Clinicians:
- Eric Allen, University of Minnesota, Guest Band Clinician
- Dr. Matthew Inkster, Director of Bands, Host & Brass Clinician
- Dr. Christopher Barrick, Saxophone, Clarinet & Jazz Clinician
- Dr. Matthew Harder, Division Director & Percussion Clinician
- Ms. Wendy Kumer, Flute Clinician
- Prof. Jay Ware, Associate Director of Bands & Clinician
Biographies of the Clinicians:
Eric Allen served as Director of Bands at Sebastian River High School for ten years. He earned his Bachelor and Master of Music Education degrees from The Florida State University and is currently working on toward his Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting at the University of Minnesota.
Under his direction, the Sebastian River Marching Sharks received straight superior ratings at all Florida Bandmasters Association events as well as grand championship awards at many competitions. The Wind Symphony received Superior ratings at the state band assessment for ten straight years and performed at the “Music for All” National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, Indiana, the FMEA Conference in Tampa, Florida and the NBA/CBDNA Bi-Annual Southern Division Convention in Columbus, Georgia and the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, Illinois.
Mr. Allen was featured as the Florida Designee in the 2002 School Band and Orchestra Magazine “50 Directors That Make a Difference” issue and has received four “Citation of Excellence” awards from the National Band Association.
Matthew Inkster is Associate Professor and Director of Bands at West Liberty University where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, the Wheeling Symphony Youth Orchestra, and coordinates the brass area. Inkster is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician—most recently conducting honor and select groups in West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and New York. He has specialized in conducting the music of our time, and he has led ensembles on several compact disc recordings of new music on American and European labels. His performances have been heard on national and regional NPR and worldwide on the BBC.
Dr. Inkster is Artistic Co-Director of Winds on the Lake, a professional chamber ensemble of some of the finest musicians from the greater Tri-State Lake Region including Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Erie. Reception of this ensemble has been warm and accolades have been numerous. The group is committed to the performance and promotion of seldom-heard compositions for chamber and orchestral winds by familiar composers, as well as works by contemporary composers. The ensemble plans to extend its season from its current three concerts per year to six or more by touring in an expanded geographic area.
Inkster is also active as a trumpet soloist, recitalist, and clinician and has performed in 45 states and across Europe. He is Principal Trumpet of the Symphony of the Mountains (Tennessee/Virginia), and has held similar positions with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Chapman and Redlands Symphony Orchestras (California). He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, and he has competed in a number of the most prestigious trumpet competitions across the world: the Prague Spring International Music Competition, The International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition, the National Trumpet Competition, and the MTNA National Collegiate Artist Competition.
Dr. Inkster is the WVMEA Research and Grants Chair and has recently served as the Composition Contest Chairman for the International Trumpet Guild. He holds the degrees Doctor of Music (The Florida State University), Master of Music (University of Redlands), and Bachelor of Music Education (University of Wyoming). Dr. Inkster has taught in the public schools of Wyoming, California, and Florida.
Visit his personal website: www.matthewinkster.com
Christopher Barrick is an Assistant Professor of Music at
West Liberty University, where he teaches applied saxophone and
clarinet,
woodwind methods, and directs the Jazz Ensemble. A versatile musician
and educator, Barrick performs and teaches all styles of music
including classical, jazz, and rock. He has performed at numerous
conferences including those of the North American Saxophone Alliance,
the United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the
Association for Technology in Music Instruction. Barrick has performed
with nationally known acts such as the Omaha Symphony, Johnny Mathis,
the Legends of Swing, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Sonny Turner and the
Platters, The Crystals, The Coasters, the Harry James Orchestra and The
Temptations.
An experienced educator, Barrick has taught at two major universities
and in the public schools of Tennessee. In 2008, he directed the
Nebraska Class B All-State Jazz Band. Prior to his appointment at West
Liberty, he served as the Jazz Ensemble Director at Doane College
(Crete, NE) and as a Teaching Assistant in Saxophone at the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Barrick holds music degrees from the
University of Nebraska-Lincoln (DMA, 2008), the University of Tennessee
(MM, 2003) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BA, 2000 and BS,
2001).
