2009-2010 WSU Band Staff
Interested in the graduate programs at WSU? There are many assistantship opportunties for you. WSU Band Staff is a group of professors, WSU staff, and graudate students dedicated to scholarship, musicianship, and hard work. Take a second to get to know this year's WSU Band Staff.
Professors and WSU Staff
Dr. Victor Markovich
Director of Bands
Director of Winds and Percussion Studies
Graduate Assistants
Lori Ashenfelter, Director of Women's "Shocker Sound" Basketball Band
Lori Ashenfelter is currently pursuing licensure and a Master's in Music Education with an emphasis in instrumental conducting. She graduated in 2007 from Washburn University with a Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in History. She plans on teaching instrumental music in the public school system upon graduation.
She enjoys reading history and philosophy, knitting, surfing the internet, and watching good movies.
Isaac Bendele, Bands Administrative Assistant, Conducting Assistant
Isaac Bendele graduated with a dual vocal and instrumental focus from the Conservatory of Music at Capital University in Columbus Ohio. While at Capital he studied saxophone with Dr. Michael Cox and Jay Miglia. During his time with the Capital Symphonic Winds, the group participated in several recording sessions for Wingert-Jones Publications and completed a successful tour to Hawaii. He has studied conducting with Dr. Barry E. Kopetz and orchestration with James Swearingen. He served as a clinician and adjudicator for the 2009 Jackson Middle School small ensemble competition. In his hometown of Delphos, Ohio, he served as the adult choir director for St. John Catholic Church from 2004-2005.
Nicholas Gilmore, Bands Administrative Assistant, Conducting Assistant
Nicholas Gilmore is currently pursuing his MM in Instrumental conducting. He graduated in 2009 with his BM in French Horn Performance from WSU, having transferred from Missouri Southern State University to study with Dr. Nicholas Smith. While at MSSU, Nicholas was the drum major of the Lion Pride Marching Band for two years, as well as staff arranger for the vocal department. Nicholas' arrangements of the MSSU alma mater are heard on the field, in concert, and at graduation ceremonies as performed by the band and Concert Chorale. During his undergraduate studies at WSU, Nicholas was involved in the opera and music theatre departments, performing the roles of Mr. March in Little Women, Lord Mountararat in Iolanthe, and Buchanan in Street Scene, as well as conducting and musically directing HAIR in the spring of 2008 and George Gershwin's Lady Be Good in the spring of 2009. Nicholas is scheduled to conduct and musically direct Urinetown in April 2010.
Tyler Ives, Director of Men's "Shocker Sound" Basketball Band
Tyler is from Larned, Kansas. He attended Hutchinson Community College and Missouri Western State University, where he graduated in 2003 with degrees in Instrumental and Vocal Education. Tyler is also a member of Phi Mu Alpha SINFONIA music fraternity.
For four years, Tyler taught instrumental music to grades 5 through 12 in Eureka, KS. Currently he is working towards his Masters of Music degree with a conducting emphasis. Tyler is the director of the Athletic Bands here at WSU. You can see him conducting the Men's "Shocker Sound" Basketball Band at the basketball games this fall.
Tyler also teaches part time at Wichita North High School. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his daugher Eva and playing golf.
Anna Keenan, Wichita Adventist Christian Academy Graduate Assistant
Matt Kleopfer, WSU Bands Librarian
Matt currently resides in Wichita, Kansas with his new bride Jenessa. Upon graduation from Washburn University with a degree in music education, Matt moved to Oakley Kansas where he spent the first half of 2009 as the instrumental music director. One of his favorite parts of music outside of school is being a part of Drum Corps. In the summer of 2005 he marched with the Colts Drum and Bugle Corps. From 2007 - 2009 he has been a part of the brass staff with the Colts working as a brass technician. In the fall of 2009 Matt will be a part of the Graduate Assistants Staff at Wichita University where he plans to work toward a masters degree in Instrumental Conducting with Dr. Victor Markovich.
Liam O'Toole, Jazz Ensembles Conducting Assistant
Originally from Christchurch, New Zealand, Liam O'Toole is coming to WSU directly from Ankara, Turkey where he was the High School Band Director at Bilkent University Preparatory School for two and a half years. He holds a Graduate Diploma in Teaching awarded by the New Zealand Graduate School of Education as well as an Honors Degree in Music from the University of Canterbury and a Double Diploma in Jazz from the Christchurch Institute of Technology's Jazz School. Liam is starting at WSU and will be working towards his Masters in Music Education with an emphasis in Instrumental Conducting.
Liam is an active sportsman and is looking forward to experiencing the American sports culture first hand. As this will be the first time Liam has traveled to the US, it will be a hugely exciting time for him while studying in Wichita and traveling around the country.
Studio Graduate Assistants
Flute
Sarah Johnson - M.M. in Performance
Anny Pei-Yen - M.M. in Performance
Oboe
Anna Keenan - M.M. in Performance
Heather Kumlin - M.M. in Performance
Bassoon
Brian Cooley - M.M. in Performance
Natalie Fracnel-Stone - M.M. in Performance
Clarinet
Lori Ashenfelter - M.M.E. in Conducting
Elizabeth Widzinski - M.M. in Performance
Saxophone
Isaac Bendel - M.M. in Performance and M.M.E. in Conducting
Courtney Long - M.M. in Performance with jazz/composition emphasis
Liam O'Toole - M.M.E. in Conducting with Jazz emphasis
Trumpet
Erin Carrick - M.M. in Performance
Tyler Ives - M.M.E. in Conducting
Matt Kloepfer - M.M.E. in Conducting
Horn
Nicholas Gilmore - M.M. in Conducting
Jordan Robert - M.M. in Performance
Dan Nebel - M.M in Performance
Percussion
Andrew Gilstrap - M.M. in Performance