CONTACT US

Directors: Ronald Meers & Michael Aymett
EMAIL THE DIRECTORS
Mr. Meers • Mr. Aymett

BAND OFFICE - 615-896-0110

BAND PERSONNEL

Ron Meers - Director:
Mr. Meers is in his 29th year as Director of Bands at Riverdale High School. Prior to his tenure here, he was Director of Bands at Mt. Pleasant High School in Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, for 13 years. Ron received his Bachelor of Science degree from David Lipscomb University and his Master +30 from Cumberland University. He is Past-President of the Tennessee Music Education Association, Past President of the Middle Tennessee School Band and Orchestra Association, Past-President of the Tennessee Bandmaster's Association, Past-President of Phi Beta Mu, has served as the All-State Audition Chairman for the MTSBOA, auditions chair for the Governor's School for the Arts, and Tennessee All State Band Chair. Mr. Meers has served as an adjudicator for both marching and concert band events throughout his career. He was selected as Riverdale High School's teacher of the year for the 2002-2003 school year. Mr. Meers is serving in his 43rd year as a director of bands in Tennessee and was inducted into the Tennessee Music Education Association's Hall of Fame on April 7th, 2011 at Opryland Hotel in Nashville.

 

Mike Aymett - Director:
Mike is in his 9th year as band director with the Riverdale Band. A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Mike attended Middle Tennessee State University where he earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts degrees. As a saxophonist, Mr. Aymett has performed in numerous styles, from classical, to jazz, to salsa. Mike has previously taught in Nashville and at Mt. Pleasant High School, where he served as Director of Bands for three years, teaching grades 5-12. During his tenure at these schools, students distinguished themselves in both concert and marching performances.

Professionally, Mr. Aymett has served as coordinator for the Rutherford County Honor Bands, chairman for the MTSBOA Honor Bands, Performing Group Auditions Chair for the TMEA Conference, MTSBOA Executive Board, and the Band of Blue Club Board of Directors. He was Equipment Chairperson for the 2000 & 2001 TMEA Conference, and served on the host committee for the 2002 National MENC Conference in Nashville, TN.

Mr. Aymett is a member of MTSBOA, Tennessee Music Educators Association, Music Educators National Conference, Tennessee Bandmasters Association, National Band Association, Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmaster Fraternity, selected for membership in the ASBDA, and is a member of Phi Mu Alpha.

 

Tim Hale - Percussion Instructor:
Tim has been the Percussion Instructor for the Riverdale Warrior Band since the fall of 1999. Working to create a well-rounded percussion program, his duties include teaching two percussion classes, working with the pit and battery in marching season, teaching percussion ensemble in the spring, and providing private lessons. Since 1994, he has worked with many drumlines in Middle Tennessee and served as a clinician in Tennessee, Florida, New Mexico, and California. Tim has been influenced by his instructors which have included: Mike McIntosh, Lalo Davila, and Eric Johnson. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University in May of 2003 with a Bachelor of Music Education degree, and he holds an endorsement from Innovative Percussion. He played marimba in the front ensemble of the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in 1996 and marched tenors for the Nite Express Drum and Bugle Corps in 1993 and 1994. Tim and his wife, Angeline, currently reside in Murfreesboro, Tennessee with their beautiful daughter, Rosa Grace and handsome son Asher Allen. They love spending time with their friends and family and are active in the worship arts and children's ministries at Lifepoint Church in Smyrna, Tn.

 

Emily Bowland- Private Instructor for Clarinet

Emily Wasson Bowland holds positions in the Chattanooga Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Kentucky and the Evansville Philharmonic, and performs regularly with the symphonies of Nashville and Huntsville. An equally versatile performer on clarinet, E-flat, and bass clarinets, Ms. Bowland enjoys an interesting and diverse career, both live and in the recording studios. Some of the notable artists Ms. Bowland has performed with include Natalie Cole, Jose Feliciano, Michael McDonald, and Trisha Yearwood. In September 2008, she was a part of the world-premiere of Trey Anastasio’s “Time Turns Elastic” with Orchestra Nashville, a performance featured in Rolling Stone magazine. In 2009, she was the featured soloist with Orchestra Kentucky performing Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto.

