• Instrumental Conducting
• Director of Bands and Orchestra
• Instrumental Chamber Ensembles

James Isaac (Ike) Nail is the Band and Orchestra Director at Western Oregon University in Monmouth, Oregon. Under his direction, the Western Wind Ensemble and Western Oregon Symphony have seen significant growth both in personnel and repertoire. Each presents a concert of the most highly regarded contemporary and traditional music quarterly, as well as appearing regularly off campus. His duties also include teaching conducting, advising students and overseeing the athletic bands. He earned the Doctorate in Symphonic Conducting from the University of Texas, Austin. His distinguished career as an orchestra and band conductor, teacher and music director has included appointments with the Dallas (TX) Wind Symphony, California State University (Northridge), University of Southern Mississippi (Hattiesburg) and Sprague (Salem, OR), Richardson (TX) and Lee (Midland, TX) High Schools. He has been co-recipient of two Grammy Awards including the 2000 National Grammy Gold Award recognizing the most outstanding secondary music program in the country. His groups have won more than a dozen state championships and performed at regional and national MENC Conventions, The Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Conference and by invitation at the Kennedy Center (Washington, DC). They have also produced significant reference recordings of wind ensemble repertoire and contemporary orchestra repertoire. He is a Past President of the Oregon Band Directors Association, a permanent member of the Oregon Band and Orchestra Adjudication Committee and a National Honorary Member and President of the Oregon Chapter of Phi Beta Mu.

You may contact Dr. Nail at:

Western Oregon University
Department of Music, SH 101
Monmouth, OR 97361
phone: (503) 838-8341
e-mail: naili@wou.edu