Eric Molho

I'm thrilled to share our 2015 design team announcement with the good people of Drum Corps Planet. From our website: http://mnbrass.org/2014/11/2015-staff/ Blue Devils’ John Meehan joins Minnesota Brass — plus other 2015 staff additions Posted on November 18, 2014 John Meehan celebrates the Blue Devils’ 2014 DCI championship and high brass award in August at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. Minnesota Brass is thrilled to announce the addition of Blue Devils luminaryJohn Meehan as arranger and brass consultant. He joins a world-class staff made up of drum corps veterans who know how to build a champion and foster innovation in the marching arts. John is most widely known as an instructor and arranger with the Blue Devils of Concord, Calif., helping to guide the corps to six DCI world championships (including 2014) and nine high brass awards since 1994. He also has been instrumental in establishing the Blue Devils B and C corps as musical forces, with Blue Devils B winning DCI’s Open Class championship this year. John has established himself as a highly sought-after arranger and show creator with a variety of musical ensembles around the globe, from the award-winning James Logan High School Marching Band of Union City, Calif., to Drum Corps Japan champion Yokohama Scouts. As if making a major splash in the marching arts weren’t enough, John is an accomplished composer, too. His key writing credits include the album “The Music Of WYLAND,” the score for the film “Mind Games” and the commissioned concert-band piece “Circe’s Curse.” His performance achievements include playing in a world-champion Blue Devils hornline and soloing in Germany with his college jazz ensemble. “We’re very excited to welcome John Meehan to our design team,” said Eric Molho, executive director of Minnesota Brass. “He will help push our creativity and strengthen the experience for our members, which makes him the perfect addition to Minnesota Brass.” And John isn’t the only new member of the corps’ staff. Also coming aboard are alumni Joe Asleson as visual caption supervisor and Craig Myers as front-ensemble arranger and supervisor. They join returning staffers Joel Matuzak as program coordinator and battery caption supervisor and Wil Furnstahl as color-guard caption supervisor, along with Scott Palmer as brass caption supervisor, in his first full season in that role, and Paul Terry as assistant brass caption supervisor. Here’s a little more about these staff members: Joe Asleson (visual caption supervisor): Joe is the director and visual designer for Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline and now takes on visual duties for the full field corps. In 2014, he was voted Instructor of the Year by the Minnesota Percussion Association. He serves as the percussion caption head and battery arranger for the Eden Prairie High School Marching Band, as well as battery arranger and visual designer for the Eden Prairie Indoor Drumline. For the 2012 and 2013 seasons, he served as snare technician as well as battery visual instructor and choreographer for the Colts drum and bugle corps of Dubuque, Iowa. He has instructed and designed at various high schools in Minnesota. In 2010 and 2014, he served as the snare section leader with Minnesota Brass, where he first performed in 2005. In 2008, he performed with the Madison Scouts, serving as snare section leader for his age-out season. He performed with Minnesota Brass Indoor in its inaugural season in 2008 and with Music City Mystique (bronze medalist) in 2009. Wil Furnstahl (color-guard caption supervisor): Wil has led Minnesota Brass’ color guard for several years, including the 2011 DCA championship season, when his unit won top honors. He also is the director of MBI Winter Guard, which he has built into a consistent WGI Independent Open Class finalist. He has led several winter guard champions in the North Star Color Guard Circuit, including Park Center High School, Eclipse and Elk River. He has performed with St. Cloud All-City Marching Band, the Royal Guard of the Twin Cities, Heritage Winter Guard of Madison, Wis., and Minnesota Brass. He has been teaching color guard since 1997 and is an adjudicator with the Tri-State Judges Association. Joel Matuzak (program coordinator and battery caption supervisor): Joel has been the program coordinator for Minnesota Brass since 2002 and percussion caption head since 1998. Under his leadership, the corps has won the DCA Open Class Championship (2011) and been a silver medalist five times, as well as winning four DCA percussion titles. He is the design coordinator for the Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline and has been the head instructor of the Sköl Line, a drumline for the Minnesota Vikings NFL franchise, since 2008. He is highly regarded as an arranger, drill writer, clinician and adjudicator. He has instructed and arranged for many marching ensembles throughout the United States, including the University of Arkansas, Governaires drum and bugle corps, Irondale High School, Waseca High School and Eden Prairie High School. He is a graduate of St. Cloud State University with a degree in music education. He has been the director of instrumental music at Highland Park Senior High School in St. Paul since 1997. Craig Myers (front-ensemble arranger and supervisor): Craig is a percussion educator, clinician, composer and arranger who has worked with many programs throughout the Midwest, including Eden Prairie High School, the Colts and Waconia High School. He also is a staff composer/arranger for JKS Music, and serves on the board of directors for the Minnesota Percussion Association. He started his performance career at Minnesota Brass in 2003 and also has performed as a World Class finalist with Rhythm X (2008 WGI PIW World Champions), the Cadets (Allentown, Pa.) and the Bluecoats (Canton, Ohio). At Eden Prairie High School, he is the front ensemble/sound design arranger in addition to the assistant director of the program’s percussion ensembles. He received his degree in percussion performance from St. Cloud State University. Scott Palmer (brass caption supervisor): Scott returns to Minnesota Brass to lead its hornline, as well as spend a second season as an instructor on the horn staff of the Blue Devils, which won the DCI championship in his first year with the corps. He has performed with Minnesota Brass and the Madison Scouts. He is in his ninth year of teaching at Eden Prairie High School, where his many roles include directing the Eagle Marching Band and Winter Drumline. Under his direction, the marching band has been a Bands of America Super Regional finalist and Minnesota State Marching Band Championships runner-up. He is a graduate of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music with a degree in music education and is working on his master of music in conducting from the American Band College through Sam Houston State University. He is an active member of the music education community in Minnesota as an adjudicator, coach and clinician. Paul Terry (assistant brass caption supervisor): Paul has been on the Minnesota Brass horn staff since 2007 and helped lead the corps to back-to-back high brass awards in 2010 and ’11, as well as the 2011 DCA Open Class Championship. He performed with Minnesota Brass in 2005-06. In 2014, he joined the Colts as a low-brass technician. He directs the bands and orchestras at Maple Grove Junior High School and teaches the Anoka High School Marching Tornadoes. He also has served as trombone coach for the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s All-State Jazz Band for several years. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of Minnesota and his master’s degree from Boston University. “Our 2015 design team is a great mix of familiar and new faces who are each amazing teachers and writers,” Molho said. “I’m thrilled we have assembled such a talented group to make this season extraordinary.”

