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Clarinet Studio

Greetings from the Clarinet Studio!

Two music students playing the clarinet

I am very excited to be part of a school with a tremendous number of opportunities for our students. Whether your interests include one of our music degree options or performing in our great ensembles, I would like to share with you some upcoming events and reasons to consider SDSU for your next academic endeavor.

As the full-time clarinet teacher, I am always available for my clarinet students. This is very important in order for you to reach your full potential while in school. I am also very excited to have started the “Windy Jacks” Clarinet Ensemble. The group is open to all clarinetists at SDSU. Our large ensembles include the Pride of the Dakotas Marching Band, Symphonic and Concert Bands, Jazz Ensembles and the SDSU Civic Orchestra

I hope you will visit campus and see for yourself the exciting programs and ensembles SDSU has to offer. Contact me when you visit and we can meet, have a free lesson together and attend any events or classes that may interest you.

-Dr. Michael Walsh


Dr. Michael Walsh

Dr. Walsh working with a clarinet student

Dr. Michael Walsh is Associate Professor of Clarinet at South Dakota State University where he also teaches Music History and directs the “Windy Jacks” Clarinet Ensemble. He currently serves as President of the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors (NACWPI). Walsh received his B.M. and M.M. degrees from the University of Miami, FL and holds the distinction as being the first student to earn the D.M.A. in Clarinet Performance and Pedagogy from the University of Kansas.

He is a member of the Miami Clarinet Quartet which has performed at the Oklahoma Clarinet Symposium, Festival Miami concert series and multiple times at the International Clarinet Association’s Clarinetfest

Prior to his appointment at SDSU, he taught at the University of Tennessee at Martin and worked as Musicologist Assistant for the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).


Three clarinets being played

Guest Artists:

  • Jon Manasse, soloist and Julliard faculty
  • Imani Winds
  • Dr. Cecilia Kang, Assistant Professor of Clarinet, Furman University
  • Dr. Margaret Donaghue, Professor of Clarinet, University of Miami
  • Dr. Larry Maxey, Professor of Clarinet (retired), University of Kansas
  • Dr. Ani Berberian, United States Air Force Academy Band

Contact Information