About/Contact

Dr. Brandon Haskett is a Professor of Music Education at Saginaw Valley State University. Additionally, he is a board member and co-founder of the non-profit National Society of Steel Band Educators, an organization created to support and develop strong pedagogy in steel bands. In July 2018, his colleagues appointed him Chair of the Music Department at SVSU and he served in this position until July 2021. He currently serves as the President of the SVSU Faculty Association.

His main research interests include the intersections of ethnomusicology and music education, curriculum and pedagogy of world music ensembles in schools and universities, and the history of steelpan programs in the schools. Haskett remains an active percussionist, presenting a shared recital in March 2014 and a lecture recital in Fall 2016, and regularly plays in steel band settings. He has played in Trinidadian Carnival twice, with Silver Stars and with Birdsong. Additionally, he directs the Valley Steel steel band.

As chair of the SVSU Department of Music, Haskett undertook initiatives that resulted in a completely renovated technology and piano lab, a new acoustic shell for our main performance space, a push towards 21st century musicianship, expanded use of technology throughout the curriculum, and development of chamber music within the program. Additionally, during this time, the donor base increased, resulting in a new endowed scholarship, which is shared between music and theatre in addition to a chamber music scholarship.

Before coming to SVSU, Haskett was an Assistant Professor of Music Education at North Georgia College and State University. He has public school experience as a band, string orchestra, jazz band, and steel band director in Phoenix School District No. 1 and served as the Instrumental Music Coordinator for four years.