D. Mark McCoy is the Chair of the Department of Music and Theater and director of Bands at Shepherd University. He directs the marching band and is the conductor of both the Shepherd Wind Ensemble and the Shepherd Orchestra. Dr. McCoy received the bachelor's degree from Shepherd College, and earned a Master's Degree at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore. Dr. McCoy earned a Ph.D in Fine Arts at Texas Tech University where he studied composition with Gene Biringer, Mary Jeanne Van Appledorn and Steve Paxton.

Dr. McCoy has taught a wide range of courses including jazz ensembles and combos, brass quintet, jazz improvisation, jazz pedagogy and jazz history. The Shepherd University Jazz Ensemble is in great demand and has played for heads of state for the state of West Virginia and the United States Congress. Dr. McCoy has toured nationally and internationally with his jazz groups, recently on the widely-acclaimed "Ellington Tribute Tour" throughout the US, France and England and was invited to the Montreux (Switzerland) Jazz Festivals in the Summer of 2003. The band continued that tour into Italy performing concerts from Florence to Rome.

In addition to his conducting duties, Dr. McCoy teaches the instrumental conducting sequence. During his tenure, the Shepherd Wind Ensemble has been in great demand, receiving invitations to perform throughout the world. In 2001 the ensemble accepted an invitation from the Lord Mayor of Dublin to perform a concert tour throughout Ireland. In 2005 the wind ensemble was selected to perform as part of the 2005 season at Carnegie Hall. The group is currently considering invitations to Spain and Germany for 2006. Dr. McCoy is very active as a guest conductor and has conducted many county, region, district and all-state bands throughout the US.

Dr. McCoy taught elementary, middle and high school bands for many years in West Virginia and Maryland. He taught Music Theory and Jazz at Texas Tech University from 1993-1995 and was appointed to Shepherd College in the fall of 1995. Dr. McCoy is a member of WVMEA, MENC and IAJE. He is active as a clinician for Festivals of Music and American Classic Tours and maintains a busy schedule as guest conductor and clinician. Dr. McCoy was awarded the "Teaching Excellence" award for his work with his Howard County, MD musical groups and was inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda in 1992. In 1998, he was inducted as a "National Arts Associate" by Sigma Alpha Iota for his dedication to excellence in the Arts. He was inducted into Phi Kappa Phi in the Spring of 2000. He was selected to the International Who's Who In Music and Musicians in the classical and light classical fields in 2001 and the Who's Who among America's Teachers in 2002.

He has composed operettas, musicals, an opera, many works for winds and several soundscores. His recent soundscore for The Secret Garden, is available through Baker's Plays. The second edition of his First Symphony, A Symphony for Salem, 1692 is now published by C. Alan Publications. He recently completed his first novel, Curtain Music, concerning the relationship and of Brahms and the Schumanns, and is currently working on a new play and his second symphony. He is active as a composer, con ductor, clinician and adjudicator and his works have been performed throughout the United States and Europe.