Matthew McCutchen has served on USF’s Music Faculty since 2009, first as the Director of Athletic Bands for nine years, and then as the Director of Bands since 2018. His responsibilities at USF include conducting the wind ensemble and teaching graduate and undergraduate courses in conducting, wind band literature, and music education. In addition, he serves as the Associate Director of the School of Music.

Dr. McCutchen earned a Ph.D in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, a Master of Music in Conducting from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University. Prior to coming to USF he taught middle school in Georgia, high school in Virginia, and served as an adjunct instructor at Virginia Commonwealth University for several semesters.

He is active throughout the country as a guest conductor and clinician. He is the artistic director and conductor of the Florida Wind Band, and the founder and conductor of the Bay Area Youth (BAY) Winds, which features many of the finest high school musicians throughout the Tampa Area. He has been published in several issues of the National Band Association’s Journal, the 7th and 8th and the “Solos with Wind Band Accompaniment” editions of the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, The Instrumentalist magazine, the Florida Music Director, and other state publications. He is the chair of the National Band Association/William D. Revelli Memorial Band Composition Contest Committee, a member of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor selection committee, and holds memberships in numerous national and statewide professional organizations. In 2022 he became an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

Trevor Butts joined the University of South Florida School of Music faculty in the fall of 2022. His responsibilities at USF include directing the USF Herd of Thunder Marching Band, the Rumble Pep Band, conducting the University Concert Band, and teaching the marching band techniques course. 

Butts earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in wind band conducting at Louisiana State University. He holds both a Master of Music degree in instrumental conducting and a Bachelor of Science degree in music education from USF. During his time at USF, Butts marched trumpet and later served as drum major of the Herd of Thunder Marching Band. Before returning to USF for his master’s, Butts taught high school band and orchestra in the Hillsborough County Public Schools system. 

Butts is an active clinician and adjudicator in the state of Florida and Louisiana. Recently, Butts was selected as a conducting fellow for the 2022 United States Army “Pershing’s Own” Conducting Institute. Butts has marched with Teal Sound Drum and Bugle Corps, Boston Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, and The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps. He has served on staff with drum corps including Heat Wave Drum and Bugle Corps, The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and is currently on staff with the Spirit of Atlanta Drum and Bugle Corps. Butts hold professional affiliations with Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Pi Kappa Lambda.

Suzanne Charney joined the USF Faculty in 2025. Her responsibilities include conducting the concert band and teaching undergraduate courses in conducting, wind techniques, music education, and learner-centered pedagogy. Charney earned a PhD in Music and Human Learning at the University of Texas at Austin where she taught undergraduate courses in instrumental methods, music education, and was a Field Supervisor for student teachers. She is passionate about cultivating future music educators who will create quality learning experiences for all students.

Originally from Ohio, she earned a Bachelor of Music Education graduating with High Distinction from Indiana University. Charney then taught for seven years as a middle and high school band director, earning consistent distinguished teacher and ensemble ratings. Throughout her career, Charney’s ensembles cultivated joy, and she was honored to be selected as a Top Ten Teacher of Influence three times. She returned to IU and earned a Master of Music Degree in Wind Conducting and a Master of Music Education. As an Associate Instructor at IU, Charney conducted the Marching Hundred, was the Interim Athletic Band Director, and served as a guest conductor for their wind ensembles.

Charney currently pursues research in memory and motor skill development and her work has been presented at the National Association for Music Education National Conference, the International Society for Music Education, the Society for Music Perception and Cognition, and the Texas Music Educators Association Clinic and Convention, all organizations of which she holds professional memberships. In addition, she received honorary membership to Tau Beta Sigma and is an active guest adjudicator and clinician. Charney is thrilled and honored to be an educational consultant for the Scoreable Music Project, a recent Rainwater Innovative Grant winner and revolutionary repertoire composition strategy that encourages inclusivity for varied ability levels in large music ensembles.

Devin DeDon joined the School of Music Faculty in 2023. She serves as the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands, and teaches courses in Issues in Music, and Music in Culture. Mrs. DeDon is a Tampa native who earned a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Louisiana State University where she performed with the LSU Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Winds, and Tiger Marching Band. Her master’s degree is in Instrumental Conducting from USF.

Before going back for her masters, Mrs. DeDon taught middle school band in Hillsborough and Pasco Counties. She is an active performer in the Tampa Bay area, having been a core member of the Florida Wind Band since 2016. In addition, she maintains an active private horn studio and is the conductor for the Bay Area Youth Symphonic Winds Ensemble.