COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING & SCIENCE

Cain Budds received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in classical guitar performance at Arizona State University where he was a student of Frank Koonce. While in residence there, he served as a teaching assistant and faculty associate in the internationally recognized classical guitar program. In addition to his teaching duties, he assisted in the editing of the second performing edition: Johann Sebastian Bach: The Solo Lute Works, by Professor Koonce which was recently published by Neil A. Kjos company in San Diego.

He received his Bachelor and Master’s degrees from Illinois State University where he studied with noted performer and teacher Dr. Angelo Favis. Budds also studied guitar with Professor Manley Mallard III at Millikin University as well as with Dr. Douglas Rubio of the Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam.

Budds is currently Associate Professor of Guitar and Music Theory as well as Head of the String Area at Louisiana Tech University where he heads a vibrant guitar studio. He is also an Adjunct Assistant Professor and Head of the guitar studio at The University of Louisiana at Monroe.

He has held several additional teaching positions including North Valley School of the Arts in Scottsdale and Southwestern College in Phoenix. He also served as a member of the music faculty at Glendale Community College from 1998-2000 and Professor of Guitar at Laredo Community College from 2002-2008.

He has performed numerous solo and chamber recitals in the U.S. and Mexico and in Master Classes with outstanding performers including Eliot Fisk, Flavio Cucchi, Paul Henry, William Kanengiser, Margarita Escarpa, Kevin Gallagher, Stephen Robinson, Javier Garcia-Moreno, and Pepe Romero. Budds has appeared as soloist with the Laredo Philharmonic performing contemporary works such as Folias by Puerto Rican composer Roberto Sierra and Arafura Dances by Australian composer Ross Edwards. Most recently he appeared as soloist with Moscow’s Chamber Orchestra Kremlin performing Mauro Giuliani’s Quinetto, Op. 65 for guitar and string orchestra. Budds’ research project for the Doctor of Musical Arts degree is titled Nikita Koshkin: Insights into Compositional Process and Style.

Currently, Budds lives in Ruston with his wife Monique, their four children, and two rather large and rambunctious dogs named Sally and Annie.