Her recording credits include Principal Clarinet with the Nashville Chamber Orchestra on cellist Emmanuel Feldman’s recording “Rider on the Plains”, which received an excellent review by the New York Times. She has also appeared on several recordings with the Nashville Symphony, a highlight being the 2007 release of Mussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition” under the direction of Leonard Slatkin.

As an educator, Ms. Bowland’s private students have been successful at All-State, Mid-State, and Solo and Ensemble festivals. In 2008 and 2009, she received the Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts Outstanding Teacher Award. She serves on the faculty of Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music and teaches lessons in the Nashville and Murfreesboro areas, and is widely sought after as a clinician and private instructor.

Ms. Bowland holds degrees from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music and the University of Southern California. Her major teachers include Yehuda Gilad, Mitchell Lurie, and Richard Hawley.

 


Mike George- Private Instructor for Brass Instruments

I am Mike George, a private lesson teacher of brass instruments. I have been teaching full-time for over twenty years. Private lessons are a way for the student to excel over and above what can be done in a classroom situation. Many parents don't realize the long term value of lessons and of mastering a musical instrument. It is a proven fact that when a child masters an instrument, grades go UP. Also, most don't realize the scholarship potential that band provides. Over the years, my students have earned over three million ($3,000,000) in scholarship money. I have had students on scholarship in; MTSU, Tennessee Tech, UT, Univ. of Memphis, Cumberland University, Georgia and one of full scholarship to Vanderbilt. (That one in $186,000, and yes I'm proud of that one!!) In midstate and all-state solo competitions this year, my students did very well. Now about the lessons. We meet one time each week for thirty minutes. The cost is $15 for each lesson payable monthly at the first lesson of each month .. That is usually $60 depending on how many we get in in each month. Hour lessons are available for $25/hour. I will be teaching at Riverdale High School and Siegel High School for the summer. I know in the summer that family visits, vacation and many camps take up much of your time and therefore you can't possibly make every lesson offered. I have some students that will do one or two before band camp just to go over the music. Hey, one is better than none!! So before you decide that you are too busy, let's put our calendars together and see what we can do. Please contact me at the following numbers or email me and we will get started and once we do, you will see why we call it PLAYING music!!! Mike George 631-5694 mgeorge5570@att.net


Brandon Jones – Brass Tutor
Buffet Crampon USA Clinician & Besson Performing Artist
Phone: (615) 785-5777
Email: bmjones82@gmail.com
Website: www.brandonmjones.com
Rates: $15 (half-hour), $25 (full hour)

Brandon Jones is considered to be one of the most sought-out and finest brass tutors in the country. As a sponsored performing artist, Brandon’s schedule takes him across the globe performing solo recitals, guest soloing concerts with some of the finest ensembles in the country, and teaching clinics and master classes at the high school and university level. Brandon has presented brass clinics at several state conventions as well as being a featured guest artist at several ITEA (International Tuba Euphonium Association) conferences, all at the tender age of 29. He has been labeled as “The next big thing in the brass world…” by his peers, and is characterized by being “well beyond his years” in both his musical expression as a performer and his knowledge of how to teach brass instruments. Previously having a well-established studio in Kentucky where he is from originally, Brandon taught the principal euphonium player in the state of KY at the high school level for 8 straight years, 5 different students, as well as having the principal tuba player. There were multiple years where Brandon had the entire top all-state band euphonium section to come from his studio. He is often asked to come back to Kentucky high schools for his knowledge and teaching abilities.

Brandon first became known as the youngest finalist ever in the ITEC artist euphonium level competition in Lahti, Finland in 2001. Brandon was a freshman in college at that time. He finished 3 rd in the world in the competition and made headlines all throughout the state of Kentucky, and the country in the euphonium world. The next year, he made the finals again, this time as a 20-year-old. Later that year, Brandon competed in a competition held by the Brass Band of Battle Creek (arguably the worlds’ finest brass band) where he would be declared the winner, and was featured as a soloist at the week-ending concert.

As a soloist and clinician, Brandon is second to none. His wealth of experience and keen musical sense separates him from his peers. He performs full-time as principal and solo euphonium with the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass Band out of Crossville, TN. His debut solo CD, “Influences” was received with international acclaim, and was a top-three finalist for the prestigious ITEA Roger Bobo Award for recording excellence. This was Brandon’s first CD, and he was only 27-years-old when it was recorded. This is the highest award for a solo CD that the International Tuba Euphonium Association can give. Brandon has performed all over the world, including Russia, Finland, and Mexico. Reviews of his CD as well as of Brandon in general can be found on his professional website, www.brandonmjones.com.

