Megan is a native Austinite now residing in Leander, Texas. She began her studies in music on violin at the young age of three with the Suzuki Method under William Dick. She found her true passion as a flutist at the age of eleven, studying under Denise Riemenschneider (fka Denise Gurgel) and also studied for a brief period with Megan Meisenbach. During the summers of 2000 and 2001, Megan expanded her musical enrichment by attending Interlochen Arts Camp in Michigan where she studied with renowned classical and jazz flutist, Nancy Stagnitta. In 2005,

she received her bachelor’s degree in music performance from the University of North Texas in Denton where she studied with Terri Sundberg and Helen Blackburn. 

Megan has performed with various groups within the Austin area over the past several years including the Austin-based folk group Strumero, Cinematic Symphony, Austin Flute Choir and

the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra. Megan has also been working with young flutists ranging in ages from 11 to 17 since graduating from UNT and is currently teaching private lessons in Leander ISD.

In her free time, she enjoys going to live music concerts, painting and spending time with family

and friends, especially her 2 young daughters, Lily and Sophie.

Sarah Elisabeth McMillian is an Austin-based clarinetist and teacher. She began her musical studies at the age of 9, and has been playing the clarinet for 15 years. Ms. McMillian attended the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts and Humanities, a prestigious residential high school with pre-professional training in the arts.

She received her Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music in 2020, where she studied under James Campbell and Luis Rossi. While attending, she performed in many ensembles and was the principal clarinetist of the Concert Band. She continued her studies at the University of South Carolina, earning a Masters in Performance in 2022 under Joe Eller. There, she held principal positions with the USC Wind Ensemble and Symphony Orchestra.

Ms. McMillian has performed with many groups throughout the United States,  including the Aiken Symphony Orchestra, Southern Indiana Wind Ensemble, and the Atlanta Pops Orchestra.

Apart from the clarinet, Ms. McMillian stays immersed in the arts through music production, field recording, and photography.

Lisa Link Edwards, oboe, holds a bachelor of music degree with honors from the University of North Texas and a master of music degree from Arizona State University, both in oboe performance. She has studied with Dr. Charles Veazey, Stuart Dunkel, and Martin Schuring. She has performed with numerous groups in central Texas including the Austin Chamber Music Festival, the Austin Chamber Music Center, the Austin Symphony, Zilker Musical Theater, Lyric Opera San Antonio, the Victoria Symphony, and the Victoria Bach Festival. Lisa is currently teaches privately in the greater Austin area.

Shelby Avants, a distinguished Bassoonist based in Killeen, Texas,  embarked on her musical journey in Cedar Park, Texas. From her very first orchestra experience, Shelby discovered a profound passion for orchestral music and ensemble playing, setting her on a dedicated path toward a career in music.

Shelby earned her Associate of Arts in Music from Temple College in  2019 and a Bachelor's degree in Bassoon Performance from  Southwestern University in 2022. She recently attained a Master's in Performance and Pedagogy from Texas State University in 2024. Throughout her academic career, Shelby has performed with various ensembles, ranging from symphonies to pop groups, and has been featured on several albums by local Austin musicians.

In addition to her performance career, Shelby is deeply committed to education and the joy of discovery. She has been teaching private  Bassoon lessons in Central Texas since 2017 and expanded her teaching repertoire to include piano lessons in 2019. She is an esteemed instructor for the Liberty Hill ISD music programs and teaches at the college level at Texas State University.

Shelby's dedication to performance and pedagogy highlights her passion for music and desire to inspire others. Her diverse experiences and achievements reflect a versatile and accomplished musician devoted to enriching the musical community. 

