Dr. Taylor Hicks is currently employed as the adjunct professor of tuba and euphonium at Washburn University in Topeka, KS where he is also the tubist for the faculty brass quintet. He has earned a Doctorate in Tuba Performance and Master’s in Musicology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 2023, a Master's in Tuba Performance at Western Illinois University in 2020, and obtained a Bachelor’s with Honors in Music Education from the University of Northern Iowa in 2017. 

Dr. Hicks remains an active freelancer and solo performer, having performed in ensembles across the Midwest, as well as at the recent 2023 International Tuba & Euphonium Conference. In addition to teaching and performing, Dr. Hicks is the founder and lead content creator for the website Tubatalk.com. The site is dedicated to providing access to interviews on a variety of musical topics, educational resources and a forum for the commissioning of new works for tuba. 

One of Dr. Hicks’s passions is the pursuit of commissioning new music for Tuba. He is a frequent participant in developing repertoire for the tuba as a commissioner of works from composers like Ben Horne, Patrick Cunningham, Ian Lester, Sean Klink, Jose Flores, and Ben Chrisman. It is his belief that the commission and collaboration process is a critical part of leaving a legacy and furthering the tuba repertoire. 

Outside of the studio, Dr. Hicks enjoys tabletop RPG’s, fishing, and watching cooking shows, as well as spending time with his family in Iowa.