Dr. Phillip S.
Wyant

Phillip Scott Wyant, DMA, is a conductor, music educator, and researcher who believes that music can put everything else on hold—creating a space in which musicians and audiences can listen, connect, and become fully present. Equally at home conducting instrumental musicians at any stage of development, he approaches the podium as a place where musical artistry, education, leadership, and community meet.

Wyant has served the Clearfield Area School District continuously since 2015, working across its two buildings. He began in the district’s K–6 building as Director of Elementary Bands and Sixth Grade Choir. In 2023, he was appointed Director of Bands for grades 7–12, becoming the eighth director in the program’s nearly hundred-year history. He directs the junior and senior high concert ensembles, the Bison Marching Band, junior high marching band, junior high jazz band, and Thunderin’ Herd Jazz Band, while also coaching student-led chamber ensembles.

Under Wyant’s leadership, Clearfield students have advanced to Pennsylvania All-State ensembles and qualified for NAfME regional-level ensembles. His work emphasizes musical independence, ensemble connection, and programming that brings contemporary voices into conversation with established wind-band literature. He also serves as steward of the Bison Marching Band’s storied tradition of excellence, which includes repeated invitations to the 500 Festival Parade in Indianapolis, as well as award-winning appearances in the Kentucky Derby Parade, Apple Blossom Festival Parade, New York Veterans Day Parade, Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, and Main Street, USA at Walt Disney World.

Wyant earned the Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University’s College of Fine Arts in 2026. He holds a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Messiah College (now Messiah University) and a Bachelor of Science in Education in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated summa cum laude from the Robert E. Cook Honors College. His conducting development included private study with Jack Stamp, Jason Worzbyt, and Shannon Kitelinger, along with symposium study with Bradley Genevro, Craig Kirchhoff, and Mallory Thompson. His research examines occupational identity among K–12 band directors, including the distinct role of “Podium Identity.” In 2026, he was elected secretary of District 4 of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association.