Neil Rutland

E-mail: neil.rutland@enmu.edu

Mr. Neil Rutland (M.M., University of North Texas; B.S., Tennessee Technological University) is an Instructor at Eastern New Mexico University where he is Associate Director of the Symphonic band and the Greyhound Sound Marching Band, teaches percussion and music technology, and directs the percussion ensemble and the steel drum ensembles.

Prior to coming to Portales Mr. Rutland held faculty appointments at Indiana State University, Southwest Missouri State University, and Tennessee Technological University. He was also a teaching fellow and adjunct instructor in private percussion, percussion methods and percussion ensemble at the University of North Texas.

Mr. Rutland's career as an orchestral Percussionist has included eight years as principal percussionist with the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra.  He performs regularly with southeastern New Mexico regional orchestras as timpanist and as a percussionist.  Other positions have included the Wichita Falls Symphony Orchestra, the Shreveport Symphony, and the Richardson, TX Symphony.

As a, jazz/popular performer Rutland performs regularly with the ENMU Faculty Jazz Players and has played drums and percussion for many musicals including the Knoxville Opera Company's summer musical series, stints at Nashville Tennessee's Opryland and music director/percussionist for Dino Kartizinakis's Branson, Missouri Show "Somewhere in Time.

Mr. Rutland's training has included studies in percussion with Robert Schietroma and Doug Howard, timpani with Kalman Cherry, jazz improvisation with Rich Matteson, tabla with Bob Becker, West African drumming with Joseph Rasmussen and conducting with Anshel Brusilow and Robert Winslow.