Brandon has a deep passion for teaching students of all ages to help them not only achieve their absolute highest potential as a musician, but also as a student and person. It is about the students, and giving them the absolute best opportunity to succeed at the highest of levels.

Brandon’s students go on to receive the highest scholarship amounts for collegiate study as well as several accolades outside of the classroom. His students have held principal chairs at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Louisiana State University, Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Louisville, Murray State University, and Western Kentucky University, among several others. Brandon has also had a student to win the student division of the Leonard Falcone International Euphonium Competition. He has had successful students on every brass instrument in both Kentucky and Tennessee. Brandon consistently has 3+ students selected to the Governor’s School for the Arts program, and has had several students selected to the mid-state and all-state bands in a short amount of time.

 


Melissa Keeling- Private Instructor for Flute

Melissa Keeling is a graduate student at Middle Tennessee State University, where she has performed as principal flutist with the Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble. In 2009, she appeared as a soloist with the Bowling Green-Western Symphony Orchestra. Melissa was the first undergraduate to present research at the Flute Society of Kentucky Festival in 2010, where she also performed solo. Melissa is a member of sonyq, an experimental electric flute and guitar duo, and their first solo album, sänik, was released October 2010. She is a member of Pi Kappa Lambda (National Music Honor Society), the National Flute Association, and the Flute Society of Kentucky. She has participated in master classes with Michel Debost, Keith Underwood, Mary Kay Fink, Brad Garner, and abroad with Rhonda Larson in Italy. Melissa has studied with Heidi Álvarez and Deanna Little.

Additional Private Instructors
Ken Ozimek - Private Woodwinds Instructor
Wilson Sharpe - Private Instructor
 Guard Instructors: Amanda Jones & Melanie Merritt

2011 - 2012 Band Officers
President: Ben Bloom
Vice President: Nathan Nix, Kelsey Rone
Recording Secretary: Lindsey Dunn, Hannah Savely, Amanda McKnight
Corresponding Secretary: Elisabeth Weeks
Treasurer: Aryn Gailey
Librarian: Courtney Wright , Mashala Enzor, Chelsey Ringo
Reps: JD Leverette, Brian Sissom, Andrew Arnold, Brandon Cox


2011-2012 Field Commanders:

Field Commander- Ben Bloom
Assist. F.C.- Samantha Webb

2011-2012 Section Leaders and Leadership:
FLUTE LEADER- Hannah Savely
Bb CLARINET LEADERS- Amanda McKnight, J.D. Leverette
Bb CLARINET ASSIST.- Aryn Gailey
Bb CLARINET LEADERSHIP-
SAXOPHONE LEADERS- Mashala Enzor
SAXOPHONE ASSIST.- Lindsey Dunn, Wystan Schmidt
SAXOPHONE LEADERSHIP-
HORN LEADER – Meg Hoberg
HORN LEADERSHIP- Chelsey Ringo
TRUMPET LEADER – Kelsey Rone, John Hill, Nathan Nix
TRUMPET ASSIST.- Brandon Cox
TROMBONE- Brian Sissom
TROMBONE ASSIST.-
BARITONE LEADER- Keenan Taylor
TUBA SECTION LEADER –Trent Pyrz
TUBA ASSIST.- Andrew Arnold
PERCUSSION BATTERY LEADERS- Nick Jimenez, Joseph Schilling
PERCUSSION BATTERY LEADERSHIP- PITT LEADER- Michelle Quarto
PERCUSSION BASS LEADER- Kimma Spann
GUARD SECTION LEADER- Michelle Moore
GUARD ASSIST.- Elisabeth Weeks

2011 Load Crue
12 Brandon Cox
12 Michelle Moore
12 Andrew Arnold
11 Lizzie Hutchings
11 Kala Parker
10 Keri Owens
9 Katie Alison
9 Rebeca Mathad
9 Megan Sweeney
9 Jamie Wilson


 

Since May 17th, 2004

Riverdale High School Band
802 Warrior Dr.
Murfreesboro, TN 37128
Band Phone: 896-0110

Special Thanks to General Mills / Pillsbury for their support of our Drumline

Webmaster: Rich Dodson Design, RS Meers