Theresa McKibben recently retired from 25 years of teaching Elementary Music in Homewood, Alabama. She is a graduate of Millsaps College in Jackson, Ms., where she taught for 7 years before moving to Birmingham. Theresa was selected as Teacher of the Year at Edgewood in 1993-94 and 2001-2002 and received her National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

Read More

Vicki Portis is the retired music specialist from Bluff Park Elementary School in Hoover, AL. Except for an eight-year hiatus in which she worked in a local ministry, Ms. Portis has taught since 1977 in schools in Montgomery County, Jefferson County, and Hoover, AL. Ms. Portis received both her bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education from the University of Montevallo as well as Level 1 Orff certification under Konnie Saliba. She completed Levels 2-3 Orff certification and Master Class at Memphis State University under Ms. Saliba and Jos Wuytack. Ms. Portis has conducted workshops for both music and classroom teachers in addition to serving as a guest elementary choral conductor and adjudicator. She worked with local universities as a cooperating teacher for student interns. Ms. Portis has served the Elementary/General division of Alabama Music Educators Association as president and district

Read More

John Bradley is a native of Monroeville, Alabama. He holds the Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts Degrees from the University of Alabama and Certification in School Administration from Alabama State University. At the University of Alabama he was solo trumpet with the Million Dollar Band and was the leader of the Alabama Cavaliers Dance Band. He also played with the University Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bradley has a total of 36 years of teaching experience in the public schools in Alabama. He has served as band director in Selma, Mt. Brook, and Hueytown as wellas at Monroe County High School and Monroeville Junior High School in Monroeville. His bands have consistently received superior ratings in concert competition at the district and state levels as well as superior ratings in marching competitions. The Monroe County High School band twice received Best in Class awards at the Six Flags Over Georgia Band Competition. He also served as Assistant Principal at Monroeville Middle School and Band Supervisor for the Monroe County Schools for eight years. Mr. Bradley has served as President of the Alabama Bandmasters Association, Chairman of District Vll of ABA and served on the Board of Directors of the Alabama Music Educators Association. He was also appointed by the State Superintendent of Education to serve on a committee to develop the standards for Fine Arts Education in Alabama. He served 5 years with the Alabama National Guard Band and 31 years with the 313th U.S. Army Reserve Band serving 12 years as First Sergeant and Assistant Director. During this time he was the recipient of the Army Commendation Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, and served overseas. He has served as President of Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster Honorary Fraternity and is a member of the Alabama Bandmasters Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, Alabama Music Educators Association, and the National Association for Music Education. Mr. Bradley has been a band adjudicator and clinician in the southeastern United States. Since his retirement he has worked part time with the Briarwood Christian School Bands and currently works with the Homewood Band program. He plays trumpet professionally in the Birmingham area. He and his wife Jane live in McCalla, Alabama. They have two daughters and five grandchildren.

Bill Brunner is a native of Cullman, Alabama and a graduate of the University of Alabama where he earned B.S and M.A. degrees in Music Education. He began his teaching career in 1959 at Vigor High School (Prichard, Alabama) where his bands received “Excellent” ratings at State Competition Festivals his four years there. In 1963 he organized the Austin High School Band in Decatur, Alabama and served as the band director until his retirement in 1988. Under his direction, the Austin Band compiled an impressive record of achievement including top ratings in numerous national concert festivals, and earned 22 consecutive “Superior” ratings at the Alabama State Competition Festivals. Mr. Brunner served as adjudicator and guest conductor in Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, and Florida. State offices he held include President of the Alabama Bandmasters Association and President of Rho Chapter of Phi Beta Mu. In 1988 he was inducted into the Phi Beta Mu Alabama Bandmasters Association Hall of Fame and honored as the “Outstanding Music Educator” by the AMEA. After retiring from teaching, Mr. Brunner was employed by Nuncie’s Music until 2001. After retiring from Nuncie’s, he continued to teach privately in Decatur until moving to Georgia in 2014 to be closer to family.

Jim Duren was the Director of Bands at Oak Mountain High School from its opening in the fall of 1999 through the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Prior to coming to Oak Mountain, Mr. Duren was Director of Bands at Mountain Brook Jr. High (1973-1978), Mountain Brook High School (1978-1987) and Pelham High School (1987 – 1999). During his 39 year career, Mr. Duren’s bands performed throughout the southeastern and midwestern United States, The Bahamas, Toronto and two performances at Carnegie Hall in New York. Mr. Duren was a graduate of Gordo High School in Pickens County. He received his Bachelor’s degree from the University of Alabama. While at the University, he was a member and student conductor of the “Million Dollar Band,” Principal Trombonist in the Symphonic Band, Bass Trombonist with the Brass

