Ærin Gray is an active composer, arranger, percussionist, vocalist, and music educator in the greater Houston area. He regularly composes and produces programs for pageantry arts (marching band, winter percussion, winter color guard) programs all over the country. Ærin holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in music composition and theory from Sam Houston State University studying under Drs. Kyle Kindred and Brian Herrington. He was the recipient of the Fisher Tull Student Composition award in 2019 for his percussion trio Shakr Hmn.

Ærin is currently teaching as an Adjunct Professor of Music Theory and Composition at Lone Star College - Montgomery. He maintains an inclusive classroom with the goals of providing a thorough, practical, and accessible music education to any student. Ærin aims to undo the decades of gatekeeping that have kept students from success and to grow the musical community while fostering musical citizenship and love of knowledge.

Ærin has experience composing and arranging for wind band, marching ensembles, various chamber groups, mixed and treble/bass choirs, and symphony orchestra. His goal is to provide a perfectly-tailored piece of music to anyone in need. Ærin composes with performers in mind, whether it’s to support and challenge a student ensemble/soloist or to provide a professional a piece to impress with.

Ærin performs consistently with various ensembles on various instruments. He has performed with rock bands like Zero Detail and Rogues Among Us, Americana outfit the Jack Nelson Band, jazz group Joe Burlison’s Uptown Jazz, and musical theatre groups all throughout the Houston area. He has sung in the Sam Houston State University Concert Choir, Chorale, and Men’s Choir, the Statesmen Barbershop Chorus, the Houston Saengerbund, and various religious choirs. His most recent performing engagements include drum set with Houston’s Bayou City Blues Drum and Bugle Corps and party ensemble The Matt Powers Band.