Who’s Who?

Panelists and Clinicians at the 2025 Conn Selmer Institute Northeast

Tim Lautzenheiser

Tim Lautzenheiser serves as Senior Vice President of Education for Conn Selmer, Inc. His career spans ten years of college band directing at Northern Michigan University, the University of Missouri, and New Mexico State University. After serving as Executive Director of Bands of America, he created Attitude Concepts, Inc. to accommodate the many requests for student leadership workshops, convention speaking and professional development presentations for educators. Tim's books, produced by G.I.A. Publications, are best-sellers in the music

profession. He is also co-author of Hal Leonard's popular band method, Essential Elements.

Richard Saucedo

Richard L. Saucedo retired in 2013 as Director of Bands and Performing Arts Department Chairman at the William H. Duke Center for the Performing Arts at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. During his 31-year tenure, Carmel bands received numerous state, regional and national honors in the areas of concert band, jazz band and marching band. Under his direction, Carmel’s Wind Symphony I performed at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival three times (1992, 1999, and 2004) and was named the Indiana State Champion Concert Band most recently in 2013. The group also performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago during December of 2005. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds finished in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand National Championship for 17 years under Saucedo and were named BOA National Champions in the fall of 2005. Carmel became one of the few schools to win a BOA National Championship and perform at the Midwest Clinic in the same year in 2005. The Marching Band was the Indiana Class A State Champion four times. The Indiana Bandmasters Association named Mr. Saucedo Indiana’s “Bandmaster of the Year” for 1998-99 and he was named the “Outstanding Music Educator” in the state of Indiana for 2010 by the Indiana Music Educators Association. Mr. Saucedo’s accomplishments have been highlighted in articles by HALFTIME and SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA Magazines. He was inducted into the Music for All “Hall of Fame” in 2015 and recently was inducted into the Drum Corps International “Hall of Fame” (2022). Mr. Saucedo is a freelance arranger and composer, having released numerous marching band arrangements, choral arrangements, concert band works and orchestral compositions. He is currently on the writing staff at Hal Leonard Publishing. He is currently the music ensemble coordinator for the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in Concord,California and is the Brass Arranger/Composer for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in Rosemont, Illinois. Mr. Saucedo is an Educational Consultant for “Music for All” and “Bands of America.” He is a member of the Conn-Selmer Division of Education and currently serves as Chief Judge for Bands of America marching band competitions.

Dr. Shelley Jagow

Dr. Shelley Jagow is Professor of Music at Wright State University (Dayton, OH). As an artist clinician with Conn-Selmer, Vandoren, Meredith Music, and GIA Music, “Dr. J” enjoys working with school bands and presents clinics, performances, adjudications, and serves as honor band conductor at various events. Shelley served as coach for the WSU student Avion Saxophone Quartet, which can be heard on Apple Music. Shelley has performed on the Emeritus Recording label, National Public Radio Performance Today, and America’s Millennium Tribute to ADOLPHE SAX. She is a contributing author to Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series, and is author of several books: 1) Developing the Complete Band Program (2nd ed), 2) Tuning for Wind Instruments: A Roadmap to Successful Intonation, 3) Intermediate Studies for Developing Artists on the Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Saxophone and Bassoon, and 4) The Londeix Lectures a 13+ hours DVD set archiving the lectures of Professor Jean-Marie Londeix.

Beth A. Fabrizio

Beth A. Fabrizio holds a Bachelor of Music from the Eastman School of Music in Clarinet Performance and a Master of Music in Conducting, Education and Performance from Ithaca College. She has studied conducting with Rodney Winther and Dr. Donald Hunsberger and Clarinet with Michael Webster, Richard Waller, Stanley Hasty, William Osseck, Carmine Campione and performed in master classes with Richard Stoltzman.

Ms. Fabrizio maintains a private clarinet studio with numerous students pursuing careers in music education, therapy, recording and performance. She herself performed as the principal clarinetist and personnel manager with The Greater Rochester Music Educators Wind Ensemble, and former Eb clarinet with The Perinton Concert Band. Beth is a freelance performer and is an active artist/ clinician for The D’Addario Corporation and educational clinician with the Conn-Selmer Corporation. She has just recently retired after 36 years as a public-school educator, and most recently from The Hilton Central School District as a director of Bands at Village Elementary. Beth is also presenting educational clinics and workshops thru Fabrizio’s Musical Concepts. Ms. Fabrizio is a charter member of the 2022 Chi Chapter in New York State of Phi Beta Mu Fraternity and its current President.

