HOME OF SALUTING AMERICA'S BAND DIRECTORS
Thanks to the following all-volunteer team members for making the Saluting America's Band Directors projects possible.
Karen Sewell, Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation president
Karen is the widow of former Pickerington (Ohio) High School Band Director Mike Sewell. She was the inspiration behind the creation of the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation in 2017. Karen is the Foundation president and board member. The Foundation is the proud sponsor of the Tournament of Roses Michael D. Sewell Service Through Music Award. This award was organized by the Sewell family and the Foundation as a way to honor Mike’s dedication to using music with his students to encourage service in their schools, the community, and across the country. Karen & Mike's four children are alumni of the Pickerington High School Band program. Karen continues to support the Pickerington schools music programs in multiple ways, including the combined high school bands’ trip to march in the 2019 Rose Parade.
Dan Ross, scholastic outreach
Dan is retired from the Ohio High School Athletic Association as commissioner and executive director. His passion, enthusiasm and tireless efforts to promote the important role that interscholastic athletics and extracurricular programs play for students helped the OHSAA become one of the most respected high school associations in the country. He has served as a superintendent, principal, teacher, counselor, college instructor and coach for 33 years, as well as a contest official for 20 years. Dan earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Ohio Dominican College in 1971 and a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Xavier University in 1973. He was awarded his PhD at Bowling Green State University in 1983 in educational administration and supervision and has completed additional postgraduate work.
Tim Lautzenheiser, national outreach
Tim began his teaching career at Northern Michigan University, moving to the University of Missouri, and then to New Mexico State University. During that time, Tim developed highly acclaimed groups in both instrumental and vocal music. Following his tenure in the college band directing world, he spent three years as Executive Director of Bands of America. In 1981, Tim created Attitude Concepts for Today, Inc., an organization designed to manage the many requests for teacher inservice workshops, student leadership seminars, and convention speaking engagements focusing on the area of effective leadership training. After thirty-plus years of clinic presentations, some three million students have experienced one of his popular sessions. Tim presently serves as Vice President of Education for Conn-Selmer, Inc. He is a nationally recognized voice touting the importance of arts education for every child. His books continue to be bestsellers in the educational community. He is also co-author of popular band method, Essential Elements, as well as the Senior Educational Consultant for Hal Leonard, Inc. Tim is also the Senior Educational Advisor for Music for All, and NAMM (The National Association of Music Merchants). He holds degrees from Ball State University and the University of Alabama; in 1995 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the VanderCook College of Music. He continues to teach as an adjunct faculty member at Ball State University, Indiana-Purdue/Ft. Wayne University, and Butler University. In addition, he is a member of the Midwest Clinic Board of Directors and the Western International Band Clinic/American Band College Board of Directors. He is presently the Chair of the National Association for Music Education Music Honor Society.
Jon Waters, marching and music direction
Jon is an internationally known music educator and band director. As director of marching and athletic bands at The Ohio State University, his innovative use of iPads in creating unprecedented animated marching formations led to worldwide recognition and millions of You Tube hits. In 2014, he delivered a TEDx talk on "Tradition thru Innovation.” Jon is currently assistant professor of music and director of bands at Bowling Green State University in Ohio.
John Cisetti, band director relations
John retired in 2019 after leading the band program in Louisburg, Kansas for 40 years. He taught more than 350 students per day in grades five through twelve and produced more than 50 public performances each year. John was named a 2017 Laureate of the John Philip Sousa Foundation Legion of Honor and was recognized as the 2020 Outstanding Bandmaster by the Kansas Bandmasters Association. Under John’s leadership, the Louisburg Band marched in the 2018 Tournament of Roses Parade and was chosen as the first band to receive the Michael D. Sewell Service Through Music Award. John currently plays French horn in the De Soto Brass Band and the Sounds of South Kansas City Community Band.
Marc Parulekar, band director relations
Marc is in his in his 20th year of teaching and serves as the music coordinator for the Pickerington Local Schools (Ohio). He served as director of bands at Pickerington North HS for 15 years. Marc has also served as a graduate assistant director with The Ohio State University Marching Band. During his tenure at Pickerington North High School, the band performed in the 2006 and 2019 Rose Parades, 2018 London New Years Day Parade, and won the Grand Champion award in the 2013 Fiesta Bowl Parade. Marc is a graduate of The Ohio State University where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, Master of Arts in Music Education, and Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education.
