Marc Dwyer

With over two decades of service in the San Diego Unified School District, Mr. Marc Dwyer has
been a cornerstone of music education in the region. He holds a bachelor’s degree from The
Juilliard School and a master’s in music from Northwestern University, where he performed
professionally as a trombonist in a wide range of Chicago ensembles. His passion for teaching
emerged through his private lesson studio, which inspired him to pursue a master’s degree in
education from Northern Illinois University and shift his focus to music education.

Mr. Dwyer began his SDUSD teaching career at Kroc Middle School before finding his longterm
home at Correia Middle School in 2006. Under his leadership, Correia’s music ensembles
have earned local acclaim, with appearances on KUSI News, Jazz 88 Radio, and SignOn San
Diego, and have performed with jazz legends including Derek Cannon, Bill Watrous, Delfeayo
Marsalis, and many more. Mr. Dwyer’s Tri-M chapter received the NAfME National Junior
Chapter of the Year award in 2024 and was awarded a $1000 grant from the Point Loma
Optimist Club for their dedication to service in the Point Loma Area of San Diego.

His dedication to his students and the music community has earned him numerous honors,
including SDUSD Teacher of the Year (2009), three-time recipient of the Paul Schuchman
Award for Excellence in Music Education, and San Diego County’s Jazz Educator of the Year
(2012). In recent years, Mr. Dwyer was named SDSU’s Mentor of the Year (2020), received the
CMEA-SBS Middle School Specialist Award (2022), and was recognized by CMEA-SBS as the
2025 San Diego County Music Educator of the Year.

Outside of Correia, Mr. Dwyer serves as the conductor for the San Diego Youth Symphony’s
Concert Winds Ensemble and is a sought-after clinician throughout the region. He conducted the
Sweetwater Unified School District’s Middle School Honor Band in February and this spring, he
will lead the SDUSD Debut Honor Band. When not in the classroom or on the podium, he enjoys
spending time with his wife, Cynthia, their daughters, Caitlyn and Brianna, and their Chocolate
Lab, Zeus.