Christopher Barrick

Christopher Barrick is director of the School of Music & Dance at Eastern Michigan University, where he leads the oldest collegiate music program in the state of Michigan. Concurrently, he maintains faculty rank as a tenured Professor of Music in the School. Prior to his appointment at EMU, he served as the head of the Department of Music and the James & Ann Bumpass Distinguished Chair of Music at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (2014-2019), as well as in faculty and administrative roles in the Department of Music and Theatre at West Liberty University (2008-2014). A strong proponent for music education, Barrick began his career teaching instrumental music in the public schools of Newport, Tennessee. Barrick currently serves as a visiting accreditation evaluator for the National Association of Schools of Music. As a saxophonist, Barrick has given recital performances at conferences including those of the North American Saxophone Alliance, the United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, the World Saxophone Congress, and the Association for Technology in Music Instruction. He has performed professionally with artists such as Doc Severinsen, Johnny Mathis, the Legends of Swing, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Wayne Newton, Rick K. and The Allnighters, the Harry James Orchestra, The Four Tops, and The Temptations. A talented multi-instrumentalist who studied electric bass with Pittsburgh's Jeff Mangone, Barrick has performed as a bassist with legendary artists including Sonny Turner and the Platters, The Crystals, The Coasters, bluesman Lucious Spiller, and Robert Tepper. Currently, you can hear Barrick performing with a number of rock, pop, and funk groups across Michigan. Originally from New Jersey, Barrick holds music degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (DMA.), the University of Tennessee (MM), and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BA and BS). He is a proud Endorsing Artist for Conn Selmer and performs on Selmer Paris saxophones.