Hello all, On behalf of Minnesota Brass I am saddened to share the news of Frank Lozar's passing. Here is the news we shared on our website. Minnesota Brass mourns the passing of legendary Frank Lozar Frank “The Beard” Lozar, the heart and soul of Minnesota Brass, passed away in the early hours of September 7. He was 85. Frank was a legend in Minnesota drum corps history, performing with all incarnations of Minnesota Brass. His last year on the field with the corps was 2002, when he was 73. “We are deeply saddened by Frank’s passing,” said Eric Molho, executive director of Minnesota Brass. “Frank was an outstanding performer who gave tirelessly of himself to Minnesota Brass for decades. Our entire organization will miss him.” Born on July 4, 1929, the soprano player marched in competition nearly every year from 1947, when he first played with American Legion Post 248’s drum and bugle corps in Ely, Minn., until 2005, when he played with the Zuhrah Shrine corps. The only exceptions were two years when he served in the American Medical Corps. He moved from Ely to perform with Minnesota Brass and Hamm’s Indians. He served as the director of Minnesota Brass from 1963 to 1969. Since 1980, he had performed with both Minnesota Brass and Zuhrah Shrine. He served on the boards of both organizations and was a fundraising coordinator for several midwestern drum and bugle corps at various times. In 1969, Frank was awarded Minnesota Brass’ highest honor, the Brassy, a lifetime achievement award. He also was part of a group that was the first to initiate female members into the drum corps activity. At 70, he was recognized as the oldest competitor on the field at the championship tournaments of both Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1998. Named as an associate member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2001, he received the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award and full Hall of Fame status in 2005. Entertaining the passengers of long bus trips, Frank and the Gummers (so-called because no one else knew the words as well as Frank, so they just mouthed and hummed along) were a noted ensemble within the corps long before iPods and boom boxes were a staple. Legend has it that in 1970 he sang for 36 hours straight on a trip to Portland, Ore., without repeating a song. Frank assumed all roles and was a major financial contributor who helped perpetuate the organization. Without his efforts — along with so many others — Minnesota Brass would have never attained the level of success that it experiences today. Kurt Schiebel, a longtime member of Minnesota Brass who performed with Frank, reflected on the passing of a great mentor. “We always hear about drum corps moms, the glue that holds the activity together,” Kurt said. “Frank was a drum corps dad, offering support and strength to the youth in the line. He contributed not only financially to the corps, but offered assistance to young members, whether it was outright dues support, or that meal on the road for those of us in need.” Kurt added, “It is hard to believe there is a supporter out there who contributed more to perpetuate this organization. It is harder still to think of the activity with out him.” For All We Know.

