About Our Composers

Benjamin Ayotte, the founder of Ayotte Custom Music, holds degrees in music from Eastern Michigan University and Michigan State University. His dissertation was a study of how Heinrich Schenker, in his youth, employed auxiliary cadence progressions to organize the tonal structure of some of his songs. He has been, at various times in his life, a trumpet teacher, a band director, a general music teacher, a drama producer, a teacher of English and History, a professor of music theory and counterpoint, and and music publisher. He has published a bibliography of Schenkerian resources through Routledge Press and engraved musical examples for Edward Laufer, Peter H Smith, Erinn Knyt, Jacquelyn Sholes, Paul Reichle, Beatrice Beer and the Atlantic Coast Opera Festival, and many other clients.

Kelly Bennette is a retired music educator who lives in East Texas. He is an active composer and performer. Mr. Bennette was born in Port Arthur Texas and grew up in neighboring Groves. He received a BS in music education from Lamar University in 1989. He was tubist for the Beaumont Symphony Orchestra for nine year as well as for the Lamar Faculty Quintet for six years. He also directed the Lamar University Jazz Band B for three years. After twenty eight years of teaching in Texas public schools, Mr, Bennette has retired as of 2017. He continues to compose and arrange works for concert band.

Lenny Cavallaro notes with some wry amusement that the top four names on Anthony Tommasini’s list of "Top 10 Composers” were Bach, Beethoven, Mozart, and Schubert. These men, he asserts, are his gods, and the geniuses whose works he seeks to emulate. The result, not surprisingly, is that most of Cavallaro’s music sounds as though it was written between 1720 and 1830. He has been called "the reactionary neoclassicist,” and one critic went so far as to call him "a throwback to Schubert.” Cavallaro has written two sonatas in the baroque style (for violin and clavier; oboe and clavier), a keyboard partita, and a suite for double-reed trio (including a three-part invention and two fugues). He has also composed a pair of piano sonatas in the classical style, "Songs Without Words” loosely modeled after Mendelssohn, and a number of more Romantic works closer to Schubert in spirit. In 2013, Forton Music released three volumes of Cavallaro’s music for woodwinds – the Sonata for Oboe (or Flute) and Piano, Op.1, Songs Without Words for Oboe (or Flute) and Piano, Op. 2 and Three Pieces for Cor Anglais [English horn] and Piano, Op. 3. The same firm published his Four Romances for Cor Anglais and Piano Op. 6, and Suite for Oboe, Cor Anglais, and Bassoon, Op. 7 in 2014, and his Sonata #2 in E minor for Oboe (or Flute) and Piano (or Harpsochord), Op. 8 in 2015.Earlier in 2014, Broadbent and Dunn released the Sonata No. 1 in D Minor for Violin and Piano (or Harpsichord), Op. 4, and "Raindrops” Fantasia for Violin and Piano, Op. 5.Cavallaro, an accomplished pianist, was a top prizewinner in the J.S. Bach International Competition for Pianists and subsequently played that composer’s Six Partitas to the highest critical acclaim in Carnegie Recital Hall. A true "Renaissance man,” he is additionally a man of letters. He served for nine years as music critic for the New Haven Register and has recently edited and revised Paganini’s Fire, a novel based on the life of that legendary violinist, by Ann Abelson. [That work was released in November, 2011, by Stay Thirsty Press.] Cavallaro has several other works to his credit, including a novel and a one-act play. In addition, he is a therapist, maintaining a practice in Arlington, Massachusetts (cf. FourLevelHealing.com).Cavallaro earned his Doctor of Musical Arts (D.M.A.) degree from West Virginia University, and has served on the music faculty of several colleges.In 2015, Cavallaro was admitted to Vox Saeculorum, a group of contemporary composers who write (to at least a considerable extent) in the baroque style. Later that year he wrote a conjectural "completion" to Contrapunctus XIV from Bach's unfinished masterpiece, The Art of Fugue.

