Welcome to the homepage of American saxophonist and bassoonist,
Todd Goranson.
Todd joined the faculty of the Department of Music at Messiah University (Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania) in 2012 and serves as Professor of Music (Saxophone, Bassoon & Jazz). He previously served on the faculty in this capacity at Texas A&M University-Commerce from 2004-2012.
Described by American composer Ted Hansen as “a true master of both the saxophone and bassoon”, Dr. Goranson is an endorsing artist for Yanagisawa Saxophones, Conn-Selmer, Inc., and is a Vandoren Artist-Clinician. Dr. Goranson performs with a Heckel Crest model bassoon.
Click HERE to order Todd’s new saxophone CD release Cantilena on the Mark Masters label or listen on Apple Music.
Click HERE to read the feature article on Trio Atlantis in Umgas Magazine
Goranson, Todd. “Simple Steps to Help Woodwind Students Avoid Injury.” DANSR, Inc. (2023)
Goranson, Todd. “Simple Steps to Help Woodwind Students Avoid Injury.” Messiah Edu (2021)
Goranson, Todd. “Fight, flight, or freeze: Overcoming performance anxiety” DANSR, Inc. (2016, May 3)
Goranson, Todd. “New Latin American music for the bassoon (1975-2006): An annotated bibliography of selected works.” WVU (2006)
Todd performs clinics, recitals and concerts in the mid-Atlantic region and throughout the U.S. and abroad. For information about performances, clinics, the Messiah College Saxophone or Bassoon studios, or the availability of private lesson openings, please contact him directly .
MUSICIANS’ HEALTH Over the past twelve years, Todd (who is also a licensed registered nurse) has presented his evidence-based teaching on musician’s mental health (performance anxiety) and musculoskeletal injury prevention at universities and conferences throughout the United States, including the 2023 US Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium (George Mason University), Corban University (2021), University of North Dakota (2019), Converse College (2018), the 2015 TMEA Conference (San Antonio, TX), 2013 IDRS Conference (University of the Redlands) and 2012 NASA Biennial Symposium (Arizona State University), as well as at regional and state level conferences and teacher in-service for schools and school districts.
Dr. Todd Goranson is Professor of Music at Messiah University, having served previously on the faculties of Texas A&M University-Commerce and Frostburg State University. He teaches applied saxophone and bassoon, undergraduate and graduate-level music theory small-group jazz and chamber music, as well as woodwind pedagogy coursework. He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from West Virginia University, and Master of Music and Bachelor of Music degrees from the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho.
2024 09/22/24 - Soprano Saxophone, Junction Quartet, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 07/23/24 - Lecture on Musicians’ Health, IDRS 2024, Northern Arizona Univ., Flagstaff, AZ 06/20 - 7/11/24 - Bassoonist, Trio Atlantis, Tour of Central/Southern Sweden 03/27/24 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Middletown Area MS & HS, Middletown, PA 03/27/24 - Lecture on Musicians’ Health, Ursinus College, Collegeville, PA 03/18/24 - Lecture on Performance Anxiety, Dept of Music, Dickinson College, Carlisle, PA 03/16/24 - Lecture - Discovering Health for Musicians, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 03/01/24 - Clinician/Adjudicator - WCJO HS Jazz Festival, Williamsport, PA 02/21/24 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Manheim MS & HS, Manheim, PA 02/07/24 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Cedar Crest MS & HS, Lebanon, PA 01/31/24 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Shippensburg School District, Shippensburg, PA 01/30/24 - Lecture on Musicians’s Health, Center for the Arts, Towson University, Towson, MD 01/11/24 - Lecture - Stretches and Warmup Essentials for Saxophonists - George Mason University 01/11/24 - Soprano Sax, Junction Quartet, US Navy Int’l Sax Symposium, Fairfax, VA 2023 12/24/23 - Bassoon, Community Carlisle Christmas Eve Service, Carlisle, PA 12/12/23 - 12/05/23 - 12/03/23 - 11/05/23 - Alto Saxophone, Society of Composers Symposium, Athens, OH 11/03/23 - Alto Saxophone, Faculty Guest Recital w/ Andy Wen, Mechanicsburg, PA 11/02/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Central Dauphin MS, Harrisburg, PA 07/12/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinic, Mechanicsburg, PA 06/09/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 06/03/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, 06/02/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, 04/26/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, 05/20/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, 05/19/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, 05/15/23 - Vandoren Single Reed Clinics, Ephrata Schoo 05/12/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 05/05/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/30/23 - Principal Bassoon, Handel’s Messiah, Mechanicsburg, PA 04/29/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/28/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/22/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/21/23 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/14/23 - Baritone Saxophone, The Temptations & The Four Tops, Lancaster, 04/03/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, East Pennsboro Middle School, Enola, 03/28/23 - Alto Saxophone, Messiah University Saxophone Studio Recital, Mechan 03/24/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, 03/24/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, 03/24/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Shippensburg Area High School, Shippe 03/17/23 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Southern Huntingdon Area JH/SH, Three 03/03/23 - 02/28/23 - Guest Clinician, Saxophone & Musicians’ Health, Whitworth Unive 01/30/23 - 01/14/23 - Guest Lecture, Mental and Musculoskeletal Health for Saxophonists, 2022 12/24/22 - Bassoon, Carlisle Community Fellowship Christmas Eve, Carlisle, PA 06/10/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 06/03/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 05/27/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 05/21/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 05/20/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 05/13/22 - Adjudicator, Music in the Parks Festivals, Hershey, PA 04/13/22 - Baritone Saxophone (featured soloist), The Four Tops, Annapolis, MD 02/16/22 - Vandoren Single Reed clinics, Middletown Area MS & HS, Middleto 2021 09/14/21 - Guest clinic on Performance Anxiety - Corona University (Salem, OR) 06/04/20 - Guest speaker, Conducting and Music Education Dialogues (Online) 05/16/20 - 04/25/20 - 04/08/20 - 03/26/20 - Saxophone/Bassoon - Porch Concert #2, Mechanicsburg, PA/Online 03/20/20 - Saxophone/Bassoon - Porch Concert #1, Mechanicsburg, PA/Online 03/09/20 - Vandoren Single Reed Clinics, Steelton-Highspire Jr/Sr High, Steelton, PA 03/06/20 - Vandoren Single Reed Clinics, Middletown Area High School, Harrisburg, PA 03/04/20 - Vandoren Single Reed Clinics, Cameron County Schools, Emporium, PA 02/09/20 - Alto saxophone, Porgy and Bess, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra 02/08/20 - Alto saxophone, Porgy and Bess, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra 02/07/20 - Alto saxophone, Porgy and Bess, Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra 01/25/20 - Woodwind clinician/sectional rehearsals, York Youth Symphony Orchestra 01/17/20 - Performance Anxiety Lecture, PMEA District 4 Choir Festival, Clearfield, PA 01/17/20 - Vandoren single reed clinics, Clearfield Area Jr.