Minnesota Brass Announces 2013 Production What happens when societal constraints are removed from our lives? What do you hear when you listen to your inner-most voice? Where do you go if only your instincts guide you? In 2013, Minnesota Brass will explore our core passions, fears and desires in a dramatically powerful production entitled: PRIMAL. Musical inspiration for the 2013 production includes Ritual Fire Dance by Manual de Falla, Dansa Barbara by Neboisa Zivkovic and Dansa Finale from Estancia by Alberto Ginastara. The 2013 Season begins on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 at Minnesota Brass’s Membership Night. All interested participants in all sections should plan to join us starting at 6:30 p.m. Membership Night will be held at Wise Charter School, 1501 N. Aldrich in Minneapolis, Minnesota. All potential members, rookies and veterans, are requested to RSVP via facebook. Hear the call. The 2013 design team for Minnesota Brass brings together a highly skilled team of passionate, creative individuals. Joel Matuzak will once again serve as program coodinator and percussion caption supervisor. brass caption supervisor Matt Kettelhut returns as does frontline writer and designer, Matt Ferry. Professor Andy Classen of Drake University will once again write drill for the corps. Andrew Angle returns as visual caption supervisor and long time members and instructors Wil Furnstahl and Emily Merriman will serve as co-supervisors for the Color Guard caption.

Here's what I know for certain about this event: Both Minnesota Brass and Minne Brass are performing and we're pumped about it! It's an honor to be invited and we look forward to a fun evening performance. Here's what I've been told about this event: The venue is supposed to be awesome--right on the water and in the midst of much downtown activity. I believe Allen Buell will be our MC. Rumor has it we'll have some local dignitaries and VIPs on hand as well. It's a great kick off to the weekend designed to introduce and excite Annapolis about what's to come. Don't miss it!

Friday tickets are sold. Thursday and Saturday are still available.

These tickets have been sold. Thanks for your interest.

I've spent the last few days finalizing our itinerary for this trip and the whole corps is pumped to head out East! This year our June schedule has been busier than ever. This week we had rehearsal on Wednesday then a parade and standstill Thursday. Some members of the hornline will perform with Foster the People tonight (Friday) at Target Center. Tomorrow, we have our first uniformed performance of the year at River City Rhapsody in Woodbury, Minnesota followed by a camp day on Sunday. Next week we perform again in a rare, mid-week show Tuesday evening in Mankato. Then it's our regular weekly rehearsal on Wednesday night before hopping on the buses and heading to Connecticut on Thursday. Yowza! Since we're so close, the corps is spending a few hours Friday in Manhattan on our way to Bridgeport. Many of our members have never been to New York City and I'm really excited that they'll get some time (albeit very brief!) to see the city. Our hosts in Bridgeport have been amazing so far with very helpful contacts and information. Please stop by an visit our rehearsal Saturday and by all means, be sure to get your tickets to the show that evening. I hear they're only $5!! See you in Connecticut! Eric

