Cornet

Glenn Baughman (cornet) is amateur musician, trained in the Dover (PA) High School music program and the Gingerich Music School Band (York, PA).  A 20 year vacation from music followed graduation from college as a research chemist was established.  In 1974, active participation in music was revived with Glenn’s participation of an earlier edition of the Wadsworth Community Band.  He joined Medina Community Band in 1975 and has been an active member since.  Glenn has been an active trumpet player in a number of community bands, including the current edition of Wadsworth Community Band and has played in support of several musical productions by Medina Show Biz Company.

Laura Bloss is currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Akron, where she is completing a Master’s Degree in Trumpet Performance.  She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Baldwin-Wallace College, and has been active in the Ohio Music Education Association in positions such as Collegiate State President and President of the Baldwin-Wallace Chapter.  Laura has played with the Medina Community Band and the Freedom Brass Band of Northeast Ohio.  Her trumpet teachers have been Scott Johnston, Larry Herman, Jack Brndiar and Doug Huey.

Christopher Burdick is a band director with the North Royalton City Schools. He directs the North Royalton High School Symphonic Band, the Seventh & Eighth Grade Bands, the Musical Pit Orchestra, and assists with 6th Grade and the 2003 Rose Bowl participant, North Royalton High School Marching Band. Christopher is a member of the Ohio Music Education and is the Local Chairman for the District IV Junior High Large Group Adjudicated Event.  He also served 
as a director on the American Music Abroad Honors Band & Choir Tour of Western Europe in 1999.  He is originally from Boston, NY, a suburb of Buffalo and received his Bachelor's at the Crane School of Music at Potsdam College.  He was a graduate assistant at Kent State and was a member of the Kent Faculty Brass Quintet while earning his master's. Christopher is a member of Marcus Nieman and the Sounds of Sousa Band.  He and his wife Beth, a member of the 
flute section, reside in Brunswick.

Marcus Collins was born in Detroit (MI) and received his degree in mechanical engineering from The University of Michigan.  Following graduation, he accepted a position in engineering at Firestone Tire and Rubber Company (Akron, OH).  His interest in band music began when Marcus was 11 and heard the Detroit Concert Band concerts on Belle Isle (MI).  The band was conducted by Leonard B. Smith, who was not only an excellent conductor, but also a great cornetist.  Marcus credits his inspiration to play cornet to Leonard B. Smith and hoped that he would someday play in a concert such as the Detroit Concert Band. 

Marcus did play cornet for two years in high school, stopped to complete his degree and begin his professional and family life, and finally, in 1975 met Marcus Neiman, conductor of the Medina Community Band, who encouraged Marcus to begin private lessons and “join the band.” 

Marcus comments that having participated in the Medina Community Band all these years has been one of the great blessings in his life.  He thanks Marcus Neiman for the opportunity as well as those in band who helped him along the way.  Marcus and his wife Karen were married in 1965, have three grown children, and presently reside in Akron (OH).

Sarah Nelson of Norton, Ohio, received her bachelor of education degree from Dana’s School of Music, Youngstown State University, where she studied violin/viola and cornet.  She and her now deceased husband, Milton, were retired from Akron Symphony Orchestra and Goodyear Band.  Sarah was active with Cantabile String Quartet for approximately 50 years and a former member of The Brass Band of the Western Reserve.  She currently performs with Medina Community Band, Medina Symphony Orchestra, and Akron Pops Orchestra.  She is a retired pathology secretary and has three adult children, all of whom she taught trumpet, and four grandchildren.

Soloist

Marcia Nelson Kline began her trumpet studies with parents, Milton and Sarah Nelson and Lloyd Haines. She continues her studies with Harry Herforth while earning an associate degree in medical assisting at The University of Akron.  Marcia has performed with Cleveland Women’s Orchestra, Goodyear Band, and Mill Street Brass Quintet.  She currently performs with The Brass Band of the Western Reserve, Sounds of Sousa Band, and is in her 25^th year as a member of Medina Community Band.  Marcia is an ophthalmic technician and resides in Copley with husband, John.

Mary Phillips

Mary has been a member of the cornet/trumpet section of the band since 1997. She began playing the trumpet while an elementary school student and continued through high school. She took up the instrument again when her son Will was in high school, playing both the alto sax and the clarinet in school and in the community band. Although not an instrumentalist himself, Mary’s husband Don is her biggest supporter and can be found in the audience of most of the band concerts. Mary is also a charter member of The North Royalton Community Band, since 1998.

 

 

Section Leader and Soloist

Paul V. Rocco originally from Brooklyn, New York, studied with Blair Moger and Joseph Andrucci in high school and the late Herbert W. Harp at SUNY at Fredonia. Rocco moved to Ohio to take the job of police officer with the City of Medina, where he is also the Police department’s Forensic Artist. He became a member of the Medina Community Band in 1989. Since then he has completed his bachelor’s degree in fine arts, music at The University of Akron, studying trumpet with Scott Johnston and Tucker Jolly. He is presently studying trumpet privately with Geoff Hardcastle. Besides playing with the MCB, he also performs with the Sounds of Sousa Band and the Brass Band of the Western Reserve. He is a member of the American Federation of Musicians (local 24-Akron, Ohio).

Russ Tietz is a graduate of Perry High School in Stark County and the University of Akron.  After college, he pursued a career in accounting and is a licensed CPA in Ohio.  After a break from playing that lasted more than 20 years, Russ resumed playing the trumpet in 2005 and joined the Medina Community Band in 2006.  He was inspired to play again by watching his two sons play in the Highland bands.  Russ has enjoyed the opportunity to play in the Medina Community Band with his sons and was thrilled to play at Severance Hall in October 2007.  Russ and his wife, Wendy, and their two sons, Jonathan and Nicholas, live in Granger Twp.

Trumpet

LuAnn Hill-Gresh, Lu Ann graduated from Rittman High School. She has  B.S. and M.S. degrees in music education from the Unversity of Akron. She has been employed by Revere School District, Highland Local School District and Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is currently teaching elementary music in the Wadsworth City School District. Lu Ann resides in Wadsworth with her husband , Paul, and her two children, Kelsey and Jonathan.