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Delta Chapter
LAURIN
PEYTON “PETE” CROWDER
1994
Dr. Laurin P. Crowder graduated from
Kosciusko High School and holds the Bachelor of
Music degree from Murray State University, the
Masters of Arts from the University of Alabama, and
the Ph. D. from Louisiana State University. He began
his teaching career in the Laurel Public School
system where he was the Band Director at Jones
Junior High School and also High School Choral
Director. He organized Mississippi’s first
credit-course high school stage band during his two
years in the Laurel system.
His next position was at Newton High
School where he was Director of Bands and Choral
Director. He began a five-year stint at E.E. Bass
Junior High School in Greenville in 1954. In 1959,
he became Assistant Director of Bands at Mississippi
State University, and in 1968, was elevated to the
position of Director of Bands, a position he held
until 1978. his Symphonic and Marching Band have
appeared all over the South, including a performance
at the College Band Director’s National Association
Conference. From 1978 until his retirement in 1993,
Dr. Crowder was involved, as Professor of Music
Education, in graduate instruction at the
university. In 1993 he was named Professor Emeritus
by Mississippi State University.
Dr. Crowder has written over 500
compositions and arrangements for band, orchestra,
chorus, stage band, and various instrumental
ensembles. He has performed, professionally, as a
trumpeter and keyboardist for many year. His
experience included engagements with the Louisville,
Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Baton Rouge
Symphony and the Jackson Symphony Orchestra. At one
time or another, he has worked with almost all the
high school bands in the state of Mississippi. He is
a member of Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, the
Mississippi Music Educator’s Association, and many
other professional organizations. He is a National
Honorary Member of Kappa Kappa Psi. Dr. Crowder has
been Musical Director for the Mississippi Miss
Hospitality Pageant and the Mississippi Junior Miss
Pageant.
Twice a Director of the Mississippi
Lions All-State Band, Dr. Crowder wrote the lobby
shows for this organization for trips to San
Francisco and Chicago.
His adjudication experience includes
assignments all over the United States involving
Band, Orchestra, Stage Band, and Marching Band
events. He has also served as guest conductor of
all-star and all-state bands all over the South.
Among his hobbies are chess and flying. He is a
five-time Mississippi Chess Champion and flies his
own Cessna Cutlass.
Presently he performs with his jazz
ensemble, the Starmark Trio, and is active on the
staff of the communications service American Online,
where he is a Microsoft Windows expert, Hosts the
Current Events discussion seminar Encounterpoint,
and Hosts the game he developed for this service,
Treasure Hunt. His original icon collections,
developed for America Online as Wizard 1. have
generated over 18,000 downloads.
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