Members of Minnesota Brass (and our mini corps Minne-Brass) have accepted an invitation to perform the National Anthem at the Home Opener for the Minnesota Twins on Monday, April 9! Needless to say we're very excited by the invitation and the exposure this event brings to our organization. We'll have about 28 performing members (they don't have room for the whole corps unfortunately!) performing at about 3 p.m. CST. Traditionally the opening day anthem is part of television broadcasts (Fox Sports North and MLB Network). Hopefully we'll have some video of the event to share on our facebook and website. http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120329&content_id=27728070&vkey=pr_min&c_id=min - - - - - For those of you interested in the financial/business sides of drum corps (which should be everyone), there's an interesting story to how this event came about. Much as I'd like to say that our recent competitive success has turned the Twins entire front office into rabid drum corps fans, I'm afraid that would be a small exaggeration. The real is story is about networking, fundraising and leveraging assets. For a few years now, we have dabbled in providing special music for unique events. Usually these have fallen in our laps where someone knows someone who once knew a guy who's third cousin played snare drum with us. We'd get a random phone call, negotiate a reasonable performance fee and scrounge up some players. Recently, we've become far more aggressive about seeking out and using special events to support the corps. This isn't a new idea of course. The Blue Devils do this professionally (http://bdentertain.com/) and I'm sure most every corps seeks opportunities to get paid to perform. What's changed for us is first having a highly talented, dedicated crew of performers (most are alums but some march in the full corps) who enjoy doing these gigs. The second thing that has changed is a more focused effort to generate and execute on these events. That's paid off with more leads and more paid gigs that directly support the corps. Not all of these performances are high-brow affairs. For example, we now are able to use our small group to perform in many parades that the full corps can't attend either due to schedule limitations or the sponsor's budget limitations. But our most lucrative events are corporate gigs. It's a relatively small world of folks who produce and manage these kinds of events. We're working hard to establish ourselves as a great option for live music. In fact, I recently got a phone call from the concierge at a downtown hotel. Their client wanted a drumline for a sales presentation in 24 hours and we were able to pull it off. Which leads us to the Twins. Several months ago, Minne-Brass was invited to perform at the Minneapolis Downtown Council for a major luncheon event. The guests for this event included several senior leaders of local businesses. Of course, Minne-Brass knocked it out of the park with a fantastic performance. This impressed the chief marketing officer for the Twins, who was in attendance, and shortly thereafter we got a very nice surprise invitation. I share this simply to tell a story of how each of our organizations might be able to find new sources of revenue by doing what we do best. We will likely never be out of the 'fundraising' business. But it sure is a lot more fun to raise funds when there's a horn in your hand*! __________________________ *Or drumstick or flag. The sentence just worked better by choosing one. No offense intended.

Minnesota Brass Announces 2012 Show: Bonnie and Clyde In 2012, Minnesota Brass will continue to push the creative envelope with the story of two iconic gangsters. Bonnie and Clyde is the type of gritty storytelling that we love to bring to the drum corps audience, said Program Coordinator Joel Matuzak. It is the perfect vehicle for Minnesota Brass to continue to perform sophisticated shows that are passionate, entertaining and accessible. The show will tell the story of two depression-era lovers who chose a life of crime and paid the ultimate price for it. Their doomed love was set against the backdrop of 1930s jazz. There are great storylines here and thats what will make this show so unique and entertaining, said visual caption supervisor Gary Swanson. While the 2012 production will tell a powerful story, it will not be completely tied to the actual lives of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. Weve had great success in recent seasons, using a broad spectrum of genres to create a uniquely powerful Minnesota Brass sound, said Executive Director, Eric Molho. The design team has chosen some great music to work with this year. The 2012 production will draw upon the great jazz era and much more. George Gershwins Summertime from Porgy and Bess will open the show and remain a theme throughout for the doomed love of the rogue couple. The classic Duke Ellington tune, It Dont Mean a Thing if It Aint Got That Swing will be a brass feature. The love of Bonnie and Clyde will be expressed in Come What May from the movie, Moulin Rouge. The final act will be based on Samuel Barbers Medeas Dance of Vengeance. Minnesota Brass is the defending Drum Corps Associate Open Class World Champions. The season begins at our membership night on Wednesday, January 4! Mark your calendar. For information about becoming a member in 2012, visit our membership page. To RSVP for our membership night (both vets and new folks), fill out an RSVP form. And if you are new to Minnesota Brass, tell us about yourself.

