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Saxophone |
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Sam Benefield - Jacksonville State University, AL |
Sam is currently attending Jacksonville State University as an Economics major, but is no stranger to the band scene. Born in Goldsborro, North Carolina and an alumnus of Lineville High School in Lineville, AL, Sam has been playing alto saxophone for eleven years now. He brought his musical talent to Jac State, performing for University ensembles such as the Chamber Winds, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Marching Southerners, and Hardcorps, JSU’s award-winning Pep Band. Sam would like to thank his parents for their never-ending support and his high school band director, Bill Mullinax, for always pushing him to be a better musician.
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Jonathon Edwards - University of Indianapolis, IN |
Jonathon Edwards was born in Indianapolis, Indiana on May 7, 1985. He began playing tenor saxophone in seventh grade and has since added soprano, alto and baritone sax. He has been playing clarinet for four years. He graduated from Center Grove High School (Greenwood, Indiana) in 2004 with honors. During his time there he played in marching band, jazz band, concert bands, pep band and pit orchestra.
Jonathon is currently a junior Music Education major at the University of Indianapolis. He would like to thank God for the gift of music. He would also like to thank his parents for everything they have done to help him pursue music. He would like to thank his girlfriend for all her patience. Last, but not least, he would like to thank a few teachers who have had a great impact on his life: Kevin Schuessler, Sam Fritz, Don Hanlin, Thomas McCauley and Harry Miedema.
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Leroy Flaten - University of Kentucky, KY |
Leroy Flaten is a master's student at the University of Kentucky studying saxophone performance. He resides in the Lexington area. Prior to graduate school, he went through the public school system in Virginia. He attended James Madison University and received his bachelor's degree in music education. He would like to thank his friends, family and teachers who have encouraged and guided him to where he is today.
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Arnold Montgomery - Jacksonville State University, AL |
Born in Anniston, Alabama, Arnold Montgomery is a graduate of Walter Wellborn High School. He is currently a student at Jacksonville State University. Arnold began playing saxophone at age 12, and fell deeply in love with jazz, under the influence of saxophonists such as David Sanborn and Michael Brecker. Arnold has opened for such acts as M.C. Hammer and Maynard Ferguson. He has performed with such greats as Terrell Stafford, Wycliff Gordon and Steve Houghton. Arnold is currently a member of the multiple award-winning Jacksonville State University Jazz I Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Chip Crotts.
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| Trumpet |
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Ziggy Garcia - University of Texas El Paso, TX |
Ziggy Garcia was born in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and currently attends the University of Texas El Paso. There he has held the position of principal trumpet in the UTEP wind ensemble and lead trumpet in the UTEP Lab Band. He is an alumnus of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps from Canton, Ohio. He has toured England and France in his musical career. Currently he plays in two salsa bands in El Paso and Juarez, Mexico. Ziggy's true passion is teaching high school students how to better themselves as musicians as well as human beings. He loves his beautiful puppy, Dr. Magrowski, and dreams of one day being a high school band director.
He would like to thank his parents for always supporting and loving him. He'd also like to thank his one and only private trumpet instructor, Mr. Sam Trimble for his unending patience, support and, of course, knowledge. And lastly, the staff at BOA and city of Indianapolis for this great opportunity.
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Courtney Hanson - University of Texas El Paso, TX |
Courtney Hanson is from El Paso, Texas and is currently an undergraduate of the University of Texas-El Paso. She is majoring in music education and also studies trumpet privately with Sam Trimble. Courtney participated in the TMEA All-State Symphonic Band her senior year of high school. She was also a member of the 2004 and 2005 Concord Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps.
Courtney has been playing trumpet for almost 12 years. She was attending the BOA Arlington show in October when she found out about INergy. This summer, Courtney will be playing both trumpet and mellophone with the ensemble. She would like to thank her music directors, mother, best friends and BOA for the help and support she received to make this summer possible.
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Clark Hunt - Jacksonville State University, AL |
Clark Hunt was born in Atlanta. Clark had a life-changing experience when he chose music over living with his family to attend a school with a stronger band program, Rome High School. He stayed with friends for his first two years of high school and then arranged to live with his grandmother in Rome.
Clark is an undergraduate student at Jacksonville State University. He is also an alumnus of Spirit Drum and Bugle Corps where he marched for five years. While with the Corps, he was a soloist and horn sergeant. Clark has performed with Terrell Stafford, Steve Houghton and Wycliff Gordon on numerous concerts at JSU. He studies under the direction of Dr. Chip Crotts.
