Western Michigan University Trombone Studio

Meet the WMU Trombone Studio
2008-2009

WELCOME NEW STUDENTS!

EVAN DORNER

Hometown: Urbana, Illinois
Major: Bass Trombone Performance

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Bass trombone graduate student Evan Dorner is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois School of Music in Urbana-Champaign. A native of Urbana, Illinois, he played in the award winning Urbana High School Concert Band, as well as receiving All-State honors. During his time at the University of Illinois, Evan played in the symphonic band, jazz band, and orchestra, while studying with Elliot Chasanov and jazz trombone legend Jim Pugh.

In his free time Evan enjoys tennis, bicycle riding, and other sports. His true passion, however, is hanging out with friends, watching movies, and playing video games.

JEREMY MARKS

Hometown: Wakeman, Ohio
Major: Trombone Performance

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Graduate student Jeremy Marks is a native of Wakeman, Ohio where he graduated from Firelands High School. While in high school, Jeremy was the principal trombonist of the Northern Ohio Youth Orchestra his senior year and received the “Outstanding Musician” Award. Jeremy received his undergraduate degree in 2008 from Bowling Green State University in music performance. While at B.G.S.U., he studied with Dr. William Mathis and Garth Simmons, principal trombonist of the Toledo Symphony. Jeremy has also benefitted from master class performances and seminars with Dr. Keith Jackson from West Virginia University and Dr. William Kimball from Brigham Young University. Jeremy has been the principal trombonist of the Bowling Green Symphony Orchestra for two years, a member of the OSTEO Trombone Quartet, and a performer in many venues in the northwestern area of Ohio.

Jeremy enjoys playing golf, basketball, hockey, and football, riding dirt bikes and ATVs, and just being outdoors.

SHANE MURPHY

Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance and Jazz Studies

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Shane Murphy is an incoming freshman pursuing a double major in Jazz Studies and Trombone Performance. Shane was principal trombonist of the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra his senior year at Mattawan High School. During his junior and senior years of high school, he was a member of the Michigan Youth Arts Festival All-State Band. Shane has also performed with several jazz bands, including Synergy Jazz and Just Add Water. With Just Add Water, Shane has performed for a very diverse clientele including Governor Granholm, The Kalamazoo Country Club, Radisson Hotel and Resort in Orlando, Florida, and the Taste of Kalamazoo Festival to name a few. This ensemble won many awards, including the BRAVO! Competition, where they were featured on WMUK radio, Western Idol, and received an Outstanding Ensemble Citation at the Western Jazz Festival, where Shane also received an Outstanding Performance Citation. Shane’s junior year at Mattawan, he was awarded, by way of audition, the Banister Merwin Music Scholarship. At WMU, he will be a member of the Lee’s Honor College.

Shane is very active in his church and plans on serving as a missionary in the near future. He also enjoys reading, composing music, soccer, wrestling, and board games. On occasion, if you listen close enough, you might even hear Shane yodeling from the highest mountains in the country.

KIRSTEN SCHAFFERT

Hometown: Midland, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance

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A native Californian now residing in Midland Michigan, Kirsten Schaffert is a high school grad with a major interest in orchestral performance, primarily in trombone. She performed with the Central Michigan University honors band at age 15 and has since studied with Dr. Robert Lindahl, trombone professor at CMU. Subsequently, Kirsten has been a two time Michigan State University Honors band member, a three time Michigan Youth Arts Festival All-State Orchestra participant (including principal trombonist for 2008), and she toured Europe two summers with the Blue Lake Orchestra, the second year as principal trombonist. Kirsten loves marching band and was drum major her junior and senior years. She has played in the Jazz Band, Midland Concert Band, Chemical City Band and the trombone choir, "Just Trombones."

Kirsten is also vocally accomplished. Her soprano voice can be heard in the Midland High School Meistersingers, Women’s Ensemble, at church, and before various sporting events where she sings the National Anthem. She recently played Sarah Brown in her high school's production of "Guys and Dolls" and hopes to have the chance for more theater experience. (See a YouTube clip of Kirsten singing with the Midland High School Orchestra here)

Kirsten is the youngest of three and enjoys hiking, scrapbooking and baking cookies.

BRIAN WAGNER

Hometown: Plainwell, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance

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Graduate student Brian Wagner completed his undergraduate degree in music education from WMU in 2002. While at Western he performed with the University Symphony Orchestra. Since graduating he has taught music in the Covert Public Schools and at both Trinity Lutheran School in Paw Paw and at Kalamazoo Christian High School. Brian has been a member of the Kalamazoo Concert Band and has been a freelance performer in the Kalamazoo area. Currently he teaches several applied trombone students in Kalamazoo.

Brian performs on a regular basis at Calvary Bible Church in Kalamazoo and enjoys helping take care of his two kids, Becca (age 4) and Micah (age 2). For leisure he enjoys running, camping, playing guitar, and garage sale treasures.

