Jerry Brubaker
Upper Marlboro, MD
2011 - 2014
 

 Jerry is an exclusive composer and arranger for Alfred Publishing Co. and has published over 300 works for band, symphony orchestra, and chorus. A native of Altoona, Pennsylvania, Jerry has a Bachelors degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music from The Catholic University of America. Mr. Brubaker served for 30 years in the United States Navy Band in Washington, DC, as a french horn soloist and composer/arranger. He became the Band’s Chief Arranger and held that position until his retirement from the Navy in 1998. Jerry is a member of the City of Fairfax (Virginia) Band and has been an ACB member since 2002. He is very sensitive to the musical needs of community bands. One of his most recent works, “The American Road” received its official premiere as the commissioned work for the 2010 convention in Plano, TX. Everyone including the composer enjoyed the ride!

 

Lewis Buckley
Salem, CT
2012 - 2015

 Lewis J. Buckley was born in Columbus, Ohio, but considers himself a native of Florida, the state in which he grew up. He earned his undergraduate degree from the Eastman School of Music and his Master’s degree from Connecticut College. While at Eastman, he earned the Performer’s Certificate for outstanding performance on the trumpet, and he studied conducting and composition. He enlisted into the U. S. Coast Guard Band in 1969, where he served as Principal Trumpet and Trumpet Soloist for six years. Then, in 1975, he became the Coast Guard Band’s fifth Director at age 27, a post he held for over 29 years, becoming the longest-tenured conductor of a senior military band in American history. He continues to compose, arrange, and publish prolifically, and his music is widely performed, including a number of performances by the Metropolitan Wind Symphony (MWS). He also remains an active trumpet soloist, frequently combining solo appearances with conducting, often in premiere performances of his own commissioned works. As MWS Music Director, Buckley brings to the podium more than 30 years’ professional experience in an unusually wide range of music-making. He is equally at home conducting, writing, or performing, with bands, orchestras, and choruses, in all styles of music from classical to commercial to jazz. The MWS will be performing at the 2012 ACB Convention.

 Craig Hamilton
Arkadelphia, AR
2013-2016

 Dr. Craig Hamilton is the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Hot Springs Concert Band (HSCB), a position he’s held since 1999. Under his leadership the band has become the largest and most productive full-time community band in Arkansas. Its eighty band members come from seventeen communities in central Arkansas to perform up to fifteen concerts per year. Craig was the “host conductor” of the 2003 and 2004 “Community Band of the Ozarks” and 2004 ACB convention in Hot Springs. In 2010 the band nominated him for the ACB’s  “Conductor of the Year” award. With over two million visitors a year to the area, the HSCB  recently received  the  “Tourist Attrac-tion of the Year” from the Hot Springs Convention and Visitors Bureau. Dr. Hamilton earned his undergraduate degree in Music Education (with honors) at the University of Southern Mississippi, his Master’s in Trumpet Performance at Arkansas State University, and his Ph.D. in Music Education from the University of North Texas. He is the Distinguished Professor of Music, Director of Bands and Music Education Department Chair at the prestigious Ouachita Baptist University where he’s taught for 28 years. Craig is an active clinician, adjudicator, guest conductor, marching bands drill designer, and contributing author to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series. A member of all local, regional, national academic and professional associations, Craig Hamilton has served as State Chair of both the CBDNA and NBA.  He is a twelve-year member of  ACB, a contributing author to the ACB Journal, and a committed supporter of the ACB.

 

Barb Hunter
Long Sault, Ontario, Canada
2012-2015

 Barb Hunter grew up in South Bend, Indiana. She was so inspired by her high school band director and trumpet teacher, Art Singleton, that she already decided by the end of 6th grade that she wanted to pursue a career of being a school band teacher, concert band conductor and professional trumpeter. Barb earned her BME with Honors and MMus in Trumpet / Music Ed at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana. Barb pursued her music career first in Phoenix, Arizona, then in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Barb’s husband is RCMP Sgt. (retired) Brian Hunter; she has two sons and five grandchildren. In 2001, Barb founded the Seaway Winds Concert Band in Cornwall, Ontario and continues to direct the group. In 2010, the Seaway Winds nominated her for ACB’s first “ Conductor of the Year” award. Barb is on the Advisory Board for the Canadian Band Association (Ontario Chapter) and in 2009 was the recipient of the CBA( O )’s President’s Award of Merit. Barb is a dual U.S. – Canadian citizen, and promotes ACB’s goals of being “ The International Voice of Adult Community Bands”. Barb supports providing opportunities for all musicians who want to participate in live performances and in taking civic pride in maintaining community bands.