Ms. Fabrizio has conducted various honor bands and given master classes and clinics across the United States, Europe and Asia. She has taught marching bands and drum and bugle corps for over thirty years. Ms. Fabrizio has been the brass caption head with The Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps, brass coordinator with The Pride of Soka from Tokyo, Japan, brass staff with Boston Crusaders, The Glassmen and Spirit of Atlanta. Beth adjudicates for DCI, WGI, BOA and numerous other state associations.

Daniel Cook

Daniel Cook is delighted to be joining the Ithaca College community as Director of Bands and Conductor of the historic Ithaca College Wind Ensemble. He comes to IC from the University of North Texas faculty, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, teaches courses in wind band literature, graduate and undergraduate conducting, and serves as Director of Athletic Bands. In this capacity, he is proud to lead the 435-member Green Brigade Marching Band.

Cook earned Doctor of Musical Arts with program honors and Master of Music degrees in conducting from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied with Dr. Mallory Thompson. He graduated magna cum laude with the Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Georgia in Athens. There, he was also recognized as a Theodore Presser Scholar.

Cook’s ensemble performances have received acclaim, most recently by such composers as Bryant, Daugherty, Del Tredici, Gotkovsky, Higdon, and Schwantner. Ensembles under his direction have performed at the Florida and Texas state music conferences, Bands of America events, the Texas UIL State contest, as well as at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. The UNT Wind Ensemble has won first-place recognition for the collegiate American Prize in Wind Ensemble Performance. In addition to his work at UNT, Cook is honored to have held educational positions with the award-winning Dallas Brass Band and Santa Clara Vanguard.

Cook is an active clinician, adjudicator, speaker, and guest conductor. His lecture interests focus on the adaptation of trends in positive psychology to enhance the efficacy of music classroom instruction, and he has delivered talks regarding these topics at state conventions, band director association gatherings, and at the Midwest Clinic. Cook has also participated in prestigious masterclasses, such as the inaugural Reynolds Conducting Institute at the Midwest Clinic, and as a winner/invited conductor for the Young Conductor/Mentor Project sponsored by the National Band Association. He is published in the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series.

Prior to graduate work, Cook began his career as a public-school band director in Florida, and ensembles under his direction received accolades for their achievements. He was a member of the Florida Bandmasters Association and chaired numerous concert and marching band events. Additionally, Cook served as staff pianist and organist at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Daytona Beach.

His current professional affiliations include the Collegiate Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Education, National Band Association, New York State School Music Association, Kappa Kappa Psi, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia

Erin Cole Steele

Erin Cole Steele is the Director of the Division of Education and Senior Educational Consultant for Conn Selmer, Inc. Prior to joining Conn Selmer, Erin had a successful career as the Director of Bands at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County Georgia for 22 years. Under her leadership, the Tapp Band had many honors included being selected to perform at the 58th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois in December of 2004. While at Tapp, Erin commissioned four pieces of music for the band including Robert W. Smith’s "The Great Locomotive Chase", Frank Ticheli’s "Simple Gifts – Four Shaker Songs". Samuel R. Hazo’s “Ascend” and was part of a consortium of directors to commission Eric Whitacre’s “The Seal Lullaby”. Erin has written chapters for three editions of the GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance and is currently a contributing editor for Hal Leonard’s Essential Elements method book and interactive website team. Erin is currently in high demand as a guest conductor for honor and all-state bands across the country as well as a clinician and presenter for music conferences all over the world.

Peter Gehres

Peter Gehres has been a band director at Circleville Middle School in Pine Bush, NY for the past six years. In this position he directs the Jazz Ensemble, the 6th Grade Band, and teaches brass and percussion lessons for grades 6 through 8. In 2023, Peter was honored to conduct the All-County Elementary Band in Ulster County. He graduated from Ithaca College in 2019 with a B.M. in Music Education and from the University of Florida in 2023 with an M.M. in Music Education. In addition to his full-time teaching job, Peter maintains a full private brass studio and

works as a professional trumpeter in the Hudson Valley. He is a regular performer with the Woodstock Playhouse Pit Orchestra (principal trumpet) and the New York Wind Symphony and has been invited to play with groups such as the Woodstock Symphony Orchestra, the Greater Newburgh Symphony Orchestra, and the Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra.