Visit his personal website: www.christopherbarrick.com
Matthew D. Harder is Director of the Music Division and Assistant Professor of percussion and music technology at West Liberty University. Dr. Harder teaches Electronic Music, Recording Techniques, Music Appreciation, Fundamentals of Percussion, applied percussion and composition, and leads the WL Percussion Ensemble. Dr. Harder has been employed at institutions of higher learning in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Illinois Wesleyan University, Masters degrees from Bowling Green State University in Percussion and Composition, and a Doctor of Music in Composition from Northwestern University.
Dr. Harder is active as a performer, clinician, and composer and has had his works performed in numerous cities around the country. The Cleveland Chamber Symphony performed his orchestral work Catharsis in 1998. His compositions have received numerous awards, including the William T. Faricy award for creative composition from Northwestern University in 2000 for his piece Chin Music (percussion quartet and saxophone quartet).
Wendy Webb Kumer attended Duquesne University with a major in Music Education then earned a masters degree in Flute Performance from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been on the faculties of Carnegie Mellon, Slippery Rock and Duquesne Universities, and most recently West Liberty University and Mercyhurst College teaching Flute, Music Theory, Ear Training, Woodwind Methods, and Flute Choir. Ms. Kumer is the founder and director of The Flute Academy, a full service music school for more than 100 flutists in classes, lessons and ensembles who perform throughout western Pennsylvania. She is an Artist/Clinician for the Conn Selmer Corporation, Music For All, and Bands of America, former Secretary for The Marcel Moyse Society, Immediate Past President of the Pittsburgh Flute Club, and a guest artist at several universities. Her yearly performance schedule includes solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and regular church appearances. Wendy was invited to conduct the National High School Flute Choir at the 2002 NFA convention, served as Secretary for the NFA from 2003-05, served as Local Arrangements Chair for the 2006 NFA convention and assistant program chair for the 2007 NFA convention.
Jay Ware is an award-winning performing artist, educator,
composer,
and arranger whose consummate versatility has garnered the praise of
musical giants such as David Baker and Eric Ewazen. His
performing/recording credits include: Grammy Award winner Dee Stewart,
Pulitzer-Prize winner Gunther Schuller, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
member Mary Wilson and The Supremes, Emmy winner and Jazz legend David
Baker, Percussive Arts Society Hall of Fame member Bob Becker, Grammy
Award nominees Jack Wilkins and Chuck Owen, opera diva and Grammy Award
contributing artist Marietta Simpson, The Buselli/Wallarab Jazz
Orchestra, Mike Vax, Rick Simerly, Steve Houghton, Carroll Dashiell
Jr., Tom Walsh, Everett Greene, Pat Harbison, Dominic Spera, Dalores
King Williams, Luke Gillespie, the Broyhill Chamber Orchestra, the New
York Brass Quintet, the Bloomington Pops Orchestra, The United States
Army and Navy Bands, and many others. He has performed at conventions
and festivals including the American Bandmasters Association, Music
Educators National Conference, Percussive Arts Society Days of
Percussion, New Trier Jazz Festival, Spoleto Music Festival,
Appalachian Summer Music Festival, as well as special appearances on
various television and radio broadcasts.
In addition to his performing credits, Mr. Ware is equally active as an
educator and advocate for music education in school curricula. He is
currently Associate Director of Bands at West Liberty University. He
has served as Associate Instructor in the Jazz Department at Indiana
University, Director of Concert Band, Basketball Bands and Graduate
Assistant for the "Pride of North Carolina" Marching Mountaineers at
Appalachian State University, Instructor for the Musical Arts Youth
Orchestra (IN), Director of Bands at South Lenoir High School, as well
as Marching Percussion Arranger/Instructor for over 30 high schools. He
is in high demand as a classical and jazz performing artist, guest
conductor, adjudicator, marching clinician, and music advocate, and has
offered masterclasses at universities and schools all over the nation.
Mr. Ware has been twice nominated for Who's Who Among America's
Teachers, is a winner of the Appalachian State University Concerto/Aria
Competition, and was nominated for the prestigious Performers
Certificate at Indiana University.
Mr. Ware is an endorsing artist for Yamaha and Remo drumheads and
world percussion instruments.
Click HERE
to see a video of Jay Ware performing.
MM, Jazz Studies, Indiana University
MM, Music Performance, Appalachian State University
BM, Music Education & Music Performance, Mars Hill College