LAUREN WESTERBY

Hometown: Davison, Michigan
Major: Music Education

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Lauren Westerby is an entering freshman at WMU. A student of Kip Hickman of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, she has been a member of the Flint Youth Symphony for the past three years, joining the orchestra on a 2008 trip to France. Lauren was an All-State Orchestra participant her junior year. She was also drum major of the Davison High School Marching Band, president of her high school's symphonic band, and pep band secretary for the past three years. Other honors include playing 1st chair in the 2008 District 3 Honors Band. Lauren has a number of non-musical achievements to her credit. In 2007 she placed 1st in a speak-off competition which allowed her to serve as a United Nations Youth Delegate with other international delegates. She is an active volunteer and will be a member of the Lee Honors College at WMU.

In her spare time Lauren enjoys dance, singing, listening to classic rock music, and just being completely random. She also enjoys reading traveling, and spending time with friends.

MORE NEW STUDENT BIOS
AND PHOTOS COMING SOON!

RETURNING GRADUATE STUDENTS

CLAUDIA SCHMITZ

Hometown: Huntington, New York
Major: Trombone Performance
BMEd: Crane School of Music (2005)

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Claudia Schmitz completed her Bachelor of Music in both music education and trombone performance at the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, New York in 2005. While there she particpated in many ensembles, including the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, and Jazz Ensemble. She marched baritone from 2003-2005 with the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps. Claudia spent 2005-2006 teaching a variety of positions in the Huntington School District in New York, the district from which she graduated. Her eventual goal is to be a high school band director. Claudia is a graduate assistant for the Bronco Marching Band.

Claudia was named SUNY Potsdam's academic honoree for the class of 2005 and received the Deborah and Israel Kaplan Service Award for her volunteer work at Reachout, a 24 hour crisis hotline serving St. Lawrence County. In her spare time, Claudia enjoys fencing epee, contradancing, listening to folk music, reading, running, and generally being outside.

RETURNING UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS

HANA BELOGLAVEC

Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance

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Sophomore Hana Beloglavec is a trombone performance major from Kalamazoo, Michigan. She graduated from Loy Norrix High School and the Kalamazoo Area Math and Science Center, and finished first in her high school class at Loy Norrix. She was a three year participant in the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony, playing principal trombone her final two years, and was 1st chair in the Michigan All-State Orchestra her junior year. Hana has a number of impressive achievements to her credit. In 2006 as a high school junior she placed 2nd in the International Trombone Association's prestigious Gilberto Gagliardi/Weril Trombone Solo Competition for students 18 and under, held in Birmingham, UK, a competition she won in June 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Hana also finished 2nd in the US Army Band's National Trombone Solo Competition, held at the Eastern Trombone Workshop in Washington, D.C. in March 2007. She was also chosen as a winner in the 2008 Yamaha Young Performing Artist's Competition. Locally she won the Kalamazoo Concert Band's Youth Solo Competition in 2006 and the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band's Youth Solo Competition in 2007. She was invited to perform as soloist on the Chamber Music Festival of Saugatuck's concert series in August 2007. At WMU she is a member of the Lee Honors College.

Hana enjoys rubiks cubing, hanging out with friends, watching movies, and spending far too much time on the computer.

ERIC BOWMAN

Hometown: Portage, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance/Jazz Studies

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Eric Bowman is a sophomore trombone performance major from Portage, Michigan. He is a graduate of Portage Northern High School, where he was named the winner of the John Philip Sousa Outstanding Senior Musician Award. While at PNHS he was a member of the award-winning Northside Jazz Quintet, and was featured in various venues throughout southwest Michigan, including Kalamazoo's New Year's Fest and Bronson Park's summer concert series. The quintet, which was responsible for raising over $8,000 for the Portage Northern Band program, was invited to perform for Governer Granholm this past year. Eric was selected as the Outstanding Soloist at the 2007 Western Jazz Festival. He has also been named one of three finalists in the prestigious 2008 Gilberto Gagliardi/Weirl Trombone Solo Competition, a competition sponsored by the International Trombone Association that will be held in Salt Lake City in May.

In his free time he enjoys both tennis and table tennis, basketball, poker, Karl Pilkington's mind, old-school videogames and, of course, music!

EVAN CONROY

Hometown: Commerce Township, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance and Music Education

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Visit Evan's Web Site

Bass trombonist Evan Conroy is a senior bass trombone performance major from Commerce Township, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Evan has a number of impressive achievements to his credit. He has been selected to several regional and all-state bands and orchestras and has been recognized as an outstanding soloist at the Notre Dame Collegiate Jazz Festival. In March 2007 Evan finished 2nd in the US Army Band's prestigious National Trombone Solo Competition in Washington, DC (bass trombone, division II), an event that he won in March 2008. He was also the only bass trombonist selected for the renowned International Festival Institute at Round Top for the summer 2008. Evan was named a finalist in the prestigious 2008 Yaxley Bass Trombone Competition, an event sponsored by the International Trombone Association. As a result he will be competing against two other finalists in Salt Lake City in May. Before attending WMU, Evan was a student of Kip Hickman of the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, and he has also studied with Randy Hawes of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
For leisure Evan enjoys taking long walks on the beach, star gazing on summer evenings, and croppy fishing. He is a national chess champion, mounts wildlife on his walls, and participated as a ballet dancer in his high school production of Swan Lake. In his spare time he occasionally practices his trombone.

