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Kevin Brown
Kevin Brown is the Director of Bands at Northwest Middle School in the Iowa City Community School District. This is Mr. Brown’s twenty-seventh year of teaching, with sixteen of those being at Northwest. While teaching in the district, he has had the privilege of also teaching two years at West High School as well as several of the ICCSD elementary schools, providing him a well-rounded experience at every age level of band education. A graduate of Hampton-Dumont High School, he then received his B.M.E. (97) and later his M.M. (07) in Music Education (both with a jazz emphasis) from the University of Northern Iowa. Prior to Iowa City, Kevin taught eight fruitful years at CAL/Dows High School in North Central Iowa. While there, the program more-than-doubled in size and received numerous accolades. Following his masters degree, he taught for three years at Price Laboratory School/NUHS (Cedar Falls). Again, the program flourished under his tutelage, while also allowing him the unique opportunity to supervise every “Level 2” UNI instrumental music education student. During this time he also partnered with the local AEA in leading professional development opportunities for music educators.
Mr. Brown has enjoyed a busy and successful teaching career. Concert Bands under his direction have earned only unanimous Division I ratings amongst other accolades. Jazz Bands under his direction have thrived and garnered honors, including many visits to the Iowa Jazz Championships where they regularly placed in the top five. Kevin has had the privilege of conducting six large ensembles at the IBA Conference, with four concert band appearances (2000, 2003, 2016, 2023) and two jazz (2019, 2024). Individual honors include being acknowledged by IMEA as one of 13 outstanding educators in Iowa and he has twice been nominated for the R.J. McElroy Gold Star Teacher (for which he was a semi-finalist in 2010). Mr. Brown was one of the inaugural members of the IAAE Arts Leadership Institute and attended this event 3 total times, including a conservatory held in Aspen, CO. While teaching in the NCIBA District, Mr. Brown served as the Honor Band Chair and District President. He currently serves as the JH Honor Band Chair in SEIBA. Kevin regularly serves as an honor band guest conductor, and has had the privilege of conducting both High School and Junior High level groups in four of the six IBA Districts. He is also very active as a clinician and adjudicator for many grade levels and events including IHSMA and All-State.
Mr. Brown has also remained active in many musical areas outside the public school system. For five years, he was the coordinator and conductor of the Celebration Iowa Jazz Band, which allowed him to tour and perform all areas of the state with talented high school students from a wide variety of school districts. For eight years he served as the conductor of the Jim McDonough Orchestra, a group that tours and performs with the popular Steinway artist. And he remains active as a trombonist performing in a variety of local ensembles when time allows. Kevin lives in North Liberty with his wife Erin (who teaches dance and voice at Nolte Academy in Coralville) and their cats Sherlock, Astrid, and Clyde.
Joshua Carlo
Joshua Carlo serves as the Assistant Band Director at Northwest Junior High School, where he has been since 2019. Mr. Carlo has been an educator since 2017. Prior to coming to Iowa City CSD, he taught at Waterloo CSD. In 2017, Mr. Carlo received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He is currently earning his Master of Music Education degree from the University of Kansas. He will receive his degree after completing coursework in 2024.
At NWJH, he co-directs the 7th and 8th grade concert bands and directs the 7th grade jazz band. Mr. Carlo also teaches lessons to the woodwind students at NWJH. Students he has taught have been selected for the All-Iowa 8th Grade Honor Band and the SEIBA JH Honor Band. This is the first band that Mr. Carlo has directed to be selected to perform at Iowa Bandmasters Association Conference.
Mr. Carlo performs regularly in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City areas with multiple woodwind instruments with numerous groups, including the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale, Coe College, and Coralville City Circle. He will serve as a double reed advisor for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music tour throughout Europe this coming summer. Mr. Carlo also teaches several private double reed students. Mr. Carlo and his wife Megan, who is also an educator at NWJH and is earning a master’s degree in school counseling, reside in Iowa City with their two dogs, Spencer and Ike.
Sarah Rheaume
Sarah Rheaume serves as the 6th Grade Band Director at Northwest Middle School. She previously taught 5th and 6th grade band at Borlaug and Wickham Elementary Schools. This is Mrs. Rheaume's 11th year teaching band. At Northwest, she conducts both 6th grade bands and teaches lessons. Mrs. Rheaume is passionate about making band a place for everyone!
Mrs. Rheaume plays bassoon in the Court Hill Winds, a woodwind quintet, as well as the Iowa City Community Band, where she also serves on the Board of Directors.
Outside of school, you can find her cooking, baking bread, gardening, and always working on a project. She lives in Iowa City with her husband, Mark, who teaches Rhetoric at the Univeristy of Iowa.
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