Director & Staff

Dr. Dwayne Sagen

Director of Bands
(B.M., M.M. Northwestern University, Ph.D. Iowa)
Dr. Sagen has been Director of Bands at Vanderbilt University since 1986. Before coming to Vanderbilt, Dr. Sagen served as the Asst. Director of Bands and Chairman of the Music Department at the University of Mississippi. Dr. Sagen is the author of numerous articles and papers on instrumental education and is very active as a clinician and adjudicator in the U.S. and Canada. Dr. Sagen also serves as Assistant Dean of the Blair School of Music.

Gavin Smith

Assistant Director of Bands
(B.M. Texas Tech, M.M. Kansas State)
Gavin Smith received his Bachelors of Music Education from Texas Tech University. He was a member of the Goin' Band from Raiderland as well as many other ensembles. In addition, he marched lead soprano for the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. Mr. Smith has taught high school band in Holliday, TX, and received his Masters in Conducting from Kansas State University where he served as a Graduate Assistant with the KSU Bands. Mr. Smith is currently pursuing his Ph. D in Music Education from Ole Miss.

Mr. Smith Assists with the "Spirit of Gold" Marching Band, overseeing the visual and drill design. Along with the marching Band, Mr. Smith Co-directs the basketball pep band. In the Blair School of Music, Mr. Smith is Lecture in Teacher Education and Coordinator of the Music Arts / Teacher Education Graduate Placements.

Cindi Gallagher

Cindi Gallagher has worked at Vanderbilt since 1999. She is a flute and piccolo player and performs at church and with the Vanderbilt Community Concert Band. For assistance with most all band related activities, Mrs. Gallagher is a wealth of information.

Kirstin Head Shot

Kirstin Hawk

Kirstin Hawk was born and raised in Middle Tennessee. She began dancing at the age of 3 and received training from Cathy’s dance studio and DC Dance Factory. Upon graduation she attended Point Park College in Pittsburgh, PA to double major in dance and education. After spending one year at Point Park, Kirstin's love and passion for teaching children brought her home to Nashville. Kirstin holds a degree in Early Childhood Education and was a first grade teacher. She now focuses all her efforts to teaching and coaching dance, which she has been doing for 11 years. Kirstin's choreography has won numerous awards at many national competitions. She has worked for 10 years at DC Dance factory in Cool Springs. This year Kirstin will be a co-owner of Dance Authority Team training center a new facility where local dance teams will train. She has been the coach Ravenwood High School dance team for 10 years. She is the full time coach for Woodland Middle School dance team. In 2008 Kirstin co-created the Music City All Stars dance team. Kirstin is happily married to her husband Matt whom is a personal trainer in Franklin. Kirstin’s strengths are training dancers to become strong technical performers as well as cleaning team routines and enhancing their spirit programs.

David DePriest

Drumline Instructor