Newly appointed in the 2017-2018 academic year, Nicholas Bratcher serves as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). There, he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, and teaches courses in conducting and music education.
Prior to his appointment at CSUSB, Bratcher held positions as Director of Bands at the University of Dubuque (Dubuque, IA) and Assistant Director of Bands at Savannah State University (Savannah, GA). In both roles, Bratcher helped grow and develop comprehensive band programs with educational outreach initiatives for public school students and directors; as well as several wind and jazz ensemble performance tours throughout the southeastern United States.
Bratcher consistently works with composers, arrangers, and performing artists throughout the country. Projects with new compositions and wind literature are integral to his creative work. Bratcher is published in the GIA Teaching Music through Performance in Band book series. He is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and performer. Bratcher has presented clinics in Iowa, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Texas, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Washington, Minnesota, and Alabama. Recent professional engagements off campus include serving as the founding conductor and conductor emeritus of the Julien Winds, a professional wind ensemble serving the tri-state area (Iowa, Illinois, Wisconsin). In their fourth year, the ensemble performed at Carnegie Hall in June of 2018.
Current professional engagements on campus include the design and implementation of a regional honor band festival serving area secondary schools; a summer music camp for secondary school instrumental music students; and wind transcriptions of African-British composer, Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.
Bratcher earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and a Master of Arts in Music Education from Coastal Carolina University. He later earned the Doctorate in Music Education with a minor in Conducting from the University of Georgia where he studied with Mary Leglar, John Lynch, and Mark Cedel, respectfully.
Bratcher currently serves as National Vice President for Programs for Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity Inc., and he is an active member of these organizations: College Band Directors National Association (CBDNA), Minority Band Directors National Association, World Association for Symphonic Band and Ensembles (WASBE), National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Tau Beta Sigma as an honorary member.