Conductors 2009
Ed Zentera was a guest conductor for the fifth concert in 1999, the first concert in 2000, and the first two concerts every year since. Mr. Zentera earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in music education at the University of Michigan. He has taught music for 41 years, 32 years at Kellogg Community College in Battle Creek. Ed plays cornet in the Brass Band of Battle Creek. Ed retired from his faculty position at KCC in 2008, and he will be conducting three of the six 2009 MCB concerts. Ed will play his trumpet during one of his concerts.
During his 12-year career as Director of Bands for Marshall Public Schools, David Conklin was also choir director at the Presbyterian Church in Marshall. He was born in Owosso, Michigan and graduated from Battle Creek Central High School. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Michigan State University where he studied trumpet with Byron Autrey. David taught for eight years in Gladstone, Michigan before coming to Marshall in 1984. His fascination with the Civil War era beckoned him to Pennsylvania in 1996. The Conklins reside in Gettysburg, and David participates in Civil War festivities there. He continues to teach music in Pennsylvania. He teaches general music, 7th grade chorus, and a music history exploratory course at Gettysburg Area Middle School. Dave also conducts two adult choirs at the Gettysburg Presbyterian Church and is Principal Cornet with Spires Brass Band in Frederick (Maryland). Dave has traveled back to Marshall several times to conduct Marshall Community Band, and he will be conducting once again this year at the Independence Day celebration at Brooks Fountain. David is an excellent cornet player, and he will be playing Commodore Polka , a difficult cornet solo by C.W. Chambers, on that day.
Jeremy Root is the current Director of Bands for Marshall Public Schools. He is a 1997 graduate of Marshall High School, and he graduated from MSU with his Bachelor of Music degree in June of 2002, where he studied trumpet with Rich Illman and Mark Thompson. While at MSU, Jeremy served as trumpet soloist and principal trumpet in the Spartan Marching Band. Jeremy has performed as principal trumpet with the MSU Symphony Band, and has also played in the MSU Wind Symphony and the Brass Band of Battle Creek. Jeremy has studied conducting with John T. Madden and Dr. Wes Broadnax (MSU) and Dr. Scott Lubaroff, Director of Bands at the University of Central Missouri. Jeremy is a former choir director at Central Christian Church in Battle Creek. Jeremy has been a member of Marshall Community Band throughout his high school and college years, and he conducted MCB for the first time as a guest conductor during the July 4 concert of 2001. Jeremy has concucted MCB several times since then, and he will be conducting the last concert of the 2009 season.
Dr. Thomas G. Evans became the conductor of the Kalamazoo Concert Band in 2002. Tom is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at Kalamazoo College where he conducts and oversees all aspects of the band program; (Symphonic Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band). In addition, he teachers courses in Music Theory, Music History, Music Education, and History of Jazz. Tom joined the faculty of Kalamazoo College in 1995 having held a similar position for eight years at Alfred University in Alfred, New York. His jazz bands have toured internationally (Russia, Estonia, Finland, and Tunisia) as well as nationally (Chicago, Washington, D.C., Cincinnati, and Detroit). Prior to teaching in higher education, Tom taught for six years in the New York State public schools where his high school bands and orchestras achieved the highest ratings at state festivals. In 2004, Tom took his Kalamazoo College 7-piece jazz combo to Numazu, Japan for a week long concert tour in celebration of the 40th anniversary between the sister cities of Kalamazoo and Numazu. Tom holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the State University of New York at Fredonia, a Master of Music degree in Music Education and Trombone Performance from Boston University, and a Doctorate of Music Arts in Trombone Performance from the University of Michigan. Currently, Tom is the bass trombonist with the Battle Creek Symphony Orchestra, principal trombonist with the Bach Festival Orchestra, and substitute trombonist with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra. He is an active freelance trombonist, clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator. Tom has also written for The Instrumentalist.
Tom’s wife, Julie, is the Assistant Principal Second Violinist with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra and is an Assistant Professor of Music at Western Michigan University. Their twins, Matthew and Victoria, are in high school.