Read More

Curtis Hollinger, (B.S., M.M.Ed.), is a graduate of Alabama State University; Montgomery, Alabama and Vander Cook College of Music, Chicago, Illinois. He has served in the following capacities: Band Director (forty (40) years) in the public school systems of Georgia and Alabama; past director of the George Washington Carver High School Bands, Montgomery, Alabama; past director of The Montgomery Public Schools All-City Bands; first instrumental music director for The Alabama Governor’s School of the Arts; director for three different high school bands from Montgomery, (with Superior ratings), at District Band Festivals. He currently serves as principal clarinet for the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra – a position held since 1984. Additional experiences include participation in the Festival Clarinet Choirs of the International Clarinet Association Annual Festivals, plays saxophone in the Montgomery Recreators (jazz band) and clarinetist in the Montgomery Woodwind Quintet. Hollinger’s professional development includes attendance at the Mid-West Band and Woodwind Quintet. Orchestra Clinics, and attendance at the Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) conferences. Over the years, he has served as judge for clarinets at Alabama All-State Music Festivals, adjudicator at District Band Festivals, State Band Festivals, Marching Band Festivals, Solo Ensemble Festivals, guest conductor, and Clarinet Clinician at various schools and colleges. In March 2005, he served as music director for a local production of the Broadway musical “Purlie”, performed at the Davis Theatre; Montgomery, Alabama. Hollinger’s most recent professional work includes a solo performance of Concertino for Clarinet by C.M. von Weber with the Minor High School Band, Carlton Wright, Band Director – at the 2008 Alabama Music Educators Association (AMEA) Conference, held at the University of Alabama. Hollinger has been band director of Loveless Academic Magnet Program Symphonic Band in Montgomery, Alabama; adjunct clarinet instructor at Troy University in Troy, Alabama, adjunct clarinet instructor at Faulkner University, Montgomery, Alabama; clarinetist in the orchestra for the Alabama Shakespeare Festival’s productions of Man of La Mancha, Peter Pan, A Christmas Carol, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, The Musical and many others. Currently, Hollinger is adjunct professor of Studio Woodwinds at Huntington College Department of Music, Montgomery, Alabama.

Billy “Rip” Reagan was director of the Gadsden State Show Band for 28 years. He was also the principal music arranger for the group that performed for college functions, community events and recruiting shows. His many years as a music educator made him a legend throughout the South, and his influence is known internationally. Many of his students have become music educators or perform professionally. Reagan previously served as band director for Crossville High School, Corinth High School in Mississippi, Albertville High School and Emma Sansom High School. He is widely known for his 25-year tenure at Emma Sansom, where he also served as principal for five years. His accomplishments there include 24 years of superior concert ratings and more than 200 superior ratings at marching competitions. Under Reagan’s direction, Sansom’s band won the National Veterans of Foreign War Championship three times, 1957 through 1959, competing in Miami, New York and Los Angeles. These awards were instrumental in Gadsden’s recognition as the City of Champions. Sansom’s band also won the Greatest Band in Dixie Award in a prestigious competition held in New Orleans in 1963, 1965 and 1967. The band also performed for many televised professional and semi-professional football games, including the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Birmingham Stallions. Reagan shared his musical talent internationally by conducting the Dixie American Youth Band from 1969 to 1970. This goodwill musical tour took students from seven Southern states to Europe to entertain audiences at schools and public events. He was known for his music judging abilities in Europe as well as throughout the United States.

Joe Riemer a native of New Orleans, La., received his bachelor and Masters degrees in music education at Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond, La. He began his teaching career in 1962 and has served as band director at Davidson High School and Shaw High School in Mobile, Al. Subsequently he has served as band director at Bay Minette Middle School, Baldwin County High School and Faulkner State Community College, all in the Mobile Area. He has served on the board of the Mobile Jazz Festival and as conductor of its High School All-star Jazz Band with numerous performances on the Mobile Jazz Festival concert programs. He also holds membership in MENC, the Alabama Bandmasters Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, and the music fraternities Phi Mu Alpha and Phi Beta Mu, and has served as adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor throughout the Southeast. Joe is one of the founders of the Mobile Symphonic Pops and served as one of its co-directors for 10 years. He is also the founder of the Baldwin Pops, a community band in the Baldwin County, and has served as its music director since its inception in 1997. He was named in 2001 by the Mobile Bay Monthly as one of the most influential “Masters of the Arts” for Mobile and Baldwin County and in 2007 was received the Fairhope First “Quality of Life” award for his contribution to the enhancement the quality of life in the Fairhope area. Joe and his wife Mary Lou are both retired educators and reside in Fairhope, AL. They have two children and four grandchildren.

