Titan Marching Band Coaches

Steve Barton

Steven Barton is the arranger for the show music for the TMB. He is currently one of the two band directors at Thomas Dale High School and most recently was the co-director at Lloyd C. Bird. He also taught at Manchester High School for 17 years. He is a nationally known composer and arranger of band music and is a sought-after composer for commissioning of new band music.

 

Andy Brock

Mr. Brock

Andrew Brock has been a Band Director with Chesterfield County Public Schools for 10 years. He lives in Midlothian with his wife Bonnie and their children Emma (4) and Dylan (9 months). Mr. Brock is proud to be the Band Director at Tomahawk Creek Middle School. Previously, he directed bands at Carver Middle School and Robious Middle School.

Serving for 14 years with the 380th Army Reserve Band out of Richmond, Virginia has been exciting. SSG Brock’s primary duty is to perform as a Saxophone Player and lead the Saxophone Section. He also has served as the Drum Major and has conducted the Concert Band. Lastly, Mr. Brock has been fortunate enough to be an Adjunct Professor at Longwood University. There he directs the Jazz Ensemble B and is also an instructor of Applied Saxophone.

 

Bill Buck

Mr. William Buck, our High Brass Coach, attended Chesterfield County Schools from the first grade. After graduating from Manchester High School, he attended East Carolina University where he received Bachelor Music Education degree in 1966 and Master of Music Education degree in 1972. He retired in June, 2005 after teaching 39 years, all in Chesterfield. He is currently teaching one class of beginning band at Manchester Middle School.

During his 40-year tenure in Chesterfield, Mr. Buck taught at Matoaca High School, Thomas Dale High School, was the opening band director at Monacan High School, Chester Middle School, Caver Middle School, Providence Middle School, Manchester Middle School, and Bailey Bridge Middle School. His bands consistently received superior ratings. His bands have marched in a United States Presidential Inauguration Parade, several Virginia Gubernatorial Parades, the Dogwood Arts Festival Parade in Knoxville Tennessee, and for halftime entertainment at The University of Richmond and The College of William and Mary. The Thomas Dale Concert Band performed at graduation for John Tyler Community College. His middle school jazz bands have performed at the National School Public Relations Convention in Washington DC, the Chesterfield County Student of the Year Banquet, the Chesterfield County PTA Banquet, and at Barnes and Noble Booksellers.

Mr. Buck was nominated as a "Who's Who Among America's Teachers". He has served as chairman V.B.O.D.A District III. He has also served on many county committees. He is an active adjudicator for band festivals in the mid-Atlantic region and is an active guest conductor and clinician of bands.

Mr. Buck has performed with the Richmond Symphonic Winds, the Richmond Concert Band, the Richmond Philharmonic and in many area churches. He currently plays trumpet with the the Richmond Swing Orchestra, the Commonwealth Winds, Old Dominion Brass Quintet and the Chesterfield Community Band.

 

Kevin Crawford

Mr. Crawford

Kevin Crawford has been a percussion instructor in Henrico and Chesterfield County for 17 years. He was an assistant percussion instructor at Hermitage High School for 2 years and lead percussion instructor at Thomas Jefferson for one year. Kevin was an assistant instructor at James River High School for 4 years and served as Director of Percussion at James River for 10 years. He was also the director of James River’s indoor percussion ensemble Rapidfire. Rapidfire has been a bronze medalist, a three time silver medalist and won a gold medal in 2010 in the AIA indoor circuit. Kevin has been a part of 18 Virginia Honor Bands as an instructor over the years and as a performing member of the Hermitage band.

This is Kevin’s first year coaching the Titan Band percussion section.