James Michael Creider began composing music for concert bands in 2009 while living in Plano, Texas and playing his bass clarinet in the McKinney Community Band. But before 2009 as a member of his church’s orchestra, he began transcribing cello and bass music to bass clarinet so he could have a part to play during church services at First Baptist Church of Allen (Texas). After several months of transcribing music for his bass clarinet, he got the whim to try his hand at composing music. And he hasn’t stopped since then. The McKinney Community Band premiered three of his pieces, The Trumpeter, The Hills of Heaven, and Benedictio Nocturnum. James graduated from Oklahoma State University with a BS degree in journalism in 1976 after spending seven years in the US Navy in its submarine service as a sonar technician. Before the Navy, he had tried his hand at a college education at OSU as a music major. That effort did not pan out well, resulting in him joining the Navy in 1966. Forty years would pass before James would return to his music roots in 2006 with the purchase of his first bass clarinet, an instrument he played while in public schools in Tulsa, where he grew up, and at OSU in its marching band and concert band. With his return to his music roots, he would begin playing his bass clarinet in the Celebration Orchestra of the First Baptist Church of Allen, and one at a time the Plano Community Band, the Frisco Community Band, the McKinney Community Band, the Richardson Community Band, and the Allen Community Band.Currently James attends Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, Oklahoma taking private lessons in music composition under the leadership of Professor James Vernon. While a student at OBU, he has performed with the OBU/Shawnee Community Orchestra. He is also a member of the Association of Concert Bands. And he plays his bass clarinet in the orchestra for Immanuel Baptist Church in Shawnee.

Johnny Edwards is presently the Director of Choral Activities at Newton High School in Covington, Ga. As a veteran teacher of 19 years, he has enjoyed the opportunity of teaching at both the Middle and High School levels and composing for all of his groups. He also serves as the Minister of Music of Children at the Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain. He obtained his Bachelors of Music Education degree from Armstrong Atlantic State University and his Masters of Music Education degree in Choral Conducting from Georgia College and State University. His other musical achievements include arranging music for the 1996 Closing Ceremonies for the Summer Olympics and for the grand champion of the Savannah Onstage National Singing Competition. He has worked as music director for several musicals, which include The Wiz, Annie, Oliver, Anne of Green Gables, Rent, and several others. His choral groups have consistently received superior and excellent ratings at festivals and contests in each school that he has taught.

Odis Samuel (Sammy) Fontenot Jr. is retired from the State of Louisiana. Sammy lives in Calhoun, LA with his wife Lisa. They live on the 18th hole at Calvert Crossing golf course, golf is Sammy’s 2nd love. Sammy and Lisa have three beautiful daughters and one grandson. Sammy attended Northeast Louisiana University (NLU) as a music major performing horn. He has performed with the Monroe Symphony Orchestra, Shreveport Symphony, El Dorado Symphony, Twin Cities Community Band and performing member of First Baptist Church worship service for 30 years. After college, Sammy enlisted in the United States Marine Corps as a fleet bandsman and was honorably discharged December 1980. Upon retirement, he started started composing original pieces and recording his own charts in his home studio and quickly found out the enjoyment and satisfaction of creating original music. He then started notating and arranging his charts for orchestral work. Music has always been Sammy’s 1st love and he is excited and thrilled to showcase his talents as a composer.

John Gage received a Music Education degree from John Brown University in 1972, and served churches in Etowah, North Carolina, Collinsville, Illinois and Birmingham, Alabama as Minister of Music and Youth. In 1981 he accepted a position as the first full time Minister of INSTRUMENTAL Music at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham, AL under renowned Minister of Music Aubrey Edwards. While at Shades Mountain, Mr Gage completed a Masters in Church Music degree from Samford University. In January of 1989 Mr Gage accepted a position as Minister of Instrumental Music at First Baptist Atlanta under pastor Charles Stanley and Minister of Music John Glover. In the Fall of 1996 he resigned his position at FBA and served as interim choir director at First Baptist Jonesboro, GA. In February of 1997 he accepted a call to Valley Baptist, Bakersfield, CA under Minister of Music Gary Mathena, and served there for 17 years..14 of those as Minister of Instrumental Music, and the last 3 years as choir director and music ministry administrator. He retired from full time music ministry in 2014, after 42 years of ministry. In 2005 Mr Gage took a 9 month sabbatical and served a missions organization taking church choirs and orchestras on overseas ministry trips. In early 2006 he returned to his position at Valley Baptist. In addition to his work at Valley Baptist, Mr Gage earned a California State teaching credential from Cal State Bakersfield, and served as assistant Director of Instrumental Music at Stockdale High School alongside Director John Biller. While serving at Stockdale, he directed groups for 2 hours each day, including a 118 piece STRING ORCHESTRA and an 80 piece SYMPHONIC BAND, and served as assistant director to the 150 piece MARCHING BAND. Mr. Gage has written a brass warm up routine for trumpet, trombone, baritone and tuba entitled A BRASS PLAYER’S WARM UP and PRACTICE GUIDE, which utilizes a "jazzy” cd accompaniment track, BOWING STUDIES AND CHORALES for string orchestra, and MEDITATIONS FOR MUSICIANS, a devotional book for church ministry teams. His recent devotional book, "Love Dad: Weekly Devotionals on Developing Christ-Like Character" is available on Amazon and Kindle. Mr Gage is married to the former Ruth Lee of Memphis, TN, and has 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren. He currently resides in Bakersfield,. California, where he serves as a worship pastor at Valley Baptist Church,and may be contacted by writing to him at john@johngagemusic.com.

