New Hire: Jason Casanova, Jacksonville State University

Jason Casanova is joining the faculty at Jacksonville State University in Alabama as Adjunct Euphonium Instructor beginning with the 2017/18 academic year. https://www.facebook.com/CasanovaEuphonium.

This will be in addition to his duties at Georgia State University (GA) and Kennesaw State University (GA). He holds degrees from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA and St. Mary’s University in San Antonio, TX. In addition to his college teaching, Jason teaches in some of the best schools and counties in Georgia. In terms of performance, he is Solo Euphonium with the Georgia Brass Band and a founding member of the tuba-euphonium quartet Divergence; he also plays with other diverse ensembles such as the 4th Ward Afro-Klezmer Orchestra and Mercury Orkestar. For more information, please visit his Facebook page:

New Hire: Robert Johnson, Royal Canadian Artillery Band

Robert Johnson is the newly appointed euphonium player for the Royal Canadian Artillery Band (RCA Band) based in Edmonton, Alberta. The duties of this band are to provide musical support to official Canadian Armed Forces ceremonies, outreach events, and public concerts throughout Canada and internationally. Recently, the RCA Band traveled to France to participate in the 100th anniversary commemoration of the battle of Vimy Ridge as well as to London to take part in the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Robert is a multi-instrumentalist specializing in low brass and has performed with ensembles nationwide, including the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, the Naden Band of the Royal Canadian Navy, the Griffon Brass Band, and the Vic Vogel Big Band. His education includes the Schulich School of Music of McGill University, the University of Alberta, l’Université de Montréal, and in 2015 was an Artist in Residence at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. In addition to the RCA Band, he will be performing as a euphonium player with the Edmonton Winds as well as Solo Eb Bass with the Mill Creek Colliery Band. Robert resides in Edmonton with his wife Quincy and their cat Nala.

New Hire: Dr. Jennifer Jester, Missouri State University

Dr. Jennifer Jester is the newly appointed Instructor of Euphonium at

Missouri State University beginning in Fall 2017. Her duties will focus on teaching applied euphonium, Music Business, and Language of Music. Prior to her appointment, Dr. Jester held a teaching appointment at Millersville University as Director of Music Business and Technology and is currently owner and manager of School of Rock in Springfield, Missouri. She holds degrees from Arizona State University, California Institute for the Arts, and UCLA. Dr. Jester has performed with the River City Brass Band, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Ft. Smith Symphony, Washington Symphonic Brass, and many others on euphonium, trombone, and bass trumpet. Her past teachers include Sam Pilafian, Doug Tornquist, Tommy Johnson, James Miller, and Dale Lonis. Jennifer is the Coordinator for Tuba Christmas in Springfield, MO. She is a Life Member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association and has served as a past Executive Director from 2007-2010.

New Hire: Joseph Alvarez, University of South Florida

Joseph Alvarez has been appointed to the position of Adjunct Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of South Florida beginning fall of 2017. His duties will focus on applied instruction and directing the tuba-euphonium ensemble. Since 2016, Joseph has been the principal tubist of the Imperial Symphony in Lakeland. Before that, he served as principal tubist of the Sinfonia da camera in Urbana, IL since 2014. Joseph has performed with ensembles such as the Sarasota Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, New World Symphony, Illinois Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, and Chicago-based new music collective dal niente. He has performed under the baton of conductors such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Barry Wordsworth, Leonard Slatkin, James Gaffigan, Yan Pascal Tortelier, Larry Rachleff, Peter Oundjian, and Kristjan Jarvi. Joseph can soon be heard on the upcoming CD release—“ARISE”—featuring the music of Ola Gjeilo by the Key Chorale of Sarasota. With a passion for expanding the repertoire of the tuba and euphonium, Joseph regularly programs his own arrangements on recitals. His arrangement of Prokofiev’s Five Songs Without Words is published through Cherry Classics. Joseph Alvarez was the tuba fellow at the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, CA in 2011, 2012, and 2013 where he studied with Ralph Sauer and Mark Lawrence. He also served as the tuba fellow with the National Repertory Orchestra in Breckenridge, CO in 2010. Mr. Alvarez holds degrees from the University of South Florida (BM) and Northwestern University (MM) and is a doctoral candidate at the University of Illinois. His primary teachers include Jay Hunsberger, Rex Martin, and Mark Moore.

New Hire: Andrew Dougherty, West Point Band

Andrew Dougherty has recently won a tuba position with the West Point Band. He is currently a Specialist (SPC) in the Army but will be a Staff Sergeant (SSG) once he arrives at West Point after Basic Training. He will begin performing with the West Point Band in November 2017. Duties in this position are to perform for the Corps of Cadets in ceremonies, football games, and concerts, in addition to outreach events and public concerts throughout the year. The West Point Band handles the official musical requirements at the academy, including military and patriotic ceremonies, performing over 1,600 missions every year. Andrew recently graduated with an M.M. in Music Performance from the University of Maryland, where he studied with David Fedderly, and he completed a B.M. in Music Performance at George Mason University, where he studied with Andrew Hitz. Throughout his college career, Andrew has played in the Disneyland All-American College Band, Bar Harbor Brass Week, and U.S. Air Force Collegiate Symposium. He won the U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" Mock Band Audition Competition in 2017 and also won the Tuba and Euphonium Quartet competition at NERTEC 2017.

New Hire: Dr. Robin Sisk, University of Florida

Dr. Robin Sisk is the recently appointed Visiting Assistant Professor of Tuba

and Euphonium at the University of Florida, where her duties will focus on applied instruction and directing the tuba-euphonium ensemble, beginning Fall 2017. In addition to serving as Principal Tuba of the Gainesville Orchestra and being on-call for the Magic Kingdom’s Main Street Philharmonic, Dr. Sisk is an active freelance tubist across the Sunshine State, having performed with a wide array of groups, notably The Florida Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, Sarasota Ballet, Orlando Philharmonic, Brass Band of Central Florida, Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, and at major theme parks. Dr. Sisk has commissioned several new solo and chamber works for tuba in recent years, and she is also a proud founding member of Fleur de Beat, the world’s first stilt-walking Dixieland band. Robin earned a D.M.A. from The Hartt School, M.M. in Tuba Performance from the University of South Florida, and a B.M. in Music Education from West Virginia University. Her primary teachers include Scott Mendoker, Jay Hunsberger, Dave McCollum, and Les Dean, Sr.

New Hire: Vince Kenney, Drake University

Vince Kenney is the new Assistant Director of Bands/Assistant Professor of Low Brass at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. He began teaching at Drake in August 2017. His duties in this position include teaching applied tuba and euphonium and conducting the Drake University Marching Band, Symphonic Band, and Bulldog Brass. Vince completed his undergraduate degrees in Music Performance and Education at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, followed by an M.M. degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of North Texas. Prior to his work at Drake, Vince served as the Director of Instrumental Music at North Central Texas College in Gainesville where he founded the NCTC Wind Ensemble. He is a two-time finalist in the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition and actively tours the U.S. as a member of the North Texas Euphonium Quartet. Vince is currently completing a Doctorate of Musical Arts Degree in Euphonium Performance at the University of North Texas.