A little about Clark

Clark Cothran is an active visual designer, choreographer, clinician, and educator in the marching arts. Clark has been blessed with many performing and teaching opportunities in the activity.

As a quick summary, Clark has performed as a lead trumpet player with Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps and the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps, where he received numerous awards as a performer. During his last season as a performer, Clark served as Horn Sergeant of the Blue Devils for his age out year. The leadership, performing, and solo experiences in drum corps has allowed Clark to be an international performer/soloist and instructor in foreign countries such as Japan and Taiwan.

After aging out, Clark continued to be a part of The Blue Devils Performing Arts organization by instructing The Blue Devils B and A Corps. Clark also instructed with the Sacramento Mandarins in 2018, helping them earn a place in World Class finals for the first time in their 55 year history. Clark is currently on instructional staff with the Blue Devils A Drum and Bugle Corps.

Since the Summer of 2017, Clark has had the privilege of teaching alongside the world-class marching band faculty at the Music for All Summer Symposium. There he is a brass and visual instructor to the 200+ teenage students.

Clark has had the pleasure of instructing, choreographing, and/or designing for several award-winning band programs in South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida, Texas, Mississippi, Indiana, and Michigan. 

One of Clark’s greatest successes has been the creation of his platform, Marching University. With the help of his great friend, college roommate, and business partner, Brad, together they were able to launch MU with the mission of helping improve the lives of band directors and improve the marching activity as a whole. Their flagship product Marching Movement Accelerator is a course that has helped band directors and their staffs take their band program to the next level by overhauling their visual curriculum. This is done by laying a new foundation for teaching, introducing necessary and accurate vocabulary, and providing steps to progress to a marching band powerhouse. With the help of this course, bands across the country have shared their success stories. Results include medaling at a Bands of America Regional competition, earning State Champion Gold Medals, and making State Finals for the first time in many years along with many other benefits. Clark loves hearing how he has added value to people’s lives. Ultimately, that’s what he is on this earth to do.  

Clark is a graduate from The University of South Carolina with a Bachelor of Music degree with an emphasis in Education and Trumpet. He has studied trumpet privately with James Ackley and Allen Vizzutti.

Clark resides in the beautiful state of South Carolina. Outside of the band world, Clark enjoys travel, fitness, spending time with friends and family, selling real estate, and engaging in spontaneous putt putt tournaments.