Wind Clinicians
Michael S. Butler is the Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. His responsibilities include: conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble and Wind Symphony; teaching Introduction to Conducting, Advanced Instrumental Conducting, History of Wind Literature, Instrumental Methods; supervising student teachers, and hosting an annual honor band for high school students.
Since arriving at UWSP, the UWSP Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been recognized twice by CBDNA as one of the finest small university wind ensembles in the nation, first in 2017 and second in 2019. The ensemble was also selected through blind peer review to perform at the 2019 Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association conference in Eau Claire. Before teaching at UWSP, he had a multitude of experiences that included teaching and conducting at the University of Florida, serving as the Associate Director of Bands & Orchestra at Spruce Creek High School and the Director of Bands at William R. Boone High School. Ensembles under his leadership flourished and received invitations to perform at the Florida Music Educators Conference and the prestigious Carnegie Hall.
Dr. Butler is an active clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for wind bands nationally and internationally. In 2016, he guest conducted the United States Army Band Pershing’s Own. He has collaborated with numerous composers including John Mackey, Wayne Oquin, David Maslanka, Peter Van Zandt Lane, and Daniel Kellogg that received commendations for their interpretation and spirited performance. An advocate of new music for the wind band, he regularly commissions new works to ensure talented composers are contributing to the wind repertoire. Most recently, this includes leading a consortium by Wayne Oquin entitled Song for Silent Voices, which was awarded the 2018 National Band Association’s William D. Revelli prize. He is also leading a commissioning project to have Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Julia Wolfe, compose her first work for wind band. Additionally, he remains active as a researcher and academic writer contributing articles to music educator journals, and the GIA Series “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band.”
An ardent student of the art of conducting, he regularly attends conducting symposiums and has studied with David Waybright, Joseph Hermann, H. Robert Reynolds, Jerry Junkin, Michael Haithcock, Mallory Thompson, Craig Kirchoff, Rodney Dorsey, Jamie Nix, Steve Davis, Allan McMurray, Tom Leslie, John Lynch, and Robert Ambrose. In 2015, he served as an Assistant Conductor at the Miami Summer Music Festival where he also studied conducting with Grzegorz Nowak, Permanent Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As a performer, he has performed with the Johnson City Symphony, the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Appalachian Brass Orchestra, Wisconsin Collegiate Faculty Brass, and as a freelance trumpet performer. He appears on two CDs produced by Mark Custom Records entitled Slide Ride and Raise the Roof. His arrangements for trumpet and brass ensembles have been performed at national and international music conferences and received high praise.
The National Band Association has awarded Dr. Butler multiple Citations of Excellence for his contributions to bands and band music. He is affiliated with many professional oganizations including Kappa Kappa Psi, Mu Phi Epsilon, the College Band Director’s National Association, the National Band Association, the National Education Association, Kappa Delta Pi, and is also an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma, a National Honorary Band Society. Additionally, he is an elected member of the Pi Kappa Lambda chapter at UWSP.
Since arriving at UWSP, the UWSP Symphonic Wind Ensemble has been recognized twice by CBDNA as one of the finest small university wind ensembles in the nation, first in 2017 and second in 2019. The ensemble was also selected through blind peer review to perform at the 2019 Wisconsin Chapter of the National Band Association conference in Eau Claire. Before teaching at UWSP, he had a multitude of experiences that included teaching and conducting at the University of Florida, serving as the Associate Director of Bands & Orchestra at Spruce Creek High School and the Director of Bands at William R. Boone High School. Ensembles under his leadership flourished and received invitations to perform at the Florida Music Educators Conference and the prestigious Carnegie Hall.
Dr. Butler is an active clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for wind bands nationally and internationally. In 2016, he guest conducted the United States Army Band Pershing’s Own. He has collaborated with numerous composers including John Mackey, Wayne Oquin, David Maslanka, Peter Van Zandt Lane, and Daniel Kellogg that received commendations for their interpretation and spirited performance. An advocate of new music for the wind band, he regularly commissions new works to ensure talented composers are contributing to the wind repertoire. Most recently, this includes leading a consortium by Wayne Oquin entitled Song for Silent Voices, which was awarded the 2018 National Band Association’s William D. Revelli prize. He is also leading a commissioning project to have Pulitzer Prize-winning composer, Julia Wolfe, compose her first work for wind band. Additionally, he remains active as a researcher and academic writer contributing articles to music educator journals, and the GIA Series “Teaching Music Through Performance in Band.”
