Band Clinicians ~ 2012

David W. Montgomery is Assistant Director of Bands and Director of the Bronco Marching Band at Western Michigan University, where he also coordinates sports band operations, teaches courses in music education methods and conducting, and conducts the University Concert Band. Dr. Montgomery earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of North Carolina–Greensboro (1998) and the Master of Music degree in Music Education and Wind Conducting from Kansas State University (2004).  He holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting from the University of South Carolina (2011). 

From 1998 to 2002, he was Director of Bands at East Gaston High School in Mt. Holly, North Carolina. During his tenure the concert band program was built from Grade IV to Grade VI and received four consecutive superior ratings at the NCMEA Concert Band Festival. Under his direction the marching band also won numerous first place awards and consistently earned superior ratings. In addition to his teaching duties, Dr. Montgomery frequently serves as an adjudicator and clinician across the Midwest and Southeast.

Dr. Montgomery’s professional memberships include Music Educators National Conference, Michigan Music Educators Association, the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and College Band Directors National Conference.  He also holds memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda music honor fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi interdisciplinary honor society and honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

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August Thoma is Director of Bands and Adjunct Instructor of Music at Rochester College, Rochester Hills, MI. He has also taught at Oakland University, and was Director of Bands at Rochester High School for 24 years.

Mr. Thoma holds degrees from Michigan State University and Oakland University. He serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout Michigan, teaches private lessons on clarinet and saxophone, and is also Director of Music Ministry at St. John Fisher University Parish in Auburn Hills, a position he has held for 33 years.

He is a member of ASBDA, MENC, CBDNA, MSBOA, NBA, and is a proud member of the MSU Alumni Band. Mr. Thoma was selected by his students for eight editions of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, received the Excellence In Education Award from the Rochester Community Schools in 2001, and twice was voted MSBOA District 16 Teacher of the Year for Band.

 

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John Martin recently joined Grand Valley State University’s music program as Assistant Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands. Prior to his appointment at Grand Valley, Martin served as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He assisted the nationally acclaimed “Pride of the Southland” Marching Band as instructor, drill designer, and arranger. Martin’s other responsibilities included conducting the University Concert Band, administering and conducting all pep band activities, and teaching undergraduate courses in brass methods and marching band techniques.

John Martin has finished coursework for the DMA degree in wind conducting at the University of Southern Mississippi. He received the Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music in Wind Conducting degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Among Martin’s other conducting activities, he served as conductor of the Babahatchie Community Band in Harriman, Tennessee and guest conductor of the East Tennessee Concert Band in Knoxville. He has presented at the Michigan Music Conference and the Tennessee Music Educators Conference concerning first year teaching strategies and marching band techniques. Martin continues to actively serve as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor throughout the nation. He has numerous tuba/euphonium arrangements published through TUBA Press.

Martin holds membership in many professional organizations including the National Band Association, East Tennessee School Band & Orchestra Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In 2001, he was awarded Phi Mu Alpha’s Orpheus Award.

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John Campbell completed a 26-year career in music education with his last nineteen years as director of bands at Traverse City High School. Other positions include directorships at East Lansing High School and Carl Brablec High School in Roseville, Michigan.  He received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University and a Master of Music degree from Michigan State University.  Awards received include the American School Band Directors Association Stanbury Award (1981), Excellence in Education Award by the Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce (1987), and Teacher of the Year by the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (1992).

In 1997, after 22 years of teaching music, Mr. Campbell chose to pursue a new career in the music world.  He joined forces with Marshall Music Company to become a store manager for their new store in Traverse City. Within three months, Mr. Campbell and the 20 plus employees made the Traverse City store the top branch store in the Marshall Music chain.  After six years with Marshall Music, Mr. Campbell decided to go back to the classroom again and assumed the responsibilities of Director of Bands for Traverse City Central High School.  After four more years in the classroom, Mr. Campbell retired in 2006. Currently he serves as the Choral Director for the West Bay United Methodist Church, a position he has held since September 2002.

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Master Class Clinicians

Marissa Olin is Adjunct Instructor of Flute at Spring Arbor University in Spring Arbor, Michigan. During the summer, Dr. Olin serves as a faculty member of Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. An active clinician, she is a judge for the 2012 National Flute Association High School Flute Choir Competition and an adjudicator for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association. She maintains a private studio of high school and adult students at the Michigan State University Community Music School where she received a faculty grant to host a Flute Festival on April 29, 2012 to serve flutists of all ages in Mid-Michigan with a day of masterclasses, recitals, and flute ensemble performances. Dr. Olin holds performance degrees from Michigan State University (D.M.A. and M.M.) and Lawrence University (B.M.), having gained additional study from the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

A native of Minneapolis, Dr. Olin has performed in Mexico, Canada, Italy, Austria, and Japan. During her time in Michigan, she has performed with the Lansing Symphony Orchestra, Jackson Symphony Orchestra, Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, and the West Michigan Symphony. As a soloist, she was winner of the Upper Midwest Flute Association Laudie Porter Competition, winner of the Michigan State University Concerto Competition, and prizewinner of the WAMSO Young Artist Competition. A former finalist of a Fulbright grant to the Netherlands, her scholarship interest is Dutch Romantic flute music. Also passionate about performing new music, she has collaborated with composers and premiered numerous works with the Musique 21 Contemporary Ensemble.