Aaron Staebell

AARON STAEBELL. (@aaronstaebell on Instagram // @aaronstaebelldrums on TikTok)

“Probably not what you are expecting.” “Renegade jazz”. “Energized, eclectic and a weirdo that you don’t want to miss.” “A concoction of jazz, hiphop, avantgarde, rock, and more.” “A combination of conservatory training, raw emotion and a clever sense  of musical storytelling.”

Aaron Staebell hails from Buffalo, NY and has lived in Rochester, NY since 2001. Jazz legend Bob Brookmeyer described Aaron as having “swing, energy and musicianship to a remarkable degree” and said, “I would hire him. My utmost praise.” Having earned both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the Eastman School of Music, Staebell is an in-demand performer, clinician and composer both locally and nationwide.

As a performer, Staebell is active as both a drummer and percussionist. He has played with such visionaries as Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider and Tony Malaby. He has performed with smooth jazz trumpeter Rick Braun, jazz trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and is a member of the Dave Rivello Ensemble and the world music quartet The Rita Collective. He also spent time as the drummer for the Brownman Electryc Trio (Toronto, CA) and hip-hop syndicate ”Gruvasylum” featuring Mad Dukez. His playing has been described as “honest, unpredictable and refreshing” and he is a frequent first-call for recording sessions, musicals, concerts and a wide range of freelance projects.

His debut album “Bending and Breaking” was released in June of 2011, and was met with outstanding reviews. Bruce Lindsay of All About Jazz called it “a debut filled with energy, enthusiasm, and invention, signaling the appearance of yet another talented newcomer on the scene.” It was named by iTunes to its “New and Noteworthy” list on the day it was released. The success of the release led to Staebell being a featured interview guest on popular jazz podcast “The Jazz Session” with Jason Crane. Staebell’s latest project is a collection of pieces called “Harriettstown”; a musical tribute to the town in the Adirondack Mountains that his family has called home each summer since the later 1970s.

His playing can be heard on other recent releases: an album by trumpeter Dave Chisholm called “Instrumental”, which combines a suite of 8 songs with a 200 page graphic novel. Staebell also plays on another Chisholm record called “Calligraphy”, and a release from Ben Thomas featuring free jazz legend Tony Malaby called “Endless Mountain Regions”. He is featured on a recording from Las Vegas-based composer Jennifer Bellor called “Stay”, which includes the solo piece “After Hours”.

Recent works for percussion include The State of Things for percussion quartet and laptop, The Seven Virtues for percussion trio, and The Mysteries of Harris Burdick, for percussion quartet and projected images. His self-published book, Alternative Solos for Snare Drum, makes use of contemporary techniques, notation and sounds within the snare drum solo repertoire.

His latest publication, Inspired By Masters, is a collection of 8 solos for the young drumset student, all inspired by different famous jazz drummers. The book was recently selected to appear in the NYSSMA Manual.

Staebell’s teachers have included Rich Thompson, John Hollenbeck, John Riley, Tom Davis and Bill Dobbins. He has studied in workshops with Bob Brookmeyer, Maria Schneider, Tony Malaby, Claire Fischer and Mark Helias.

He spent 15 years as a public school music teacher, and has been on staff for the WGI “A class” finalist Hilton Indoor Percussion. He spent three and a half years as the Manager of Educational Resources for Hal Leonard LLC, the world’s largest music publisher. Currently, Staebell is Assistant Professor of Jazz at Ithaca College, directing the jazz ensemble and teaching the drumset studio, as well as serving as Visiting Lecturer of Drumset at Cornell University. He lives in Rochester, NY with his partner Sarah, and their two children. Their music consulting collective, Sounds of the True North, works with school music programs across the Northeast, presenting workshops, guest conducting, and finding ways to imbue music programs with creativity and community. You can connect at aaronstaebellmusic.com or soundsofthetruenorth.com.

Miles DeCastro

Miles DeCastro is the instrument repair technician at The Crane School of Music, State University of New York at Potsdam, where he teaches courses in instrument repair technology and is responsible for the repairs, maintenance, and inventory of over 1,200 instruments. Outside of Crane he also runs his own woodwind specialty shop called North Country Winds.