An ardent student of the art of conducting, he regularly attends conducting symposiums and has studied with David Waybright, Joseph Hermann, H. Robert Reynolds, Jerry Junkin, Michael Haithcock, Mallory Thompson, Craig Kirchoff, Rodney Dorsey, Jamie Nix, Steve Davis, Allan McMurray, Tom Leslie, John Lynch, and Robert Ambrose. In 2015, he served as an Assistant Conductor at the Miami Summer Music Festival where he also studied conducting with Grzegorz Nowak, Permanent Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. As a performer, he has performed with the Johnson City Symphony, the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, the Appalachian Brass Orchestra, Wisconsin Collegiate Faculty Brass, and as a freelance trumpet performer. He appears on two CDs produced by Mark Custom Records entitled Slide Ride and Raise the Roof. His arrangements for trumpet and brass ensembles have been performed at national and international music conferences and received high praise.
The National Band Association has awarded Dr. Butler multiple Citations of Excellence for his contributions to bands and band music. He is affiliated with many professional oganizations including Kappa Kappa Psi, Mu Phi Epsilon, the College Band Director’s National Association, the National Band Association, the National Education Association, Kappa Delta Pi, and is also an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma, a National Honorary Band Society. Additionally, he is an elected member of the Pi Kappa Lambda chapter at UWSP.
Glenn C. Hayes is the Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. His responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds and the Warhawk Marching Band. Dr. Hayes' teaching areas include graduate and undergraduate conducting, graduate music education, wind literature, secondary instrumental music methods, student teacher supervision and marching band techniques. His previous teaching positions include Moorhead (MN) State University, Bowling Green (OH) State University, Greater Muskegon (MI) Catholic Schools and Grand Blanc (MI) Community High School. Under his guidance, the UW-W band program has received regional, national and international acclaim for excellence in performance both in the concert hall and on the marching field. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble has performed by invitation at conventions of the British Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, College Band Directors National Conference and the Music Educators National Conference. On February 20, 2013, Dr. Hayes led the Symphonic Wind Ensemble in a performance at Carnegie Hall to great acclaim - the first Wisconsin university band to perform in the legendary hall. Dr. Hayes a member of the College Band Directors National Association North Central Division and a member of the Wisconsin Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Committee. Dr. Hayes has guest conducted and adjudicated throughout the United States and has given hundreds of clinics for high school and middle school bands. His primary conducting teachers have been John P. Paynter, Elizabeth A. H. Green and Norman C. Dietz. Dr. Hayes earned his undergraduate degree from Central Michigan University and his graduate degrees from Northwestern University.
Wendy Higdon is the Director of Bands and Unified Arts Department Chair at Creekside Middle School in Carmel, IN. She began her career as Director of Bands at Lebanon Middle School (IN) in 1991 and came to Carmel Clay Schools in 1999 where she taught band at Carmel Middle School until the opening of Creekside in 2004. Under her leadership, the performing arts programs at Creekside have grown from 400 students in 2004 to nearly 900 students this year. Under her direction, the Creekside Wind Symphony was honored to perform at The Midwest Clinic in December 2013. The Creekside Wind Symphony was also a featured performing group at the Indiana Music Education Association Conference in January 2013. Her bands have consistently earned high praise from judges, clinicians and guest conductors, including twenty-five consecutive Gold Awards at the Indiana State School Music Association Organizational Contest and many Best in Class and Overall Grand Champion awards at competitions around the Midwest. The Creekside Wind Symphony has also served as a rehearsal clinic band for Linda Gammon at the 2013 Midwest Clinic and for Chris Grifa at the 2015 Indiana Music Education Association Conference. Mrs. Higdon performs frequently with bands and orchestras in central Indiana. She is often called upon as an adjudicator, clinician, and guest conductor. In 2013, she received the “Fifty Directors Who Make a Difference” Award from School Band and Orchestra Magazine. She has had articles appear in The Instrumentalist magazine, Bandworld magazine and Carmel Magazine. She has been a frequent presenter at the Indiana Music Education Association Professional Development Conference. In December 2016, she presented a session at The Midwest Clinic. Mrs. Higdon earned her degree in music education from Ball State University Honors College, graduating summa cum laude. She also holds two masters degrees from Butler University, one in clarinet performance and the second in education administration. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, as well as holding memberships in the National Association for Music Education, the Indiana Music Education Association and the Indiana Bandmasters Association. She currently serves on the Indiana Music Education Association Board.
