Dr. Richard Miles holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Florida State University, two graduate degrees from the University of Illinois, and an undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University. He began his teaching career at Elkin High School in North Carolina. After receiving his Masters degree, he served for six years as Director of Bands at Lafayette Jefferson High School in Indiana where the band program obtained national recognition earning consistent Superior Concert Band Ratings, a feature performance at the Indiana Music Educators Association State Conference, a national concert band championship, and four-time Finalist at the Bands of America Grand National Championships. For the next thirty years, Dr. Miles served as Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Morehead State University in Morehead, Kentucky. During his tenure, the MSU Symphony Band under his direction received national and international recognition having performed for conventions of the Music Educators National Conference, the College Band Directors National Association, The National Band Association, the Kentucky Music Educators Association, and four international concert tours to the People’s Republic of China, Spain and Brazil.

Dr. Miles is a Past President of the Kentucky Music Educators Association, Past President of the College Band Directors National Association – Southern Division, and an elected member to the American Bandmasters Association, currently serving as the Chair of the ABA Research Center at the University of Maryland. Professor Miles has co-authored, compiled and edited twenty-one volumes of the internationally recognized wind band series: Teaching Music through Performance and three additional texts.