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Erik "EJ" Ramos - Indiana University, IN |
Erik J. Ramos is currently working on his Masters in Music degree in trumpet performance at Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music where he is studying with Edmund Cord. In 2003, he was the winner of the Trumpet category for Drum Corps International's Individual and Ensemble Competition. He is a graduate of Valparaiso University's School of Music where he studied with Charles Steck. He has been the featured soloist with Valparaiso's Chamber Concert Band numerous times most recently at the annual Sousa Concert playing J.B. Arban's cornet solo Fantasie Brilliante under the direction of the world renowned Sousa scholar Keith Brion. Mr. Ramos is also an alumnus of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps and the Marian Catholic High School Band Program.
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Ellen Schaub - New Mexico State University, NM |
Ellen Schaub just completed her sophomore year at New Mexico State University, in Las Cruces, New Mexico. She is studying music education and trumpet performance with Dr. Frank "Pancho" Romero. Throughout high school, Ellen played with the Albuquerque Youth Band, New Mexico All State Band, and the Albuquerque Youth Symphony. As a senior, Ellen performed at Carnegie Hall with the Albuquerque Youth Symphony. Ellen is a member of New Mexico State University's Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble I. Ellen is also the lead jazz vocalist with the NMSU Jazz Ensemble and freelances vocally in the Las Cruces area. She looks forward to traveling to Bogata, Colombia with these ensembles this fall. Ellen also currently performs with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra and the Ottoni Dolce Brass Quintet.
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Mellophone |
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Curtis Cormier III - Indiana University, IN |
Curtis Cormier is originally from Lake Charles, Louisiana. Currently residing in Bloomington, Indiana, Curtis is working on a Doctorate of Music in Trumpet Pedagogy at Indiana University. He holds a Masters of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory and a Bachelors of Music from Indiana University Bloomington, both in Trumpet Performance. He has played in many ensembles including the Berkeley Symphony, California; Evansville Symphony, Indiana; Columbus Philharmonic, Indiana; Camerata Orchestra, Indiana and Lake Charles Symphony, Louisiana. He has also taught and was a freelance musician in Houston and San Francisco.
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| Trombone |
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Mitch Brown - Jacksonville State University, AL |
Mitch Brown was born in Dayton, Ohio on July 27, 1986. He began playing trombone in 1997 at Lanier Middle School under the direction of Tonya Millsap. He is a graduate of North Gwinnett High School in Suwannee, Georgia. Mitch performed in the marching band, jazz ensemble, and symphonic winds for all four years in high school. The summer after he graduated, he marched contra in Court of Honor Drum and Bugle Corps.
Mitch is currently a junior at Jacksonville State University majoring in Music Education. He would like to thank his parents for supporting him and his musical ambitions. Mitch would also like to thank his past band directors Tonya Millsap, Jill Tadros, David Jernigan, Paula Williams, Brian Lambeth and Marion English for giving him the musical foundation he needs to pursue his dream of becoming a band director.
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Aaron Carpenter - Cedarville University, OH |
Aaron Carpenter is currently finishing his Bachelors of Music Education degree at Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH, and will be graduating in December of 2006. He serves as principal trombonist for the Cedarville Symphony Orchestra, Brass Choir and Jazz Band. Along with his obligations with the university ensembles, Aaron has also served as student conductor since the Fall of 2004. In 2005 and 2006, he was nominated to play in the OPCICA Collegiate Honors Concert Band, and has just been recently named the recipient of the 2006 Outstanding Future Music Teacher Award from Cedarville University.
In the Fall of 2006, Aaron will be student teaching at Beavercreek High School in Beavercreek, OH. After that he plans to go to graduate school and receive his masters degree in either music education or conducting. He is currently working on attaining a graduate assistantship at Marshall University in Huntington, WV. Eventually he would like to teach at the collegiate level and conduct at the professional level.
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| Euphonium |
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Emily Jones - University of South Carolina, SC |
Emily Jones is from Isle of Palms, South Carolina. She is a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina, holding a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education as well as a performance certificate in euphonium. Emily was a member of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps horn line in 2003. She has been involved with Bands of America since her participation in the 2001 and 2002 Honor Band of America. In August she will return home as the Assistant Director of Bands at Bates Middle School in Sumter, South Carolina.
Emily was destined to be a musician when she received a "crazy combo" music set equipped with crash cymbals and a slide whistle as her first Christmas gift. She enjoys both teaching and performing music and is honored to be a member of the first INergy ensemble. Emily would like to thank her family and friends for their continuous love and support, and also Bands of America for providing her with this special opportunity.