 

Stefan Demedtriadis

Stefan Demetriadis was born in Manchester, CT, and grew up in Chesterfield County. He attended Falling Creek Middle School and Meadowbrook High School. He studied health education and music at East Carolina University and Virginia Commonwealth University. Stefan was bass trombonist in VCU's acclaimed Jazz Orchestra I under the direction of Doug Richards. He has toured nationwide with Mojo/Universal recording artist The Ernies. The group received nationwide airplay, including a track on Universal's movie "Baseketball" and Sony Playstation's "Tony Hawk Pro Skater." After his tenure with The Ernies, he was invited to tour with Fighting Gravity (Mercury Records) before joining Bio Ritmo, an internationally acclaimed salsa band featured on salsa and ethnic compilations worldwide. In 2004, Bio Ritmo won the Independent Music World Series held in New York City.

From 1999-2004, he was bass trombonist in the highly regarded Devil's Workshop Big Band receiving outstanding reviews in major music magazines including Downbeat and Relix. He decided to freelance after touring, performing with the Dorsey Big Band, and American Idol star William Hung. He has shared the stage with many notable performers such as Tower of Power, George Clinton and Parliament, Ozomatli, Aerosmith and the Wailers. He has recorded in New York City, Washington, D.C., Nashville, and Los Angeles. In May 2007, he was invited to represent Virginia's talent and musical heritage at the Royal Welcome of Queen Elizabeth II of England at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond, the first of many statewide events celebrating the 400th anniversary of the Jamestown settlement. As a teacher, Stefan has privately taught many of the leading low brass musicians in both District I and District III.

Stefan serves as the "low brass" coach for the Titan Marching Band, assisting with individual and group brass instruction.

 

Brad Ford

Brad Ford hails from Orlando Florida and moved to Richmond at the age of 8. He grew up in Hanover County and attended Lee-Davis High School band where he played trumpet and studied under  Richard Serpa, principal Tuba of the Richmond Symphony and Mike Davison professor of Trumpet at University of Richmond his senior year. During high school, Brad started his drum corps experience in 2006 with Jersey Surf and continued to march with them until his age out year in 2010. Brad has also worked alongside the Salvation Army in Richmond and became the youngest Bandmaster in the Richmond Citadel Corps at the age of 19. He has performed with the Divisional Youth Band and National Capital Brass Band of the Salvation Army and was a featured soloist with the Divisional Youth Band in 2008. Brad is currently completing his Bachelor of Music (music education) at Virginia Commonwealth University and studies trumpet under International Artist, Rex Richardson and percussion under Ret. Sergeant Major William Messerschmidt, former principal percussionist of the United States Army Band. He has performed with the  VCU Symphonic Wind Symphony, VCU Brass Ensemble, VCU Trumpet Ensemble, and the 2011 NCAA Pep-Band of the Year, the VCU "Peppas." Brad is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia at VCU.

Brad helps out with the upper-brass, mainly mellophones and also helps out the marching/visual program as well.

 

Mike Goldberg

Mike Goldberg holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the world-renowned Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. He is currently Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet at Randolph-Macon College. Mike also enjoys his work with high school students, serving as Clarinet Instructor here at Cosby, Woodwinds Coach & Clarinet Choir Director at Lee Davis High School in Hanover County, and Woodwinds Instructor at Colonial Forge High School in Stafford County. He maintains a studio of private clarinet students and serves on the faculty for Da Capo Virginia. Mike has enjoyed a colorful career, performing for the original Broadway production of “Into the Woods,” and touring the major concert halls of the Northeast United States and Canada with the Eastman Wind Ensemble and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. Other credits include the New Brunswick Chamber Orchestra, Binghamton Philharmonic, Opera Theatre of Rochester and the Charlottesville Symphony.

Locally, he is Principal Clarinet for the Williamsburg Choral Guild Orchestra and UR Symphony Orchestra, and performs occasionally with the Richmond Symphony and Commonwealth Winds. Mike founded the local chamber music ensemble Crescendo and serves as its Artistic Director. Active as a conductor, he is co-founder and Music Director of the Central Virginia Wind Symphony, an ensemble comprised of the most talented high school musicians in the region, now in its seventh season. He serves as Music Director for the Capital City Summer Wind Band and Assistant Conductor of the Richmond Philharmonic.