Craig Orr, marching and percussion advisor
Craig has 36 years of music experience with extensive instruction in both public and private education. He has helped prepare bands for the Tournament of Roses Parade, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Fiesta Bowl Parade, the Gator Bowl Parade, the Orange Bowl Parade and the Walt Disney World Parade. In addition, he has prepared bands and drum lines for DCI, WGI, and BOA. Craig has worked as an adjudicator and clinician in Ohio. He earned his BME from Capital University and his MME from Florida State University.
Matt Guirreri, marching advisor
Matt is in his 17th year of teaching and serves as a band director for grades 6-12 in Pickerington Local Schools (OH). He has served as the assistant director of bands at Pickerington North High School for 15 years. While there, Matt has helped guide the band in the Citrus Bowl parade (2009), NYC Veteran’s Day parade (2011), Fiesta Bowl parade (2013), London New Year’s Day parade (2018) and the Bands of America competition in Indianapolis (2019). Matt, under Mike Sewell’s leadership, is a graduate of Pickerington High School, The Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree, as well as Capital University, where he earned a Master of Arts in Music Education.
Ben Meisel
Ben has been teaching music and band in the public schools for 12 years. He currently serves as a middle school band director and assistant marching director for Mentor Schools in northeast Ohio. Additionally, he has served as all-state coordinator, district president, and adjudicator for the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA). Ben student taught in Pickerington Local Schools. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from The Ohio State University where he was in the OSU Marching Band under Jon Waters and received a master of the arts in music education from Case Western Reserve University.
James Kuebler, project management
Jim served in several technical positions at Ohio Bell and Ameritech for 28 years in various engineering and operations organizations. He was Vice President of Project Management for large corporations while at Ameritech where he won a Presidents Award for outstanding performance. He was a business partner at Ameritraining, a technical consulting firm in the telecommunications field. Jim has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations including the Glassmen Drum and Bugle Corps, Nellie’s Champions for Kids, the Pickerington Music Boosters, and at his church. Jim obtained a bachelor of electrical engineering degree and an MS in systems engineering from The Ohio State University.
Jim McSkimin, information technology
Jim spent 28 years working in the telecommunications industry, primarily as a member of technical staff at AT&T Bell Labs. He designed and developed software in the areas of real-time file systems and database systems, computer networking, and user interfaces. He has experience in programming languages, computer networking, web design, and the Unix operating system. He also spent five years as a technical recruiter for telecom companies. He has been active in volunteer work for the Pickerington Locals Schools music programs and his church. He received an MS and PhD in computer science from the University of Maryland.
Sanford Meisel, marketing and communications
Sandy has worked and consulted in marketing, branding, publishing, communication and design in the roles of marketing director, creative director, design director, publisher and educator. He has created award-winning solutions for a broad range of clients in the financial, publishing, educational, health care, governmental and manufacturing sectors, as well as leading his own marketing communications company. Sandy has held leadership and board positions in several professional and community organizations and has taught and lectured at The Ohio State University and the Columbus College of Art and Design. He is a graduate of Ohio State. Sandy was proud to see his son Ben march in the 2010 Rose Parade with The Ohio State University Marching Band.
Bill Pope, corporate & organization relations
Bill spent 15 years in higher education and healthcare fundraising at Albion College, The Ohio State University and Duke University Medical Center at a variety of positions including Corporate and Foundation Relations, Executive Director and Director of Major Gifts. Additionally, Bill has spent the past 20 years in leadership positions for several family owned companies. Bill currently spends time volunteering for local non-profits by assisting their fund-raising programs.
The Saluting America's Band Directors project and the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation would like to give special thanks to Mike Edwards and the late Joe Ashley of the 5 Stones Group of Columbus, Ohio for their generous contribution of our original recruitment video. We also are very grateful to Raaghuv Vazirani for assisting in our social media outreach.
Saluting America's Band Directors is a project of the Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation.
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