is an active musician performing on trombone, bass trombone, tuba, electric and double bass.
Alex McIntosh, Percussion Instructor
Alex McIntosh is a performer, educator, and clinician in music programs in the state of Ohio. He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Music Education from Miami University in 2012.
Alex is currently the codirector of percussion at Sycamore High School in Cincinnati, Ohio. In the past, he has served on the percussion staff at Centerville HS (OH) and was the director of percussion studies for Colerain HS (OH), where he also designed and arranged music.
Alex is highly active in the world music genre of percussion—he has gone on national tours with the Miami University Steel Band and has performed in the Global Rhythms festival under the direction of Srinivas Krishnan, where he was afforded the opportunity to perform with Grammy and Tony Award winning percussionists like Valerie Naranjo, Jeff Queen, Victor Mendoza, and Glen Velez.
Megan Harmon, Feature Twirler Instructor
Megan Harmon is from Liberty Township, Ohio, and has been twirling baton for over 20 years. She grew up competing in the United States Twirling Association, where she won numerous individual and team awards.
Megan graduated from Miami University in 2014 with degrees in business management and accounting. While at Miami, she was a Feature Twirler and served as captain her senior year. She performed with the Miami University Marching Band at the 2010 Godaddy.com Bowl, the 2010 MAC Championship, the 2011 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and the 2013 Presidential Inaugural Parade.
Megan served as a twirling instructor for Fred J. Miller Summer Clinics, where she traveled around the country teaching baton technique and leadership skills. Currently, Megan is a Cost Analyst at the University of Dayton Research Institute. She also works as a dance coach at Star Performance Centre.
Dr. Daniel Farr, Director of Bands
206 Presser Hall
513.529.3080
farrd@MiamiOH.edu
More information forthcoming….