Rachel J. Maxwell attended Illinois State University and graduated in 1993 (Summa Cum Laude) with a Bachelor`s Degree in Music Education. She received a Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois in 1997. In 2003 she completed a Master of Educational Leadership degree from Aurora University. Mrs. Maxwell has also completed additional coursework in team-building, leadership and working with diverse students. Mrs. Maxwell has taught band in the West Aurora School District (1993-95) and in the Oswego School District (1995-present).
Mrs. Maxwell currently serves as the Director of Bands at Traughber Junior High School and as the Junior High Band Coordinator for the district. She has taught music education courses at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago and North Central College in Naperville, IL and has been invited to be a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator at a number of music camps and festivals including the Music for All National Summer Symposium, the North Carolina All-State Middle School Band, ISYM at the Univ. of Illinois, Il State Univ. Junior High Camp and several IMEA District Level Festivals. She is also a part of the team from Oswego who commissioned and premiered Sheltering Sky (2012) by John Mackey , Sol ye Sombra (2014) by Donald Grantham, Atmosphere (2016) by Scott McAllister and Our Cast Aways (2018) Julie Giroux. She is also involved in several consortium commissions: Shubuduba (2017) by Dana Wilson, N-BEAM (2017) https://mobleyj.wixsite.com/nbeam, Frogs (2018) by Randall Standridge, Roy Magnuson Project TBA (2019), Harrison Collins Project TBA (2019). Under her direction the bands at Traughber JHS have received national acclaim and have performed at The Midwest Clinic (two clinic presentations and rehearsal lab group), the Illinois Music Educators Association All State Conference (three formal concerts and four clinic presentations), the University of Illinois Super-state Festival and at the ASBDA National Convention.
Rachel Maxwell is a member of the The National Association of Music Education, Illinois Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, National Band Association, National Council of Supervisors of Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu and a number of honor societies. She is the author of thebandroomspage.com, a 4 time recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, Chicago-land Outstanding Music Educator Award, National Recipient of the Jim Ott (Drum Corps International) Scholarship, ASBDA/UMI Outstanding Young Band Director Award-Junior High Division for the North Central Region of the United States, Who`s Who Among American Teachers Award, Who`s Who Among Emerging Leaders Award, Who`s Who In American Education Award, Who`s Who Among American Women Award. She also serves on the advisory team for the dynamic professional learning Facebook site Band Directors Group; A World-Wide Professional Learning Community.
Mrs. Maxwell currently serves as the Director of Bands at Traughber Junior High School and as the Junior High Band Coordinator for the district. She has taught music education courses at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago and North Central College in Naperville, IL and has been invited to be a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator at a number of music camps and festivals including the Music for All National Summer Symposium, the North Carolina All-State Middle School Band, ISYM at the Univ. of Illinois, Il State Univ. Junior High Camp and several IMEA District Level Festivals. She is also a part of the team from Oswego who commissioned and premiered Sheltering Sky (2012) by John Mackey , Sol ye Sombra (2014) by Donald Grantham, Atmosphere (2016) by Scott McAllister and Our Cast Aways (2018) Julie Giroux. She is also involved in several consortium commissions: Shubuduba (2017) by Dana Wilson, N-BEAM (2017) https://mobleyj.wixsite.com/nbeam, Frogs (2018) by Randall Standridge, Roy Magnuson Project TBA (2019), Harrison Collins Project TBA (2019). Under her direction the bands at Traughber JHS have received national acclaim and have performed at The Midwest Clinic (two clinic presentations and rehearsal lab group), the Illinois Music Educators Association All State Conference (three formal concerts and four clinic presentations), the University of Illinois Super-state Festival and at the ASBDA National Convention.
