All-State Conductors
TMEA All-State Conductors are nationally recognized conductors who inspire and educate our All-State students. Thursday and Friday rehearsals are open so that music educator attendees can learn from observing these conductors in rehearsal.
Band Division Conductors
All-State Symphonic Band: Jason Fettig
Jason Fettig is an internationally recognized conductor and highly sought-after educator and clinician who currently serves as the 28th director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band and Chamber Orchestra. He also serves as music director of Washington, D.C.’s historic Gridiron Club, a position held by every Marine Band Director since John Philip Sousa. Fettig will join the University of Michigan School of Music faculty as director of bands and professor in the Department of Conducting in January 2024.
Performances under his baton have occurred in forty-nine U.S. states as well as Japan, the Czech Republic, Austria and The Netherlands, and live concerts have been regularly heard on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today,” and on national television broadcasts.
Throughout his career, Fettig has been deeply committed to music education. He began an interactive Young People’s Concert series in 2006 and authored, hosted, and conducted this popular annual event until 2015. He has launched innovative new digital programs for world-wide audiences, including a video series that provides viewers a behind-the-scenes view into the working rehearsal process of professional musicians.
Fettig holds two bachelor’s degrees from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst in both clarinet performance and music education, and a master’s degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Maryland, College Park.
All-State Concert Band: Rebecca Phillips
Rebecca Phillips is Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Colorado State University where she conducts the CSU Wind Symphony and guides all aspects of the band and graduate wind conducting programs. Prior to this appointment, she served as the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Carolina. Phillips has served as guest-conductor, clinician, and performer throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. She regularly conducts intercollegiate and collegiate honor bands, all-state bands, and festival bands across the United States, Canada, and Europe
Phillips believes in treasuring the traditional wind music of the past as well as promoting cutting edge works of today’s finest composers. She commissioned and conducted world and consortium premieres of works by several leading composers. As a trombonist, Phillips’s performances can be found on several internationally distributed recordings.
A native of the Washington, D.C. area, Phillips earned her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Florida State University, Master of Music degrees in conducting and trombone performance from the University of South Florida, and Doctor of Musical Arts in conducting at Louisiana State University. She served as a secondary school band director for seven years in Florida. Currently, she is the Immediate Past President of the National Band Association, serves on the Board of Directors for the American Bandmasters Association, and she is on the college/university board for the Western International Band Clinic.
All-State 5A Symphonic Band: Nicholas Williams
Nicholas Enrico Williams is a Professor of Music and serves as the Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, where he coordinates one of the country’s largest and most comprehensive university band programs, conducts the University of Georgia Wind Ensemble, and oversees the graduate wind band conducting area. Prior to his time in Athens, he was the Director of Wind Bands at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (Melbourne, Australia).
Before venturing to Australia, Dr. Williams flourished for 16 years as the Assistant Director of Wind Studies, the Conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Brass Band, and Concert Band, as well as the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of North Texas. For a decade, he was the Conductor of the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra Wind Symphony and continues to be a frequent guest conductor of the Dallas Winds. Williams earned the Bachelor of Music (music education), MM (performance-conducting), and DMA (conducting) degrees from the University of North Texas.
Williams is active in Australia, Canada, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the United States as a conductor, clinician, adjudicator, consultant, and arranger; his arrangements and transcriptions for wind band, percussion ensembles, drum corps, and school pageantry ensembles are performed by outstanding organizations throughout the world.
All-State Jazz Ensemble I: Ellen Rowe
Ellen Rowe, jazz pianist and composer, is currently Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan. Prior to her appointment in Michigan, she served as Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Connecticut.
Rowe has performed at jazz festivals and clubs throughout the U.S., as well as touring in Europe, South Africa, and Australia. CDs out under her own name include “Sylvan Way”, “Wishing Well”, “Denali Pass” and “Courage Music.” Her latest project, “Momentum – Portraits of Women In Motion”, featuring Ingrid Jensen, Tia Fuller, Marion Hayden and Allison Miller was released to widespread critical acclaim in January 2019. The “Momentum” band was featured at the 2022 Jazz Education Network Conference and will perform at Dizzy’s in March of 2023.