Prior to joining Crane in July of 2016, he was the general manager at Bridgepoint Music in Menlo Park, CA from 2012-2016, where he led the company to four consecutive NAMM Top 100 Dealer Awards.

Prof. DeCastro has been an active member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians since 2007. He recently completed his third term as president of NAPBIRT and has presented clinics on the topic of instrument repair technology in 20 states and three continents.

Miles is a Straubinger Certified Technician, Yamaha Certified Sales Professional, graduate of the Yamaha Service Advantage Program, and he has studied instrument repair and design with Morrie Backun. He serves on the Vendors’ Forum Committee of The International Clarinet Association and is also a member of NAfME, NAMM, and NASA (the saxophone one, not the outer space one). Miles holds a degree in Music Education from Mansfield University, a Certificate in Band Instrument Repair Technology from Renton Technical College, and an MBA from Clarkson University.

Jennifer Greene

Jennifer Reynolds Greene has been an instrumental music educator, specializing in bands, for more than thirty years. Currently, she is the Wind Symphony Director at Binghamton University (SUNY). For the majority of her career she held a position at Fayetteville-Manlius High School, a suburb of Syracuse, New York, where she taught Concert Band, Studio Music, Music Theory 2, AP Music Theory, brass and percussion lessons, and chamber ensembles. As a director, Dr. Greene’s bands have performed nationally in San Antonio, Atlanta, Orlando, Washington D.C., and Chicago, earning consistently high ratings and awards. She has served as a guest conductor for several honor band festivals and has toured four times with the American Music Abroad program. As a music educator, Dr. Greene is an active member of the New York State School Music Association for which she is an adjudicator for majors and All-State brass, a member of the Manual Selection Committee, and the Zone 3 Representative. On the local level she has served as President of the Onondaga County Music Educators’ Association and has hosted several All-County and regional events, both large ensemble and solo festivals.

As a musician, Dr. Greene remains active as a freelance hornist and a member of Central Winds: A Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble. She has performed with this group since 1993, and served as its General Manager from 1999-2017. As part of the educational outreach of this group, Dr. Greene has presented clinics at Ithaca College, Syracuse University, and the Eastman School of Music. The group has enjoyed working with such conductors and artists as Donald Hunsberger, Mark Scatterday, Steve Peterson, and The Boston Brass, and performing locally and at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago, Illinois, the Texas Bandmasters Association Conference in San Antonio, Texas, and the New York State Band Directors Symposium in Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Greene serves as an adjunct for several institutions, including Onondaga Community College (SUNY) where she designed and implemented the Intro to Music Education course. She also works with the Kent State University Masters of Music Online program advising students in their Capstone projects, in the Research course, and facilitating courses such as Advanced Studies in Teaching Instrumental Music and Technology for Music Teaching and Learning. Her research interests include teacher education as it relates to mentoring and professional development, teaching and learning in a digital environment, and belonging in music ensembles. She has been published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, the Journal of Music Teacher Education, Arts Education Policy Review and the School Music News (NYSSMA). She has presented research at numerous conferences such as the NAfME Biennial Music Research and Teacher Education Conference, the Society for Music Teacher Education (SMTE) Symposium, the Mayday Group Colloquia, NAfME Eastern Division, NYSSMA Winter Conference, the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Conference, and the Narrative Inquiry in Music Education Conference.

Dr. Greene holds her Bachelor of Music Education, Summa Cum Laude, from James Madison University (1990). Her Master of Music degree is from Ithaca College (1991) and her Doctorate of Musical Arts is from Boston University (2015).

Mark Brenner

Mark is a retired high school band director, having taught in Levittown, West Hempstead, and Port Washington Schools for 37 years. Mark earned a B.A. from LIU/CW Post, an M.A. with a concentration in Special Education from SUNY Stony Brook, and a Professional Diploma in Education Leadership and Management from LIU/CW Post. He has conducted concert, marching and jazz bands, pit orchestras, as well as chamber music ensembles. His Wind Ensemble earned Level 6 Gold Ratings at NYSSMA festivals and performed with Dr. Paula Holcombe from SUNY Fredonia i addition to notable composers Dr. Timothy Mahr and Frank Ticheli. In addition to his work as an instrumental conductor, Mark taught Advanced Placement Music Theory and served as the Port Washington District Coordinator of Music. In retirement, Mark stays busy as a music education clinician, a brass specialist for the Oyster-Bay East Norwich Schools, a NYSSMA brass adjudicator and a composer and arranger of band music. He supervised student teachers from Hartwick College and is an Adjunct Instructor for Suffolk County Community College. Mark performs with the Long Island Wind Ensemble.

