Symposium 2019 Clinicians and Ensembles
Elizabe
th Buell
Elizabeth Buell is a band director at Onondaga Hill Middle School in the Westhill Central School District in Syracuse, New York. A native of Cazenovia, New York, she received her Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the State of New York at Fredonia in 2000 and Master of Music Education Degree from Ithaca College in 2005. Elizabeth is a long-standing member and past board member of the New York State Band Director's As- sociation. Her students are actively involved in Onondaga All-County bands and jazz ensembles, NYSSMA solo and major festivals, regional jazz festivals, and community outreach performances. In 2013, she collaborated with her colleague, Brendan Van Epps, on a supplemental music book titled, The Rhythm Curriculum, a meth- od created to systematically teach and reinforce rhythm reading skills to developing musicians. She serves as conductor for the Syracuse University sponsored Honor Band, Poco Allegro, and beginning in 2013, established and co-directs The Westside Summer Band Camp.
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, and is responsible for the repairs, maintenance, and inventory of over 1,000 instruments. In addition to his work at Crane, he owns and operates North Country Winds, a repair shop specializing in artist-level clarinet repairs and USA warranty work for Backun clarinets. Miles has been an active member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians since 2007. In that time, he has at- tended every national conference and will be presenting at his fth national conference in a row this April. He currently serves as Vice President and Director of Region 1, and in the past has served on the nance committee and has hosted clinics at the regional and national level. On top of all of this, Miles is a Straubinger Certified Technician, Yamaha Certified Sales Professional, graduate of the Yamaha Service Advantage Pro- gram, and he has studied instrument repair with Morrie Backun.
Richard DePasquale
Richard DePasquale holds a bachelors degree in music education from SUNY Fredonia and a masters degree in general education from Nazareth College. He retired from the Fair- port Central School District in June of 2010 after a 35 year career teaching brass instruments and conducting bands at all levels. Under Mr. DePasquale’s direction, the Martha Brown Concert Band was a frequent receiver of the highest ratings among all middle school concert bands in New York State at NYSSMA Major Organization Festivals, including a record nine consecutive Level IV Gold w/Distinction ratings.Mr. DePasquale has enjoyed appointments as a junior high and middle school honor band festival conductor, and has been a frequent presenter at annual conferences sponsored by NYSSMA (New York State School Music Association) and NYSBDA (New York State Band Directors Association), in brass pedagogy and instruction, as well as specialization in providing technology solutions to music educators in the areas of data management, desktop publishing and the development of organizational skills. He resides in Fairport with his wife Susie, also a music educator and church organist, and remains active in music as a member and Assistant Conductor of the Perinton Concert Band, a NYSSMA All-State Brass solo adjudicator, guest conductor, and clinician.
Brian K. Doyle
Brian Doyle joined the Crane School of Music faculty as Director of Bands in 2006. He conducts the Crane Wind Ensemble (CWE) and Symphonic Band, and also teaches courses in conducting. A graduate of Michigan State University (BME, MM), his principal teachers included John Whitwell, Joseph Lullo and James Forger. Doyle later received the AMusD in Wind Conducting under the mentorship of Michael Haithcock at the University of Michi- gan. In March, Dr. Doyle was honored by his peers in the profession by being elected into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association. Dr. Doyle’s former teaching posts in-clude faculty positions at Indiana University, The University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, Duke University, and as a grade 5-12 public school music educator in Imlay City, MI. While in North Carolina, Dr. Doyle served as the resident conductor of the Triangle British Brass Band and performed regularly as saxophonist with the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra.
Eastman Educator Wind Ensemble
The Eastman Educator Wind Ensemble is comprised of Rochester area music educators and related professionals, and performs both traditional and contemporary wind band literature. The ensemble meets each summer for 6 weeks and per- forms at Eastman’s Kodak Hall in early August. There are usually 3 concerts during the school year hosted by area schools, and each concert is preceded with 3 or 4 rehearsals. The ensemble has been invited in the past to perform at the NYSSMA Conference and has been guest conducted by Dr. Paul Shewan, Tom Davis, Matt Osika, Bill Palange, and Dr. Mark Scatterday. Guest artists have also appeared with the ensemble, including composers Lindsay Bronnenkant, Russell Scarbrough, Matt Osika, and Bill Palange.
