Cincinnati Tradition announcees creative staff

[Robert Kirby]

The Cincinnati Tradition, an all-age drum and bugle corps operating in the Greater Cincinnati, Ohio area, is pleased to announce the selection of key staff for the 2011 season. Some staff-members are returning from the 2010 corps while others are welcome additions to the corps.

Cynthia (Conrad) Foltz is entering her second year as drum major of the corps. She began her career as a drum major at Conner High School where she held the position for three years. Following attendance at the George N. Parks Drum Major Academy during the summers of 1995-1997, Cynthia was chosen to represent the State of Kentucky as Drum Major of the Kentucky Lions Allstate Band, performing at the International Lions Club Convention in Philadelphia, PA. She has instructed many high school drum majors at the University of Kentucky summer camp, at various high schools, and through private lessons. A member of the KMEA Allstate Band all four years of her high school career, Cynthia is an accomplished instrumentalist, receiving a full music scholarship to the University of Kentucky and serving as principal trombonist of the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. After taking a break from music to focus on other aspirations, Cynthia is proud to reenter the scene with The Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps.

The brass staff is under the direction of Joe Fink. A student of music since age nine, Joe has become a specialist in wind instruments, and has been involved in the concert band, jazz band, marching band and drum corps activities for more than 18 years as a member, an instructor and a clinician. His marching life began with the saxophone in high school, culminating in several feature solos and the John Philip Sousa award. Joe moved on to The Ohio State University, receiving a degree in music.

The fun really started for Joe with playing mellophone and soprano in Cincinnati Glory and Southwind drum and bugle corps. There he learned from world renowned brass instructors the finer points of performing with and teaching a talented brass ensemble. Joe has both performed and taught at the division I, II & III levels of junior drum corps. His teaching experience includes growing the Capital Regiment brass line from a modest division III corps to a powerful and explosive division I junior corps. Joe has also been the Visual and Musical Consultant of Moeller High School’s marching band since 2004 allowing him to teach talented musicians that have gone on to perform professionally with Stomp, The Chicago Symphony Orchestra, The Wizard of Oz & A Chorus Line. With the help of wonderful colleagues, Joe is really excited to use his experience to help grow Cincinnati Tradition into one of the finest and most respected musical ensembles in the All Age Drum Corps activity. Working with Joe are soprano technician Jessica Schloemer and low brass technician Bryen Warfield.

Jessica Schloemer began her musical career later in life than most. She joined the marching band in high school her sophomore year because a fine arts credit was required and she cannot draw; but, from the first day of band camp, she was hooked! Jessica has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Marketing and currently attends nursing school.

Since that fateful day in high school, Jessica has had music intertwined in her life in some way or another beginning in 1994 as a marching member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps. She continued with the Bluecoats in 1996 and 1997 and then aged-out with The Concord Blue Devils in 1998 as a lead mellophone player. Jessica then went on to teach with Indian Hill High School, Milford High School, Centerville High School Jazz Band, Cincinnati Glory Drum and Bugle Corps and Capital Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. She enjoys having a running soundtrack of her life and believes that music truly contributes positively to every aspect of an individual’s life. Jessica is very excited to have the opportunity to work with Cincinnati Tradition and is looking forward to working with the very talented members, staff and dedicated administration.

Bryen Warfield is currently in his last year of undergraduate study at the University of Louisville, earning his Bachelor's degree in Music Performance. Bryen, who is also drum major of the Louisville Cardinal marching band, will begin his master's degree in fall 2011.

Color guard design is in the hands of Kevin Hisle. Kevin’s history includes junior and senior corps as a member of the Pride of Cincinnati drum and bugle corps, the Steel City Ambassadors, the Rochester Crusaders and the Cincinnati Tradition. He has instructed the Pride of Cincinnati and various high school ensembles in the Tristate area.

The percussion caption is led by James Kirby. A Maryland native, James has been associated with a wide variety of organizations over the past 12 years covering five different states. James marched with the Reading Buccaneers from 1997-1999 and again from 2001-2003 as the percussion section leader. In 2000 Mr. Kirby marched snare for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps of Canton, Ohio as they returned to DCI finals, and is a proud alum of this increasingly strong corps. In 2004, James returned to the to the world of Junior Corps as an instructor, working with Capital Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps of Columbus, Ohio from 2004-2005 and the Magic of Orlando in 2006. In the fall of 2006 James began a degree in music education from Eastern Kentucky University, under the direction of Christopher Jason Koontz. While attending EKU, James was a member of the Eastern Kentucky University Steel Band and Percussion Ensemble and percussion instructor for the Marching Colonels for two years. While performing with the steel band, James was part of many collaborative efforts with other university ensembles, the largest being the PANorama Caribbean Music Festival in Virginia Beach in 2008. James currently teaches at Sycamore and Lakota West High Schools in Cincinnati, Ohio where he lives with his wife Megan and their dog Pearl.

Returning visual caption-head Curtis Shreve attended High School in Cochranton Pennsylvania where he played trumpet in the marching band 1987-1991. He then attended College at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he was a member of the marching band for 3 years and a drill instructor for two.

Curtis began his drum corps journey in Erie, Pennsylvania where he was a founding member of the Lake Erie Regiment in 1994. As a member of LER he was chosen to perform in the 1994 Drum Corps All Stars for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade. The next step was marching soprano for the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, aging out in 1995. He then returned to Lake Erie Regiment as the Staff Coordinator and Visual Caption Head for the 1996 season, propelling the corps to 15th place in their first competitive season.

Curtis marched the 1999 and 2000 season with Cincinnati Tradition and has served as visual consultant and designer for several marching bands in Western Pennsylvania and the Cincinnati area. 2010 found Curtis returning to the newly focused Cincinnati Tradition as the new Staff Coordinator and Visual Caption Head/Designer and a marching member playing soprano. With the great success in 2010 he is very excited to continue his role with the corps and help create a Drum Corps powerhouse in the Cincinnati area. Curtis will also serve as the creative staff coordinator. Assisting Curtis on the visual staff is Jennifer Clark.

Jen Clark was bitten by the drum corps bug in December, 1996, and has never fully recovered. Knowing her love of high school marching band, a friend invited her to a Cincinnati Glory winter camp. There, she found a passion for music and marching that only grew with each rehearsal. After marching baritone with Cincinnati Glory for two years, she proudly served her corps as Drum Major for the 2000 season. During this time and until 2003, she was active in Miami University’s Marching Band, serving again as Drum Major in addition to several other leadership roles.

While teaching English is her day-job, Jen has enjoyed teaching marching fundamentals to various area high school bands throughout the years. When the opportunity to work with Cincinnati Tradition presented itself, she jumped at the chance—because teaching drum corps means teaching people who want to be great, and there is no better satisfaction than this for any teacher.

Cincinnati Tradition looks forward to an active Summer of exhibitions and competitions, culminating in the DCA World Championships in Rochester over Labor Day weekend. And as more than one person has observed over the years, the view is always better from the field!

[Jeff Ream]

go Kirby!

[camel lips]

Awesome

[stldrmn1]

Is the Cincinnati Tradition going to have an open house any time soon? The staff additions and reorginization sounds exciting.

[Robert Kirby]

Is the Cincinnati Tradition going to have an open house any time soon? The staff additions and reorginization sounds exciting.

Funny you should ask...

See here

Looking forward to the new season.

Robert Kirby