Summer Conference 2020 Clinicians and Abstracts
Dr. William L. Lake, Jr., is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music (SUNY-Potsdam) and Associate Director of Bands. His additional academic responsibilities include conducting the Crane Concert Band and Community Band, teaching conducting, and supervisor of instrumental music education majors in their pre-field experiences. Dr. Lake earned his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Instrumental Conducting from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro under the mentorship of Drs. John R. Locke and Kevin Geraldi. As a graduate student, Professor Lake was principal conductor of The University of North Carolina University Band and guest conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Casella Sinfonietta Chamber Ensemble, and Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Lake also taught undergraduate courses in conducting.
Dr. Lake maintains an active performance and clinic schedule including, most recently, the National HBCU National Band Directors' Conducting Symposium. He was a finalist for the 2017-2018 Ernst Bacon Memorial Award for the Performance of American Music and the Band Conducting Division of the American Prize. In March 2018, Dr. Lake was invited to present a position paper, "The Oak is Inside the Acorn: Fostering Potential through Mentorship" for the Eastern Division of the College Band Director Association at Yale University in New Haven, CT. He is a member of the Conductor’s Guild, the College Band Directors National Association (state of New York Vice-Chairperson), Kappa Kappa Psi, National Honorary Band Fraternity, Inc., an honorary member of Tau Beta Sigma, National Honorary Band Sorority, Inc., Phi Mu Alpha, Sinfonia, and Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc.
Mr. Brenner has been a music educator for forty years. He taught in the Levittown, West Hempstead and Port Washington School Districts where he has directed concert and marching bands, wind and jazz ensembles, pit orchestras, and numerous chamber ensembles. He has extensive experience teaching music theory and Advanced Placement Music Theory. A graduate of LIU/Post, Mr. Brenner earned a Master’s Degree from SUNY Stony Brook and his post graduate degree in Education Administration and Leadership from LIU/Post. While in Port Washington, Mr. Brenner also served as the District’s Coordinator of Music. Mr. Brenner is a member of NMEA, NAfME, NYSSMA, and is an active member of NYSBDA having served on the Executive Board for seven years. Mark has presented workshops at the Balanced Mind Conference and at previous New York State Summer Music Conferences. Currently, Mark is a BOCES Cultural Arts Artist and is enjoying working with high school brass students, serving as a NYSSMA brass adjudicator. He was the recipient of the NYSBDA Retired Band Director’s Award in 2019 and performs with the Long Island Windn Ensemble.
Jeffrey Dunn
Trombonist Jeff Dunn is based in Rochester, NY, after serving as a Private Low Brass
Instructor for the Tomball Independent School District, a suburb of Houston, TX. In
Tomball, Jeff taught a large studio of trombone, euphonium, and tuba students, and directed
the Tomball High School Trombone Choir and Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble.
Jeff is a founding member of the trombone duo, Duplicity, and has previously performed
with the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra, the Houston Sinfonietta, the Texas Brass
Ensemble, and toured with the American Wind Symphony Orchestra.
Jeff is also the Founder and President of the Texas Trombone Institute, a nonprofit that
hosts an intensive weeklong session for young developing trombonists, and features a Band
Director's Workshop for educators seeking professional development.
Jeff has presented clinics at the International Trombone Festival, the New York State
School Music Association Conference and the Texas Music Educators Association
Convention. Jeff has also presented guest masterclasses for Tarleton State University,
Ithaca College, and the Lewisville, Fort Bend, Katy, and Waller school districts in Texas.
He is published by the International Trombone Association Journal, the Online Trombone
Journal, and Eighth Note Publications.
Lauren Rudzinskas is the professor of trombone and euphonium at Mansfield University in
Pennsylvania and general manager of the International Women’s Brass Conference. She also
teaches at the Eastman Community Music School.
Lauren pursued both her Doctoral and Master’s degrees at the Eastman School of Music studying
Trombone Performance and Literature with a minor in Pedagogy and an Advanced Certificate in
College Teaching. During her time at Eastman, Rudzinskas earned a Performer’s Certificate and
was nominated for an Artist Diploma. She earned her bachelor’s degree in jazz performance
from Youngstown State University, where she was selected for the Dean’s Award in the College
of Creative Arts and Communication as well as the university-wide Senior Academic Award for
Outstanding Student Scholarship. She has had success in numerous solo competitions, received
multiple grants, and was the 2016 recipient for the Jack L. Frank Award for Excellence in
Teaching.
Lauren’s performance credits include playing with Monarch Brass and the Diva Jazz Orchestra
in the Cleveland Playhouse production of Maurice Hines is Tappin’ Thru Life. She is the
principal trombonist in the Rochester Women’s Philharmonic and a substitute musician for
Symphoria (formerly the Syracuse Symphony). Lauren has held positions as principal trombonist
with the Greenville Symphony Orchestra and Youngstown Scoring Stage. After receiving a
research grant, Lauren produced and performed in Aspire, a recording of original music
including several of her own compositions.
