Conductors                                                   to  faculty  and  alumni/students

 

Timothy Salzman is Professor of Music at the University of Washington where he serves as Director of Concert Bands and is conductor of the University Wind Ensemble. He also teaches students enrolled in the graduate instrumental conducting program. Former students from the University of Washington occupy positions at numerous universities and public schools throughout the United States. Prior to his appointment at the UW he served as Director of Bands at Montana State University where he founded the MSU Wind Ensemble. From 1978 to 1983 he was band director in the Herscher, Illinois, public school system where the band program received several regional and national awards in solo/ensemble, concert and marching band competition. Professor Salzman holds degrees from Wheaton (IL.) College (Bachelor of Music Education), and Northern Illinois University (Master of Music in low brass performance), and studied privately with Arnold Jacobs, former tubist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. He has numerous publications for bands with the C. L. Barnhouse, Arranger's Publications, Columbia Pictures and Hal Leonard Publishing companies, and has served on the staff of new music reviews for the Instrumentalist magazine. Professor Salzman is a national artist/clinician for the Yamaha Corporation of America and has been a conductor, adjudicator or arranger for bands in over thirty-five states, Canada, England, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, China, and Japan, a country he has visited twenty times. He is compiling editor and co-author (with several current and former UW graduate students) of A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band, a new series of books on contemporary wind band composers published by Meredith Music Publications, a subsidiary of the Hal Leonard Corporation.

 

Dr. Steven Morrison is the Donald E. Petersen Endowed Fellow and Associate Professor and Chair of Music Education. An instrumental music specialist, Professor Morrison has taught at the elementary, junior high and senior high levels in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Louisiana. He has conducted and arranged for school and university bands, orchestras, and chamber groups throughout the United States. In addition to his work in instrumental teaching and learning, his research investigates neurological responses to music listening, perceptual and performance aspects of pitch-matching and intonation, and use of expressive gesture and modeling in ensemble teaching. His research also includes music preference and the relationship of musical responses to diverse cultural contexts. Prior to joining the UW faculty, Morrison served as lecturer of Fine Arts at the Hong Kong Institute of Education. He has spoken and presented research throughout the United States, as well as in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Hungary, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Italy, the Netherlands, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. During 2009 he will serve as a Visiting Fellow at the Centre for Research in the Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of Cambridge. Morrison’s articles have appeared in Music Educators Journal, Journal of Research in Music Education, Bulletin for the Council of Research in Music Education, Music Perception, Update: Applications of Research in Music Education, Missouri Journal of Research in Music Education, Southwestern Musician, Recorder: Ontario Music Educators Association Journal, College Music Society Newsletter, and Southern Folklore. Along with colleague Steven M. Demorest, his research into music and brain function has appeared in Neuroimage and The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. He is also a contributing author to The Science and Psychology of Music Performance, published by Oxford University Press, and the new text Musician and Teacher: An Orientation to Music Education, authored by UW colleague Patricia Shehan Campbell and published by W.W. Norton. Morrison is on the advisory board for the Asia-Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research, on the editorial board of the Asia-Pacific Journal for Arts Education and has served on the editorial board of the Journal of Research in Music Education. He is past University Curriculum Chair for the Washington Music Educators Association. He holds a B.M. from Northwestern University, an M.M. from the University of Wisconsin, and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University.

Eric M. Smedley is in his third year of a Doctor of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting degree at the University of Washington, where he serves as a Graduate Assistant Director for the Husky Marching Band and Concert Bands. Mr. Smedley holds Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. Mr. Smedley comes to the UW after three years as the Associate Director of Bands/Director of Athletic Bands at Western Kentucky University. During his time at WKU, Mr. Smedley directed the Big Red Marching Band, the Big Red Basketball Band, the Symphonic Band, and assisted with the Wind Ensemble. Mr. Smedley also taught various music education and general education courses. During his final semester at WKU, Mr. Smedley served as Acting Director of Bands. Mr. Smedley's public school experience includes: Cocoa Beach High School in Cocoa Beach, Florida; Lincoln Middle School in Santa Monica, California; and Lincoln Middle School in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Mr. Smedley's major trumpet teachers include Allen Vizzutti, David Gordon, Ed Cord, and Harry Herforth - with additional lessons and masterclasses from Vincent DiMartino, Justin Emerich, Mark Eichner, and Marvin Perry. His major conducting teachers include Tim Salzman, Ray Cramer, Stephen Pratt, and Robert Porco - with additional lessons and masterclasses from H. Robert Reynolds, Jerry Junkin, Allan McMurray, Craig Kirchoff, Richard Clary, Richard Floyd, Robert Carnochan, and Scott Hanna. Mr. Smedley credits Dave Woodley and Brad McDavid as his athletic band mentors. Mr. Smedley is a member of the College Band Director's National Association, Music Educator's National Conference, Washington Music Educator's Association, National Band Association, International Trumpet Guild, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi. He is an active arranger, clinician, and trumpet performer. Mr. Smedley lives in the Wedgwood area of Seattle with his wife Jessica and their Bedlington terrier Ainsley.