Many of you may know Mike’s “other” career as a broadcast meteorologist. He can currently be heard on Kat’s Café, afternoons on Lite 98 radio, and his daily forecasts are on the web at richmondforecast.com! He is recognized as a Certified Broadcast Meteorologist (CBM) by the American Meteorological Society, and holds the Television Seal of Approval from the National Weather Association. Mike can be found freelancing at several TV stations, including WAVY (NBC) in Hampton Roads, VA, WSET (ABC) in Lynchburg, VA, and WHEC (NBC) in Rochester, NY. Recently, Mike has combined his dual careers in music and broadcasting by serving as a classical music announcer for WCVE Public Radio 88.9 FM in Richmond.

 

Ritamarie Hensley

Ritamarie Hensley is the faculty sponsor of the featured baton twirlers. She also sponsors the Cosby Dance team, is the chairperson of ht English department, and also serves as the yearbook advisor.

 

Richard Huggins

Richard Huggins is beginning his 9th year as the Band Director for Salem Church Middle. Originally from Roanoke, he graduated from Patrick Henry High School in 1985 and attended Longwood College. After graduating from James Madison University in 1989, Mr. Huggins taught elementary bands in Fairfax County. He then accepted a teaching position in Washington County, Virginia at E. B. Stanley and Glade Spring Middle Schools. For four years, Mr. Huggins directed the Patrick Henry High School (Glade Spring) band and they were a 1998 Commonwealth of Virginia Honor Band. He has marched with and served as an instructor for the Guardsmen Drum and Bugle Corps from Schaumburg, Illinois. He is an active adjudicator, clinician, and drill writer. His professional affiliations include VMEA, VBODA, MENC, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Mr. Huggins and his wife Patti, a former Henrico County Middle School Band Director live in Chesterfield, and are the proud parents of Laura Grace and Daniel Robert.

Mr. Huggins will be the marching coordinator and is our drill designer.

 

Erica Eaton

Erica Eaton is from Chesapeake Virginia and is a graduate of Deep Creek High School. She just recently graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Music Education. While at JMU, she was captain of the Marching Royal Dukes color guard and JMU Nuance Winterguard. She is an active color guard performer and instructor and has taught guard at the JMU Summer Band Camp for high school students for several years. She is also the instructor for several outstanding high school guards around the state. She is also a bassoonist and her performing credits include the JMU Wind Symphony and the JMU Symphony Orchestra. She is currently residing in Chesapeake, VA and will be either teaching band in public school or returning to school to work on her Masters of Music Education at Old Dominion University this fall.

She will be in her second year with the TMB and will be the color guard choreographer and instructor.

 

Jenise Lopez-Perez

In 2006, Mrs. Lopez graduated Magna Cum Laude from University of Puerto Rico with a B.A. in Hispanic Studies, with a concentration in Spanish education. She won the Prize for the Best Student in the Education Program. The 2010-11 school year marks her 5th year in education. She teaches Spanish Level 1 and 2. She is also sponsor of the Color Guard and Spanish Club.

 

Bryan Sheetz

Bryan Sheetz is a native of Chester, Virginia, and a graduate of Longwood College where he earned a Bachelor of Music Degree with a concentration in Instrumental Music Education. During his time at Longwood, he performed in a variety of ensembles while studying jazz, as well as symphonic and solo percussion. Mr. Sheetz has been active arranger, instructor, adjudicator and clinician in the Mid-Atlantic area since 1998. His jobs include writing, arranging, and instructing marching bands of various schools in Central Virginia. He has been the Percussion Director at Manchester High School for 7 years, Cosby High School for 3 years, and was percussion director of the L.C. Bird High School indoor drum line helping them achieve a silver medal in the 2006 Atlantic Indoor Association Championships.

Mr. Sheetz was awarded the MCD Grant for Initiative and Innovation in Educational Practices as well as the Muzak Heart and Soul Grant for the Hands and Pans Steel Drum Ensemble. This ensemble is the only three school level Steel Drum Ensemble in Central Virginia.