Nathan Hervey (‘10, BM, Music Education)

This interview is with Mr. Nathen Hervey, a graduate of the Department of Music at UTA.

Tell us about yourself.
I am currently in my 13th year as a band director at Arlington High School where I conduct the Symphonic Band and Jazz Band ensembles. After graduating UTA, I earned a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from UNT in 2013.  Most recently, in December of 2024, I became a National Board Certified Teacher. This certification is the highest certification awarded to teachers in the United States. I’m a native of Arlington and graduated from Bowie High School in 2005. My first introduction to the UTA music program came when my high school hosted and participated in the UTA Jazz festival, an event my current jazz group annually participates in. The UTA Maverick Marching band would perform after our football games, and also had a marching contest that my high school would participate in. When it came time to consider colleges, UTA was top of mind because of how impressive their music programs were, and I knew I wanted to be involved with that.

Since 2015 I’ve composed and published music for band ensembles, and my music is available through the major sheet music publishing companies. My pieces frequently appear on the editor’s choice list for JW Pepper, one of the largest sheet music retailers in the country.

Any special memories about being a student at UTA?
A core memory that stands out is when I showed up to a lesson unprepared in the spring of my freshman year. Mr. Bubert, who was the professor of trombone at UTA during my time there, listened to me play for a bit, and then asked me to set my instrument down. I thought he was going to tell me how poor my playing was, but instead he simply asked, “why aren’t you ready to play today?”. I was in ROTC at the time, and I mentioned that I was tied up doing things for that and it was taking up a lot of my time.  He replied, “if you can work hard for those other things, then you can work hard for this, too.” Those words changed my life because I realized I had made excuses, and I simply needed to get to work, which is what I did the rest of my tenure at UTA and beyond.

Why did you choose your major or field of study?
I chose music because I had a great experience in band in junior high and high school. I wanted to pass that experience on to future students, and it brings me great joy to do that at Arlington High School, literally down the street from UTA. I didn’t know it at the time, but most of my band directors were UTA graduates. I chose education specifically because I wanted to have a bigger impact on people. Each day when I go to work, I know that I’m helping the world be a little better, and that is very fulfilling.

What drew you to your industry, and what has kept you there?
I have a deep love and appreciation for music, and I want to tell students I teach about the vast world that music encapsulates and I want to guide students in how music can also teach them lessons about life. The thing keeping me in the teaching field is that I want to be the change that helps push education forward.  There are a lot of opinions about what teachers do or don’t do, but I focus more on how I can be better for my students, which ultimately helps everyone.

Did you receive a scholarship while at UTA? How did it help you?
I received some scholarship aid, but the bulk of my financing for school came through FAFSA. Those loans are paid off by the way J Those loans helped me continue my studies and dig deeper into my craft as a musician and future educator. It also paid for things like my dorm at what used to be Lipscomb hall. The dorm life social experiences, and the opportunity to be on my own, away from my parents was critical in my development as a young man.

What can graduating Liberal Arts students do to make themselves more marketable?
I would tell them to be involved academically in as many things as they can, and do those things well. In today’s world, your career necessitates that you be good at several things, and you also have to excel at those things. The years in college are prime for you to soak up a plethora of material to use in your future career endeavors. I would encourage students to take the extra class, do more than what is required for your degree and your future self will thank you. When I was at UTA, I played in several ensembles like concert band, jazz band, marching band, trombone choir, symphony orchestra, and small ensembles. I use those experiences each day in my music teaching and I’m thankful UTA provided that opportunity for me to have those experiences.

How has your Liberal Arts education helped get you where you are today?
I think being a liberal arts major gives you the tools to be creative. With my background in music, there’s a distinctive way in how I problem-solve, interact with others, and how I view the world. In the same way that careers need multi-talented workers, they also need creative thinkers who can solve problems in new ways or can generate new ideas. Liberal arts encourages this way of thinking.

What do you wish you knew when you were a Liberal Arts student at UTA?
Looking back, I think I would’ve ventured out to new places off-campus. It’s easy to stay inside the bubble on campus, or in Arlington. However, I wish I would’ve travelled more, and found more opportunities to study abroad or something similar.