United States of America

Shawn L. Copeland, Doctor of Musical Arts, combines performance, pedagogy, and entrepreneurship as he navigates today’s dynamic music industry.  He is currently the Associate Professor of Clarinet in the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho where he teaches Clarinet, Alexander Technique, and Music Business. Shawn Copeland is a Performing Artist and Clinician for Buffet Crampon U.S.A, Silverstein Works, and Gonzalez Reeds, Inc.  His instruments of choice are Legende Clarinets with an Epic mouthpiece made by Bradford Behn and a Hexa Ligature; R-13 E-flat, and the Prestige Bass Clarinet.  As a Gonzalez Reeds Artist, Shawn performs on Gonzalez Reeds exclusively for B-flat, E-flat and Bass Clarinets.

An advocate for new music and avid chamber musician, Shawn believes strongly in the performer/composer collaboration. He is a founding member of the Velez Clarinet Quartet, TOSCA DUO, Hammers & Reeds Trio, and Relevents Wind Quintet. His current project, The Music of Pride, is music inspired by significant people and moments in the fight for LGBTQ rights. His on-going work with composer Carlos Velez, has resulted in a growing body of solo and chamber music for clarinet including four quartets, two duos, a sextet, a solo suite, and most recently, Pulse, a sonata for clarinet and piano written in commemoration for those who lost their lives in the Pulse Night Club Tragedy in 2016.  Shawn’s newest release, Pulse, is the collected works of Carlos Velez and features Rajung Yang, piano, and the Velez Clarinet Quartet.  He can also be heard on their debut CD, TOSCA DUO, and Dimensions, Arts for Life and From the Barrio to the Concert Hall, both with Relevants Wind Quintet, and on aurora!, ra!, and sunrise! with the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Wind Ensemble.

Passionate about holistic teaching and the inclusion of the body in the creative process, Dr. Copeland is a sought-after clinician and pedagogue. Shawn is an accredited teacher of Alexander Technique and a specialist in Body Mapping and has dedicated his research to working with performing artists. Through his work, he has helped hundreds of musicians recover and improve their performance by understanding the nature of their performance related injuries. He is the author of the upcoming publication, What Every Clarinetist Needs to Know about the Body.

Dr. Copeland earned the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He holds additional degrees in music from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (Master of Music) and Stetson University (Bachelor of Music), and in Non-Profit/Arts Management (Master of Arts) from the University of Central Florida. He is a Certified Teaching Member of Alexander Technique International and a Licensed Body Mapping Educator. His teachers include Kelly Burke, Lynn Musco, and Frank Kowalsky.