Larry N. McWilliams, Professor of Music Performance, joined the Ball State University School of Music faculty in 1970 as a trumpet instructor, member of DaCamera Brass Quintet (faculty brass quintet) and the Muncie Symphony Orchestra, and as Director of the Jazz Studies program.

Under his direction, the Jazz Lab Ensemble, the main performing group in the jazz program, enjoys the reputation of being one of the finest collegiate jazz bands in the country. It has gained regional, national and international attention by participating in numerous jazz festivals including the Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Chicago, Notre Dame Jazz Festival, Mobile National Collegiate Jazz Festival, and the Kansas City Conservatory Jazz Festival.

The band has also participated in international jazz festivals such as Montreaux Jazz Festival, Switzerland; the Lyon/Vienne Jazz Festival, France; Umbria Jazz Festival, Italy, and the North Sea Jazz Festival, The Netherlands. Many alumni members of the Jazz Lab Ensemble who are playing professional music today were recipients of most-outstanding and over-all winner awards from these festivals.

During his years at Ball State University, McWilliams has become a leading adjudicator, clinician and trumpet soloist for many high school and college jazz festivals throughout the Midwest.  He created the Indiana All-State Jazz Band for the Indiana chapter of IAJE. Along with this, McWilliams developed a very successful high school “Dimensions In Jazz” Festival at Ball State that is well past its 30^th anniversary.

Prior to joining the School of Music faculty, McWilliams had extensive performing experience with name bands and well-known Broadway shows such as the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Glenn Miller Orchestra, Hello Dolly and Cabaret. Other performing experiences include freelance work in New York and Las Vegas. He has also toured and performed with many major stars, including Johnny Mathis, Henry Mancini, Pia Zadora, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Perry Como, Tony Bennett, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra Jr., the Spinners, the Temptations, Red Skelton and others.

McWilliams plays Conn Trumpets exclusively and is a clinician for the Conn-Selmer Company.