John Mange
Graduate Student Instructor
John Mange comes to the Michigan Bands from Stoughton, MA, where he is the K-12 Director of Fine Arts for the Stoughton Public Schools and directs the Marching Black Knights, Symphonic Band, Middle School Honor Wind Band, and Wednesday Jazz Band. At Michigan, he will pursue a D.M.A. in wind conducting.
In the 12 years under his direction, bands in Stoughton have been awarded numerous 5-star ratings at state MICCA and MAJE festivals, and the Marching Black Knights have also won state or regional championships in their division in NESBA and USBands. In March 2024 he conducted the Senior SEMSBA (Southeastern Massachusetts School Bandmasters Association) Festival Concert Band.
Mr. Mange has been the wind arranger and show design lead for Stoughton's marching program since 2016 and has contributed several “flex” band arrangements for the Library of Congress’ Teaching with Primary Sources grant program. In May 2024 his Sonatina for Trumpet and Organ will premiere at the International Trumpet Guild Conference in Anaheim, CA.
Mr. Mange holds a B.Mus. in Trumpet Performance, Music Theory, and Music Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and an M.M.Ed. with a Composition Minor from the University of Hartford’s The Hartt School. His scholarly research is published in the Journal of Band Research and MA Music Educators Journal, and he blogs semi-regularly about music and related topics at www.solamusica.net. He and his wife, Cassia, have three children.