Dr. Katie Brennan holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of Northern Colorado, where she studied with Charles Hansen, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics from the University of Northern Colorado. After working in the field of Dietetics, Dr. Brennan earned a Master of Music degree at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, studying bassoon with Jeffrey McCray. She completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Michigan State University where she studied bassoon with Michael Kroth and studied oboe with Gretchen Morse. She has served as faculty at Albion College, Hillsdale College and been the bassoon mentor for the Detroit Civic Orchestra and the Spartan Youth Wind Symphony. She has been a guest clinician at the Port Huron Large Ensemble Festival, Klein Oak High School (Spring, TX), Charlotte Middle School (MI) and the Jackson Youth Symphony (MI). She has held positions with the symphony orchestras of Lansing (MI), Holland (MI), Midland (MI), West Michigan (MI) and Lincoln (NE). Recent solo performances include venues in Michigan and New Mexico.
Dr. Brennan is actively involved in chamber music, having coached and played in several groups, woodwind quintets, reed trios, small wind groups and duets. She has performed with Fresco Winds, Greeley Chamber Players, Opera Ann Arbor, Musique 21, Wind Symposium and numerous collaborative groups.
Besides being an avid performer, Dr. Brennan is Instructor for Music Theory and Ear Training at New Mexico State University. She has worked with and for several theorists including: Gordon Sly, Leigh VanHandel, Stanley Kleppinger and Gretchen Foley. Her research interests extend beyond music theory. She has presented lectures entitled: Healthy Musicianship for Bassoonists, Healthy Musicianship for Instrumentalists, Health Promotion Programs in Schools of Music and the Improvising Bassoonist.
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