Also active as a clinician, she has given workshops and master classes at the Melbourne Conservatory, Hochshule fur Musik in Cologne, Grieg Academy in Bergen and the Royal Academy of Music in London, in addition to many appearances as a guest artist at festivals and Universities around the country. She was also a guest on two installments of Marian McPartland’s “Piano Jazz” on National Public Radio.
Ms. Rowe’s compositions and arrangements have been performed and recorded by jazz ensembles and orchestras around the world, including the Village Vanguard Orchestra, BBC Jazz Orchestra, U.S. Navy Commodores, Berlin and NDR Radio Jazz Orchestras, London Symphony, DIVA and the Perth Jazz Orchestra.
All-State Jazz Ensemble II: Scotty Barnhart
Scotty Barnhart is an internationally acclaimed Jazz trumpeter, composer, arranger, educator, author, producer, two-time Grammy Winner, and Director of The Count Basie Orchestra. Prior to being selected Director in 2013, he was its featured trumpet soloist for 20 years, and in 2015 was Executive Producer of A Very Swingin’ Basie Christmas!, the very first Christmas recording for The Count Basie Orchestra. It went to #1 on the charts.
Barnhart appears on three critically acclaimed recordings with pianist Marcus Roberts and over 20 others with artists as diverse as Tony Bennett, Diana Krall, and Ray Charles. He has performed with Frank Sinatra, Wynton Marsalis, Herbie Hancock, Quincy Jones, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Nat Adderley, Aretha Franklin, George Clinton, Buddy Guy, Barbara Streisand, George Benson, and many others.
Barnhart is co-founder and Artistic Director of The Florida Jazz and Blues Festival, and Professor of Jazz Trumpet at Florida State University. He is a graduate of Florida A&M University with a degree in Music Education, and in 2017 he was honored as a distinguished alumnus with a permanent plaque and photo being placed within the Gallery of Distinction in the FAMU Department of Music. Barnhart has appeared as guest conductor and lecturer at such prestigious institutions at The Juilliard School of Music and others and is profiled in the book Trumpet Kings, which places him among the greatest jazz trumpeters in history.
All-State 6A Percussion Ensemble: John Parks
John Will Parks IV is a Florida State University Distinguished Teaching Professor and he leads the FSU Percussion Ensemble featured on four critically celebrated full-length recordings and winners of the 2007, 2011, and 2023 Percussive Arts Society International Percussion Ensemble Competitions.
Parks earned a DMA degree in performance and literature from the Eastman School of Music, two master’s degrees in performance and jazz pedagogy from Northwestern University, and a bachelor’s degree in music education from Furman University.
In 2013 Parks was inducted into the Engineering Wing of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as a voting member of the GRAMMY® Awards based upon his numerous audio and video production credits. These include internationally acclaimed projects with She-e Wu, Will James (The Repertoire), Thomas Burritt, The John Psathas Percussion Project, Blake Tyson, Scott Herring, Omar Carmenates, Adam Silverman, and Line Upon Line among many others.
His presentations on the integration of audio and video recording technology into the classical curriculum have been hosted by the Eastern Music Festival, Spark Laboratory, and the Leigh Stevens Marimba Seminar, as well as podcasts including The Entrepreneurial Musician, Everything Band, The Percussion Educator, @Percussion, and The Percussion Conservatory.
All-State 5A Percussion Ensemble: Scott Herring
Scott Herring is a Professor of Percussion at the University of South Carolina. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from East Carolina University and a master’s degree and Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University. While residing in Chicago, Herring performed with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago and was a member of the Northwestern University Graduate Percussion Quartet.