Just 24 hours left (thank God!) This is really going to come down to the wire . . . . as noted above, our ranking has slipped a bit and we continue to need more votes. Cabs are right on the bubble and need every single supporter to crack the top 100. (Last I checked they were 104ish--so close!) Meanwhile Reading is making their final push. Your votes AND your reminders really help. Thank you Minnesota Brass: http://bit.ly/rz4fLb Reading Buccaneers: http://bit.ly/rseDIE Empire Statesen: http://bit.ly/rWhweC Hurricanes: http://bit.ly/ugB7UN Caballeros: http://bit.ly/sIxS1e Renegades: http://bit.ly/tUuRml Alliance: couldn't locate . . . if you find please post below! CorpsVets: http://bit.ly/vDhIhx Kilties: http://bit.ly/sXFQAw Tampa Bay Thunder: couldn't locate . . . if you find please post below! Govenaires: http://bit.ly/v0abye Fusion Core: http://bit.ly/lXJcs8 (I think this is right!) Carolina Gold: http://bit.ly/t2TJV8 Windsor Regiment: http://bit.ly/ijhmw9 A list of eligible DCI corps is available here: http://www.dci.org/n...bb-d4955b2ca6d9

Three days to go! Make your vote count. Several corps can win!

Are you anxiously awaiting your drum corps fix? Dreading the onslaught of "Holiday" music? Well, we've got a tasty little morsel to share with you from earlier today! This morning, Minne-Brass (the Minnesota Brass mini corps) performed at a live event in the Mall of America! The performance was webstreamed as part of the kick-off to Give to the Max Day! Give to the Max Day is a 24 hour fundraising blitz for non-profits in Minnesota. Last year over $14 million was raised for arts and service organizations. It's a wonderful demonstration of our long philanthropic heritage here. So far today, $9.9 million has been raised! And of that $9.9 million, over $13,000 has been donated to Minnesota Brass. Of course it's not too late to donate (you knew this was coming, didn't you?). Gifts made before midnight tonight help the corps compete for additional bonuses including $5000, $10,000 and $25,000 grants! Here's the link to contribute: http://givemn.razoo.com/story/Mnbrass2011 Here's the And here's me

Hi all, If you're on facebook, you've probably been seeing the occacsionally plea to 'check out this amazing charity!' Or maybe, you've seen a couple of the threads here on DCP about supporting the Chase Community Giving campaign. It's possible this has seemed like spam or annoying hype. But the Chase Community Giving campaign is for real. And the best part is . . . MANY corps can be successful if we leverage our collective support! Here's the scoop: For three years Chase has done this big facebook event where they give away a zillion dollars or so. Every year they change it up a little bit. This year, the contest aligns perfectly with nearly all DCA corps. In order to participate, a non-profit has to have a budget less than a million dollars. This means it's about small, grass-roots organizations just like drum corps! Secondly, the contest requires passionate fans--something we in the drum corps world have in spades! Finally, the contest will give prizes to 100 different organizations and everyone who participates gets to support TEN DIFFERENT organizations. This means you can support not just your all-time favorite corps, but a whole bunch of those others corps you really really like. In previous years, DCI corps have done very well in this contest because DRUM CORPS FANS came out in droves. In this year's contest, many of the top DCI corps are not eligible to win a prize (the curse of huge budgets). But DCA corps and many smaller DCI corps CAN WIN! In fact, several drum corps are already in the top 100 including Minnesota Brass! Here's how it works: The 100 non-profit organizations who receive the most votes on the Chase Community Giving facebook page, will receive awards as follows: The eligible charity receiving the most votes will be awarded $250,000 The second through fifth place eligible charity winners will be awarded $100,000 each The 6th through 100th place eligible charity winners will receive $25,000 each You don't have to sign up for anything. You don't even have to give them so much as an email address. All you need is to be on facebook. From there, it's just one click to vote for your favorite ten corps. To help you out, here are the links to the 2011 DCA finalists. Please vote . . . and keep spreading the word! Thanks!! Minnesota Brass: http://bit.ly/rz4fLb Reading Buccaneers: http://bit.ly/rseDIE Empire Statesen: http://bit.ly/rWhweC Hurricanes: http://bit.ly/ugB7UN Caballeros: http://bit.ly/sIxS1e Renegades: http://bit.ly/tUuRml Alliance: couldn't locate . . . if you find please post below! CorpsVets: http://bit.ly/vDhIhx Kilties: http://bit.ly/sXFQAw Tampa Bay Thunder: couldn't locate . . . if you find please post below! Govenaires: http://bit.ly/v0abye Fusion Core: http://bit.ly/lXJcs8 (I think this is right!) Carolina Gold: http://bit.ly/t2TJV8 Windsor Regiment: http://bit.ly/ijhmw9 A list of eligible DCI corps is available here: http://www.dci.org/news/view.cfm?news_id=13b26726-7b1d-4d91-97bb-d4955b2ca6d9

