ABOUT

Jeremy Earnhart, Ed.D.
President, Scholastic Music & Fine Arts Consulting

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Dr. Earnhart is the author of The Cost of Not Playing (2026), a widely circulated white paper (44,000+ reads in the first two weeks of publication) examining how music participation impacts the financial and structural health of school districts. The work serves as the foundation for his ongoing research, consulting, and forthcoming book.

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Dr. Jeremy Earnhart is a music educator, consultant, and author whose work examines how student participation in music and the arts shapes the academic, financial, and cultural health of school systems. A scholar-practitioner with experience spanning classroom teaching, district leadership, and national nonprofit governance, he partners with schools and districts to expand access, stabilize programs, and align fine arts with broader educational and community goals.

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At the district level, his work has contributed to more than $250 million in sustained public investment across fine arts facilities, academies, and workforce-aligned programs. His writing and research appear in peer-reviewed and invited publications, including Sam Houston State University PRAXIS (via SCISPACE), Dallas Baptist University Journal for K-12 Educational Leadership, the National Band Association Journal, Music Education Alliance (CBDNA/Music for All), the Music for All Newsletter, and Conn-Selmer Touchpoint.

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Through SchoolMusicConsulting.com, Dr. Earnhart now shares research, analysis, and practical frameworks directly with educators and administrators seeking durable, student-centered solutions for arts education.

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He currently serves as Assistant Band Director at Guyer High School (Denton ISD) in Denton, Texas, and is the founder of Scholastic Music & Fine Arts Consulting, LLC. He is the author of The Cost of Not Playing: How Music Participation Shapes the Health of a School District, a forthcoming book exploring the systemic consequences of declining access to—and the benefits of expanding enrollment in—secondary music education.

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A long-time Bands of America adjudicator, Dr. Earnhart has judged the Texas UIL State Marching Contest on multiple occasions, with adjudication and clinician experience at premier events and programs across the United States. His consulting work includes nationally recognized programs such as Broken Arrow (OK), Coppell (TX), Lafayette (LA), and world-class drum and bugle corps Phantom Regiment and The Cavaliers, while maintaining a strong commitment to supporting developing programs.

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From 2018 to 2024, Dr. Earnhart served in executive leadership at Music for All, Inc., helping guide the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic and the multi-year return to live events. During his tenure, the Bands of America Championships expanded by 40%, and he played a key role in creating the TeachMusic Coalition to address the national shortage of music educators.

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Dr. Earnhart previously served as Director of Fine Arts for Arlington Independent School District (TX) from 2013 to 2017, where he oversaw a 22% increase in secondary performing arts participation. His leadership contributed to a historic $663.1 million bond initiative, including a $50 million district-wide Fine Arts Center, Fine Arts and Dual Language academies, and nearly $10 million secured for instruments and uniforms. During this period, he also launched dual-credit music courses in partnership with the University of North Texas, established the nation’s first public–private high school course in Musical Instrument Repair with Music & Arts, and introduced the first Texas chapter of United Sound to serve students with disabilities through peer mentorship.

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Earlier, Dr. Earnhart served as Director of Fine Arts for Irving ISD (TX) from 2009 to 2013, guiding a 40% increase in secondary fine arts participation. Prior to district leadership, he was Director of Bands at L.D. Bell High School (Hurst-Euless-Bedford ISD) from 1998 to 2009, leading the program to state and national recognition.

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Dr. Earnhart holds a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music Education from the University of North Texas, where he studied trumpet with Dr. Leonard Candelaria and performed under Eugene Corporon, Dennis Fisher, and James Riggs as a member of the Two O’Clock Lab Band. He also holds certifications in International Baccalaureate Music, an Executive Certificate in Leadership & Management from MIT, and a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Dallas Baptist University.

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He is blessed with a musical family—his wife, Gwendolyn, a former music educator, and their daughter, Kierstyn, an all-state trumpet player and drum major.