Ted Messerschmidt
Poughkeepsie, NY
2013-2016

Edward “Ted” Messerschmidt holds a Bachelor of Arts with a double concentration in German Literature and Music from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Music in Composition from George Mason University. Currently, he is working on a Doctor of Musical Arts in Education at Boston University. He is also the Assistant Director of the Marist College Community Symphonic Band and Wind Symphony. Aside from his duties at Marist College, he has performed professionally with groups including The Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, The Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra, The Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra, March Militaire (currently known as The Capitol Band), The Maryland Choral Society, and The Fifes and Drums of Prince William III. In the summer of 2011, he participated in the Juilliard Conducting Workshop for Music Educators, and he occasionally guest conducts student bands, orchestras, and choirs in New York and Virginia. In addition, his original compositions have been performed in the United States and Europe by renowned professional musicians including Harry Watters of the U.S. Army Band (Pershing's Own) and Charley Brighton of the BBC Winds. In 2004 he worked as an intern at Smithsonian Folkways Recordings helping to launch the new Folkways and Global Sound websites. Ted joined the Association of Concert Bands in 2008 and has attended every ACB national convention since then. In addition, his article on how to encourage younger membership was published in the ACB Journal in June of 2011. Ted is also a member of the National Association for Music Education, The College Music Society, and the Sons of the American Revolution. In addition, he is an honorary member of both Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma.

 

Susan Sands
Sewickley, PA
2011 - 2014

Susan is beginning her 21st year as conductor of the East Winds Symphonic Band. Under her direction, East Winds has matured as an organization and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious Sudler Silver Scroll. The EWSB was selected to perform for ACB conventions in 2008 and 2011. The EWSB established the Three Rivers Community Band Festival in 2004 as a vehicle to further awareness of community band music in western Pennsylvania, to encourage quality performance, and to bring together community band musicians from many different organizations. Since its inception, Susan has served on the festival steering committee. She received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education, specializing in oboe, from Susquehanna University and her Masters of Education in Music from The Pennsylvania State University. She continues to perform on oboe and English horn with several regional orchestras. As an educator she has worked in the Midd-West and Moon Area School Districts, St. Bernadette’s in Monroeville, and in Connecticut in the Glastonbury Public Schools. Susan joined ACB in 2006, and resides in the suburbs of Pittsburgh with her husband Tom, a computer engineer, and their three children.

Macon, GA
2011 - 2014

In May of 2000 Colonel Shelburne completed a 30 year career in music, culminating in ten years of leadership as only the sixth “Leader and Commander” of The United States Army Band, Washington, DC. He earlier led the US Military Academy Band at West Point and the US Army Europe Band in Heidelberg, Germany. He has earned undergraduate (Hardin-Simmons University) and graduate (Arizona State University) degrees in music. In 1976 he was chosen to be the Associate Director and Deputy Commander for the US Armed Forces Bicentennial Band and Chorus which was organized to help celebrate our nation’s 200th birthday. Bryan was elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association in 1990. He is married, with two children and five grandchildren. Bryan first joined the ACB in 1996 and has been an individual member and most recently, a corporate member as co-founder of Global Arts and Entertainment. He was also our convention band conductor in Mesa, AZ in 1996.

Chris Wilhjelm
Glen Rock, NY
2013 - 2016

Chris Wilhjelm has been the Conductor and Music Director of the critically acclaimed Ridgewood Concert Band since it’s founding in 1983. From 2000-2005, he was the Music Director of the legendary Goldman Band in New York. He served as the director of the New York University Wind Ensemble during the 2006-2007 school year presenting three premiere performances. Dr. Wilhjelm has also enjoyed a 35 year career as a public school music teacher. Wilhjelm graduated from the New England Conservatory where he studied horn with Harry Shapiro of the Boston Symphony. He was the principal hornist with the Conservatory Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Gunther Schuller and the Conservatory Wind Ensemble under the direction of Frank Battisti. He received a Master of Music degree from The College of New Jersey and a Doctor of Education degree from Teachers' College, Columbia University. Dr. Wilhjelm has performed as a French hornist with the Boston Symphony, the Boston Pops and, as a principal, with the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Boston Opera Orchestra and the Richmond, Virginia Symphony, and he continues to perform professionally as a hornist with the brass quintet in residence at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ. Active as a guest clinician and conductor, Dr. Wilhjelm has instructed youth and adult ensembles throughout the world. His has worked with ensembles from throughout North America including, Florida, Texas, California, and Hawaii in addition to international ensembles from as far as Brazil, the West Indies, Australia and China. Under his leadership, the Ridgewood Concert Band has commissioned and premiered works of several contemporary composers of wind band music. Chris resides in Glen Rock, New Jersey, with his wife, Jacqueline Sarracco, Director of Bands at Ramapo High School in Franklin Lakes, NJ and their family.