In November 2014, Herring released his first solo CD, Carbon Paper and Nitrogen Ink: Works for Marimba and Percussion Ensemble. Herring also performs with USC Saxophone professor, Clifford Leaman, as the RoseWind Duo. They have given numerous performances and clinics at universities across the country. RoseWind has released two CD recordings on the Equilibrium Records label, Release and Devils Garden, Angles Landing.
Herring also performs as part of the Sympatico Percussion group. Herring is a member of the PAS Board of Advisors and he previously served as the Percussive Arts Society Keyboard Committee Chairman, President of the Kansas Chapter of PAS, Vice-President and President of the South Carolina chapter of PAS.
Orchestra Division Conductors
All-State Symphony Orchestra: John Devlin
John Devlin is an ardent champion of American music, an innovator of concert design, and a thought leader in the field of classical music. In his fifth season as Music Director of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, Devlin is only the ninth conductor in its 90-year history to hold that title. Devlin’s artistry and versatility make him a sought-after guest conductor with major orchestras across the nation.
Devlin spent three seasons from 2015‒2018 apprenticing with some of the world’s best conductors, soloists, and orchestras while based in Washington, D.C. During that time, he was the exclusive Cover Conductor for the National Symphony Orchestra.
A strong advocate for American music, Devlin has made it a programmatic focus, and has premiered over 40 new American works.
Committed to serving the wider arts community beyond the podium, Devlin is part of the six-member Conductor Constituency Leadership Team of the League of American Orchestras, advocating for conductors nationally.
He completed his master’s and doctoral degrees in orchestral conducting at the University of Maryland. His undergraduate degree is from Emory University.
All-State Philharmonic Orchestra: Tammy Su Yi
Tammy S. Yi is a conductor-educator, string pedagogy specialist, and music education scholar from Los Angeles. She is an assistant professor of music education at Chapman University, Director of Mariachi Panteras, and the orchestra conductor of the Los Angeles Philharmonic YOLA Orchestra. Yi is also faculty at the Colburn Conservatory of Music. As an international conductor, she has performed at prestigious international venues, collaborating with artists including Janet Jackson, Gustavo Dudamel, Ray Chen, and Thomas Wilkins.
Yi emphasizes the importance of transformative social activism for young people in music, education, and the performing arts. She maintains an active conducting schedule, collaborating with youth in El-Sistema orchestra programs, local school communities, and state honor ensembles.
Prior to teaching at Colburn Conservatory of Music and Chapman University, Yi taught violin and conducting at Columbia University, was the conductor of the Manhattan School of Music Precollege Orchestra and was an assistant professor of string education and conductor of the UA Philharmonic at the University of Arizona. Yi earned her doctorate in music and music education from Columbia University and her master’s degree at the University of Southern California.
All-State Sinfonietta Orchestra: David Eccles
David Eccles is a native of Norfolk, Virginia. He currently serves as Orchestra Program and Upper School Orchestra Director at the Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia. In the spring of 2022, he was honored with the O. Wayne Rollins Master Teacher Award. For over a decade, he was the Director of String Music Education and Orchestral Activities at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois. He has held string education positions in Georgia, Virginia, and Florida. An active clinician, adjudicator, conductor, and cellist, Eccles has served as music director and principal conductor for numerous youth orchestras. He has also served as a guest conductor for many state, county, regional, and community orchestras.
Eccles is a clinician and consulting author for the Hal Leonard Corporation. Additionally, he is a featured string educator in the book Rehearsing the High School Orchestra. He holds advanced degrees in music education from Florida State University and University of Miami (Florida) and a Bachelor of Music and Media from Norfolk State University.
All-State Mariachi Ensemble: Alberto “Beto” Jimenez Maeda
Coming from a family with generations of talented mariachi musicians, Alberto Jiménez Maeda, also known as “Beto Jimenez”, has upheld this tradition and continually blazed new trails in the world of mariachi. Jimenez currently works as a musician, arranger, composer, director and music producer.
Born in Mexico City, Jiménez was part of the Mariachi De América led by Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar from 1985 to 2005, the last 10 years being the Musical Director of the same Mariachi. Together with maestro Jesús Rodríguez de Hijar, Alberto Jiménez had the honor of being producer and musical arranger of three Mariachi de América CDs.