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My name is Donna Goodwin-Wilson and I am pleased to present my publications on harmony. I received my Bachelor of Music (with distinction) from the University of Victoria in 1977 where I studied with Winnifred Scott Wood. While at university, I also took the ARCT Piano Performer's exam and achieved first class honours. Following my undergraduate degree, I completed the requirements for a Professional Teaching Certificate at the University of British Columbia. This led to various teaching positions in the public school system, where I taught intermediate grades and put to extensive use my music specialty.My husband and I have raised four children in Nelson, BC, where I have worked as an accompanist for choirs, community musical events and student singers and string players for more than 20 years. During this time I have also taught piano and theoretical subjects as a Registered Music Teacher.My teaching goals...I want students to be as excited about learning harmony as I am about teaching it.I want harmony to make sense, and to be helpful in learning and interpreting music.I want it to make students better sight readers.I want it to be a creative and even fun experience.

S. Timothy Glasscock, Artistic Director, is Associate Professor of Choral Studies and Music Department Chair at Bellarmine University. He has taught and performed through the Southeast for over 25 years. With bachelors and masters degrees from the University of Louisville and a Doctorate in conducting from University of Kentucky, Dr. Glasscock spent 12 years as Director of Vocal Studies at Kentucky's Youth Performing Arts School preparing young people for a performing career. He has served as Artistic Director to the Louisville Chorus, founded and conducted The Louisville Vocal Project and taught for Campbellsville University and the Indiana University system. At Bellarmine, Glasscock founded and conducts the University Singers, Schola cantorum, and Oratorio Society. Dr. Glasscock also founded the University Women's Choir and Men’s Choir, but no longer conducts them himself. He is an active performer, clinician/master class presenter, having sung and conducted in 17 countries. His articles have appeared in The Choral Journal, The American Organist, The International Journal of Aging and Society, The Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, and his book "German Requiems Before Brahms," is in its third printing. Dr. Glasscock has several Choral titles published through Ayotte Music and is actively engaged in choral commissions for choirs all over the country.

Lucyanne Gordon has a BM in Music Education from SUNY College at Fredonia, a Masters in Choral Conducting with an emphasis in Vocal Performance from Bowling Green State University, and a Doctorate of Arts from the University of Northern Colorado with two secondaries: Vocal Performance and Theory/Composition. She was the Interim Director of Choral Music Education at the University of Northern Colorado in 2008-9, where she taught choral methods, choral conducting, and directed the UNC Madrigal Singers and the 100-voice Women’s Choir. Currently, she teaches voice and choir at Nardin Academy High School in Buffalo, NY. The Nardin Academy Choir is made up of high school students in grades 9-12, and has achieved a Gold with Distinction award at the highest difficulty level for three years in a row at NYSSMA. Her arrangements and compositions have come from the desire to increase the amount of quality repertoire available for treble choirs.

Peter Solomon Gross graduated from the Conservatory of Music at Purchase in 1995, receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Traditional Composition. He studied composition with the decidedly contemporary Dary-John Mizelle, honed his Counterpoint under the tutelage of eminent Baroque performer Anthony Newman, and learned harmony and analysis with organist/ keyboardist Robert Fertitta, a wonderfully gifted interpreter of music and cadential improviser. During that time he was invited to a series of tutorials at The Amsterdamse Hoogschool voor de Kunsten where he received further definition to his technique from Andre Douw, Jos Zwaanenburg, and Willem Wander van Nieuwkerk.Most recently he's begun editing and proofreading the music of such accomplished contemporaries as André Previn, Bright Sheng, Chris Rouse, Robert Kapilow and Mark Adamo for worldwide publishers G.Schirmer, Boosey & Hawkes, and Hal Leonard. In January of 2008, working for Emmy Award winning song-writer Jimmy Webb, he transcribed/co-arranged the strings and for two original songs by Carly Simon that were to be featured on her latest album This Kind Of Love. During Spring and Summer of 2009 Peter orchestrated and co-composed (with Tom Swafford) 8 songs for the original musical Anthropomorphic with the Puppetry Arts Theater of Brooklyn, which was performed in December of that year. In Fall of 2010, he composed original music for the feature film Killer Hoo-Ha, which will be released in theaters this coming Spring 2011. Most recently Mr. Gross has been commissioned to orchestrate two Mahler lieder - 'Ablösung im Sommer' and 'Nicht widersehen!' - for The New York Symphonic Arts Ensemble, to be premiered in New York City May 2011. All the while Peter continues to work on his own original compositions and arrangements..