 

Gail Robertson earned her B.A. degree from the University of Central Florida and a M.M. in Euphonium Performance from Indiana University while serving as graduate assistant to Harvey Phillips. She postponed her doctoral studies at the University of Maryland with Dr. Brian L. Bowman to perform with the “Tubafours” at Walt Disney World, Orlando where she served as musical supervisor/chief arranger and produced a highly acclaimed CD, “Tubas Under the Boardwalk.” She has recently resumed her doctoral studies as a University Distinguished Fellow at Michigan State University studying with Phil Sinder and Ava Ordman. She has taught on the faculties of the University of Central Florida, Bethune-Cookman College, the University of Florida, Valencia, and Seminole Community Colleges and remains active as a teacher, adjudicator, composer, arranger and free-lance artist, both nationally and internationally.

Robertson is currently serving on the Board of Directors of the Leonard Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Festival and the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC). She has served as President of the IWBC and as a conference host in 2010 and 2006. She has also served on the Board of Directors and as Euphonium and Membership Coordinator of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA) and was the featured artist on the cover of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association Journal (Volume 38, Number 1, Fall 2010). In addition, she has served as President, Vice President and Personnel Manager of the Brass Band of Central Florida.

In May 2009, Gail recorded a new CD with Dr. Stacy Baker, Alex Thio, and Dr. Deb Eastwood, called “SymbiosisDuo.”  Several of the works recorded by the duo were newly commissioned works written especially for the duo. Composers include: Christopher Marshall, Brian Balmages, Chris Sharp, Kimberly Archer, T.O. Sterrett, and Phillip Bimstein. In 2007, Gail received Tau Beta Sigma’s highest honor, the “Outstanding Service to Music Award.” She has also been a clinician for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

Robertson has toured the U.S., Europe, China, and Japan with Keith Brion’s “New Sousa Band” the Brass Band of Battle Creek, the Athena Brass Band, and the Brass Band of Central Florida. She has also performed with the Orlando based “Horns and Pipes” Brass and Percussion Ensemble, as well as the River City Brass Band, Jack Daniel’s Silver Cornet Band, Euphoniums Unlimited, Symphonia, and SYMBIOSISDUO. Her published works and arrangements are available through GAR MUSIC, Euphonium.com, and Tuba and Euphonium Press.

As a Willson Euphonium Artist, Robertson’s euphonium of choice is a Willson 2950TA with a Warburton/Gail Robertson mouthpiece.

Jordan "Skip" Hale grew up in Fenwick Island, Delaware and graduated high school from Indian River High School. Since a teenager "Skip" knew he wanted to become a musician and encourage others to make music for a lifetime. He graduated from West Chester University, in south-east Pennsylvania (about 40 minutes west of Philadelphia) with dual degrees in music education and clarinet performance, and a music history minor. While studying at WCU, Skip performed in the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Chamber Winds. The latter group making several performance-based trips to Europe (Austria, and England). He is currently in his second year of his Master of Music degree at Michigan State University studying with Dr. Caroline Hartig. He is a member of MSU Wind Symphony, under Dr. Kevin Sedatole. After graduation in May, Skip plans to move back to the East Coast and continue taking auditons for both Orchestra and Military Bands.

Festival Soloist and Master Class Clinician

Dr. Peggy DeMers, Associate Professor of Horn, joined the Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX faculty in 1991. Her musical and horn studies were at the Cincinnati Conservatory (M.M.) and the University of Wisconsin at Madison (B.M., D.M.A), with Douglas Hill and Michael Hatfield. Her extensive teaching, orchestral, and other ensemble experience includes principal horn with the Minnesota Opera Orchestra and with orchestras in Wisconsin, Minnesota and New York. Currently she is principal horn of the Lake Charles, Louisiana Symphony.

From 1993-98 she was a member of the Spoleto Festival USA and the Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy and appeared as guest artist (principal horn soloist) at the Mezzogiorno Concert series sponsored by the Gian Carlo Menotti in conjunction with the Festival of Two Worlds.  Since 2004, Peggy DeMers has served as faculty/guest artist at the Assisi Performing Arts festival performing primarily chamber music in Assisi, Italy.

Dr. DeMers' research and performances on the Alphorn have been recognized as truly authentic. She has given lectures for the International Horn Symposium in the USA and for regional workshops. She was featured on the cover of the AAA Home and Away magazine (summer 1991) performing on the Alphorn, and in the Minnesota American Traveler (1992). In 1999 she recorded "To the Winter Sun" by Douglas Hill on Thoughtful Wanderings, a MSR Classics label. In 2006, Dr. DeMers was the guest artist performing on the Alphorn for the Sigma Alpha Iota tri-annual national conference in Orlando, Florida. In 2007, the Swiss embassy requested her to perform the Alphorn for the opening of the IMAX Eiger mountain documentary film.  In 2010, Dr. DeMers worked with Capitol One on a TV commercial, performing the Alpine horn.

In 2009, Dr. DeMers began teaching Alphorn at the Midwest Alphorn retreat, a summer 5-day intensive Alphorn immersion program.  It has been so popular and successful that it has included performances throughout the region.