middle school honor band

6th grade honor band conductor
elaine menke is the 5th grade band director at lakewood elementary in the norwalk schools. this is her 19th year of teaching instrumental music. she previously taught 5th grade bands at brookview and woodland hills elementary for 4 years in the waukee schools, and has taught in the north polk schools, des moines public schools and at southeast warren. 

elaine received her bachelor’s degree from the university of northern iowa. she performs with the des moines metro concert band during the ‘music under the stars’ concerts in the summer on bass clarinet and also plays clarinet in the grand view university wind ensemble.

elaine enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, rock-climbing, and card-making. her husband, nick, is also band director in the norwalk schools and she has 2 sons, carson (10) and brecker (6).

7th grade honor band conductor
mary crandell is a native of storm lake, iowa. after graduating from storm lake high school, mary attended the university of nebraska–lincoln and the university of south dakota in vermillion, earning a ba in music education. mary’s first teaching position was in lecenter, minnesota where she was the 5-12 band director for four years. mary started a competitive marching, concert and jazz program at lecenter in the time she was there. the first four summers of her teaching career were spent back in the classroom to earn an ma in music education in 2002. mary spent one year as the director of bands at clear lake high school (ia) and has been teaching at waukee (north) middle school (ia) from 2004 to present. duties at wms include: co-teach 6^th & 7^th lessons, 7^th & 8^th jazz bands and 7^th concert band.

mary grew up in a musical family. she had her own father as her high school band director and followed in her parents’ footsteps becoming a band director. she is a proud veteran who served ten years as a member of the 43^rd national guard band in lincoln, nebraska. the waukee (north) concert bands have received consecutive division i or i+ ratings at large group contests and the 2010-11 8^th grade jazz band was selected to perform at the iowa bandmaster’s annual conference in may, 2011. mary and her colleague, deb dunn, have presented professional development sessions on embedding jazz into your beginning band program at state and national levels as well as rehearsal techniques for middle school concert bands at the state level. mary has also been a guest conductor for numerous honor band festivals in iowa and nebraska.

mary serves in leadership roles for the iowa bandmasters association and jazz educators of iowa. she succeeded her mother as the iba state historian, co-chaired the south central iowa bandmasters association district junior high concert/jazz band festivals and is currently in her second term as jei president. mary is a member of the following: nafme, imea, iaae, jei, wea, ita, st. timothy’s episcopal church (currently facilitates the pastoral ministries commission, vestry president and vacation bible school co-organizer) and peo (women’s philanthropy group).

mary’s daily life thrives on her passion and drive for teaching music to her students. her passion for inspiring young students to engage their creativity through the arts is exemplified through her first two published books: little miss mary discovers music outside her window(isbn: 9781499022179) and little miss mary discovers the piano (isbn: 9781503580008). when mary is not teaching or writing, she loves spending time with her husband, myron peterson, who also shares her love of teaching music and playing trombone. she tries to log a few miles of running and biking or practicing yoga as well as reading music journals and iba archives.

8th grade honor band conductor
patrick kearney currently serves as the facilitator for teacher leadership in the johnston (ia) community schools. prior to taking on his current role, he served for 15 years as the director of bands at johnston high school.

he previously taught at stilwell junior high in west des moines, dallas center-grimes high school, and hoover high school in des moines. bands under his direction have appeared at the jazz educators network national conference, the iowa bandmasters association, and have won the iowa jazz championships.

mr. kearney has served as president of the iowa bandmasters association, co-chair of the iowa jazz championships, and was a founding board member of the jazz educators of iowa. he currently serves on the national teacher leadership collaborative and has been a regular contributor to the huffington post.

his wife, cathy, teaches 5th grade band in the des moines public schools and his son brogan is a music education major at drake university.

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6th grade honor band conductor
paul bloomquist is the director of bands at iowa central community college in fort dodge. paul holds an m.a. degree from southern oregon university through the american band college in ashland, oregon and a b.m. degree from simpson college where he graduated magna cum laude.

paul has taught all levels of music education and has led bands in meservey-thorton, lake mills and manson northwest webster schools. he also led some of iowa's top high school jazz musicians for four summers, 2002 – 2005, while serving as the jazz band director for the celebration iowa singers and jazz band summer program through luther college.

paul has been nominated and included multiple times in the who's who among american teachers. he has also received a golden apple teaching award in 2003 and has served as guest conductor and clinician at numerous concert band and jazz band festivals. he has served as president for the north central iowa band association and chair of the college band affairs committee for the iowa bandmasters association.

paul is an active musician playing tuba and trombone in jive for five brass quintet, the karl king municipal band, the dick bauman big band and various other groups. 

paul and his wife, kelli, have six children: grace, emilia, noah, blake, landon and meili. paul is the fourth generation bloomquist to live on the family’s century farm south of dayton, iowa.

7th grade honor band conductor
brad lampe is from geneseo, illinois and attended augustana college in rock island earning a bachelor’s degree in music education 1984. lampe later earned his master’s degree in music education from drake university in 1991. he taught 5th-12th grade band at shelby-tennant schools in shelby, iowa (now a.h.s.t.), and  5th -12th grade band at lansing community schools in lansing, kansas. starting in 1987, mr. lampe began his tenure of 29 years as the high school band director at clarke high school, in osceola, iowa retiring in 2016. currently, he serves as the instructional coach for clarke community schools in the middle school and high school.

mr. lampe has served as president of the iowa bandmasters association in 2013. within the south central district of iba, has served as president, chair of the concert band affairs committee, chair of the sciba honor band (5 years), and co-chair of the sciba concert band festival (14 years). he has also served his community as president of the osceola optimist club, and chair of osceola parks and recreation department.

brad is married to, amy, the vice president at clarke county state bank in osceola, and the have three boys; jake, joe, and mitch. they are proud grandparents to jayden (4), cameron (2), and paisley (1).

