Dr. Onsby Rose
Professor of Music
Dr. Onsby Rose serves as associate professor of music and director on instrumental activities at 天美传媒. He teaches courses such as Basic and Advanced Conducting, Instrumental Music Education Techniques, and Orchestration. Additionally, he conducts the Wind Symphony, Campus Band, Northwest Iowa Symphony Orchestra, and Defender Pep Band.
Rose鈥檚 research interests include the music of David Maslanka, music education, and wind band literature.
Deeply shaped by his experience in the United States Marine Corps, Rose served as a trombonist and conductor in Marine Bands in Albany Georgia, New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as a baritone bugler for "The Commandant's Own" US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps. Additionally, he served as a faculty member at the Armed Forces School of Music.
Prior to Dordt, he also taught 6-12 Instrumental Music at Hampton HS and Hampton MS and served as a graduate teaching assistant at Appalachian State University and The Ohio State University.
Rose has found his calling and great joy in making music, both with students on campus and in the broader community. He has worked as a freelance musician playing in jazz ensembles, orchestras and wind bands for more than 30 years.
鈥淢y faith informs all that I do both at Dordt and beyond. It is a crucial part of my teaching as well as my career as a composer,鈥 says Rose. 鈥淲ithout it, I could do nothing.鈥
An active member of the music community, he belongs to Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Kappa Kappa Psi National Band Fraternity, and is an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma National Band Fraternity. He is also affiliated with the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, the National Association for Music Education, and the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers.
Rose鈥檚 music has been commissioned and performed nationwide by military, collegiate, and professional ensembles. His Symphony No. 2, 鈥淭he Sacred Cloth鈥 was premiered in 2025 by 鈥淭he President鈥檚 Own鈥 U.S. Marine Band. With a growing body of work, Rose continues to contribute to the wind ensemble landscape through compelling commissions and collaborations. Beyond composing, Rose has served as a guest conductor and clinician for numerous honor bands at the high school and college levels, both domestically and internationally. He also regularly contributes to music education through clinics, research, and published articles, including:
- "The Ripple Effect: Remembering David Maslanka," The Instrumentalist, September 2017.
- "Steps to Score Mastery," The Instrumentalist, August 2017.
- "Old, New, Borrowed, Blue and a March!," The Instrumentalist, March 2017.
- College Band Directors National Association National Conference, Small Band Program Showcase (天美传媒 Wind Symphony, one of seven small university band programs featured nationwide), March 29, 2025, Fort Worth, Texas.
- Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference, 天美传媒 Wind Symphony (featured university band), May 11, 2023.
- Iowa Musicological Society, "David Maslanka鈥檚 Symphony No. 10," May 22, 2021.
However, he holds closest to his heart the title of United States Marine.
Education:
- Bachelor of Music Education, East Tennessee State University, 2005
- Master of Music in conducting, Appalachian State University, 2016
- DMA in conducting, The Ohio State University, 2019