Born on Beale St. in Memphis, Tenn., the son of a high school band director, Dr. Ted McDaniel received his B.A. from Morehouse College and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in Music from the University of Iowa. He joined the faculty at The Ohio State University in 1981 as a Professor in the Department of Black Studies and the School of Music. Prior to joining the Ohio State faculty, he previously taught at North Carolina A & T State University and at Morehouse College.

Dr. McDaniel is a specialist in African American music, jazz history, and jazz performance. Noted for his analysis of the music of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, he is the author of several published works on Black Music. He has written well over 200 music arrangements, primarily for various jazz groups and for marching band. His music arrangements and liner notes appear on more than 20 CDs and record albums. He has written music for the television show "Sesame St.," as well as for several professional groups. He has been a music arranger since 1981 for the OSU Marching Band. He continues to be active as a conductor, clinician and adjudicator in jazz education circles.

A founder and former president of the National Black Music Caucus (now the National Association for the Study and Performance of African-American Music), he holds membership in several professional associations including the Center for Black Music Research, National Association of Negro Musicians, National Council for Black Studies, Association for the Study of AfroAmerican Life and History, and the International Association for Jazz Education.

Having served as Chairman of the Department of Black Studies (now the Department of African American & African Studies) at OSU from 1989-1996, Dr. McDaniel currently remains a Professor in the Department of African American & African Studies and in the School of Music, where he serves as Director of Jazz Studies and director of the award-winning OSU Jazz Ensemble. He has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards for his contributions to music. In 1987 he was the recipient of the "Distinguished Teaching Award," and in 1994 he received the "Distinguished Scholar Award" in the School of Music at Ohio State. In 2000 he was the recipient of the "Distinguished Diversity Enhancement Award" from The Ohio State University.