Dr. J.D. Salas currently serves as Director of the School of Music at Stephen F. Austin State University. He joined the SFA faculty in 2006 and transitioned into administration in the summer of 2024. Salas earned his bachelor’s degree in tuba performance from Baylor University and his master’s degree from the University of Kentucky. He later completed his Doctor of Musical Arts at the University of Kentucky. He currently performs with the Longview Symphony, The Four Horsemen Tuba–Euphonium Quartet, and the SFA Jazz Doctors. He has performed extensively throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe, and Asia, appearing at numerous International Tuba Euphonium Association Conferences and on various solo tours.