8th grade honor band conductor
frank perez serves as the director of bands at baker university in baldwin city, kansas, where he conducts the baker symphonic winds, jazz ensemble, pep band, and teaches applied trombone, euphonium and tuba lessons. previous positions include director of bands at graceland university, where he held the prestigious vredenburg endowed chair, graduate teaching assistant at the university of kansas, and director of bands at ganesha high school in pomona, california.

dr. perez maintains an active national and international guest-conducting schedule. he has guest conducted conference honor bands in iowa, missouri, and kansas. in 2016, he served as the principal conductor for the kansas state lions band. dr. perez has served as guest conductor and artist in residence for the bénemerita universidad autónoma de puebla, in puebla, méxico. dr. perez is an active as a freelance trombonist, having performed with ensembles such as the la jolla symphony, l.a. guild opera, des moines big band, and his trombone quartet, kc bone connection. he currently serves as the principal trombonist for the freestate brass band.

dr. perez holds bachelor degrees in trombone performance and music education, and a master of music education degree from the university of southern california thornton school of music. he earned a doctor of musical arts degree in wind band conducting from the university of kansas school of music and has been honored by phi kappa phi and pi kappa lambda honor fraternities, blue key national honor society, who’s who among american teachers, and most recently by the phi beta mu international school band director fraternity.

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6th grade honor band conductor
steve kellar is currently the 7th grade band director at summit middle school in the johnston community school district. he has taught at waco community school district (1992-93), albia community school district (1993-97), des moines public school district (1997-98), carlisle community school district (1998-2000; 2001-06), and the urbandale community school district (2006-12). he received his bachelor of music degree from simpson college in 1992. steve also earned an associate arts degree in commercial art from dmacc in 2001.

his professional affiliations include, or have included, the iowa bandmasters association, south central iowa bandmasters association, and jazz educators of iowa. he has served as jazz affairs chairperson for the south central iowa bandmasters association and member of the iowa high school music association concert band literature review committee. ensembles under his direction have consistently received superior ratings in concert band, marching band, and jazz band. in 2003, the carlisle jazz band placed first at the iowa jazz championships and in 2004, the carlisle concert band received the sweepstakes award at the worlds of fun concert band festival.

7th & 8th grade honor band conductor
jerilyn kobberdahl is currently band director at crestview school of inquiry and crossroads park elementary school in the west des moines community school district. she has taught at stuart-menlo elementary (1988-89), saydel middle school (1989-90), woodward-granger elementary and middle school (1990-2002), and at wallace and beaver creek elementary in johnston (2002-2005). she received her bachelor’s degree in music education from truman state university in 1988. she has completed additional graduate work at drake university, iowa state, and university of south dakota. her professional affiliations include, or have included, the iowa bandmasters association, the iowa music educators association, and sigma alpha lota.

jerilyn has served as a judge for various solo and ensemble festivals at the elementary level. she has been a private lesson instructor for woodwinds and piano. she currently serves as the department chairperson for the west des moines elementary band department and the elementary chairperson for south central iowa bandmasters.

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middle school honor band conductor
tony garmoe is currently band director at clive learning academy and westridge elementary school in the west des moines community school district. he has taught at pekin high school (1982-1984), saydel high school (1984-1987), woodside middle school (1987-1988), the university of iowa (graduate assistant, 1988-1990), plainfield (illinois) high school (1990-1991), and valley high school (1991-2013). he received his bachelor’s degree in music education from truman state university (formerly northeast missouri state university) in 1982 and his master of music in conducting from the university of iowa in 1990. he has completed additional work at the university of minnesota, the university of seattle, iowa state university, and drake university. his professional affiliations include or have included, the iowa bandmasters association, music educators national conference, iowa music educators, world association of symphonic bands and ensembles, international association of jazz educators and phi mu alpha sinfonia.

tony has been awarded a northwestern university summer music fellowship, the stanbury outstanding young band director award, and a council for basic education fellowship to study the small ensemble music of armstrong, parker, davis and coltrane. he was awarded a fulbright-hayes scholarship and studied in poland and hungary for six weeks in 1995. in 1997, he was a member of the fulbright teacher delegation, in komatsu city, japan. his professional interests rest in the areas of literature, conducting, and chamber music. as a member of iba he has served as the convention equipment chairperson, publicity chairperson, concert band affairs committee chairperson (providing leadership and direction for the ihsma concert band literature list), sciba president, and president of the iowa bandmasters association.

ensembles under his direction have performed at the iowa bandmasters association conference, illinois music educators association conference, midwest international band and orchestra conference, iowa state honor band and conductors symposium and at hancher auditorium at the university of iowa in shared concert with the university of iowa symphony band. ensembles within the valley high school band program have received regional, national, and international recognition. in 1999, the valley high school music department received the first ever grammy signature school award for exemplary high school music programs. in 2001, the vhs symphony band was the 4a honor band for the iowa bandmasters conference and in 2005 and 2012 served as a rehearsal clinic ensemble for the international band and orchestra clinic, in chicago, illinois. in 2008 small chamber ensembles from the vhs symphony band performed at the gallagher bluedorn auditorium on the campus of the university of northern iowa in addition to the 2013 iowa bandmasters association conference. tony provided philosophical and organizational leadership for valleyfest, one of the largest single-day marching band festivals in the midwest, and he remains active as a clinician, consultant, adjudicator, conductor, and performing musician.

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