2019 Conference Reporting and Photography Staff
Reporting Staff
Spencer Brand (SB) is a doctoral student at Arizona State University, where he currently serves as a trumpet graduate teaching assistant. He received two MM degrees in trumpet performance and composition from Arizona State University.
John Bryant (JB) is a freelance player in Atlanta and currently serves as artist affiliate in trumpet at Reinhardt University.
Alexander Davis (AD) is a freelance writer and graduate student at the University of Kansas. He has performed with the Opera in the Ozarks Orchestra, Lubbock Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Wind Symphony, and the 1st Armored Division Band of the US Army.
Eli Denecke (ED) is a Florida State University DMA trumpet student. In Spring 2019 he graduated from the University of Florida with an MM in performance and a secondary concentration in historical musicology.
Kevin Eisensmith (KE) is a former president of the International Trumpet Guild and currently serves as secretary. He is professor of trumpet at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Luis Engelke (LE) is professor of music at Towson University and editor of the Music Reviews column in the ITG Journal. He is principal trumpet of several orchestras and has performed with more than fifty professional orchestras internationally.
Derek Ganong (DG) is assistant professor of trumpet and director of jazz at Boise State University. He also serves as trumpet faculty at the FredBrass Institute and is a founding member of the Vice City Brass.
Elisa Koehler (EK) is a member of the ITG Board of Directors and the author of Fanfares and Finesse (Indiana University Press). She will begin a new position this fall as professor of music and chair of the Music Department at Winthrop University.
Will Koehler (WK) is an active clinician and performer in the central US. A recent graduate of Indiana University, his teachers include Joey Tartell, Jeff Curnow, Al Hood, and Todd Hastings.
Marie Mencher (MM) is a master's student in trumpet performance and a graduate teaching assistant at Kansas State University.
Eric Millard (EM) is the assistant professor of trumpet at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He also serves ITG as the Conference Stage Manager and Book Reviews column editor.
Kyle Millsap (KM) is assistant professor of trumpet and jazz at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, where he oversees the trumpet program and directs the trumpet ensembles, jazz trumpet ensembles, and Jazz Band II. He also performs with the Kingsville Brass Quintet.
Paige Nelson, editorial assistant, is a freelance trumpeter and teacher in the Philadelphia area. She holds degrees from the University of Northern Colorado (MM) and the University of South Alabama (BM).
Grant Peters (GP) is ITG vice-president and will begin his service as president on October 1. He is in his 24th year as professor of music at Missouri State University, where he teaches trumpet and coordinates the brass area.
J. Peyden Shelton (JPS) is the assistant professor of trumpet at the University of Utah. He serves as the ITG Orchestral Excerpts Competition chair and is a Yamaha Performing Artist.
Steven Siegel (SS) is assistant professor of music at Western Colorado University and serves as a recordings reviewer for the International Trumpet Guild.
Pamela Smitter (PS) is principal trumpet in the West Michigan Symphony Orchestra, section trumpet in the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and a DMA candidate at Michigan State University.
T.J. Tesh (TT) is a Yamaha and Pickett Brass artist and serves as assistant professor of trumpet at The University of Southern Mississippi.
Matthew Vangjel (MV) teaches trumpet at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. He is also an active performer and holds positions with the Mirari Brass Quintet, Fountain City Brass Band, and Mobile Symphony Orchestra.
Nick Volz (NV) is associate professor of trumpet and jazz studies at Loyola University New Orleans.
Spencer Wallin (SW) is adjunct professor of high brass at Navarro College. He holds degrees from the University of North Texas (DMA), the University of Michigan (MM), and Brigham Young University (BM).
Marisa Youngs (MY) is the ITG New Works coordinator and is currently the adjunct professor of trumpet and music theory at Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina.
Photography Staff
Michael Anderson is the ITG Website director and head photographer for the conference. He serves as professor of trumpet at Oklahoma City University and is a member of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic.
Norman Black is a semi-retired IT professional and percussionist who resides in South Florida. A graduate of the US Naval School of Music and former member of the 76th US Army Band, he now enjoys his favorite pastime, photography. He is the house photographer at a local community theatre and enjoys doing nature and portrait photography.
Benjamin Lowe is a professor at Stillman Business School at Seton Hall University, as well as a managing partner of Lebeta Tech, LLC. He has played trumpet/cornet with a brass band in Dublin, Ireland, as well as with a Ukranian dance band in Maryland. He is an avid photographer and displays his work on https://500px.com/benjaminlowe.
Donald Sorah is associate professor of music and coordinator of the music division at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise. He regularly performs with the Symphony of the Mountains in Kingsport, Tennessee, and the Johnson City (TN) Symphony. He is also the founder and music director of the Winds of the Mountain Empire, a regional professional wind ensemble in Big Stone Gap, Virginia.