Kristen Gilbert received her Bachelor's of Music Education from the Crane School of Music @ SUNY Potsdam and her Masters of Music in Composition from Binghamton University. She is currently working on her CAS in College Teaching. She has been teaching for 22+ years in upstate NY, with her last 20 years in the Whitney Point Central School District. She currently teaches 7th and 8th Grade Modern Band and Music Technology and 6th grade band, and she has taught high school band, marching band, jazz band, AP theory, junk percussion and music history. Kris is an active clinician and has presented at NAfME All-National, NAfME All-Eastern, Little Kids Rock Modern Band Summit in Colorado, NYSCATE, NYSSMA All-State, Texas All-State, Ohio All-State, Tennessee All-State and the Association for Popular Music Education. In addition to teaching, Kris is a music director for several local theater companies in the Binghamton, NY area where she has music directed over 140 shows. She is also an active clinician, composer, arranger and conductor in the upstate NY area.
Dr. Eric Michael Laprade
Eric Laprade is Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at The
College of New Jersey, where he conducts the wind ensemble and concert band,
and teaches courses in instrumental conducting and literature. He also serves as
the Music Director of South Shore Conservatory’s Summer Music Festival in
Hingham, MA and Managing Editor of the Paul R. Judy Center for Innovation and
Research at the Eastman School of Music. Laprade has served as the Visiting
Director of Wind Ensembles at The University of Utah and as Music Department
Chairperson and High School Band Director for the Randolph, MA Public
Schools. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in conducting from the Eas1tman
School of Music, a Master of Music in conducting from the University of Michigan,
and a Bachelor of Music in music education and tuba performance from the
Eastman School of Music. His primary teachers include Mark Davis Scatterday,
Michael Haithcock, and Malcolm W. Rowell, Jr.
Scott Cannan is beginning his 26th year of teaching, the past 23 years in Rush-Henrietta. He has been the director of the Rush-Henrietta Symphonic Band since 2003 and Concert Band (2003-2017). He has taught instrumental music (band) for grades 4-12 and elementary general music. A graduate of Rush-Henrietta, he received a Bachelor of Music Education from the State University of New York at Fredonia, a Master of Music Education from Ithaca College and a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Leadership from the State University of New York at Oswego. Under Mr. Cannan’s direction, the Rush-Henrietta Symphonic Band has received Silver, Gold and Gold with Distinction ratings at the New York State School Music Association (NYSSMA) major ensemble evaluation festivals and has performed at the New York State School Board’s Association, traveled to Chicago to perform in the Heritage music festival, and traveled to Walt Disney World to perform in the Disney Honors and Disney Youth Programs Performing Arts. Mr. Cannan has performed with the Central New York Music Educators’ Wind Ensemble and the Eastman Music Educators’ Jazz Ensemble. Currently, Mr. Cannan performs in the saxophone section with the Eastman Community Music School Music Educators Wind Ensemble and serves as the NYSSMA Zone 2 Representative.
Meghan Cabral is currently the District Director of Music for the Carmel Central School district.
Previous, Meghan spent 15 years teaching elementary and middle school band.
Meghan stays active as an author for Music Education Publications including
NAfME’s Teaching Music, Instrumentalist Magazine, Music Educator’s Journal,
The Instrumentalist, School Band and Orchestra Magazine (SBO), as well as on
many blogs such as NAfME’s online blog, Band Director’s Talk Shop, as well as
Smart Music’s online blog. In addition to her article contributions Meghan was a
2017 Grammy Music Educator Semifinalist.
Daniel Fabricius is on the faculty at Binghamton University where he serves as
conductor of the University Wind Symphony. He also serves on the faculty for the Ithaca
College School of Music supervising both Junior and Senior student teachers. However,
he is perhaps most known throughout the state as the now-retired Director of Bands at
Owego Free Academy where he developed an outstanding model instrumental music
program. At OFA both the concert band and jazz band programs consistently earning
Gold and Gold with Distinction ratings at New York State School Music Association
Evaluation festivals. There were many honors for OFA under his leadership, including
the OFA Jazz Band appearance at the Annual Symposium of the New York State Band
Directors Association as well as multiple performances for both the NYS School Boards
Association convention and the NYSSMA Winter Conference.
In addition to his collegiate teaching. he is also highly regarded in the New York
Southern Tier region as a percussion soloist and ensemble player. He is a member of the
Binghamton Philharmonic percussion section and as a free-lance percussionist he has
accompanied national touring artists such as Michael W. Smith, Tommy Tune, Jerry Vail,
Lorrie Morgan, Ringling Brothers Circus, the Smothers Brothers, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Having also taught percussion at BU, Mr. Fabricius is also a composer; with several of
his percussion compositions published by Kendor Music.