Sholom (Sylvan) Kalib is the author of The Musical Tradition of the Eastern European Synagogue, winner of the 2003 Tuttleman Foundation Book Award of Gratz College, and plaudits from scholars in Jewish music across the United States, Israel, and beyond. Volume Two of the anthology was released in 2005. Kalib also compiled and edited six published volumes of synagogue music from within the Eastern European tradition by two pre-eminent Chicago Cantors: four by Todros Greenberg and two by Joshua Lind, all of which were published between 1961 and 1978.

Kalib has written two concert services commissioned by the Beth Abraham Youth Chorale of Dayton, Ohio, Cantor Jerome B. Kopmar, founder and conductor. They are the High Holy Day-basedDays of Awe, and the Sabbath-basedDay of Rest. Selections from theDay of Restwere recorded for the Milken Archive by the Vienna Boys' Choir with Cantor Naftoli Hershtik, of the Great Synagogue of Jerusalem, a portion of which was aired on NPR's Morning Edition.

Kalib is the recipient of The Bernard L. Maas Foundation Prize for Achievement in Jewish Culture and Continuity/Humanities for 2002, The Cantors Assembly Samuel Rosenbaum Award for Scholarship and Creativity for 2001, and many other awards for work onThe Musical Tradition of the Eastern European Synagogue.

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Equally at home performing jazz and classical, Drew released a solo project in 2000, Festive Music for Trumpet and Organ. On this CD, he wrote all the arrangements and recorded, mixed, and mastered the final product.He performs throughout South Carolina and surrounding states with many different groups as a free-lance player, section player and soloist. These bands include the Columbia Jazz Orchestra, the Jimmy Farr Big Band, the O'Kaysions, Second Nature, Swing Set, and the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. Drew also fronts his own jazz band, DLG, and brass quintet, Carolina Brass Ensemble, when time permits. Additional artists that Drew has been fortunate to be on stage include Phil Smith, Wycliff Gordon, Ron Westray, Bryson Borgstedt, Allen Vizzutti, Bert Ligon, and Fred Wesley Drew was the principal trumpet player with the Lake Murray Symphony Orchestra. In addition, he performed with the Lake Murray Chamber Orchestra as the principal trumpet, soloist and arranger.As a band leader, Drew has taken over the position of musical director of the Capital City Big Band after Roger Pemberton stepped down to pursue other performing interests. The CCBB performs throughout South Carolina doing both community service projects and in professional venues. With this band, Drew is one of 3 composer/arrangers in the organization.Drew is an active private trumpet teacher, composer, arranger and clinician in South Carolina and Georgia.Teachers Drew has studied under include, Scott Schesta, Dave Detwiler, Dennis Edelbrock, Kim Dunnick and Herb Mueller. He completed a Master's Degree at the University of South Carolina where he was a student of Dr. Keith Amstutz and Bert Ligon. Before relocating to Anchorage, Alaska, Drew was the Director of Music at Cardinal Newman School (high and middle schools) where he taught instrumental music, vocal choirs, guitar, theory, jazz history, and music appreciation. He also started the elementary instrumental music program at St. Joseph Elementary School. Drew's love of teaching has also afforded him the opportunity to be an adjunct professor at the University of South Carolina, Claflin University, and Benedict College.

Born 31 January, 1975 in Ibbenbueren, Westphalia, Germany. Studied German and History in Duesseldorf and Muenster, Westphalia. Teacher. Plays Piano, Violin and Viola. Lives in Vechta, Lower Saxony, Germany.