Michael Haithcock
Michael Haithcock assumed his duties as director of bands and professor of music (Con- ducting) at the University of Michigan in the fall of 2001 after twenty-three years on the faculty of Baylor University. Following in the footsteps of William D. Revelli and H. Robert Reynolds, Professor Haithcock conducts the internationally renowned University of Michigan Symphony Band, guides the acclaimed band and wind ensemble graduate conducting program, and pro- vides administrative leadership for all aspects of the University of Michigan’s diverse and historic band program. In February of 2012, he was named an Arthur F. Thurnau Professor by the University of Michigan which is the University’s highest award for excellence in undergraduate teaching.
Ensembles under Haithcock’s guidance have received a wide array of critical acclaim for their high artistic standards of performance and repertoire. These accolades have come through concerts reviews at national and state conventions, performances in major concert venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, and a variety of performances presented during the Symphony Band’s May 2011 tour of China, as well as recordings on the Albany, Arsis, and Equilibrium labels.
Professor Haithcock is a leader in commissioning and premiering new works for band and has earned the praise of both composers and conductors for his innovative approaches to developing the band repertoire as well as his interpretations of new works. He is in constant demand as a guest conductor with professional ensembles, major universities, and a variety of all-state and festival ensembles. He is also a resource person for conducting symposiums and workshops in a variety of instructional settings including Carnegie Hall’s Weill Institute.
Dr. Karen Lavoie
Karen LaVoie is Professor of Music and Director of the Wind Symphony at Westfield State University in Westfield, Massachusetts. Dr. LaVoie teaches studio trumpet, conducting, ear-training, and has taught courses in music education, music history, and music appreciation. She has also served as Chair of the Music Department at Westfield. Dr. LaVoie taught public school band, chorus, and classroom music in Falmouth, Maine, and all aspects of instrumental music and music history at Olivet College in Olivet, Michigan. As a trumpet player, Dr. LaVoie has performed with numerous orchestras, musicals, and wind ensembles, including the Brass Band of Battle Creek, MI, the Massachusetts Wind Orchestra, and the Berkshire Lyric Chorus at Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood.
Dr. LaVoie has been a guest conductor and adjudicator for district and All-State festivals and clinics in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Minnesota, and Iowa. She served three times as the wind ensemble conductor for the United States Youth Ensembles 19-day European Tour, performing in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and the Netherlands. Dr. LaVoie holds degrees in music education and band conducting from the University of Southern Maine, Western Michigan University, and was the first woman to receive the Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Band Conducting from the University of Iowa. She is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the College Band Directors National Association, the International Trumpet Guild, the College Music Society, NAFME, Massachusetts Music Educators Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, a national Music Honor Society, and is a life-long honorary member of the Michigan State Band and Orchestra Association.
Pete Malinverni 
Pete Malinverni has been a fixture on the New York City Jazz scene since moving there in the early 1980’s from his hometown of Niagara Falls, NY. He has recorded fourteen times as a leader, including solo piano, trio, quartet, quintet, big band and choral contexts. Throughout his time in NYC, Pete has established performing, recording and inspirational contact with a host of masters on the scene there, including Joe Lovano, Vernel Fournier, Charles Davis, Mel Lewis, Dennis Irwin, Jon Faddis, Karrin Allyson, Steve Wilson and many others. Pete is proud of his work in education, too. After tenures at William Paterson University and New York University, he now serves as Head of Jazz Studies at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College, State University of New York, just a few miles north of the City. Pete Malinverni is a Steinway Artist. For more information on him, check out https://www.petemalinverni.com and https://www.purchase.edu/live/profiles/228-pete-malinverni
Dr. Michael Votta 
MICHAEL VOTTA, JR. has been hailed by critics as “a conductor with the drive and ability to fully relay artistic thoughts” and praised for his “interpretations of definition, precision and most importantly, unmitigated joy.” Ensembles under his direction have received critical acclaim in the United States, Europe and Asia for their “exceptional spirit, verve and precision,” their “sterling examples of innovative programming” and “the kind of artistry that is often thought to be the exclusive purview of top symphonic ensembles.”