LAUREN FIGURA

Hometown: Rochester, Michigan
Major: Music Education

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Lauren Figura is a sophomore music education major from Rochester, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Lauren is a graduate of Stoney Creek High School where she participated in the Key Club and graduated Magna Cum Laude. She was active in a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles at her high school and church, and she also was a member of the Oakland Youth Orchestra. Lauren has several awards and honors to her credit, including being selected as the winner of the Award of Academic Excellence her sophomore year. She also won the James Joseph Memorial Jazz Scholarship her senior year through the Rochester Community School Foundation. Lauren was recently named one of three finalists in the Motor City Brass Band Solo/Scholarship Competition, which awarded her a $100 cash prize. At WMU she is a member of the Lee Honors College. She is also co-section leader of the Bronco Marching Band and she is President of CMENC.
Lauren enjoys arranging and composing music, reading, walking in the rain, and just about any Ben & Jerry's ice cream flavor. She notes, "I would enjoy long walks on the beach more often if I lived near a beach, not to mention looking at the stars when they're actually visible amongst all the lights!"

BEN HASTINGS

Hometown: Warren, Michigan
Major: Trombone Performance

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Ben Hastings is a sophomore music major who recently transfer into the music program at Western Michigan University. He is originally from Warren, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. Ben attended a unique public charter high school, Arts Academy in the Woods, gaining a broad arts education during his high school years. In addition to being an active trombonist, he was also involved in vocal music, theater tech and the visual arts.

Ben's non-musical interests include film scoring and audio recording, and he hopes to somehow apply these interests to his career.

DAVID HEPINSTALL

Hometown: Zeeland, Michigan
Major: Music Education

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David A. Hepinstall II was born in Orange County, California and raised in Zeeland, Michigan. A 2005 graduate of Zeeland High School, he is a junior majoring in music education. In high school Dave was the recipient of his high school band's Louis Armstrong Jazz Award and was a pep band student director his final year. He was also a member of the District X Honors Band. He is currently the co-section leader in the Bronco Marching Band, a position he has held since 2006, and he has served as a music arranger for Zeeland High School's Marching Band since graduating. Dave is also a frequent staff member for various band camps throughout southwest Michigan.

Dave has been a member of the Central Wesleyan Church Orchestra in Holland, Michigan for the past four years. A Detroit Tigers fan, he played high school baseball for four years and was selected All-Conference Honorable Mention his last year. In his spare time he enjoys baseball, music arranging, and watching Drum Corp DVD's.

BRIAN MASSEY

Hometown: Portland, Michigan
Major: Music Education

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Brian Massey is a senior majoring in both instrumental and choral music education. A graduate of Portland High School in Portland, Michigan, Brian was a member of both the All-State Band and Choir, and he was drum major with his high school band his senior year. As an athlete he ran both cross country and track and field, and won all-state honors in both. He was also very involved in theatre and in his church's youth group. At WMU Brian is the co-section leader of the Bronco Marching Band trombone section. He is also involved with Kappa Kappa Psi, Campus Crusade for Christ, and the Justice Brass Quintet.

When not involved in his college music studies Brian enjoys working out, writing original songs, and hanging out with his girlfriend. He is also on the staff at Jamestown Reformed Church where he is a worship leader.

CHRIS MOMCILOVICH

Hometown: Carleton, Michigan
Major: Music Education

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Chris Momcilovich is a senior bass trombonist majoring in music education. Before attending WMU he was a member of the International Jazz Ensemble from Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. Actively involved in the band program at Western, Chris is the librarian and a member of the equipment and office staff for the Bronco Marching Band. He is also a drill instructor with the trombone line.

Chris enjoys almost anything associated with sports and the outdoors, including yard work, fishing, kayaking, camping, baseball, soccer, tennis and racquetball. He can frequently be found listening to music or practicing his bass trombone. He is a member of Kappa Kappa Psi.

MAI LAN VO

Hometown: Muskegon, Michigan
Major: Music Education

E-mail Mai Lan

Mai Lan Vo is a junior bass trombonist from Muskegon, Michigan majoring in music education. As a student at Reeths-Puffer High School she was a member of the Michigan All-State Band. At WMU she is active in many ensembles, works as a Concert Band librarian, and is a webmaster for the Bronco Marching Band. She is also a member of CMENC.
In her spare time Mai Lan enjoys visiting with family and friends, volunteering at her middle school and high school band program, conducting, reading, and photography. Mai Lan is an avid band lover, and she enjoys practicing the trombone.