Mr. Fabricius serves the New York State School Music Association as an adjudicator for
All-State Percussion and Instrumental Jazz soloists as well as for bands, orchestras, and
jazz ensembles at Major Organization Festivals. He is also the Instrumental Jazz Reviews
editor of NYSSMA The School Music News and is the Instrumental Jazz editor for the
NYSSMA Manual. He is past chairperson for the NYSSMA All-State Instrumental Jazz
Ensemble. Mr. Fabricius has presented many clinics at music conventions and
conferences and often serves as a guest conductor for honor band festivals.
Laura Johnson received her Master of Music Education (Conducting Concentration) degree from
Old Dominion University in 2020. As a Graduate Assistant in the F. Ludwig Diehn School of
Music, Laura served as the Graduate Conductor for the ODU Wind Ensemble, ODU Symphonic
Band, Monarch Marching Band, and Monarch Basketball Band. Her master’s thesis, “Gender-
Specific Mentorship for Collegiate Female Band Directors” was selected for Old Dominion
University’s Graduate Research Achievement Day in 2020. Prior to moving to Virginia, Laura
received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education from Gustavus Adolphus College and taught
middle school band and general music in Sartell, Minnesota. She currently holds the title of
Assistant Conductor of the Bay Youth Wind Symphony and will begin teaching in Chesapeake,
Virginia this fall.
Laura has performed with and conducted ensembles on both a national and international scale,
making her international conducting debut with the Windiana Concert Band during their tour of
Italy in 2018. In May 2020, Laura co-founded the group “Women Banding Together” as a
resource for mentorship of women band directors. She is a proud member of Pi Kappa Lambda,
Women Band Directors International, College Band Directors National Association, National
Association for Music Education, and Kappa Kappa Psi.
Robin Linaberry retired from his full-time positions after 35 years of
teaching music at all levels from elementary to adult groups. As Director of
Bands for Maine-Endwell High School, his groups consistently earned the
“Gold” and “Gold with Distinction” ratings in NYSSMA festivals, and
superior ratings in festival performances in the U.S. and Canada. He supported
the development of future educators by hosting and mentoring more than thirty
Student Teachers. He continues to work very frequently as a music education
clinician, an adjudicator, and as a guest conductor of honor groups throughout
the Northeast. In addition, Mr. Linaberry is the conductor of The Southern Tier
Concert Band, a professional-level adult concert band that earned the first-
place award with The American Prize in Wind Ensemble Performance:
Community Division for the year 2014. He has taught for Binghamton
University, Broome Community College (SUNY Broome), and Ithaca College.
He was the Band Director for the well-known Signature Band & Choir Camp
and spent nearly a decade as Symphonic Band Conductor and Head Director
and for the internationally-known American Music Abroad tours, conducting
concerts throughout ten European countries. Mr. Linaberry is currently the
New York State Chairperson for The National Band Association,
As a trombonist, Linaberry has performed with the Binghamton
Philharmonic Orchestra, the BC Pops Orchestra, Tri-Cities Opera, the “Ice
Capades”, Ringling Brothers – Barnum and Bailey Circus and a large variety
of bands and brass ensembles. For nearly twenty years, Linaberry performed
as an electric bassist and vocalist with numerous groups, including “Classy
Brass”, which was chosen to perform for then-President William Clinton in
October 2000.
Robin is affiliated with NAfME (MENC), NYSSMA, the New York State
Band Directors Association, and the International Trombone Association. His
recognitions include the “NYSBDA Outstanding Retired Band Director
Award” for 2018; the BCMEA “Distinguished Service Award” for 2017; the
“NYSSMA Outstanding Contribution to Music Education Award” for 2016,
along with the Maine-Endwell Schools’ “Founder’s Day” Award and the
district’s peer-elected “Golden Apple Award” for excellence in teaching. He
was awarded the “Nationally Registered Music Educator” status by MENC and
the “ASBDA-Stanbury Award” for both New York and for the Northeast
United States. He was a nominee for the GRAMMY Music Educator Award
and was the first of five “Excellence In Education” honorees featured on
WBNG-TV in Binghamton NY. He served as the national Band Mentor in the
MENC “Ask the Mentor” program and is in demand as a presenter of music
education workshops. As an author, his work has been featured in Music
Educators Journal, SBO Magazine, The Instrumentalist and The NBA Journal
and his book, [working title] “Strategies, Tips and Activities for the Effective
Band Director” is set to be released later this year from Routledge Publishers,
an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
Robin Linaberry lives in Owego, NY with his wife and best friend,
Patty, an inspirational and highly-respected elementary school teacher. They
are proud of their two wonderful children; their daughter, Whitney, is an
activities director for a nursing home while their son, Chris, is an electrical
lineman in Pittsburgh, and the father of their very first grand-daughter,
Mckenna Rose Linaberry. In his free time, Robin immerses himself in
carpentry and home improvement projects, reading, writing, and music
composition/arrangement. Oh, and they very freely spoil their three dogs,
including a rare Nederlandse Kooikerhondje.