He currently serves as Director of Bands at the University of Maryland where he holds the rank of Professor. Under his leadership, the UM Wind Orchestra has been invited to perform at the international conference of the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles as well as national and regional conferences of the College Band Directors National Association. UMWO has also performed with major artists such as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, the Orpheus
Chamber Orchestra, Eighth Blackbird, and the Imani Winds. UMWO has commissioned and premiered numerous works by composers such as Daniel Bernard Roumain, Andre Previn, Baljinder Sekhon, Robert Gibson, Alvin Singleton and James Syler.
Votta has taught conducting seminars in the US and Israel, and has guest conducted and lectured throughout the world with organizations including the Beijing Wind Orchestra, the Prague Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, the National Arts Camp at Interlochen, the Midwest Clinic and the Conductors Guild.
His performances have been heard in broadcasts throughout the US, on Austrian National Radio (ÖRF), and Southwest German Television, and have been released internationally on the Primavera label. Numerous major composers including George Crumb, Christopher Rouse, Louis Andriessen, Karel Husa, Olly Wilson, Barbara Kolb, and Warren Benson have praised his performances of their works.
He is the author of numerous articles on wind literature and conducting. His arrangements and editions for winds have been performed and recorded by university and professional wind ensembles in the US, Europe and Japan. He is currently the President-Elect of the Eastern Division of the College Band Directors National Association, and has served as Editor of the CBDNA Journal, as a member of the Executive Board of the International Society for the Investigation of Wind Music (IGEB), and on the board of the Conductors Guild.
Before his appointment at Maryland, Votta held conducting positions at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Ithaca College, the University of South Florida, Miami University (Ohio) and Hope College.
Votta holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting degree from the Eastman School of Music where he served as Assistant Conductor of the Eastman Wind Ensemble and studied with Donald Hunsberger. A native of Michigan, Votta received his undergraduate training and Master of Music degrees from the University of Michigan, where he studied with H. Robert Reynolds. As a clarinetist, Votta has performed as a soloist throughout the US and Europe
Micro Big Band
The new Micro Big Band, led by Maynard Ferguson alumnus and lead alto saxophonist Mike Dubaniewicz. The ten-piece "little big band" plays a combination of swing, groove-oriented funk, and Latin selections. The MBB also performs original compositions, in addition to the music of classic big band leaders such as Maynard Ferguson, Count Basie, and others.
Corey Riley
Corey Riley has been teaching music in the public schools since 2010. His experience has primarily been in instrumental music where he has served as a band director in both Ohio and New York. He is currently the Associate Director of Bands at Westhill High School, where he directs the Symphonic Band, the Jazz Ensemble, and teaches brass and percussion lessons grades 6-12. In addition, Mr. Riley teaches music theory and is the advisor of the Westhill High School Audio Engineering and Production Club. In the Summer, he acts as the Assistant Technical Director for the Skaneateles Music Festival. Mr. Riley graduated from The Ohio State University in 2010 with bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Euphonium Performance. He received his master’s degree in Instructional Technology from Syracuse University in 2018. Corey also serves on the New York State Band Director’s Association Executive Board as the 2nd Vice President of Membership and the Website Editor. He regularly performs with the Syracuse University Brass Ensemble, Bones East, and the Salt City Tuba Euphonium Quartet.
Katie Struzik
Katie Struzik has been Chairperson of the NYSSMA Manual since January 2001. She is a graduate of the Crane School of Music and Hartt School of Music. Her professional a liations include NYSBDA, NYSSMA, NAfME and Sigma Alpha Iota. She taught instrumental music in the Pine Bush and Tuckahoe School Districts and has been a substitute music teacher in the Webster and Brighton school districts since 1994. She is also a professional accompanist. She lives in Webster with her husband Mike and dog “Lucky.” She and Mike have two sons, Chris and Matt.