Jiménez has accompanied internationally renowned artists such as Lola Beltrán, Rocio Durcal, Aida Cuevas, Amalia Mendoza, Lucha Villa, Miguel Aceves Mejía, Vicente Alejandro Fernández, Luis Miguel, among others. He has participated in more than 18 International Mariachi and Charrería Encounters that take place every year in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. He filmed a documentary about this festival in 2002: Mariachi: The Spirit of Mexico.
Vocal Division Conductors
All-State Mixed Choir: Michael Barrett
Michael Joseph Barrett is the conductor of the University of Pretoria (Tuks) Camerata and a senior lecturer in Choral Conducting in the Department of Music. In 2017, Barrett was awarded a Doctor of Music degree (Performing Arts) in Choral Performance by the University of Pretoria and in 2022 he received a Y2 Rating from the National Research Foundation in South Africa.
Barrett’s choirs have won numerous national and international awards, as well as choral competitions all over the world, and his Tuks Camerata is regularly invited to perform at conferences and symposia. The choir has released four CDs, three that were nominated for South African Music Awards.
Barrett is an active composer and arranger whose music is published internationally by Santa Barbara Music Publishers and Walton Music. He is regularly invited to present workshops and adjudicate choral competitions both locally and abroad. He is also the executive director and co-producer of Capital Singers, South Africa’s largest community choir project.
All-State Treble Choir: Andrea Ramsey
Andrea Ramsey enjoys an international presence as a composer, conductor, scholar and music educator. Her teaching experiences range from work with adolescent and children’s voices to high school and collegiate voices. She enjoys regular opportunities to conduct all-state and divisional level honor choirs and has served as a principal conductor for the Pacific International Young Women’s Choral Festival in Eugene, Oregon, and conducted the 2023 National ACDA JH/MS Honor Choir in 2023.
Before leaping into full time composing and guest conducting, Andrea held positions at the Ohio State University and the University of Colorado Boulder, respectively.
An award-winning composer with over 150 works to date, she believes strongly in the creation of new music. A native of Arkansas, Andrea has experienced in her own life the power of music to provide a sense of community, better understanding of our humanity and rich opportunities for self-discovery.
All-State Tenor-Bass Choir: Jeffrey Murdock
Jeffrey Allen Murdock serves as Director of Choral Activities and Professor of Music at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2016 Connor Endowed Faculty Fellow in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Science and 2019 Most Outstanding Faculty at the University of Arkansas. He is the 2021 GRAMMY Music Educator of the Year.
Internationally known as a conductor and clinician, Murdock has conducted state honor choirs and headlined conferences in 26 states and 5 countries. With research interests including culturally responsive pedagogy in the choral classroom, music in urban schools, and social justice in music education, he has presented at state, regional and national conferences. He serves as ACDA President of the Southwestern Division, past-president of Arkansas ACDA, and serves on the national diversity subcommittee. In addition to being an accomplished conductor of western choral music, Murdock is a skilled gospel musician and conductor.
Murdock holds a bachelor’s degree in music education and a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting, both from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a PhD in Music Education from the University of Memphis.
All-State Small School Mixed Choir: Eduardo García-Novelli
Eduardo García-Novelli is the Director of Choral Studies at the University of Kansas, where he guides the graduate choral program and conducts the KU Chamber Choir and KU Treble Choir. His choirs have been selected to perform for TMEA, WCDA, WMEA, KMEA and NCCO National Conference, also including several special performances at Carnegie Hall and Chicago´s Orchestra Hall.
While at Carthage College, Dr. García-Novelli led Carthage Choir to an international coveted recognition winning both categories at the prestigious Spittal International Choir Competition in Spittal, Austria.
With extended experience as clinician and guest conductor at the national and international level, García-Novelli held several offices for WCDA and NCACDA and is a member of the National Board for NCCO.