Minnesota Brass Announces 2012 Design Team and Administrative Leadership Minnesota Brass is excited to announce the return of one of the most successful and talented design teams in drum corps. After capturing the 2011 DCA Open Class World Championship the corps' design team will remain unchanged in 2012! Joel Matuzak returns as Program Coordinator, Percussion Caption Supervisor and Arranger. A 25 year veteran of the corps, Joel has led the Minnesota Brass creative team since 2002. Brass leadership will be provided by Matt Kettelhut, Caption Supervisor and Arranger. In addition to leading the corps to two consecutive high brass trophies, Matt has been a part of the corps since 1999. Gary Swanson will return for his fourth consecutive year in his role as Caption Supervisor and Designer for the color guard, winners of the 2011 high guard caption. After a fantastic first season as Visual Caption Supervisor, Andrew Dussl returns to lead the corps’ marching and movement staff. Andrew has been a member of the visual staff since 2009. Drill Writer and Brass Arranger Andrew Classen returns for another season with the corps. Matt Ferry is starting his ninth year as Front Ensemble Coordinator and Arranger for the corps. (Full bios below.) The corps' entire administrative team from 2011 also returns for the 2012 season. Gavin Burnham continues in his capacity as President and Corporate CEO of the organization. Eric Molho will serve his second year as Executive Director/Corps Director. Dave Whitaker continues his leadership as Financial Officer. Operations Manager Jodi Pawlenty will begin her 12th year of service to the corps. The Board of Directors will be led by long-time member and volunteer leader, Kurt Schiebel. The 2011 season starts on January 4, 2012! Potential members for any section should visit the corps website and submit a membership interest form. Joel Matuzak Program Coordinator/Percussion Arranger/Caption Supervisor Joel Matuzak is a graduate of St. Cloud State University with a Degree in Music Education. He is currently the Director of Instrumental Music at Highland Park Senior High School in Saint Paul. Joel has instructed and arranged for numerous marching ensembles throughout the Midwest for over 20 years. He is a member of the Minnesota Percussion Association Hall of Fame and has taught many ensembles that have been WGI finalists. Joel is currently the Director of the Minnesota Vikings Skol Line and the head arranger for the MBI Winter Drumline. He is highly regarded as an arranger, drill writer, clinician, and adjudicator. Joel has been involved with Minnesota Brass for over 25 years. He has been a percussion arranger since 1998, and Program Coordinator since 2002. The corps has won three DCA percussion titles and one World Championship title during that time. Joel is a former Percussion Section Member of the Year, Director’s Appreciation, and Brassy Award winner. Joel has also taught and is an Alumnus of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps. He is actively involved with the Minnesota Percussion Association, Tri-States Judging Association, Minnesota Music Educators Conference, Innovative Percussion, Dynasty Percussion, Remo, and Sabian Cymbals. Andrew Classen Drill Writer/Brass Arranger Andrew Classen is professor of trumpet and jazz studies at Drake University. He is currently principal trumpet with the Cedar Rapids Symphony. His principal trumpet teachers were Vincent Cichowicz of Northwestern University, William Adam of Indiana University, Robert Baca at UW Eau Claire and Cathy Leach at University of Tennessee. He is in much demand as a clinician/guest artist for recitals, masterclasses and seminars, regionally, nationally and internationally. In May 2009, he spent 10 days in China giving recitals and master classes thoughout Beijing and Shanghai. Other recent activities include recitals and masterclasses at the National Music Conservatory of Mexico in 2006, and Centro Cultural Ollin Yoliztli, and at the Instituto de Humanidades Y Ciencia in 2007. He received a Bachelor in Music Education degree from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from the University of Tennessee. Mr. Classen has been a drill designer and music arranger for Minnesota Brass since 1986. In 2008 he became the inaugural holder of the Fred and Patty Turner Professorship in Jazz at Drake. He is also an active jazz composer. He currently has six compositions published through C.L. Barnhouse Publishing. Andrew Dussl Visual Caption Supervisor Andrew holds a Bachelors in Music Education degree from the University of Minnesota