Verlene Stotts is currently in her 34th year of teaching middle school band. She received her B.M. E. from Concordia College and M.M. in clarinet performance from New Mexico State University. She has been teaching at Discovery since 1994 and previous to that, taught 5 years at Klein Intermediate in Houston, Texas. She received the North Dakota National Band Association Allegro Band Award in 1995, the NDNBA Citation of Excellence Award in 2007, and the NDMEA Music Educator of the Year in 2018. Currently, she is the co-manager of the NDNBA JH All-State Band. In addition to her duties at Discovery, she enjoys teaching in her private clarinet studio, cooking, and hanging out with her family and friends. She resides in Moorhead, Minnesota with her husband Bob. Together they have five children: Matt, Ryan, Allison, Bjorn, Sam; and four grandchildren: Ava, Carsyn, Xander, and Lilah.
Jon Lucht is a native of Grand Forks, ND (Central High School), and is a graduate of the University of North Dakota, where he earned both his bachelors and masters degrees in music education. He taught 5-12 band in Stephen and Virginia, Minnesota, 7-8 band in Grand Forks and Omaha, Nebraska before coming to Discovery in 2007. He is a freelance trumpet player, loves to fish, tries to golf, and spends his free time with his wife Kami and three children, Sam, Oliver, and Lauren.
Matthew Salzer is a native of Bismarck, ND. He received his B.S. in Instrumental Music Education from NDSU and M.M. in Music from the American Band College of Sam Houston State University. Before becoming a teacher at Discovery, Mr. Salzer taught band in Wheaton, MN, McGregor, MN and Bismarck, ND. He has taught band and jazz band for students in grades 5-12. He received the NDNBA Allegro Band Award in 2016. He also enjoys golf, bowling, card games, board games, many other activities! Mr. Salzer resides in Fargo with his wife, Krista, and children, Jack and Ava.
Keith Eider is a North Dakota native and is a graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. He has been teaching in Fargo since 2007 and previously taught in Beulah and Hazen, North Dakota. In addition to his duties with Fargo Public Schools, he enjoys teaching in his private trumpet studio and spending his free time with his wife, Adrienne.