Ronald Sutherland
Ronald Sutherland retired from the Clarence (NY) Central School District in 1996 after twenty-five years of teaching instrumental music and conducting the Clarence Wind Ensemble. Ron also taught at Williamsville North High School for two years and started his teaching career at Silver Creek Central School in September of 1961. The Clarence High School Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band featured many artists including Vaclav Nelhybel, Karel Husa, Sigurd Rascher, Carl St. Clair, Williams Willet, Donald Schleicher, Frank Erickson, Alan Vizzuti, and Rhythm and Brass. Under Mr. Sutherland’s direction, the Clarence Bands toured throughout the Eastern United States and Canada. In 1976, a combined Clarence High School Band participated in an International Youth Festival in Aberdeen, Scotland and London, England. In the summer of 1990, the band toured and performed in Austria and Italy. In addition to many guest conducting, clinics, consulting, and adjudication appearances, Ron has led many student leadership workshops throughout New York State. Each summer Mr. Sutherland travels to Europe with a select Band and Chorus under the auspices of American Music Abroad. Ron was active in the New York State School Music Association having served as president in 1984-1985. He and his wife Cathy are currently the co-head chaperones for NYSSMA’s 900 All-State students at the Winter Conference
E
rin Tapia
Erin Tapia is a public school and private studio instrumental music teacher, performer, clinician, and author. Ms. Tapia is in her sixteenth year teaching in the Westhill Central School District in Syracuse, New York, where she serves as the Westhill High School Director of Bands and conducts the WHS Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Lab, 50+ student Brazilian Percussion Ensemble, and chamber music ensembles. Ms. Tapia’s ensembles have traveled often, including performances throughout New York State and in Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, Boston, Baltimore, and New York City. Her students regularly perform in local and state honor bands and orchestras, and more than fifty of Ms. Tapia’s students have performed in collegiate instrumental music ensembles. Ms. Tapia is co-author of “The Sight Reading Book,” a set of 21 sight-reading books carefully aligned with state-specific criteria at six different levels of difficulty. She maintains a private ute studio and performs on ute and piccolo with the Central Winds: Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble and the Syracuse Summer Festival Orchestra and holds the position of Personnel Manager of the Central Winds. Ms. Tapia is active as guest conductor and has presented clinics on instrumental pedagogy, music literacy, score study, curriculum, and teaching in the common core era to music educators at County, All-State, State, and National conferences. Ms. Tapia holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Music Education with Performance Honors in Flute from Syracuse University’s Setnor School of Music. Ms. Tapia currently resides in Baldwinsville, New York, with her husband, conductor Dr. James Tapia, and their sons, Joshua and Christopher, and daughter, Isabella.
Dr. James Tapia
Dr. James Tapia is music director of the Syracuse Summer Festival Orchestra, conductor of the Central Winds, and conductor of the Syracuse Youth Orchestra. He served the previous four years as associate director of ensembles and held the Donald R. Shepherd Chair in Conducting at the University of Michigan. While in Ann Arbor, he was also the music director/conductor of the renowned Michigan All-State Orchestra and Band. He began his professional conducting experi- ence with the Tampa Bay Symphony as assistant conductor and has conducted the Syracuse Sym- phony Orchestra, the Austin Bach Festival Orchestra, the Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings,
and the Dallas Wind Symphony along with numerous conducting experiences in the academic arena. He has worked with distinguished conductors and teachers Pierre Boulez, Gustav Meier, Fiora Contino, Louis Lane, Jerry Junkin, and Fred Fennell. Tapia has received praise from composers Leslie Bassett, Michael Daugherty, Karel Husa, Donald Grantham, and Andrew Meade for his insightful interpretations of their works. He main- tains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator.
Bill Tiberio
Bill Tiberio has been an instrumental music teacher for 32 years, 28 of them at Fair- port High School. At FHS he conducts the FHS Concert Band, Sophomore Band, two jazz ensembles, jazz combos, pit orchestra for musicals, and chamber woodwind ensembles. He also teaches woodwind lessons in the district in grades 5 through 12. His work at ECMS includes summer study with the High School Wind Ensemble, the “Maiden Voyage” Basic improisation camp and the Middle School Jazz camp. During the school year he directs the Music Educators Jazz Ensemble. In the summer of 2013, he founded the ECMS-sponsored Music Educators Wind Ensemble, which meets in the summer
and during the school year. Bill was appointed in the Fall of 2004 to conduct the University of Rochester Wind Symphony and in the Fall of 2008 to direct the UR Jazz Ensemble. In 2009, he began teaching one of the Ithaca College Jazz Lab Bands, and is now on the faculty of the jazz department at IC. His current assignment includes two jazz lab bands.