New Hire: James Green, Ohio Christian University

 

Dr. James M. Green is the new Adjunct Professor of Low Brass at Ohio Christian University. He began serving in this role in August 2020. His primary duties include teaching applied low brass lessons and helping recruit for the growth of the program. Concurrently, he serves on the music faculty of Ohio Northern University and maintains a sizable studio in the central Ohio area. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in tuba performance from The Ohio State University, a Master of Music in Tuba Performance from Miami University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Abilene Christian University.

New Hire: Blake Birmingham, East Central University

 

Blake Birmingham is the new Adjunct Professor of Low Brass at East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma. He began serving in this role in January 2020. At ECU, Blake teaches applied brass lessons to undergraduate majors and minors on trombone, euphonium, and tuba. Blake holds a Bachelor's degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of North Texas where he studied with Dr. Brian Bowman, and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Euphonium Performance under the mentorship of Professor David Childs. He is the winner of the 2018 Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Artist Competition and plays regularly as a member of the Lone Star Wind Orchestra. Blake is the Director of the North Texas Low Brass Camp, and is proud to be a Besson artist, and a Brass Lab.MOMO artist.

New Hire: Blake Ryall, Mississippi State University

 

Blake Ryall is the new Lecturer of Tuba and Euphonium at Mississippi State University. He began serving in this role in August 2020. Blake is the primary instructor of the Mississippi State University tuba and euphonium studio, conducts the Mississippi State University Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, and performs with the Mississippi State University Faculty Brass Quintet. Prior to his appointment at MSU, Blake was an active freelance performer and teacher in the Greater Phoenix area. He served as the principal tubist of the West Valley Symphony of Surprise, Arizona, and enjoyed performances with regional ensembles including the Phoenix Symphony, the Phoenix Brass Collective, Symphony of the Southwest, the MusicaNova Orchestra, and the Salt River Brass. During this time, Blake also maintained a private studio in addition to frequently conducting clinics and master classes at the middle school, high school, and collegiate level. Blake received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University, the Master of Music degree from East Carolina University, and the Bachelor of Music degree from Appalachian State University, where his primary teachers included Dr. Deanna Swoboda, Tom McCaslin, and Dr. Christopher Blaha respectively.

New Hire: Matthew Shipes, University of Georgia

Matthew Shipes is the new Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at he University of Georgia’s Hugh Hodgson School of Music. He began serving in this role in August 2020. At UGA, Matt teaches the tuba and euphonium studio and is the tubist with the Georgia Brass Quintet. A dedicated advocate of tuba and euphonium performance and pedagogy, Matt works in several roles with ITEA as an associate editorof the ITEA Quarterly Journal “Experts’ Excerpts” column, and also serves as Membership Marketer, communicating with an international audience of enthusiasts, students and professionals. In 2020 Matt created the first-ever international euphonium mock-band e-competition, Stars and Shipes, engaging over 50 participants from several countries around the world and featuring a judging panel of top euphonium performers from the premier military bands in Washington D.C. Matt earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baylor University, and a Master of Music degree in Euphonium Performance from the University of Arkansas, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in tuba performance from The University of Georgia.