Rachel Maxwell is a member of the The National Association of Music Education, Illinois Music Educators Association, American School Band Directors Association, National Band Association, National Council of Supervisors of Music Education, Pi Kappa Lambda, Phi Beta Mu and a number of honor societies. She is the author of thebandroomspage.com, a 4 time recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence, Chicago-land Outstanding Music Educator Award, National Recipient of the Jim Ott (Drum Corps International) Scholarship, ASBDA/UMI Outstanding Young Band Director Award-Junior High Division for the North Central Region of the United States, Who`s Who Among American Teachers Award, Who`s Who Among Emerging Leaders Award, Who`s Who In American Education Award, Who`s Who Among American Women Award. She also serves on the advisory team for the dynamic professional learning Facebook site Band Directors Group; A World-Wide Professional Learning Community.
Phil Ostrander is Professor of Trombone at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire where he conducts the Symphony Band and teaches private trombone and trombone ensemble. Dr. Ostrander completed his doctoral studies at the Eastman School of Music. Dr. Ostrander received master's degrees in both trombone and wind conducting from the New England Conservatory, as well as a bachelor's and Performer's Certificate from Eastman. He has performed with the Minnesota Orchestra, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra, the Rochester Philharmonic, the Kansas City Symphony, the Buffalo Philharmonic and the popular chamber group Burning River Brass Ensemble. Currently, he is a member of the IRIS Chamber Orchestra in Memphis, Tennessee under Michael Stern and also Principal Trombone of the Minnesota Opera Orchestra. An accomplished jazz trombonist, Dr. Ostrander has collaborated with jazz artists Maria Schneider, Jim McNeely, Jimmy Heath, Claudio Roditi and Rich Beirach. He teaches jazz at the Shell Lake Arts Camp in northern Wisconsin. He has recorded on Sony Classical with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and Naxos with the IRIS Orchestra. Dr. Ostrander is a clinician for the Conn-Selmer Musical Instrument Company.
Corey Pompey was appointed associate director of bands at UW-Madison, succeeding longtime director Mike Leckrone in the spring of 2019. Most recently, Dr. Pompey was assistant professor of music, associate director of bands/director of athletic bands at the University of Nevada-Reno. Prior, he served as the assistant director of bands at Pennsylvania State University, where he assisted with the Penn State Marching Blue Band and Athletic Bands, conducted the Concert Band, taught undergraduate conducting, and assisted with student teacher supervision.Dr. Pompey also served as an assistant instructor with University Bands at The University of Texas at Austin. He was involved in all creative and administrative aspects of the program, some of which include The University of Texas Wind Ensemble and The Longhorn Band. Dr. Pompey taught in the public schools of Alabama for seven years prior to moving to Texas. Dr. Pompey holds the bachelor of science degree in music education and the master of arts degree in music education from The University of Alabama. He earned his doctor of musical arts degree in wind conducting at The University of Texas. Principal conducting teachers include Jerry F. Junkin, Kenneth Ozzello, and Gerald L. Welker. Professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, and Phi Mu Alpha.
Patty Schlafer. Since completion of an undergraduate degree in music education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1981, Patty Schlafer has been teaching instrumental musicians in the private and public schools of Wisconsin. Inspired by two remarkable UW-Madison music educators, Gerald Olson and Douglas Hill, Ms. Schlafer has framed her work with band students in a manner that could best be called “the pedagogy of potential”. Providing students with an environment where they feel the potential to be the best musician possible is the goal for every student who enters Ms. Schlafer’s classroom. She is the retired teacher of concert band and jazz band at Mount Horeb Middle School. Ms. Schlafer was proud to be a member of the music faculty in Mount Horeb where they developed a music program that allows students to be any kind of musician they desire. All departments, band, orchestra, choir, and jazz support each other and students are encouraged to be in as many groups as their schedule allows. Since 1995, Ms. Schlafer has worked with a committee of teachers from the state of Wisconsin to help teachers implement the Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance Project. This model for planning music instruction guides teachers to select quality musical literature with the intent of designing rich and varied outcomes for student musical growth and assessment. Ms. Schlafer has been a part of CMP Workshops for teachers throughout the state of Wisconsin, Iowa, and in the Los Angeles Unified School District. In 2005, Ms. Schlafer completed a master’s degree in Curriculum Theory and Design where her research included a study of musical tastes of the adolescent band student. She is regular guest conductor at summer music camps throughout including UW-Whitewater, Madison, Stevens Point and Green Bay. She has served as a guest conductor and clinician for schools in Sun Prairie, Middleton, River Ridge, Royall, Muscoda, the Kalahari Band Festival, and the UW-Milwaukee Middle Level Honor Band. Schlafer is a life long horn player and has been a member of the Madison Symphony Orchestra, Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra, Artemis Horn Quartet, Madison Wind Ensemble, and Acme Brass. In addition, she was the 2015 winner of the Madison Symphony Award for Excellence in Music Education. When not teaching, conducting, or playing horn, she is always on the lookout for a dog-friendly watering hole with family members, Ward and Mango.
