Cedarville prof’s life serves the music (and vice vera)

“I can’t remember a day as I was growing up that I did not hear trumpet or band music at my home. Not only was he (his father) an inspiration but as I became more and more accomplished on the trumpet, he became my biggest fan,” said Pagnard.

In fact, Pagnard said that he knew by the seventh grade that he would be doing something with the trumpet his whole life. “When I was in the fifth grade my mother took me to the beginner band meeting where my future band director told my mother he needed trombone players and sent a school owned trombone home with me. When my father arrived home from work he said, ‘Oh no you don’t; you are going to play the trumpet.’ The rest is history,” said Pagnard.

Pagnard eventually went on to get a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Bowling Green State University, a Master of Music in Performance from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., and completed course work for the Doctor of Musical Arts at the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati.

Prior to coming to Cedarville, Pagnard was director of bands at Sandusky Perkins High School, Sandusky, Ohio. and Bellefontaine High School, Bellefontaine.

At Cedarville, Pagnard serves as a studio teacher, brass choir conductor, university orchestra conductor and symphonic band conductor. He has also taught classes on music education, church music and applied music.

At the beginning of his performing career spent two years travelling as a rock musician for United Artists opening concerts for groups such as Three Dog Night, The Carpenters and Gladys Knight and the Pips.

Pagnard also has the distinction of being the principal trumpet player for the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra (a position he has held for the past 37 years) and first trumpet for the award-winning Carillon Brass. He has also been an active performer with several symphonies and orchestras including the Cincinnati Symphony, Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra and the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra.

Throughout his career as a performer Pagnard has traveled and played all over the world.

“My career in music as a performer has brought many enjoyable and fulfilling experiences. I have traveled with the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra to Japan, Taiwan, Spain, Austria, Switzerland as well as several United States tours,” said Pagnard.

He said two of his most memorable moments as a performer was playing at the 100th anniversary of the Carnegie Hall as well as playing with a group called Eurobrass.

Pagnard says that he consider himself blessed to be both a performer and a teacher. “Both offer rewards, but to me it is extremely gratifying to help a young musician work through difficulties to achieve his or her potential. Music is a deeply enriching gift from God and it is wonderfully fulfilling to pass the love of this gift on to others. My most memorable experiences as a teacher are parallel to the successes of my students.”