Mark Ford

Congratulations to all of the graduates yesterday!! What an accomplishment!!! Bravo!!


-HsuanTsai (Grace)

The 2:00 Steel Band closed off the semester last night with a wonderful recording session with ! We recorded Ray Holman’s If We Really Want and ‘s Alloy! Congratulations our amazing students and to co-director !

Congratulations to Maestro Eugene Corporon, Director of the UNT Wind Symphony for 32 iconic years! After a total of 57 years teaching college, Eugene conducted his final UNT concert on Sunday April 26th, which was also his 79th birthday! The percussion section played with style and energy and even Eugene ended up behind the marimba on one of his final curtain calls! Bravo to Eugene for “living a life worth repeating!” He is one in a million!

Maestro Eugene Corporon will conduct his final concert at the University of North Texas College of Music today at 3pm. Eugene is an amazing musician, conductor, colleague, and dear friend! Here is an interview we recorded in 2018 after the release of the UNT CD, Contact (GIA), featuring percussion concertos with the Wind Symphony. Enjoy!

UNT Wind Studies University of North Texas Percussion UNT College of Music

Mark Ford 21 likes, 8 comments. "Contact - The Best Percussion Concertos"

More UNT memories! 1999-2026

Dear Friends, Colleagues, and Students,
It has been a true honor and privilege to teach at the UNT College of Music and to represent our exceptional percussion faculty—a life immersed in beauty and music. Now, in my 44th year of college teaching, I have made the decision to leave the University of North Texas at the end of this academic year. I do so with deep gratitude and immense pride for our extraordinary students and our inspiring UNT Percussion Family. I am not retiring, but rather I am excited to begin a new chapter in music—one that I look forward to sharing later this summer.

My 27 years as UNT’s longest-serving Percussion Coordinator have followed in the footsteps of esteemed Percussion Coordinators, mentors, and dear friends, Robert Schietroma and Ron Fink. Together with our remarkable faculty, we have worked to cultivate an innovative and forward-thinking musical environment—one that encourages exploration, creativity, and excellence. Our percussion students, part of a rich and enduring UNT legacy, continue to inspire and impress. Their dedication to musical integrity ensures that their artistry will resonate far beyond their time on campus.

The UNT Percussion Faculty are simply unparalleled. They are not only brilliant musicians but also trusted colleagues and close friends. Together, we have performed around the world, appeared regularly at PASIC, TMEA etc., and continuously created meaningful opportunities for our students while celebrating their many achievements.

Words cannot express the love and support from my amazing wife, Ewelina, our daughter Emily, and my sons Austin and Kevin. They are everything to me!

To my students and everyone at the College of Music, I wish you all love, good health, and music that stirs your soul! Trust your instincts, follow your hearts, and never shy away from taking risks. If you can envision your dreams becoming reality, you have the power to bring them to life.

Go Mean Green!

Mark Ford
UNT Percussion Coordinator 1999-2026

Wonderful to spend time with Professor Caleb Pickering and his percussion students yesterday at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. I had a chance to coach my compositions Head Talk and Renfro as well as hear ‘s Apocalyptic Etude! Wonderful!

Many thanks to and Jake Castillo as well as my sponsors and !

I had a wonderful time at in Corpus Christi yesterday working with their percussion students and percussion instructor Jake Castillo and head band director Marco Mellone! The progress they have made in the past year is remarkable! Keep up the great work!

And it was great to coach their rehearsal of my composition, A Promise for Emily!

Many thanks to and

The Night of Percussion Concert featuring the Percussion Group Co-Directed by Dr. and and the Percussion Players Directed by . Outstanding!