David Mastikosa is a young prolific Bosnian composer. He was born in 1992 in Prijedor, where he started his musical education by studying clarinet and music theory at the Secondary Music School "Savo Balaban” in Prijedor, before moving to Banja Luka to study Composition at the Academy of Arts in the class of Tatjana Milosevic Mijanovic. At the Banja Luka Academy of Arts he won the ‘best student’ prize as well as the first prize in the III International Piano Competition Smederevo for his composition titled "iRitual” for piano and human being.He is currently studying for a Masters Degree in Composition at the Academy of Arts Banja Luka where he is also working as Assistant at the Music theory Department. David Mastikosa composes classical, electroacoustic and electronic music as well as music for theatre and film.His compositions were also published in publishing houses Alea Publishing & Recording (Tacoma, Washington, United States) and Ayotte Custom Musical Engravings (Detroit, Michigan, United States).

 

 

Marc Oliver has spent over 21 years in the service of his Country, spending the first nine years in the United States Marine Corps (December 1974-March 1984, where he was honorably discharged with the rank of Staff Sergeant) and the last twelve years in the California Air National Guard/United States Air Force (February 1987-July 2000)—he was a bassoonist in both branches. He was stationed with the Marine Corps Bands at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, California, New Orleans, Louisiana and Quantico, Virginia; and later was stationed with the Air National Guard Bands in Mountain View, California and Fairchild Air Force Base, Spokane, Washington; as well as with the Air Force Band of the Pacific, Elmendorf Air Force Band Anchorage, Alaska and the Air Force Band of the West, Lackland Air Force Base San Antonio, Texas. He also served two tours as a student at the Armed Forces School of Music at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek, Norfolk, Virginia. It was at SOM in 1978 when he learned how to be a music arranger. Since January 1979, he has written primarily for concert band, but has branched out into many other ensembles—at last count, he has written (arranged, transcribed or edited) over 600 pieces of music, ranging from small ensembles to full musical productions. .

Alexander Panku, was born in Bucharest, Romania, and began his musical studies at the age of six. He studied at the George Enescu Music School in Bucharest with several excellent teachers. He made his recital debut at the age of fourteen and the concerto debut at seventeen with the Beethoven Concerto No. 1, at the prestigious Romanian Athenaeum in Bucharest. One year later he played the Mozart Concert K. 450 at the Radio-TV Hall, which was televised. During the summers of 1972 through 1976 he studied at the "Mozarteum” in Salzburg with renowned pianist-conductor Carlo Zecchi. He continued his music studies at the Bucharest State Conservatory with Corneliu Gheorghiu, one of the best Romanian performers and teachers, colleague of the celebrated Dinu Lipatti. After coming to the United States, Mr. Panku got his Bachelor, Master and Doctoral Degrees in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Temple University under the guidance of Prof. Harvey Wedeen, distinguished artist-teacher. Mr. Panku has been playing concerts, solo recitals, and chamber music recitals for more than forty years, receiving very favorable criticism. He played many times in Philadelphia at The Ethical Society, The Art Alliance, Temple University, as well as in churches, and libraries, as well as other cities on the East Coast. He also played several times at various retirement centers such as Normandy Farms, Folkways, Martins Run, White Horse Village, Beaumont, Logan Square East, and his performances were very well received. He has been composing for a long time starting with the F minor Piano Sonata op. 1 in 1980. His compositions are mainly for piano; sonatas, preludes and fugues, shorter piano pieces, a fantasy, as well as a setting of Psalm 23 for choir and organ, flute pieces etc. His style, influenced by the great classical, romantic and modern tradition, has evolved through the years from a tonal, romantic , to an original style incorporating in a personal manner romantic, neo-romantic, modern expressionistic features, using both tonal and atonal elements. He has been playing his compositions many times in his public solo and chamber music recitals. The Psalm setting has been played in a Church. Some of his compositions have also been performed privately and publicly by some of his students. He has been teaching piano since 1979. He has been on the Piano Faculty at several institutions, such as Temple University, Settlement Music School, Academy of Community Music and Bryn Mawr Conservatory. Also he has taught many private students of all ages and all levels carefully tailoring his instruction to the level and need of his students. Professor George Sementovsky described Mr. Panku as "a definitive performer, reflecting much of the soul-searching, training, and refining concepts of artistic identity within a deep and mature talent that he has.” Following recital appearances in Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer writes: "This was a thoughtful and introspective "Waldstein”, yet one which, despite freely changing tempos, was very carefully controlled”.

