Dr. Daniel S. Isbell is an Assistant Professor of music education at Ithaca College where he teaches graduate and undergraduate courses and conducts the Campus Band.  He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Colorado, Boulder and his Masters of Music Education from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.  His Bachelor of Music Education and Trumpet Performance is from Ithaca College.   While at the University of Colorado, Dr. Isbell was a Graduate Part Time Instructor and the Director of Jazz Studies at the Boulder Arts Academy.  Prior to teaching in Boulder, he was the Director of Bands in the Steamboat Springs (CO) School District where he conducted the district concert bands, jazz bands, and world-famous Ski Band.  Dr. Isbell’s professional teaching career began as the Director of Bands with the Otselic (NY) School District.

Dan Isbell has performed on trumpet in a variety of settings and styles.  He is a former trumpet payer with the Steamboat Springs Jazz Quartet, Steamboat Springs Chamber Orchestra, Pikes Peak Philharmonic, and the Flashback rock and roll group in northern Colorado.  While in Colorado, he was also an active performer in Kanni!Ko!, an African drum and dance ensemble.  Dan Isbell is currently a trumpet player in the Swamp College Brass Quintet and plays frequently in the Fingerlakes (NY) area.

Dr. Isbell’s research interests center on the socialization and the development of occupational identity among music education students. Dr. Isbell's dissertation at the University of Colorado was honored as the Outstanding Dissertation of 2006 by the Council for Research in Music Education.  In 2009, Dr. Isbell was awarded the Emerging Researcher Award by the Center for Music Education Research.  His work has been published in a variety of journals including Psychology of Music, Journal of Research in Music Education, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Music Education Research International, Music Educators Journal, and the Journal of Historic Research in Music Education.  Dr. Isbell continues to present his research at a variety of regional, national, and international conferences.  He is also a frequent guest conductor and clinician at area festivals.