Assistant Professor
Associate Director of Bands
Contact Information
Cogswell 202
Courses
- Â鶹ÊÓƵ Marching Band, “The Legend”
- Symphony Band
- Marching Band Techniques
Education
- DMA, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign
- MM, University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign
- BME, University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Biography
William Sugg serves as interim director of athletic bands at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, where he leads the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Marching Band and oversees all athletic band activities, including performances at university athletic events and regional exhibitions. With more than a decade of teaching experience across high school and university settings, Sugg brings a rehearsal philosophy centered on trust, curiosity, and musical meaning. He works to create ensemble environments where students can take artistic risks, engage deeply with the music, and develop as thoughtful, collaborative educators and performers.
Prior to his appointment at Â鶹ÊÓƵ, Sugg served as assistant director of bands at the University of Pittsburgh, where he conducted and coordinated all facets of a 300-member program encompassing the Varsity Marching Band, Basketball Pep Bands, Volleyball Band, and Symphonic Band across more than 50 performances a year. His work at Pitt included logistical coordination for high-profile national performances, implementation of advanced program management systems, and improvement of cultural influences on student well-being.
Prior to his arrival at Pitt, Sugg was co-director of bands at Downers Grove South High School in suburban Chicago. There, he helped lead the program through the challenges of pandemic-era instruction using an innovative approach to ensemble performance, resulting in an Emmy award-winning virtual marching band production. He also served as director of bands and chair of fine arts at Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Magnet School in Nashville, TN, where he led one of the state’s most comprehensive music programs—serving nearly 400 students across nine ensembles—earning invitations to perform at the Tennessee state conference in addition to national recognition for student and ensemble achievement.
Sugg earned his doctor of musical arts and master of music degrees in wind band conducting from the University of Illinois at Urbana, Champaign, where he was involved in every facet of the band program, including teaching conducting courses and conducting the Illinois Wind Symphony, Philharmonia Orchestra, Marching Illini, and Basketball Bands. He completed his undergraduate degree in music education at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he was named the Outstanding Graduate in Music Education.
Throughout his career, Sugg has remained an active clinician, adjudicator, and conductor. He views ensemble education not as a pursuit of technical perfection, but as a deeply human and artistic process—one that invites students to explore music as both a craft and a cultural force. His goal is to cultivate not just better performers but lifelong musicians who find relevance, beauty, and connection in the ensemble experience.