Meet Mr. Lynch

Erik Lynch has served as Director of Bands at Verona High School since 2002, bringing nearly three decades of teaching experience to the podium and classroom. He currently directs the Marching Maroon and White, Concert Band, Chamber Winds, Jazz Band, and teaches AP Music Theory & Music Technology. A dedicated lifelong learner, Mr. Lynch is currently completing his Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Education at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts, and he holds New Jersey Supervisory Certification. His accomplishments in the field include being named a quarterfinalist for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award (2013, 2014, and 2018) and a finalist for the Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award (2011) — honors that reflect his ongoing commitment to excellence in music education.

Under Mr. Lynch’s direction, the Verona High School bands have earned a reputation for excellence on some of the region’s most prestigious stages. His ensembles have performed at Carnegie Hall, given five performances at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart — including a commissioned performance of David Gillingham’s Organic Matters— and made multiple appearances at the New Jersey Gala Concert and the Rutgers Mid-Atlantic Wind Band Festival. His bands have also earned a perfect score at Virginia Beach’s Music in the Parks festival. Mr. Lynch’s contributions to the field extend to scholarship as well: he was featured in Oxford University Press’s Teaching Music Theory: New Voices.

As a performer, Mr. Lynch has built an accomplished career as a percussionist and timpanist. He was selected as one of seven timpanists for the Vic Firth Timpani Seminar at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he performed under the baton of Seiji Ozawa, and served as timpanist on the Gramercy Brass Orchestra of New York’s album Brubeck Bold and Brassy. He currently performs as a section player with the New York Repertory Orchestra and continues to work as a freelance musician throughout the region. His recording of Aaron Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man has also been featured on Sirius XM.

Beyond performing, Mr. Lynch is an active arranger and writer. He has contributed three articles to Tempo, the journal of the New Jersey Music Educators Association (NJMEA), sharing his expertise with music educators across the state. He is a co-founder of both the Essex County Honor Band and the New Jersey Marching Band Directors Association, reflecting his dedication to building music opportunities that extend beyond a single classroom. At the heart of his teaching philosophy are three core values he instills in every Verona musician: pride, passion, and intensity.

Outside of VHS, Mr. Lynch is a fitness enthusiast and a proud uncle to his nephews Paul and Justin. Whether on the field, in the concert hall, or in the classroom, he strives to help each student discover the discipline, teamwork, and joy that come from making music together.

Mr. Lynch, Paul, and Justin on the jumbo cam at Yankee stadium~