 

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Gary Brattin is in his second year of study in the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Instrumental Conducting program at the University of Washington where he serves as a Graduate Assistant Director for the Husky Marching Band. Gary comes to the UW after serving for two years as Assistant Professor/Director of Symphonic Winds, Athletic Bands and Brass Choir at Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas where he also taught the low brass studio. Previous to his appointment in Kansas he served as Director of Bands at Mahidol University in Bangkok, Thailand and at Northglenn High School in Denver. Gary lived in Taiwan for ten years where he was Principal Tuba of the Taiwan Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei Symphony Orchestra, the Taipei Sinfonietta & Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Wings of the Angels Symphonic Wind Ensemble. While in Taiwan he also served as Director of Bands at Taipei Municipal Chien Kuo, Ching Mei Girls, and Chung Shan Girls Sr. High Schools, and as Music Director/Conductor of the Sirens Symphonic Winds. Gary continues to serve as Principal Conductor of the Yuetao Symphonic Wind Ensemble in Taipei, Taiwan. Gary has performed on tuba, presented clinics, guest conducted, or adjudicated internationally in Australia, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Taiwan, Thailand, and Singapore, as well as throughout the U.S.A. The recipient of Bachelor and Masters Degrees from the University of Northern Colorado, Gary has studied conducting with Tim Salzman, Kenneth Singleton, John Bell and Dick Mayne and tuba and bass trombone with Bill Clark, Jim Sparrow, Paul Brooks, Jack Robinson, Benedict Kirby, and Chris Olka.

 

Vu Nguyen is a graduate teaching assistant for the wind band program at the University of Washington where he is pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts in instrumental conducting. He received a Master of Music in instrumental conducting from the University of Oregon, where he was a graduate teaching fellow, and a Bachelor of Music in music education from the University of the Pacific. His primary conducting teachers have been Robert Ponto and Wayne Bennett. In addition to his UW responsibilities, Vu is a Captain and Commander/Conductor of the Air National Guard Band of the West Coast, stationed at Moffett Federal Airfield in Mountain View, CA. He received his commission from the Academy of Military Science finishing as a distinguished graduate in April 2005. The ANG Band of the West Coast is responsible for providing public concerts and musical support throughout Northern California, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Vu taught public school for six years in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District prior to his arrival in the Pacific Northwest. He has been guest conductor with regional honor bands in northern California, several music camps, and the United States Air Force Band of the Golden West. He is a past recipient of the California Music Educators Associations Gilbert T. Freitas Award for Achievement in Music Education.

 

Kirsten G.M. Cummings is in her second year of the Master of Musical Arts in Instrumental Conducting degree at the UW, where she serves as a Graduate Assistant Director for the Concert Bands. Kirsten holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Pacific Lutheran University. She comes to the UW after two years as the Director of Bands at Ashland High School in Ashland, Oregon. She also co-taught 7th/8th grade bands at Ashland Middle School, played clarinet in the Rogue Valley Symphonic Band, was a woodwind sectional coach for the Youth Symphony of Southern Oregon and directed/toured with Ashland high band, orchestra and choir students to China in June 2007, a major highlight being a performance on the Great Wall! Kirsten studied piano with Lois Hinds and Dr. Erin Chung, clarinet with Deborah Colyn and Craig Rine and conducting with Jeffrey Bell-Hanson and Scott Taube. She is currently studying conducting with Tim Salzman. Kirsten is a member of the Music Educator’s National Conference, a Ladies of the Podium Scholarship recipient for Women Band Directors International and a two-time Rachel Royston Scholarship recipient for The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International.

Alison Farley is excited to begin her first year with the University of Washington Marching Band and Concert Bands.  Originally from Kansas City, Missouri, Alison completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Kansas in Music Education.  During her time at KU, Alison studied Horn and was a member of the KU Wind Ensemble, Basketball Band and Co-Director of the Volleyball Band.  Alison was also a drum major for the Marching Jayhawks for two years.  Alison then served as Director of Bands and Choirs in the Steelville R-3 School District, an hour outside of St. Louis, Missouri.  Most recently Alison was a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the University of Louisville Band Department earning her Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting.  Her conducting teachers have included Frederick Speck and Kimcherie Lloyd and clinic instruction from Joseph Missal.  She has studied Horn with Karen Robertson, Shelley Manley, Paul Stevens and Bruce Heim.  Alison also spent two summers marching with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps where she is now on staff teaching the Mellophone section.  Alison has enjoyed many opportunities to work leadership camps and design drill for bands in the Kansas City and Louisville areas. While at UW, Alison will be working toward her PhD in Music Education.

Ethan Chessin is pursuing an M.A. in Music Education at the University of Washington. As an educator and musician, he has directed and performed in a wide variety of musical contexts, including bands, orchestras, choirs, and popular performing ensembles. Prior to his matriculation, Ethan served as an environmental educator for several nonprofit organizations in Portland, OR. While doing so, he also directed the Percy Bernstein Memorial Orchestra, the Sojourner Elementary School choir, the Dahoo Chorus (a rock-opera choir), and the Gregory Heights Middle School band. From 2002-2003 he led choral and instrumental ensembles at the Prem Tinsulanonda Center for International Education in Thailand and conducted the Calcutta Foundation Orchestra summer concert series. Ethan performs with the MarchFourth Marching Band and enjoys a lifelong passion for klezmer music, having recently founded the UW Klezmer Band. He holds a B.A. in Music from Yale University.