Roland Lister holds a B.S. degree in Music Education from Jacksonville State University and a Masters degree in School Administration from the University of Alabama. He studied viola and taught instrumental music in the Gadsden City School System for thirty years, spending twenty years as a string orchestra director. In 1978, Lister organized and conducted the Gadsden City School System’s first full symphony orchestra. He continued as an orchestra conductor until he retired in 1998 to work with the Etowah Youth Orchestra. In 2000, he served as the conductor of the Premiere String Orchestra at the Alabama All-State Orchestra Festival. In 2003 he was chosen as conductor of the All-West Tennessee String Orchestra in Memphis. Lister conducted performances of the Etowah Youth Orchestra at Carnegie Hall in 2002 and again in 2007. He also conducted the orchestra at the Royal Elizabethan Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford, England. His string orchestra has presented a concert for the Alabama Music Educators Conference and he has twice served as a clinician for the conference. In 2007 Lister was selected as Teacher of the Year by the Alabama chapter of ASTA is the Associate Conductor of the Etowah Youth Orchestras. In this capacity he serves as the Principal Conductor of the June Moore Bugg Prelude Strings and the Etowah String Philharmonic, and Director of the EYO’s Summer Strings Camp. He also serves as an instructor for the EYO’s Beginning and Intermediate Strings Program in the Etowah County and Attalla City School Systems., and was inducted into the Alabama Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2009.

Pat Morrow holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Auburn University and a master’s degree in school administration from the University of Alabama. He started his career in Gadsden in 1969. After serving a serving as band director at Gadsden’s Emma Sansom High School, he spent two decades as director at Homewood High School. During his tenure, the band grew from approximately 35 students to 170. During this time, Homewood became the first high school band from Alabama to march in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, held in New York City, and the first to participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California. The band also performed in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland. Morrow worked in the Hoover school system from 1996 until his retirement in 2007, including five years as Hoover High band director and then six years as communications and public relations coordinator at the central office. As band director at Hoover High, travels included trips to New York City for the Macy’s parade, The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

Dr. David L. Walters was a native of Youngstown, Ohio. After graduating from Struthers High School, Dr. Walters served six years in the Navy, where he graduated from the United States Navy School of Music. He continued his music education by working on and receiving the B.S. Degree in Music from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He continued his education with graduate work in Musicology at Washington University in St. Louis. Further study took him to Florida State University where he received the Master of Music Degree in Music Theory in 1960. Dr. Walters’ teaching career began as Band Director at Fairfield High School in Hamilton, Ohio. From there, he moved to New Bern, North Carolina, where he served as Supervisor of Music for the New Bern school system and as Band Director for New Bern High School. Dr. Walters’ bands at New Bern consistently earned superior ratings during his nine-year tenure there. In 1961, Dr. Walters came to Jacksonville State University and served as Director of Bands from 1961 to 1991. He continued to develop The Marching Southerners by personally arranging the music which gave the Southerners their unique sound and trademark. He also arranged many fine dance line tunes specifically for the JSU Marching Ballerinas. By featuring this group, the Ballerinas became one of the finest dance line groups in the country. With his ability to arrange and produce such a unique sound for the field along with his clever drill writing, strong traditions emerged from within the group. Section leaders were chosen from each section of the band and this proved to be an excellent educational tool. The band ultimately became one of the finest college bands in the United States. During his tenure as Director of Bands, The Southerners performed at hundreds of band competitions as the exhibition band. They performed as the halftime entertainment for the Atlanta Falcons for many years. Dr. Walters wrote the “theme” music for the All-American Bowl which was played in Tampa, Florida, where the Southerners performed many times. The Southerners represented Alabama in the Inaugural Parade for President Lyndon Johnson in the early 60s. In 1976, the Southerners were selected to represent Alabama in the Bi-Centennial parade in Philadelphia. Dr. Walters’ Symphonic Bands also toured the Southeast and performed for many high schools and recruited some of the finest performers. His band program produced many fine directors and educators. Dr. Walters always spoke very fondly of his nearly 5,000 band alumni whom he says were the finest people he ever had the privilege to teach. Dr. Walters was named Emeritus Director of Bands at Jacksonville State University.

Dr. Gerald Welker was the founding conductor of the Wind Ensemble at The University of Alabama. Born May 3, 1941 in Champaign, Ill., Dr. Welker received the bachelor of music degree in music education, the master of music degree in music literature, and the doctor of musical arts degree in performance from the Eastman School of Music. He earned the performer’s certificate in saxophone and served as principal saxophonist of the Eastman Wind Ensemble for four years. A former conducting student of Gunter Theuring in Vienna, Roger Wagner, and Frederick Fennell, he was the top-rated American conductor at the 1982 National Orchestral Conducting Competition. He has served previously on the conducting faculties of Union University, Appalachian State University, the University of Central Florida, and Murray State University. An active clinician, Dr. Welker conducted all-state and regional bands in numerous states as well as having given extensive appearances as a lecturer, reviewer, and adjudicator. He conducted the world premiere performances of over forty compositions. Gerald gave tirelessly of his time and expertise to many students, colleagues, and fellow music lovers over the years. He was the consummate teacher, and he spread his love of music and high level of knowledge to all who were fortunate enough to know him.