“You are equipped to make a difference, however slight, to help all children develop as better human beings and with greater happiness.”
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Conducting Performances
As a conductor, I have led ensembles of all ages and ability levels. As a Masters of Music in Wind Band Conducting at the University of Kansas, I work with the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, and University Band. Conducting experiences include work as a band director with Clay Center Community Bands (5 - 12), the Clay Center Municipal Band (Asst. Director), Little Apple Horn Choir (lead conductor), and Kansas State University bands as a student-conductor.
Videos:
CCCHS Tiger Band KSHSAA Festival (4/17/24)
“Darklands March” Randall Standridge
CCCHS Tiger Band RH (4/15/24)
“Darklands March” Randall Standridge
Little Apple Horn Choir Winter Program (Dec. 2023)
“Long I Stood” James Naigus (8:30 - 12:20)
“Lullaby” Billy Joel arr. Castellanos (13:50 - 17:41)
“Second Suite in F” Gustav Holst arr. Takahashi (19:20 - 27:55)
“Amazing Grace” arr. Eric Tinkler (29:05 - 32:30)
“Horns-a-Caroling” arr. John van Wye (35:00 - 39:18)
CCCMS Fall Concert (11/17/23)
“Ode to Joy” Beethoven, arr. Mitchell (0:01 - 2:00)
“Solstice Fanfare” Grace Baugher-Dunlap (7:58 - 10:08)
“Astro Overture” John Kinyon (31:25 - 35:00)
Kansas State University Band Concert (Spring 2020)
“Childhood Hymn” David Holsinger
High School Teaching
While student-teaching at Andover Central High School, I have had the opportunity to work with their high school bands. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ACHS utilized a hybrid schedule and the bands were split into an “A Day” and “B Day” band. Each band consisted of approximately 50 9-12th graders of varying ability levels.
During my time at the high school, I was able to guide them through warm-ups, teach sectionals, and teaching the piece, Moscow 1941 by Brian Balmages.
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Middle School Teaching
In addition to working at Andover Central High School, I also assist with 6 - 8 bands at Andover Central Middle School. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ACMS utilized a hybrid schedule, and the bands in each grade level were split into “A Day” and “B Day” groups. The A/B splits will come together for the concert.
During my time at the middle school, I primarily worked with the seventh-grade band, guiding them through warm-ups, teaching new concepts out of Essential Elements, and working on The Tempest by Robert W. Smith.
Beginning Band
As a student-teacher within the Andover Central school system, I traveled between three elementary schools to assist with and teach fifth-grade beginning band. Due to the COVID-19, each fifth-grade class stayed within their cohorts, which resulted in a fully mixed instrumentation for each class.
During my time teaching and assisting with the fifth-grade, I taught concepts and lines out of the Essential Elements method book and taught instrumental techniques in large group and individual settings.
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KSU University Band
During my fourth year at Kansas State, I was selected to be one of the student conductors for the KSU University Band. This ensemble is unique in the fact that it is led by music education students and largely consists of music majors playing on secondary instruments.
As a student conductor, I was coached by Eric Thompson, a former longtime Georgia band director and graduate assistant with KSU Bands. The student conductor experience gave me the opportunity to gain experience in various aspects of being a band director. Skills I worked on included score study & analysis, lesson planning, collaborating with co-directors, classroom management, rehearsal technique, and self-reflection/evaluation. The piece I worked on was A Childhood Hymn by David Holsinger.