Biography

Born in St. Andrew, Jamaica, Andrew Marshall started piano lessons at age 6. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education with an emphasis in piano performance from Northern Caribbean University in Mandeville, Jamaica, and a Master of Music degree in Music Education with emphasis in choral conducting from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in Princeton, New Jersey. He studied piano with the late Maureen Coombs, Daniel Rodriguez, and Marilyn Anderson, and choral conducting with Andrew Megill, Sun Min Lee and Joseph Flummerfelt. He is presently reading for a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Choral Conducting at the University of Oklahoma under the leadership of Dr. Richard Zielinski. 

A self-taught composer, Mr. Marshall has written and arranged over sixty hymns, carols, sacred music and secular works for the professional chorus and orchestra, and has received commissions for works from organizations in Jamaica and internationally. In October 2008 his two choral anthems Champions of Gold and Prayer of Thanksgiving, composed in honour of the stellar performance by Jamaica's athletes in the Beijing 2008 Olympics, received their world premiere performances at the University of the West Indies Chapel, Mona. Later that year, the anthems had their North American premiere at the Fort Lauderdale War Memorial in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Prior to his studies at the University of Oklahoma, Mr. Marshall served as an Assistant Professor in the Music Department at Northern Caribbean University (NCU) where he conducted the University's choral ensembles, and served as the Coordinator of the Music Department. His choral groups are in frequent demand, and have performed for religious, civic, and entertainment events, including invitations to perform in Grand Cayman, Costa Rica, Antigua, the United States, and throughout Jamaica, including the Swearing-In Ceremony for the sixth Governor General of Jamaica, His Excellency the Most Honourable Dr. Patrick Linton Allen, at Kings House, Jamaica. He is also the Music Director of Maranatha Ministries, a non-profit organization that travels frequently overseas each year to perform. 

Mr. Marshall has arranged and composed many spirituals for mixed chorus, including works in the genre of Jamaican spirituals. In addition, Mr. Marshall has collaborated with celebrated Jamaican poet Joan Andrea Hutchinson in setting her poems to music, particularly the endearing work entitled Love Kyaan Done, a tribute to the late Jamaican cultural icon, Louise Bennett. He also serves as Composer-in-Residence for the Jamaica Symphony Orchestra. 

Mr. Marshall continues to be active as a composer, educator, pianist, conductor, entertainment producer, music consultant, and vocal coach. Through his website, he intends to make available to choral directors and music aficionados his composed works and commissioned music; and to aspiring and established singers and ensembles, his expertise through coaching and consultation. He is presently working on several projects, including his debut album "Serenity" and the publication of two books: an anthology of his choral music, and a proposition of his ideological framework, Revised Humanist Pedagogy (RHP) and its application towards music education and talent development.