Dr. Taylor Winkler is an active music educator with a diverse range of skills, experience, and knowledge. Currently, Taylor holds the position of assistant band director at Smyrna Middle School in Smyrna, Tennessee. Before this, he served as Low Brass Instructor at Jones College where he taught private studio lessons and conducted the low brass ensemble. Taylor holds a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree from the University of Southern Mississippi where he studied the tuba. Additionally, Taylor holds a Master of Music from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) and a Bachelor of Music Education from Tennessee Technological University.
 
As an educator within the marching arts field, Taylor most recently served as Visual Caption Head with the Music City Drum & Bugle Corps, a world-class drum corps based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is also an active adjudicator within the KMEA and SCGC circuits as well as serving on panels across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. In the winter, Taylor works with Cap City Percussion, a world-class indoor percussion ensemble based in Dayton, Ohio. Previously he has held positions with the Louisiana Stars Drum & Bugle Corps, Audio Theater, Petal Indoor Percussion, and has consulted, choreographed, and taught for various high schools across the United States.
 
Alongside his educational career, Taylor has an established performance resume. He can be heard on multiple studio albums and projects including: The Music of Leroy Osmon Volume VI, Live at ’55, and on the EA SPORTS College Football 26 soundtrack. Taylor has served as substitute tubist with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra where he performed with vocalists such as Kristin Chenoweth and Bobby Weir. He is a winner of the USM Winds, Brass, and Percussion Concerto Competition, a multiple time finalist in the Derryberry Concerto Competition, and has performed for a wide variety of audiences across the Eastern United States. Being a large believer of chamber music, Taylor has played locally with various groups including: The Quintelligence Jazz Quintet, Tubannati, and The USM Graduate Brass Quintet. He is also an alum of the Blue Stars Drum & Bugle Corps where he played the baritone and trombone.
 
Born in Marion, Indiana, and now residing in Nashville, Tennessee, Taylor has cultivated and fostered a wide array of friendships and experience throughout his life. Aside from music, you can find Taylor weightlifting, delving into fantasy literature, and watching basketball—especially his Orlando Magic.