where he studied percussion under Fernando Meza. He is returning for his fourth year of involvement with Minnesota Brass’ visual program and his second year as caption supervisor. Andrew is the ensemble coordinator for the Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline where he taught the 2010 bassline. Andrew has had the opportunity to teach many indoor and outdoor music programs in and around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, including the University of Minnesota-Duluth drumline, the Anoka Winter Percussion Ensemble, and the Maple Grove, Rosemount, Anoka, and Forest Lake high school drumlines among others. In 2008, he worked with Anne Sullivan Communications Center teaching percussion within the YMCA Beacons youth development program. His marching experience includes three years with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps as well as the Minnesota Brass Indoor Drumline 2008. Andrew is currently performing with the Minnesota Vikings Skol Line, the Pizzazz Jazz Dance and Swing Band, and previously performed with the Northern Symphony Orchestra. He currently teaches private percussion lessons in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. Matt Ferry Percussion Arranger Matt Ferry is currently a Regional Education Sales Manager for MakeMusic Inc. creators of the Finale and SmartMusic software. Outside of his work in music technology, Matt is a sought after arranger, educator and adjudicator for indoor percussion, marching bands, and percussion ensembles. Matt has been the Front Ensemble Coordinator and Arranger for Minnesota Brass since 2003, which has included all three of the corps’ high percussion titles in DCA. In addition to his work with Minnesota Brass, Matt has consulted and arranged for dozens of bands and percussion ensembles in the Midwest. He has performed and consulted with several Minneapolis based recording projects. Mr. Ferry is an alumnus of the University of Minnesota where he earned a Bachelor in Music Education degree. He has studied percussion with Fernando Meza, Erik Johnson, Bret Kuhn, Allan Miller, Mike McIntosh, Phil Hey, Rolando Morales Matos, Nebojsa Zivkovic, and Earl Yowell. Matt Ferry exclusively endorses Innovative Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, Finale Notation Software and SmartMusic. Matt Kettelhut Brass Arranger/ Brass Caption Supervisor Matt Kettelhut is excited to be starting his 13th season with Minnesota Brass. Under Matt’s direction as arranger and brass caption head the Minnesota Brass hornline has climbed to the top of the activity, capturing the high brass award for the 2010 & 2011 seasons. A graduate of the University of Minnesota and a hornline member of the 1994 undefeated DCI World Champion Concord Blue Devils, Matt has studied with several noted percussionists. He has earned an applauded reputation giving clinics and concerts throughout the US and Europe as part of the Penumbra Percussion Duo. Matt is a highly sought after judge and clinician for solo/ensemble contests, indoor drumline and marching band competitions across the country. He is a past Treasurer for the Minnesota Percussive Arts Society, a member of Chamber Music America as well as the Twin Cities Musicians Union. Gary Swanson Color Guard Designer/Caption Supervisor Gary has a long history with Minnesota Brass. He first instructed the color guards while marching in 1990-1992, again in 1998, 1999 and he returned once more and has been instructing the guards since 2008. Gary’s design and instructional credits include: Irondale High School color guard programs since 1990, (15 BOA Regional Finalist awards, 2010 BOA Class AA Regional Champion, NSC MN Winter Guard Open Class State Champion since 1996, 2011 WGI Scholastic A Finalist, 2003 WGI Scholastic World Class Finalist, 2002 WGI Open Class World Champion), the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, and many other high school groups throughout Minnesota. He is the Past President of the North Star Color Guard Circuit and is affiliated with WGI. Gary is also involved in adjudication, consulting, and special event choreography both locally and nationally for the pageantry arts. Gary received his Baachelor in Apparel Design from the University of Minnesota. He marched with Minnesota Brass Drum and Bugle Corps, Minnesota Brass Winter Guard, Crosstown Hwy Winter Guard, and the University of Minnesota Marching Band. Gary works at FamilyMeans, a nonprofit, family service organization in Stillwater, MN.

Great news and a great team! Congrats all and good luck. 2012 is already a great year!