Areas I Teach
Originally from Eureka Springs, Arkansas, Abbie Brown is the newly appointed Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music Education at °ÅÀÖÊÓƵ in Forest Grove, Oregon. She recently completed her PhD in Music Education from the University of Missouri Kansas-City in May of 2025. While living in Kansas City, Abbie served as the interim conductor of the Mid-America Freedom Band and served as co-director of the Roeland Park New Horizons Band. During her study at UMKC, Abbie frequently conducted the Conservatory Wind Symphony, Conservatory Wind Ensemble, and Campus Band. Additionally, Abbie had the joy of serving as a teaching artist for Harmony Project Kansas City, a nonprofit organization created to bring high quality music education experiences to children in communities with limited access to formal musical training in the greater Kansas City area.
Abbie received her Master of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Oklahoma. While at OU, Abbie had the privilege of studying under Dr. Shanti Simon, Professor Brian Britt, and Dr. Michael Hancock. Whether working with the OU Wind Symphony, Symphony Band, or the Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band, Abbie could be found leading inspiring rehearsals and challenging undergraduate and graduate students alike to find deeper meaning in and connection through the music they shared. While at OU, Abbie served as a producer on the album Ogygia, recorded by the University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony in February of 2022.
Before starting her MM, Abbie taught in the public schools of Arkansas and Texas for six years. She began her teaching career in Hot Springs, Arkansas at Lakeside School District where she was the Head Band Director at Lakeside Middle School. At Lakeside, Abbie worked daily with 2nd - 12th grade students, earning her stripes as a versatile music educator at all levels. Abbie moved to Lubbock, Texas in 2017 and accepted the position of Director of Bands and O.L. Slaton Middle School, a Title I school in Lubbock ISD. Under Abbie’s leadership, the O.L. Slaton band program experienced growth at 275% over three years and had increased ratings in the University Interscholastic League at their yearly concert assessment. While at O.L. Slaton, Abbie focused on integrating the band program into the rich and culturally diverse community that the school was a part of. Abbie served as the Fine Arts Department Head at O.L. Slaton for her final two years at the school.
Abbie received her Bachelor of Music Education from Henderson State University in 2014. While at Henderson State, Abbie was the first female drum major in the history of the Showband of Arkansas and was the recipient of the Reddie Heart Scholarship and Mae Whipple Music Scholarship.
Throughout her conducting and teaching career, Abbie has earned spots as a conducting participant at the nation’s highest-acclaimed conducting workshops including the Art of Band Conducting and Teaching Workshop at the University of Texas at Austin, the Kansas City Conducting Symposium, and the Michigan State University Conducting Symposium.
Abbie is the recipient of the Kauffman Superior Graduate Assistant Award, the University of Missouri-Kansas City Women’s Council Graduate Assistance Fund, the Mike Moss Conducting Grant and the Foundations for Excellence Grant. She is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the Oregon Band Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, the Oregon Music Educators Association, the Missouri Music Educators Association, and the Texas Music Educators Association.