AMEA 2013 Clinicians
Dr. John Pursell is retired from his position as the Senior Ceremonial Trumpeter with the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC, after over 21 years of service. In this capacity, he performed throughout the United States and in 11 foreign countries. Today, as a Yamaha Trumpet Artist & Clinician, he performs nationwide as a soloist with high school, college, community and professional groups and has been a featured clinician at music educator conferences throughout the eastern and mid-western United States. Dr. Pursell is the Assistant Professor of Trumpet at Gettysburg College in Gettysburg, PA. He also teaches in the Young Musicians Program at Frederick Community College, as well as adjudicating jazz band festivals for Cavalcade of Bands. Prior to and during his military career, he performed with such groups as the Philly Pops, Concerto Soloists of Philadelphia, Gettysburg Festival Orchestra, and the Wilmington Grand Opera Company. He has also performed for such popular artists as Peter Nero, Lou Rawls, James Earl Jones and Ann Jillian. Dr. Pursell holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Maryland, and Bachelor’s and Masters degrees from West Chester State College. He is a published author, with over a dozen articles on trumpet performance and history in national journals.
Dr. Jonathan Whitaker joined the faculty of the University of Alabama in the fall of 2009. At Alabama, Whitaker’s students have been tremendously successful in national and international solo competitions including the Eastern Trombone Workshop National Solo Competition, the International Trombone Association’s solo competitions and the Alessi Seminar. The University of Alabama Trombone Choir has given performances at the 2010 Eastern Trombone Workshop and the 2011 International Trombone Festival in Nashville, TN. Whitaker has also appeared as a performer and clinician at the Eastern Trombone workshop and two International Trombone Festivals. As a soloist, Whitaker can be heard on the 2011 release of
“Glass Bead” on Albany Records, which includes David Maslanka’s Concerto for Trombone and Wind Ensemble with the University of Alabama Wind Ensemble under the baton of Kenneth Ozzello.Dr. Whitaker holds degrees in trombone performance from Murray State University and the University of Minnesota and the Doctor of Music degree in Brass Pedagogy at Indiana University where he served as Associate Instructor of Trombone from 2001-2004. Dr. Whitaker’s primary teachers include Ray Conklin, Tom Ashworth, M. Dee Stewart, Peter Ellefson and Joseph Alessi with additional studies with Arnold Jacobs, Edward Kleinhammer, Michael Mulcahy, Charlie Vernon and Douglas
Wright.Jonathan Whitaker is an S.E. Shires Performing Artist and plays Greg Black Mouthpieces exclusively.
Justin P. Ward is currently the Assistant Director of Bands at Pelham High School. His responsibilities include conducting the 3 concert bands, 2 jazz bands, and the 255-member marching band. He previously served as a Graduate Teaching Assistant with University Bands at The University of Alabama. Justin holds a B.S. in Music Education (2005), M.A. (2010) in Music and Secondary Education, and an Ed.S in Secondary Education (2011) from The University of Alabama. Justin received the Most Outstanding Graduate Student Award (2011) from the College of Education and the Outstanding Alumnus Award (2012) from School of Music. Justin also taught in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina as the Director of Bands (Aynor Middle School), Assistant Director of Bands (Aynor High School), and Instructor at Coastal Carolina University. Justin has written over 100 music arrangements for over 40 high schools/universities that have been heard at the nation’s top sporting events including the NCAA Final Four and the BCS National Championship.
Dr. Ryan Kelly is assistant professor of choral music at West Chester University in West Chester, Pennsylvania where he conducts their Mastersingers, Cantari Donne, and Vocal Jazz Ensemble and teaches applied conducting and voice. Additionally, he is organist at Proclamation Presbyterian Church, Bryn Mawr. In Michigan, he was artistic director for the Holland Chorale and in Texas, director of choral activities at Kilgore College and chorus master for Opera East Texas. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting from Michigan State University where he was awarded their Research Enhancement Award and completed his document Carl Friedrich Christian Fasch and His Mass for Sixteen Voices with Performance Edition. He completed his Master of Music degree from the University of Oklahoma and his Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude, from Houston Baptist University. He studied conducting with John Yarrington, Dennis Shrock, David Rayl, Jonathan Reed, and Sandra Snow. Dr. Kelly regularly contributes research to professional journals and he has been published in Choral Journal (ACDA), ClefNotes (HBU), and Smart Computing. He has compositions soon to be released by Augsburg Fortress Publishers and is a nationally active guest clinician. He and his wife, Noelle, have one daughter, Julianne.
Joel Henson is presently the Director of Bands at Oak Grove High School in Bessemer, Alabama. Prior to his arrival at Oak Grove, Mr. Henson served as Director of Bands at both Haleyville and Hueytown High School. In his first decade as a music educator, Mr. Henson’s concert bands have performed at the Alabama Music Educators Conference and his marching bands have been named BOA Class A Champions at both the Jacksonville Regional and the Atlanta Super Regional. Prior to his teaching career, Mr. Henson received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Music Education from the University of Alabama. While at the University of Alabama, Mr. Henson served two years as section leader of the “Million Dollar Band” trombone section as well as principal bass trombonist in the Alabama Wind Ensemble. Mr. Henson’s marching, concert and jazz bands have consistently been rated Superior on both the state and regional level. He is also an active clinician in the Birmingham area and has guest conducted various honor bands and summer camps. Mr. Henson was recently elected Vice-Chairman of District IV of the Alabama Bandmasters Association. Mr. Henson studied conducting with Dr. Ken Ozzello and Dr. Gerald Welker. Joel and his wife, Malia, currently reside in McCalla with their two sons, Reggie and Brent. Mr. Henson’s professional affiliations include: Music Educators National Conference, Alabama Bandmasters Association, National Band Association and Phi Mu Alpha.
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