Michael Willson holds the degrees of Bachelor of Music Education from Brigham Young University, and Master of Music and Doctor of Music Education from Arizona State University. For thirty-four years Willson taught music education in the public schools in Arizona and in 2007 retired as the Director of Bands at McClintock High School. He is an active member of the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) and the Arizona Band and Orchestra Directors Association (ABODA). He has served two terms as President of ABODA. Willson currently serves as the “Retired Member” on the AMEA Board of Directors. Willson also continues to serve as a guest conductor and clinician.
Willson is the founder and musical director, emeritus, of the Tempe Winds, a group of fifty music educators and professional musicians dedicated to the performance of outstanding wind/band literature. In December of 1995 the ensemble performed at the 49th Annual Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Directors Clinic in Chicago, which was attended by some 10,000 music educators from around the world. In December of 2002 the wind ensemble received the “Sudler Silver Scroll Award” from the John Philip Sousa Foundation for outstanding musical achievement and service to the community. He currently serves as a member of the Sudler Silver Scroll selection committee. He is also active in choral and orchestral music performance, having conducted a number of community ensembles. In his “spare time” Willson works in the School of Music at Arizona State University overseeing the Instrument Rental Office which assists students in procuring the instruments they need for ensembles and methods classes.
Dr. Willson has received the “Excellence in Teaching Award” from the Tempe Union High School District, the “Excellence in Teaching Music” award from the Arizona Music Educators Association, and the “Award of Excellence- Outstanding Teacher, Fine Arts” from the Tempe Diablos. In March of 1992 Willson was selected to “The Legion of Honor” by The John Philip Sousa Foundation and Band World Magazine, an award given each year to “Ten of the Best” public school band directors in the country. In January of 2007 Willson received the “Music Educator of the Year Award” from the Arizona Music Educators Association and the “Alumni of the Year” Award from the School of Music at Arizona State University. In 2017 Willson was inducted as an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi National Honorary Band Fraternity for university band members and into the newly formed Arizona Chapter (Kappa Zeta) of Phi Beta Mu, the International School Bandmasters Fraternity. He served two terms as President of Kappa Zeta. In 2019 Willson was awarded the “Retired Music Educator Service Award” from the Arizona Music Educators Association. In 2023 he was inducted as a member of the Phi Beta Mu Arizona Hall of Fame and honored as the City of Tempe Arts & Cultural Award recipient as an Artistic Trailblazer.