Dr. Andrew Pease

Andrew D. Pease serves as Associate Professor of Music, Director of Instrumental Music, and Music Department Co-Chair at Hartwick College in Oneonta, NY, where he also directs the Wind Ensemble and Brass Ensemble and teaches conducting, orchestration, and composition. At Hartwick, he spearheaded the creation of the album, Stravinsky: Alone No More, with the

Hartwick Faculty Wind Octet, released by Mark Masters. Beyond Hartwick, he is co-conductor

of the Catskill Valley Wind Ensemble, a community band also based in Oneonta, and co-

conductor of the professional Oneonta Community Concert Band. His guest conducting work

has spanned elementary through professional groups in several states and the United Kingdom,

including two appearances at Carnegie Hall with bands from Hartwick College and Columbia

University. He completed his DMA degree in wind conducting at Arizona State University,

studying with Gary Hill, Wayne Bailey, and William Reber. His work there earned him the 2017

American Prize in Wind Band Conducting at the collegiate level. He was a 2025 Grammy Music

Educator Award Quarterfinalist.

Dr. Pease started his career in New York City, directing the Columbia University Wind Ensemble

and the community band Columbia Summer Winds. He also taught elementary and high school

band in New York and Arizona, and remains committed to public education as a board member

of the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA). He has additional degrees from

Dartmouth College, Teachers College at Columbia University, and Hofstra University.

Dr. Pease runs two websites dedicated to the music of the wind band. Wind Band

Literature (http://windliterature.org) has been used as a repertoire resource for bands around

the world. The Wind Band Symphony Archive (http://windsymphonies.org) is a dynamic record

of all known symphonies written for wind band. Dr. Pease is also a composer and arranger

whose works are available at andypease.com/composer.

Bradley Hartman

Bradley S. Hartman is a distinguished composer, conductor, and music educator based on Long Island’s north shore with his wife, Cheryl, and sons, Adam and Christopher. With a Bachelor of Music from Long Island University, a Master of Arts from Stony Brook University, and a Master of Music in Wind Conducting from Messiah University, he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at Five Towns College. His compositions, including Coolin’ Off, Lament, and Symphony No. 1: A Long Island Portrait, have earned international recognition, with performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival and Midwest Clinic, and honors from The American Prize. As a conductor, Hartman leads ensembles like the Smithtown Community Band, where he serves as Associate Director and Composer-in-Residence. A 15-year veteran educator in Brentwood Union Free School District, he is a Marquis Who’s Who Top Educator and a sought-after clinician at NYSSMA and other conferences. Hartman remains active in NYSSMA and other professional organizations, blending his trombone performance roots with his compositional and conducting expertise.

Erin Althen

Erin Althen is a music teacher, performer, conductor, clinician, and author whose life’s work is sharing music with students in a way that they connect to the most fulfilling, authentic, and light-filled expression of their being. Ms. Althen is in her twenty-second year teaching in the Westhill Central School District in Syracuse, New York, where she serves as the Westhill High School Director of Bands and Chair of the Fine Arts Department; conducts the WHS Wind Ensemble, Pit Band, and Pep Band; advises the Tri-M National Honor Society for music; co-advises the Westhill Musical Leadership Academy; and coaches chamber music ensembles.

Ms. Althen is the founder and co-conductor of the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony; co-founder of the Central New York Music Teacher Mentoring Program, and co-authored The Sight Reading Book, a series of 21 sight-reading books carefully aligned with state-specific criteria. Ms. Althen maintains a private flute studio and has performed on flute and piccolo with various music educator wind bands and orchestras. She is active as a clinician and guest conductor and has led honor ensembles and presented clinics to music educators at County, State, and National conferences.

Ms. Althen is the proud recipient of the New York State Band Directors Association (NYSBDA)  Outstanding Band Director Award, CMA Foundation Music Teachers of Excellence National Award, National Federation of High Schools (NFHS) New York State Outstanding Music Educator Award, the Westhill Staff Recognition Award and Yearbook Dedication, and is deeply honored to have been named as one of 25 Semifinalists for the 2025 Grammy Music Educator Award. Ms. Althen holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Education with Performance Honors in Flute from Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music, and is a graduate of the Farmington Public Schools, in Farmington, Connecticut.

