Thomas Cavender is the newly appointed Adjunct Professor of Trombone at Texas A&M University–Kingsville. A versatile low brass performer, educator, and arranger, he has built a multifaceted career spanning the Midwest, East Coast, and Southeast Texas.

A native of West Virginia, Cavender holds both a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Music Performance from Marshall University. He is currently an ABD doctoral candidate at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, pursuing a Doctor of Music degree in Performance and Literature with minors in music history and jazz studies. He has had the opportunity to learn and study from many great educators including James Groscup, Dr. Michael Stroeher, Jeff Wolfe, Carl Lenthe, Brent Wallarab, and Dr. Brittany Lasch.

As a performer, Cavender maintains an active, diverse career across orchestral, jazz, commercial, and chamber music settings. His experience includes work with symphony orchestras, wind bands, jazz ensembles, Latin ensembles, musical theatre pit orchestras, studio recording groups, funk and rock bands, and chamber ensembles. He has performed as a substitute trombonist with the Huntington Symphony Orchestra and is a founding member of the Jewel City Jazz Orchestra, a nonprofit big band dedicated to jazz education and performance in underserved communities throughout West Virginia. He currently performs with the Dan Nix Big Band and serves as a substitute bass trombonist with both the Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and the Danville Symphony Orchestra.

Cavender is also the proud founder and a trombonist of the 20 Hand Brass Band, a creative project inspired by the New Orleans brass band tradition that reimagines contemporary repertoire through an energetic, collaborative lens. His recording credits include bass trombone and tuba on the soundtrack for the 2025 feature film The Senior, as well as the two-time regional Emmy Award–winning Sweet Home Chicago music video produced by HMS Media in support of the Arts for Illinois Relief Fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

An experienced educator, Cavender has taught private lessons and served as a low brass clinician for middle and high school programs and band festivals throughout West Virginia, Indiana, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. While at Indiana University, he served as an Associate Instructor, teaching applied lessons and courses, coaching chamber ensembles, co-directing the IU Trombone Choir, and coordinating associate instructors across the brass area. As a Teaching Assistant at Marshall University, he designed curriculum for and taught non-major music courses, and worked as an instructor and coordinator for all university and athletic band functions. He has also worked as a presenter, arranger, and show designer for touring chamber music ensembles dedicated to delivering engaging and accessible performances for young audiences.

Outside of music, Cavender enjoys cooking, gaming, and spending time with friends, family, and his cat, Bee.

Contact Information

School of Music
MUEB 218
thomas.cavender@tamuk.edu
https://tamuktrombones.com/