Dr. Suzanna Pavlovsky is a passionate musician with extensive and broad education and experience. She holds a D.M.A. in Orchestral Conducting from the University of South Carolina, Columbia, M.M. in Music Theory from the Eastman School of Music, M.M. in Orchestral Conducting from the Michigan State University, B.M. in Orchestral Conducting from Tel-Aviv University, Israel, and Music Theory from the Ashrafi Conservatory of Music from Tashkent, Uzbekistan (a republic of the former Soviet Union). Her educational and teaching experiences in the USSR, Israel, and the United States give her a broad appeal to performers and a wealth of skills and knowledge to draw upon.

Karen Phipps received the Master’s Degree at Eastern Michigan University , while studying organ with Dr. Mary Ida Yost. She studied composition as a post-graduate student with Dr. Anthony Iannaccone, under whose tutelage this piece was written. She also studied organ and composition under Dr. Pamela Riuter-Feenstra, also at Eastern. She completed one year of doctoral studies at the University of Michigan, studying organ with Dr. Marilyn Mason and Composition with Dr. William Albright. Upon returning to Eastern, she continued organ and composition studies with Dr. James Wagner. She is currently organist and choir director at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Livonia, Michigan, and her organ works have been published by Northwestern Publishing House and Augsburg Publishing House, and her opera based on Snow White by Ayotte Custom Musical Engravings. Snow White is a one-act opera based on the popular fairy tale collected by the Brothers Grimm. Requiring a small cast of two lead women, seven dwarf altos, and two or three men, and having a total performance time of under an hour, it is an excellent touring piece for university opera workshops and community groups wishing to bring the magic of opera to adults or young school children. The work requires minimal staging and a piano accompaniment only. A version for chamber orchestra is forthcoming.

Zak​ ​Rahal​ ​is​ ​a​ ​very​ ​active​ ​trombonist​ ​and​ ​arranger​ ​of​ ​music​ ​for​ ​brass.​ ​As​ ​a​ ​student,​ ​he was​ ​a​ ​member​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Plymouth​ ​Community​ ​Band,​ ​the​ ​Plymouth​ ​Soundscape​ ​Ensemble, the​ ​Detroit​ ​Symphony​ ​Youth​ ​Orchestra,​ ​and​ ​the​ ​inaugural​ ​season​ ​of​ ​Carnegie​ ​Hall's program,​ ​National​ ​Youth​ ​Orchestra​ ​2.​ ​Through​ ​these​ ​experiences,​ ​Zak​ ​has​ ​had​ ​the pleasure​ ​of​ ​playing​ ​under​ ​the​ ​baton​ ​of​ ​world-renowned​ ​conductors​ ​such​ ​as​ ​Leonard Slatkin​ ​and​ ​Giancarlo​ ​Guerrero.​ ​Zak​ ​believes​ ​that​ ​he​ ​owes​ ​his​ ​success​ ​to​ ​his​ ​many teachers,​ ​most​ ​notably​ ​Dr.​ ​Andrew​ ​Mitchell,​ ​Detroit​ ​Symphony​ ​Orchestra​ ​principal trombone​ ​Kenneth​ ​Thompkins,​ ​and​ ​Dr.​ ​Benjamin​ ​Ayotte. Outside​ ​of​ ​playing​ ​trombone​ ​and​ ​arranging,​ ​Zak​ ​enjoys​ ​learning​ ​music​ ​theory,​ teaching, listening​ ​to​ ​classical​ ​music,​ ​and​ ​cycling.

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Mike Roth is the music director at St. Lawrence's Catholic Church in Utica, MI.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus nec sem faucibus, rutrum eros in, tincidunt turpis. Curabitur lacinia suscipit dolor a consequat. Nulla faucibus molestie tincidunt. Morbi ut quam non libero volutpat interdum. Vestibulum consectetur vulputate odio non consequat. Cras sit amet felis tempus, porttitor est et, interdum ex. Nullam in purus at sapien facilisis congue. Etiam odio elit, egestas non dignissim quis, auctor vitae lectus. Sed elementum velit massa, at efficitur mi blandit ac. Donec gravida nisi orci, quis vehicula eros tristique quis. Maecenas vestibulum ipsum sed orci tincidunt mattis. Vivamus tincidunt lorem nec lacinia euismod. Nulla finibus, neque eget fermentum commodo, orci risus tempus metus, quis consectetur sapien ipsum nec sem.

