BIO
Jonathan Hinkle joined the music faculty at Colorado Mesa University in 2012 as the first Director of Athletic bands and Associate Director of Bands, which included the responsibility of starting and directing the university's first marching band, the Maverick Stampede. In only a few seasons, this group grew to include 155 members and is now also housed in their very own rehearsal facility (turf field, storage/meeting room, and observation tower) known as the Stampede Center. In 2016, he also formed the Rowdy Brass Band, a small 21st Century ensemble performing both on and off campus and for professional engagements. Both groups are now in high demand throughout Colorado. In 2021, Hinkle was reappointed as Director of Bands, which includes directing CMU's Wind Symphony, overseeing the Best of the West festival each December, continuing to lead the Rowdy Brass Band, and overseeing the comprehensive band program. The CMU Concert Band, a second wind band, was formed in 2022, and in 2024, the Mesa Brass Band, a second commercial-like group, was also added to the line-up, both from continued program growth. As a result, the music education program and department of music as a whole at CMU has also continued to grow and strengthen. Hinkle also teaches courses in conducting and a full studio (10-13 members since 2017) of applied trumpet music majors and minors. He maintains an active schedule as a band clinician, adjudicator, and honor band conductor throughout the United States.
Before moving west, he was an active music educator, band director and trumpeter in the Southeastern United States. This experience included five years as a high school band and orchestra director at Sebastian River High School (Sebastian, FL) and Melbourne High School (Melbourne, FL), leading marching bands, concert bands, jazz ensembles and string orchestras to state and national recognition. These included performances at the Bands of America National Concert Band Invitational in Indianapolis, IN, and also the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, IL. He returned to the Florida State University College of Music for the Master of Music Education degree earning a University Fellowship for his work starting and directing the Seminole Swing Machine, the first jazz big-band specifically designed for music education majors. Encouraged to continue his graduate work, he later earned the PhD in music education under the mentorship of Clifford Madsen, PhD. At FSU, Hinkle was responsible for teaching and leading various music courses as a graduate student and later as an adjunct faculty. As both an undergraduate and graduate student, he served as principal and lead trumpet with many of the university's top performing ensembles including the Wind Orchestra under the direction of Richard Clary and Jazz Ensemble I, under the direction of Leon Anderson, giving world premiere performances with both groups on national stages. Hinkle's professional performing experience also includes being a lead trumpeter at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, as the principal trumpeter with Orchestra Mia in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as a member of the Colorado Mesa University Faculty Brass Quintet, Faculty Jazz Quintet, and in a variety of freelance appointments.
BIO
Devan L. Moore is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at Florida State University, where she assists with all aspects of the athletic bands (Marching Chiefs and Seminole Sound), conducts the University Concert Band, and teaches various courses in music education. Prior to her appointment in the College of Music, Moore was the Assistant Director of Bands at Oklahoma State University.
Moore, a native of Tallahassee, FL, attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) where she earned the Bachelor of Science in Music Education. She also earned the Master of Music Education and holds the Ph.D. in Music Education with an emphasis in Wind Band Conducting from Florida State University. Moore’s dissertation is titled “The Chocolate Maestra: A Narrative Inquiry into the Lived Experiences of Black Female Band Directors.” Her conducting teachers and mentors include Prof. Richard Clary, Dr. Patrick Dunnigan, Dr. Alex Jiménez, Dr. Michael Hanawalt, Dr. Julian White, and Dr. Shelby Chipman.
Moore has previously held positions as Director of Bands and Orchestra at Fairview Middle School (FL), Assistant Band Director at James S. Rickards High School (FL), Band Director at R. Frank Nims Middle School (FL), and Assistant Band Director at Mundy’s Mill High School (GA).
Moore holds professional memberships in the College Band Directors National Association, National Association for Music Educators, Florida Music Educators Association, Florida Bandmasters Association, a founding member of the Association of Black Women Band Directors, Tau Beta Sigma Honorary Band Sorority, and Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity. She is active as an adjudicator and clinician, serving as a solo/ensemble adjudicator, concert band adjudicator, and clinician for district and state honor bands, as well as school ensembles.
Alex Kaminsky
VanderCook College of Music
BIO
Alexander Kaminsky was appointed Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at VanderCook College of Music in 2019 after a highly successful tenure at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL. Previous to that, Kaminsky led the band programs at Buchholz High School, Lincoln High School, Auburndale High School, and Cocoa Beach Jr/Sr High School, all of which excelled under his direction. He holds degrees from the University of Florida and Indiana University, is active as an adjudicator, and is in demand as a guest conductor/clinician across the country.
