Gabe Musella serves as UIL Assistant Music Director in Austin, Texas. Prior to his current position he taught for 30 years in Texas where his bands earned UIL Sweepstakes Awards in 8 different Varsity and Non-Varsity categories, performed at The Midwest Clinic and MFA National Concert Festival, and placed as finalists in TMEA Honor Band and at the UIL State Marching Contest. While at Spring HS, the band program was designated a Grammy Signature School, a Houston Symphony Orchestra Residency School, and was featured in THE INSTRUMENTALIST. Spring Band ensembles earned five invitations to perform at The Midwest Clinic between 2008 and 2016, and Spring chamber groups received awards at the prestigious Fischoff, Coltman, and other chamber music competitions.
Mr. Musella is an active composer and arranger whose works for band, choir, jazz ensemble, orchestra, percussion, and chamber ensembles have been performed at The Midwest Clinic, PASIC, WIBC, the Music For All National Festival, TMEA, TBA, and other conferences throughout the country and abroad. The Texas Tech Goin’ Band from Raiderland performed “Wreck ‘Em Fanfare” at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and his works have been premiered by The United States Air Force Band, the TMEA All State Jazz Ensemble, the ATSSB All State Band, and ensembles at the University of Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech University, and the University of Houston. His publishers include RBC, C. Alan, Boosey & Hawkes, Carl Fischer, Kjos, Row-Loff, TRN, ALRY, Wingert-Jones, and MKT Music Publications. Mr. Musella has appeared as a guest conductor with university, community, and high school region bands throughout Texas. He is a co-conductor of the Spring ISD Alumni Band in Houston.
Gabe received the Meritorious Achievement Award from The Texas Bandmasters Association and the Specs Excellence in Music Education Award from The Houston Symphony Orchestra. He holds a BM in Composition and a MM in Conducting, both from Texas Tech University where he studied with James Sudduth, Keith Bearden, and Mary Jeane van Appledorn. He is grateful to mentors Tom Bennett, Eddie Green, Philip Geiger, Rodney Klett, Joe Dixon, Rick Lambrecht, Kenny Capshaw, Richard Crain, James Edwards, Randy Vaughn, Rick Ghinelli, Mike Warny, and Scott McAdow. His memberships include ASCAP, ABA, TMEA, TBA, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and he serves as Chamber Coordinator for the Music For All National Concert Festival. He is currently President of the Foundation for Music Education, and he has been on the staff of the Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp since 1985. Gabe and his wife, Alice, are very proud of their son Alex, who has earned degrees from Texas A & M – Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State University.