Corey Riley

Corey Riley is in his Eighth year as a music educator in the Westhill Central Schools where he is the Associate Director of Bands at the high school, and conducts the Westhill Symphonic Band and High School Jazz Ensemble. He also teaches brass lessons grades 6-12, music theory, studio music, and advises the Audio Production and Engineering Club.

Corey has served on the board of the New York State Band Directors Association since 2014 in various roles including Web Editor, Second Vice President of Membership, First Vice President, President Elect, and Commission Chair. Corey has presented clinics at several state conferences on a variety of topics and he is the Technical Manager for the Skaneateles Festival.  He is also an acting director on the board of the Syracuse Youth Wind Symphony.

Corey performs throughout Central New York with a variety of groups, but he considers the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble his musical home. He is Principal Euphonium and Assistant Director of the group. He graduated from THE Ohio State University in 2010 with Bachelor's degrees in music education and euphonium performance. In his time there, he marched with The Best Damn Band In The Land and performed with the Wind Symphony.  He also holds a Masters of Science in Instructional Technology from Syracuse University.

Allyson Keyser

Allyson Keyser is a tenured Professor of Music at SUNY Schenectady County Community College where she instructs the trumpet studio, coaches brass ensembles, teaches core music classes, directs the Wind Ensemble, and is the Winds and Strings Department Chair. Dr. Keyser received her bachelor's degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University and her M.M. and D.M.A. in trumpet performance with a cognate in instrumental conducting from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was the trumpet teaching assistant.  

In 2017, Dr. Keyser won the SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Prior to her appointment at SUNY Schenectady, Dr. Keyser taught trumpet, theory, aural skills, and coached brass ensembles at Virginia Commonwealth University as a sabbatical replacement for her former professor, Rex Richardson. Dr. Keyser currently performs as principal trumpet and assistant conductor of the Capital Region Wind Ensemble. She leads the SUNY Schenectady Concert Brass Quintet, plays principal trumpet with Albany Pro Musica, is a member of the Schenectady-Saratoga Symphony, and often performs with the Albany Symphony, Glens Falls Symphony, and Saratoga Voices among many other fine ensembles in the area. She recently performed with the Lake Geore Music Festival Orchestra and performed and recorded a new work with the American Modern Ensemble on Albany Records

Dr. Keyser often presents trumpet clinics and conducting workshops at K-12 schools, universities, and music conferences across NY state. Additionally, she presents topics to area music programs on audition preparation, performance anxiety, programming, and alternative careers in music. She performs as an active freelance musician and maintains a trumpet studio of all ages and levels in the Capital Region of New York. Her specialty is working with students who have technical or physical challenges on their instruments, helping them learn to play with ease, and removing roadblocks so that they can fully enjoy the process of making beautiful music with confidence.

Courtnie Whittemore

Courtnie Whittemore (IC ’17, ’21)  is entering her ninth year teaching elementary band in Horseheads, NY. She thinks teaching beginning/elementary band is the best job in the world and has previously presented on this topic at NYSSMA’s Winter Conference and NAfME’s All-Eastern Conference. Courtnie is excited to be able to bring her passion and experience to CSI this summer!

Gavin Anderson

Gavin Anderson (IC ’25) is entering his first full year teaching 7th-12th grade band in Bath, NY.  His interests in music education include lifelong musicianship, healthy habits, and building stronger, more resilient young people through music. Gavin is looking forward to sharing his excitement and enthusiasm for music education in Ithaca this summer at CSI Northeast!

Linsdey Williams

Lindsey Williams has directed award-winning bands at all levels in the public schools since 2007. She graduated summa cum laude from the Boston Conservatory, earning her BM in flute performance, her MMED, and the Conservatory’s Outstanding Music Educator Award. She has directed Binghamton University’s Wind Symphony and chaired numerous festivals and committees for the New York State School Music Association. An active performer, conductor, and clinician, Lindsey lives with her family and cats in upstate New York. She loves making music just as much as writing about it and you can purchase her latest book, Where the Valley Widens, anywhere you buy books.

Connect with her at lindseywilliamsmusic.com.

Instagram: @LindseyWilliamsMusic

Facebook: facebook.com/LindseyWilliamsMusic/