Robert D. McCashin

Robert D. McCashin, DMA, is Professor Emeritus and former Director of Orchestras and Professor of Conducting at James Madison University. He retired in 2016 from academe after a 43-year career of conducting and applied string teaching at the college/university level. He was awarded JMU’s Distinguished Teacher Award for the College of Visual and Performing Arts in 2015. From 1992 through 2016, Dr. McCashin was Music Director for the JMU Symphony, Chamber Orchestra and Opera Orchestra. He taught all relevant orchestral conducting and academic courses within the MM and DMA orchestral conducting curricular core, as well as applied studio strings.

Dr. McCashin, a violinist, has been a successful writer and arranger of educational publications, having now published more than 100 works for the Grade I through V educational performance levels. He has been a regular guest conductor for a variety of orchestral ensembles, including regional and all-state orchestras across the U.S. as well as regional professional orchestras. He has been invited to present more than 30 conducting workshops and seminars for national and state level teacher conferences throughout the U.S. Dr. McCashin is a Founder, Past President and former National Board member for the College Orchestra Directors Association. Dr. McCashin’s publications are available through Wingert-Jones Publications, The FJH Music Company, J.W. Pepper Music Co. and Tempo Press-Lucks Music Co.