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Irving Ray - Sam Houston State University, TX |
Irving Ray was born and raised in Houston, Texas. Irving has seven brothers and sisters, four of which play a musical instrument. Irving began his musical career at Truitt Middle School under Mary Running's direction. In 2001, Irving began his high school career at Cypress Falls High School under the direction of Frank Troyka. While in high school, Irving participated in numerous events including the National Concert Band Festival, and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago, being featured as a soloist at both events. Also during his years at Cypress Falls, Irving made the Texas All-State Symphonic Band.
Irving Ray is now attending Sam Houston State University as a Music Education Major. He is the principal euphoniumist in Sam Houston's wind ensemble. Irving plans to teach in the Cy-Fair School District and plans to audition for a premier military band in Washington, D.C.
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| Tuba |
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Phillip Bloomer - University of Illinois, IL |
Phillip Bloomer just completed his sophomore year at the University of Illinois. He is studying tuba performance with Professor Mark Moore. As a senior in high school, Phillip performed at the 2003 Midwest Clinic with the Stephen F. Austin High School Symphony Orchestra. He also played in the Virtuosi of Houston, the Houston Youth Symphony, and the Texas All State Band. Phillip performed extensively in Bands of America marching contests including Grand Nationals in 2002. As a member of the University of Illinois Wind Symphony, Phillip performed at Carnegie Hall in February of 2006. Phillip also currently performs in the Drop Dead Brass Quintet and Slippery Tuba-Euphonium Quartet.
Phillip would like to thank his family for their unending support, Dean Westman for planting the seed to pursue music as a career, and Professor Moore for challenging him to become the best tuba player possible.
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Kurtis Decker - University of Illinois, IL |
Kurtis Decker is currently a junior in Music Education at the University of Illinois, where he studies tuba with Mark Moore. During his senior year at Maine West High School in the Chicago suburbs, he was selected to perform with the Northshore Concert Band for their inaugural Lifetime of Music Concert. He also received the Arion Award. During the summer of 2005 he worked at a church camp in Oregon, Illinois. He also volunteers at the Early Childhood Development Center teaching music. In his years at the University of Illinois, Kurtis has performed with the First and Second Symphonic Bands, the Marching Illini, the Illini Basketball Band, the Horn Stars Brass Quintet, and the Slippery Tuba-Euphonium Quartet. He is also the Alumni Secretary of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Alpha Xi Chapter. An interesting fact is that Kurtis was born in Papua New Guinea. Kurtis would like to thank his mom, dad and sister for always suppoting him, his high school band director, Mr Bernie Gerstmayr for encouraging him to purpose music as a career, Professor Moore for continously challenging him to be a better musician and tuba player and all of his other family and friends who have supported him through his musical career.
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| Percussion |
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Ryan Borden - Illinois State University, IL |
Ryan Borden is completing his junior year at Illinois State University. He is working towards a degree in Percussion Performance. He is a student of Dr. David Collier and has performed in the ISU Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Steve Steele.
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Ryan Claus - IUPUI, IN |
Ryan is an alumnus of Avon (Indiana) High School and is currently taking courses at IUPUI. Ryan played clarinet throughout his high school career having picked up percussion beginning in his sophomore year. He was a member of the Avon H.S. Marching Band as they participated in many Bands of America events. This past winter, Ryan was a member of I2 (Indianapolis Independent) Winter Percussion ensemble, where he played in the tenor line. Ryan is a student of Jay Webb and Jeff Queen.
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Douglas Ford - Illinois State University, IL |
For the past four years, Doug Ford has studied percussion performance with Dr. David Collier at Illinois State University, from where he has recently graduated. He is an active member of the school's Marching Band, Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble. He is a part of the Illinois State University Wind Symphony under the direction of Dr. Stephen Steele. As a member of the ISU Wind Symphony, he has professionally recorded pieces with Karel Husa and David Maslanka. In December 2005, Doug performed with the ISU Wind Symphony at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.
In 2004, Doug was selected to represent the ISU Percussion Studio in the first (now annual) Jury Recognition Recital, for students that performed exceptionally well during their final juries. In the Fall of his senior year at ISU, he assisted in the instruction of the Illinois State Drum Line with Michael Malgoza and Ben Stiers. While attending college, he gave private instruction to students of all ages and is currently the percussion instructor at Kidder Music in Bloomington, Illinois.
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