Dr. Thomas Kloss
Assistant Professor of Music, Associate Director of Bands, Marching Band Director
Dr. Thomas Kloss is the Associate Director of Bands and Marching Band Director at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. In this role, he conducts the Symphonic Band and Fall Concert Band, directs the Rainbow Warrior Marching Band, and teaches courses in music education.
Dr. Kloss received Bachelor of Music degrees in both music education and saxophone performance at the University of Arizona. He received his Master of Music and Ph.D. in music education from Arizona State University, where he taught courses in instrumental pedagogy, research in music education, and was on staff with the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band.
Dr. Kloss brings over 27 years of instrumental music teaching experience. He has K-12 experience teaching at the beginning and high school band levels, and most recently was the Associate Director of Athletic Bands at Idaho State University, where he won awards for Distinguished Service, Advisor of the Year, and Faculty of the Year.
His research interests include the effects of band teacher turnover, oral histories of retired music educators, community music making. He has presented research at several venues, including the Society for Music Teacher Education Symposium, the 13th Latin American Regional Conference and 5th Pan American Regional Conference, NAfME Northwest and Biennial Conferences, and the Idaho and Arizona Music Educators Conferences. He has been published in Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Arizona Music News, Research and Issues in Music Education, Praxis: Sam Houston Journal from the Center for Music Education, Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, and Idaho Music Notes. He is also certified in Kodaly (Level 2) and Orff (Level 1) elementary methods.