MUSE • Musicians United for Social Equity

Biography

Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., (b. 1984) is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam) and Associate Director of Bands.  His additional academic responsibilities include conducting the Crane Concert Band and Community Band, teaching conducting, and supervisorof instrumental music education majors in their pre-field experiences.  Most recently Dr. William L. Lake, Jr. has assumed the role of Special Assistant to the Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Dr. Lake is co-conductor of Northern Symphonic Winds, and guest conducts the Crane Wind Ensemble regularly.

Dr. Lake earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Drs. John R. Locke and Kevin Geraldi. As a graduate student, Professor Lake was the principal conductor of The University of North Carolina University Band and guest conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Casella Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Lake also taught undergraduate courses in conducting.

Dr. Lake is the recipient of two master’s degrees, the first from Boston University in Music Education (2011), and the second from the University of Maryland, College Park in Wind Conducting (2014) under the mentorship of Dr. Michael Votta, Jr. In May 2006, Dr. Lake received the Bachelor of Music Liberal Arts -Jazz Studies Piano Performance Degree from the University of Maryland, College Park as a student of Jon Ozment and Christopher Vadala.

Dr. Lake maintains an active performance and clinic schedule as a guest conductor and lecturer throughout the country. He was a finalist for the 2017-2018 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music and the Band Conducting Division of the American Prize.

As a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dr. Lake organized a three-part social activism movement, titled “When They See Us: Giving Voice to the Pain” that engaged over 9.500 people in courageous conversations about race, and social injustice, and community.  In March 2018, Dr. Lake was invited to present a position paper, “The Oak is Inside the Acorn: Fostering Potential through Mentorship” for the Eastern Division of the College Band Director Association at Yale University in New Haven, CT.  He is a member of the Conductor’s Guild, the College Band Directors National Association (state of New York Vice-Chairperson), Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha, Sinfonia, and Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.