Clinicians:
- Dr. Eddie R. Smith, University of Redlands, Guest Band Clinician
- Dr. Matthew Inkster, West Liberty State College, Host
- Dr. Christopher Barrick, Saxophone, Clarinet & Jazz Clinician
- Dr. Richard Brown, West Liberty State College, Brass Clinician
- Dr. Matthew Harder, West Liberty State College, Percussion Clinician
- Ms. Wendy Kumer, Flute Clinician
- Don Miller, Low Brass
Biographies of the Clinicians:
In addition to teaching saxophone, Dr. Smith conducts the University Wind Ensemble at the University of Redlands. Prior to joining the faculty in 1991, Dr. Smith served as director of bands at the University of Wyoming where he also served as state chair for both the College Band Directors National Association and the National Band Association, as well as research chair for the Wyoming Music Educators. In addition, he taught for more than 10 years in the public and parochial school systems of Florida. Dr. Smith remains extremely active as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator.
Matthew Inkster is Assistant Professor and Director of Bands at West Liberty State College where he conducts the Wind and Jazz Ensembles and coordinates the brass area. Inkster is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician—most recently conducting honor and select groups in 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 has a number of research articles submitted for publication in the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild and in the Journal of Research in Music Education.
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.
Dr. Christopher Barrick is an Assistant Professor of Music at
West Liberty
State College, 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
Dr. Richard Brown is an Associate Professor of Music and is currently in his tenth year at West Liberty State College, where his duties include elementary and secondary teaching methods classes for music majors, music methods for elementary education majors, band instrument repair, and supervision of student teachers. He was also the master teacher of instrumental music at the 2001 and 2002 West Virginia Governors School for the Arts. He is currently president of West Virginia Music Educators Association, and is on the Executive Board of the Southern Division of MENC: The National Association for Music Education.
Prior to his appointment at West Liberty, he was Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA where he taught a variety of music and music education classes. Dr. Brown also taught at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, where he directed the wind ensemble, the chamber orchestra, pep bands, and taught a variety of music and music education classes. He has 12 years experience in public school teaching, which includes K-3 general music, middle school vocal, general, and instrumental music, and high school band. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Morehead State University, a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, and a PhD in Music Education with a Cognate in Child Development from Michigan State University.
He has presented numerous workshops on music for special learners and music teacher preparation in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and served as a guest conductor of band and orchestra honours ensembles in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
Matthew D. Harder is Assistant Professor of percussion and music technology at West Liberty State College. Dr. Harder teaches Electronic Music, Recording Techniques, Music Appreciation, Fundamentals of Percussion, applied percussion and composition, and leads the WLSC 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 State College 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.