Mr. Andrew Dutch lives and works in Fort Collins, Colorado. He is currently in his third year of teaching at Fort Collins High School as the Associate Director of Bands where he conducts -- alongside his mentor and colleague, Mr. David D. Miles -- the Intermediate Band, Concert Band, Symphonic Band, and Pep Band; as well as teaches Music Theory/Composition, Jazz Combo, the FCHS Saxophone Choir, and History of Rock and Roll. He holds his Bachelors Degree in Music Education (Instrumental Emphasis) from Colorado State University, his Masters Degree in Music Education from Eastern Washington University, and is currently working towards his PhD in Education and Human Development (Critical Studies Concentration) from the University of Colorado, Denver.
At FCHS, Mr. Dutch is continuously working to help the Band Program reach new heights. He has assisted in the teaching and conducting of a successful performance of the FCHS Symphonic Band at the 2022 CBA State Competition wherein the group received their first-ever Superior with Distinction Rating alongside Mr. Miles. In 2023, Mr. Dutch led the Intermediate Band (freshmen ensemble) to its first-ever CBA Regional Contest performance and received Excellent ratings — a distinction rare for the grade level. In 2023 Symphonic Band achieved, again, the ranking of Superior with a state-qualifying performance under the direction of Mr. Dutch and Mr. Miles. Mr Dutch has helped the program navigate challenges in enrollment brought on by the COVID-19 epidemic. He has also pursued numerous opportunities in educational leadership including working on various committees both within and outside the music content area.
Mr. Dutch’s main areas of research in education include power differentials within the educational system, socio-cultural and political issues impacting the educational process, and topics within and related to educational philosophies and epistemologies. He has presented at both state-level and international conferences on various topics including state Music Educator Association conferences in both Colorado and Washington, internationally for educational philosophy in Oslo, Norway, and at the national conference for the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education conference.
Andrew's educational mentors and inspirations include University of Colorado Denver’s Dr. Robin Brandehoff; Colorado State University's Dr. Erik Johnson; Central Washington University's Dr. T André Feagin; and Eastern Washington University’s Dr. Sheila C. Woodward.