John R. Stewart is Assistant Professor of Music and Director of Concert Bands at the University of Wisconsin –Eau Claire where he conducts the Wind Symphony, teaches courses in conducting and repertoire, supervises student teachers, and coordinates the concert band program. Dr. Stewart maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor and clinician throughout the upper Midwest. He completed his Doctorate of Philosophy in Music Education (2013) at the University of Minnesota while studying conducting with Craig Kirchhoff. Dr. Stewart earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Central Florida (1996) and a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of South Florida (2009). Prior to his appointment at UWEC, Dr. Stewart was Interim Conductor of the St. Cloud State University Wind Ensemble (Minnesota). Dr. Stewart served as Director of Bands at Saint Cloud High School (Florida) from 1996-2010 where he directed the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Percussion Ensemble and Marching Band. In 2006, he earned his National Board for Professional Teaching Standards and in 2008 was named the St. Cloud High School "Teacher of the Year."
Scott Teeple is Director of Bands and serves on the conducting faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His duties include sharing responsibilities with the concert band, conducting the wind ensemble, and teaching undergraduate and graduate conducting.During the academic year, he conducts the Winds of Wisconsin, an honors band comprised of talented high school musicians from around the state.
Mr. Teeple is in demand as a conducting clinician, and guest conductor throughout the United States and abroad. He is regularly invited to teach at conducting workshops and lead all-state honor bands. He has conducted the World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp, the American School in Singapore, the IASAS Cultural Festival and the honor band of the International American Schools in Doah, Qatar.
Under his leadership, ensembles have performed with guest soloists and conductors of international renown. On campus, ensembles have engaged in week-long residencies with guest composers and guest artists including 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner Zhou Long, Grammy Award-winning percussionist/composer Michael Udow, Marianne Ploger. Applied faculty have frequently performed as guest soloists. The UW Band program continues to offer the “Wisconsin Summit,” a workshop for middle and high school band directors, featuring guest clinicians from across the country. The Wind Ensemble recently recorded its first CD, and also recorded the “Concerto for Euphonium” by John Stevens.
Before his appointment at the University of Wisconsin, Teeple served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, and Port Huron Northern High School (MI). He has served on the executive board of the Wisconsin Music Educators’ Association and on the Arts Alliance Executive Board, and served as president of the Big Ten Band Directors Association.
Mr. Teeple received degrees in music education and conducting from the University of Michigan where he studied with H. Robert Reynolds. He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He is the 2012 recipient of the UW Edna Weicher’s Award. Other honors include membership in Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Eta Sigma.
Mr. Teeple is in demand as a conducting clinician, and guest conductor throughout the United States and abroad. He is regularly invited to teach at conducting workshops and lead all-state honor bands. He has conducted the World Youth Wind Symphony at the Interlochen Arts Camp, the American School in Singapore, the IASAS Cultural Festival and the honor band of the International American Schools in Doah, Qatar.
Under his leadership, ensembles have performed with guest soloists and conductors of international renown. On campus, ensembles have engaged in week-long residencies with guest composers and guest artists including 2011 Pulitzer Prize winner Zhou Long, Grammy Award-winning percussionist/composer Michael Udow, Marianne Ploger. Applied faculty have frequently performed as guest soloists. The UW Band program continues to offer the “Wisconsin Summit,” a workshop for middle and high school band directors, featuring guest clinicians from across the country. The Wind Ensemble recently recorded its first CD, and also recorded the “Concerto for Euphonium” by John Stevens.
