Alumni in the News
Brian Casey (MM ’00) is in Greeley, Colorado finishing his doctoral course work in Wind Conducting.
Neil Delson's (BM ’05) Council Rock HS Jazz Band was the strongest group at our UD jazz festival.
Kris Ferranti (BM ’05) is in his 2nd year of teaching High School music at Hackettstown High School in Northern NJ. He teaches Concert Band, a Symphonic Band, Marching Band pep band, jazz band, and a pit orchestra.
Adrienne Harding (BM ’99, MM ‘01) was featured on the cover of the April/ May edition of Delaware Woman.
Kelly (Blanchard) Harding (BM ’01) is currently pursuing Master's in Music Education at U of D and teaching General Music at Leasure Elementary School in Newark, DE.
Lauren Heller (BM '04, MM '06) is currently the director of bands at Patuxent High School in Calverty County, Maryland. Her responsibilities include running the Jazz Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Marching Band, and soon-to-be Pep Band. She also teaches Music Theory and AP Music Theory. Lauren continues to work for the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy in the summers, and studies conducting year-round at conducting workshops and symposia around the country. She is a member of the Fairfax Wind Symphony in Northern Virginia.
Danielle Ingram (BM '04) completed her Master of Music in Piano Performance and Pedagogy at Westminster Choir College, graduating "With Distinction." She is currently teaching K-4 general and choral music in Little Falls, NJ and is on the piano faculty at Long Hill Music Center in Madison, NJ.
Megan Jenkins (BM ’00, MM’ 02) presented a session on Kurt Weil's Seven Deadly Sins at UD in Dr. Larry Peterson’s class this spring. Megan finished her doctoral work at the NY Graduate Center last summer and past her doctoral exams. She is now finishing her dissertation.
Jared Kobos (BM ’01) will receive his PhD in clarinet performance from Michigan State University.
Justin McAdams (BM ’02) is entering his fourth year as the band director and music department chair at Daniel Boone High School in Birdsboro, PA. He oversees the marching band (which performed at the 2007 Toyota Gator Bowl), wind ensemble, symphonic band, jazz ensemble, indoor guard, and percussion ensemble, as well as teaching music theory and a history of popular music course. The program has doubled in size in his tenure there, going from 65 students his first year to over 130 for the upcoming fall. Students of his have auditioned into district, region, state, and all-eastern ensembles over the past 3 years. He is also a staff member for the nationally-recognized George N. Parks Drum Major Academy, where he has spent the last 8 summers instructing high school student leaders. He is married to his lovely wife Sarah (MM, ’04), who is the band director at Daniel Boone Middle School.
Heather (Riley) McHenry (BM ’01) is in her 6th year of teaching at Crisfield Academy and High School and was named Teacher of the Year this past Spring. At her school she teaches 8th grade band, marching band, symphonic band, pep band, general music and a performing arts class.
Mary Kate Newell (BM ’00, MM ’05) is beginning a PhD program at Temple University for Music Education this Fall.
Joann Osgood (BM ’06) is band director at Patapsco HS and Center for the Arts Her wind ensemble received best overall concert ensemble and instrumental Grand Champion award at the recent Virginia Beach Music Festival.
Michael Pollock (BM ’01) is a high school band director in Albuquerque, NM. He also is a grad student at University of New Mexico.
Amy Schecher (BM ’02) is successful as band director at Rocky Point Sr. HS in Rocky Point, NY. One of her students Jessica Santiago is a UD freshman horn major.
Jacqui Seaborg (BM ’05) presented a session at the Eastern Division MENC.
Brian Stellato (BM ’03) had taught elementary band in the Sachem School District on Long Island for a few years. He is now one of two high school band directors at Huntington High School in Huntington, NY. He teaches 11th and 12 grade symphonic band and Music Theory I.
Beth Tullo (BM ’04) is a band director in Abilene, TX.
Chris Vitale (BM ’04) is the band director at Penns Grove High School in Carneys Point New Jersey. Over the past three years he has been responsible for teaching the Marching Band, Jazz Band, Concert Band, Music Appreciation, Music History, and Music Theory at the High School. Chris’ ensembles have won numerous superior ratings. Penns Grove’s Jazz Band won the Clifford Brown New Legacy Jazz Festival in Wilmington, Delaware in May of 2006 and the marching band was awarded 1st place at the Cavalcade of Bands Group 1 Open Championships in November of 2006. Since graduation Chris has also taught the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps (2006) as well as the Hawthorne Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corps (2007). Chris has continued playing the trumpet as a member of the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey and also performing in shows throughout the tri-state area. In June of 2007 Chris will be resigning from his current band director position to pursue a Masters of Music in Conducting Performance at the University of Delaware.
Erin Windle (BM ’81) is in a movie "The Magic Flute Diaries." You can see the trailer on www.sullivanmovies.com.