Mike Shaw is presently in his twenty-fifth year at Frontier High School where he serves as the director of the Wind Ensemble. His duties also include woodwind lessons, and coaching chamber ensembles. Prior to his appointment at Frontier, he taught in the Iroquois, Gowanda, and Williamsville School Districts. Mr. Shaw began his tenure at Frontier in 1990 with only 26 band members. Through his leadership, the program has grown to include three bands with over 200 students participating. Under his direction, ensembles at Frontier have achieved many "Gold with Distinction” and "Superior” ratings at both State and National Festival evaluations. He has led the Frontier Wind Ensemble in successful performances at the NYSSMA Winter Conference in Rochester, NY and the MENC Eastern Division In-service Conference held in Providence, Rhode Island. In 2009 he was appointed as the Musical Director and Conductor of the American Legion Band of the Tonawandas. Under his direction the band has won the American Legion Senior Band Championship four times. Mr. Shaw holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the State University College at Fredonia and a Master of Music in Woodwind Performance from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He has studied saxophone with Lawrence Wyman, Edward Yadzinski, and Sigurd Rascher. He has done postgraduate work in conducting with Donald Schleicher, Russell Mikkelson, Ray Cramer, Robert Ponto, Glenn Price, Craig Kirchoff, Gary Hill, and Paula Holcomb. Mr. Shaw has performed with the Erie Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tonawanda Legion Band, and the Erie County Wind Ensemble. He is a member of Music Educators National Conference, the New York State School Music Association, New York School Band Directors Association, and the Erie County Music Educators. Mr. Shaw has served the New York State School Music Association in the capacity of All-State Band Chairperson for four years. He has also served a three-year term as a Director on the Erie County Music Educator’s Association Executive Board. Mr. Shaw resides in West Seneca, New York with his wife Susan, and their three children; Stephanie, Stephen and Matthew.

Olexiy Suslov graduated in accordion and conducting from the Academy of Culture in Moscow. Olexiy graduated also in composition and he has composed a symphony, a string quartet as well as an accordion and chamber orchestra concerto. Both Galyna and Olexiy worked for 25 years as lecturers at the Pedagogical Institute of Ukraine. They have been successful as conductors of accordion orchestras at many international festivals and they have recorded their concertos for the radio and the TV. The President of Ukraine and the Ministry of Education have rewarded them for their work. Olexiy Suslov has performed many times in Moscow, Petersburg, Kiev, Minsk, Warsaw, Wroclaw. Berlin, Halle, Graz.

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Martin Charles Tousignant (1965- ) moved to L’Anse, Michigan USA as a young boy and began piano lessons at age 6. He began playing tuba and euphonium at age 12 and developed quickly enough to join the Michigan All-State Honors Band on tuba by age 16. He married Jana Ennis of Northport, Michigan in 1987, then began music studies at Central Michigan University (1988-1990). Jana’s teaching job in South Dakota led him to a magna cum laude music degree from Northern State University (Aberdeen, South Dakota) in 1992. After two years of teaching, he joined the US Army as a tuba player in 1994 and remained there until 2000. In 2001 he moved to Herndon, Virginia and became a mail carrier while playing tuba in Army National Guard and community bands. In 2009 he returned to the US Army as a tuba player on a 5-year leave of absence from the US Postal Service.

In 2016, James Wagner retired from church music, after more than thirty years of service. His last appointment was at First Congregational Church of Wayne, Michigan, where he was Music Director/Organist over eleven years. At his departure from the position, the church graciously granted him emeritus status. Studies in organ have been with Marilyn Mason, Michael Burkhardt, Pamela Ruiter-Feenstra, and Mary Ida Yost. He studied composition with Anthony Iannaccone, Daniel Eller, and James Aikman. Compositions include Suite in G for harpsichord (or piano), Fanfare/Overture to Life for Concert Band, the opera Anastasia, and Ten Meditations on the Entrance into Eternity for Chorus, Soloists, Organ, and Two Saxophones. James plays percussion and keyboards with the Washtenaw Community Concert Band, which he occasionally conducts as Assistant Director.

Eudoxia Ypsilanti was born and raised in Athens, Greece. At the National Conservatorium of Athens, she studied piano, harmony, counterpoint, fugue, composition, music technology, orchestration, film scoring and Brazilian Percussions. Since 2004, she has composed music for many performances, films, and fairytales. Also, she is professionally engaged transcribing, arranging, and engraving music for many publishers, bands, composers and performers.