Before his appointment at the University of Wisconsin, Teeple served on the faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, and Port Huron Northern High School (MI). He has served on the executive board of the Wisconsin Music Educators’ Association and on the Arts Alliance Executive Board, and served as president of the Big Ten Band Directors Association.
Mr. Teeple received degrees in music education and conducting from the University of Michigan where he studied with H. Robert Reynolds. He is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles. He is the 2012 recipient of the UW Edna Weicher’s Award. Other honors include membership in Phi Mu Alpha, Kappa Kappa Psi, Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Eta Sigma.
Matt Temple was appointed Director of Bands at New Trier High School in 2007. He conducts the curricular Freshman Concert Band, Concert Jazz Ensemble, Varsity Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, as well as the extracurricular Pep Band and Pit Orchestra for the underclassman musical. Mr. Temple earned a bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a master’s degree in music with an emphasis in conducting from Eastern Illinois University. He also completed an additional master’s degree in educational leadership through Aurora University. Under Mr. Temple’s direction, the New Trier Symphonic Wind Ensemble has performed at the 2012 Midwest Clinic, 2010 Western Illinois University Showcase of Bands, the 2009 Music for All National Concert Band Festival, and the 2008 and 2009 University of Illinois Superstate Festivals. Prior to his appointment at New Trier, Mr. Temple served as the Fine Arts Chair at Waubonsie Valley High School in Aurora, Illinois, from 2000-2007, and as the Music Director at Flora High School from 1994-1998. Mr. Temple has received the National Band Association Citation of Excellence multiple times and has appeared in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers.” He recently completed a four-year term on the Advisory Committee for the Music Educator’s Journal and is a Contributing Editor for the Instrumentalist magazine. He is also a co-founding member of the Illinois Comprehensive Musicianship Through Performance Project. Mr. Temple has presented clinics on student-centered instruction and band curriculum at the Illinois AllState Music Conference in 2010 and 2012, and at the Indiana All-State Music Conference in 2012. He will be presenting on the importance of music selection at the 2014 Illinois All-State Music Conference. Matt lives in Arlington Heights, Illinois, with his wife Maureen and their seven-year-old twins, Aiden and Annabelle.
Percussion Clinicians
Ken Paris is a retired band director and educator. His teaching career included four years(1975-1979) in Fort Atkinson and thirty years(1979-2009) in Sun Prairie. Mr. Paris received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago (1975) and his Masters degree in music education from UW Madison in 1992. Professionally, he was a member of WSMA (Wisconsin School Music Association), MENC (Music educators national conference) and WNBA (Wisconsin national band association). Mr. Paris was also President/Treasurer/Secretary of MACBDA (Mid America Competing Band Directors Association) for 15 years. His duties in Fort Atkinson school district included elementary band, HS marching band and all percussion lessons district wide. In Sun Prairie, Mr. Paris taught band at every level and building in the district. He also directed the HS pep band, JV sound project and Sound of Sun Prairie for many years. He was department coordinator for 6 years and taught a jazz ensemble every year since its start in the early 1980's. Mr. Paris grew up on a dairy farm south of Madison and attended school in Oregon. He loves the sport of volleyball and coached in Sun Prairie from 1986-2009. Mr. Paris retired in June of 2009 and looks forward to the opportunities of travel and spending more time with his family.
Cindy Terhune earned her bachelors degree in music education from UW-Madison and completed her masters in music performance under the direction of Anthony DiSanza at UW-Madison. She owns the Terhune Music Studio where she teaches private piano and percussion lessons to about fifty students. She has performed as a section percussionist with the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra and Madison Symphony Orchestra, and principal percussion in the Beloit-Janesville Symphony. She teaches the Sun Prairie High School percussion ensemble and is assistant director of the Sound of Sun Prairie Marching Band in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. Cindy freelances as a percussion clinician (concert and rudimental) at many area school districts including Beaver Dam, Beloit Turner, Lodi, and Waukesha West.