Throughout his 30-year career as a high school band director, Kaminsky’s ensembles consistently earned Superior ratings at all levels of evaluation. In addition to earning straight Superior ratings at the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA) State Concert Band Assessment for an unprecedented 21 years (the last 11 years with both his first and second bands), he is the only director in the history of the FBA to have had three concert bands from one school earn straight Superior ratings at State, and he achieved this three times (2009, 2018, and 2019).
Kaminsky’s high school bands performed at the Midwest Clinic (2005, 2009, 2014, and 2018), ABA National Convention (2014), CBDNA/NBA Southern Division Conference (2004 and 2014), FMEA State Conference (2014), Music for All National Concert Band Festival (2002 and 2012), and the National Wind Band Festival at Carnegie Hall (2009 and 2018). In 2018, the Stoneman Douglas Wind Symphony was named a Mark of Excellence National Wind Band Honors winner as one of only ten 6A bands in the nation. His marching bands consistently placed in the Florida Marching Band State Championship Finals, winning several FMBC State Championships (including 4 of his last 6 years as a high school band director), as well as being named a finalist band at BOA regional competitions.
Kaminsky is a Conn-Selmer Educational Clinician, an elected member of the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and the American School Band Directors’ Association, and also holds memberships in CBDNA, NBA, and Phi Beta Mu. He has served on many state and national committees including the ABA Sousa/Ostwald Award Committee, NBA Student Chapters Advisor, and is currently Chair of the ABA School Bands Task Force. Kaminsky is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been featured in several publications including The Instrumentalist, Teaching Music, Halftime Magazine, School Band & Orchestra Magazine’s “50 Directors Who Make A Difference,” Home Magazine’s “12 Exceptional Educators,” and most recently, Inspiring a Love of Music published by GIA Publications.
Hannah Rudy
University of Illinois
BIO
Dr. Hannah Rudy serves as Assistant Director of Athletic Bands and conductor of the University Band at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her responsibilities include teaching undergraduate conducting courses, serving as assistant director for the 400-member Marching Illini, and leading volleyball and basketball pep bands. Prior to her appointment at UIUC, Dr. Rudy served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Kennesaw State University where she conducted concert ensembles and athletic bands, and taught courses in music education.
Throughout her graduate studies at the University of Oklahoma and the University of Colorado Boulder, Dr. Rudy served as the assistant conductor for all concert ensembles and collaborated regularly with featured soloists from the OU and CU faculties, as well as composers-in-residence. During her doctoral studies she was an Assistant Producer, member of the design team, and coordinated personnel and logistics for various audio and video recording projects with the University of Oklahoma Wind Symphony. Dr. Rudy has since served as conductor and producer for digital collaborations featuring composer, vocalist, and activist Dr. Leila Adu-Gilmore in her poignant work, Freedom Suite. Dr. Rudy has lead projects and presentations that provide resources to music educators and have built connections between musicians and composers from around the country.
Concurrent with her work with the concert ensembles, Dr. Rudy has been instrumental in the design and execution of halftime shows and student development of bands in the Big XII, PAC 12, Big South, and Big Ten athletic conferences. Her halftime shows have featured various campus entities, as well as guest artists such as Boston Brass.
Dr. Rudy is an active guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator with athletic bands events, high school and middle school concert ensembles, and honor bands around the country. Her research focuses on guiding conductors to create more meaningful music-making experiences for themselves, the ensemble, and audience members through creative and artistic score study practices. She has presented her research at various state and national conferences including the College Band Directors National Association Regional Conference.
Dr. Rudy holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Georgia. Following her undergraduate studies, she taught high school and middle school band in the state of Georgia. Dr. Rudy began her graduate studies with Dr. Donald McKinney and earned a Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting and Repertoire from the University of Colorado Boulder. Following her time in Colorado, she earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Band Conducting from the University of Oklahoma studying in the studios of Dr. Shanti Simon and Dr. Michael Hancock. Her professional affiliations include the College Band Directors National Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the National Band Association.
Cheldon Williams (West Virginia University and Zachary Cheever (Austin Peay State University)
Nikk Pilato (Northern Kentucky University) and John Schnettler (Austin Peay State University)
Tom Rohrer (Utah State University)
Robert Elliot (Ryle HS, retired) and Brant Karrick (Northern Kentucky University)
Brad Rogers (Oldham County High School) and Jerry Markoch (Athens Drive High School)
Todd Moody (Williamstown High School) & Joe Parisi (University of Missouri-Kansas City)
Curtis Essig (Youth Performing Arts) and Jeffrey Reed (Orchestra Kentucky)
Timothy Mahr (St. Olaf College) and Kevin Bowling (McNabb Middle School, KY)
Andrew Boysen Jr. (University of New Hampshire)
John S. Ross (Appalachian State University)
Rob McWilliams (University of Wisconsin - Osh Kosh)
Galen Karriker (University of Akron)
Tom Rohrer (Utah Valley State University)