Lucy Croasdale is a performer, composer, and educator originally from Madison, WI. She is a multi-instrumentalist who enjoys playing many different genres of music. While her main focus is saxophone performance (both jazz and classical), she also has a passion for pedagogy and composition/arranging. Ms. Croasdale has created and led a beginner’s jazz workshop back in September 2021 – March 2022 and was commissioned to compose a jazz big band chart for the 2022 Fred Sturm Jazz Celebration Weekend at Lawrence University. Also, while playing baritone saxophone with the Lawrence University Jazz Ensemble (LUJE), the group won the 2023 Outstanding Performance award for Large Jazz Ensemble – Undergraduate College category. This past school year, she premiered a saxophone quartet concerto, Second Nature by Viet Coung, with the University of Texas Wind Ensemble (UTWE) and also played in UTWE’s 50th anniversary Carnegie Hall performance in NYC. She now teaches private lessons in the Austin area while getting her Master’s at UT.

Currently, Lucy Croasdale studies saxophone performance (MM) at The University of Texas at Austin with Dr. Stephen Page. She has a Bachelor of Music degree from Lawrence University and has studied with Steven Jordheim and Joseph Connor. 

Michael Rey is a professional trumpet player residing in Austin, Texas. In a city known for its live music, he has carved an impressive path for himself, in not only performance, but instruction, adjudication and studio work as well. 

A founding member of the acclaimed Austin-based horn trio, The Fresh 2 Def Horns, Michael has busied his performance schedule with groups of many varying genres. From the Grammy award winning Latin piece, Grupo Fantasma, to another Grammy-awarding winning artist, Country singer/song writer Rick Trevino, to say he is a versatile musician is a gross understatement.

Michael has been a long-standing performer at the well-known jazz venue, The Elephant

Room, down in the basement on Congress Ave. in downtown Austin; a place where many

aspiring Austin transplant musicians hope to one day cut their teeth on the same stage that has been graced by the likes of Wynton Marsallis and Harry Connick, Jr. He is among the elite who have had that opportunity, and he has done so on hundreds of occasions - showcasing his chops as the “high note guy” in various established local jazz ensembles.

In between performances, local and on tour, Michael also has quite the rap sheet as a recording artist, playing both solo and within a horn section. He can be heard on the four records of esteemed Austin group, The Nightowls, many tunes featuring horn lines on which he collaborated creatively as well. Most notably, he has found himself blowing away within the walls of the famed Sun Studio, where Elvis Presley was discovered, in addition to being in the talented hands of Grammy-award winning producer Laurence “Boo” Mitchell at renowned Royal Studios.

For almost 15 years, Michael has been a private trumpet instructor, working with kids from the time they first put a horn to their mouth, to when they’re preparing their college audition material. He has coached several students who have excelled in district, region and state competitions, and many of his mentees have achieved the highest accolades during solo and ensemble performances.

Mr. Rey has helped them hone the skills necessary to enter confidently into their respective universities as aspiring music students. Some of his former students are pursuing their own musical dreams at Stephen F. Austin University (Michael’s alma mater), Oberlin Music Conservatory, Texas State, the University of Texas, and the University of North Texas.

He has had the honor of being an adjudicator and guest artist at jazz festivals on an annual basis. For the past 15 summers, he has paid homage to his Alma Mater by traveling back to Nacogdoches, Texas to lead trumpet masterclasses, teach private lessons, and perform as a guest artist with the campers.

Genevieve Rucker is a multi-faceted educator, with experience teaching private lessons for horn, piano, and trumpet, as well as experience teaching in the music classroom, grades Pre-K – 12th. She currently maintains a private lessons studio in the Austin, Texas area. She holds degrees in Horn Performance, an MME in Music Education – Instrumental Education, and an MM in Horn Performance and Pedagogy, from Bethel College, Wichita State University, and the University of Central Arkansas, respectively. Alongside teaching, Rucker has maintained an active career as a freelance musician, playing with the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony Orchestra for over 12 years, as well as assorted local groups in Wichita, Kansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, and Austin, Texas. Rucker currently resides in Leander, Texas, with her roommate and two cats named Namirra and Zephyr, who are both spoiled rotten. 

Ian Vinciguerra is an up-and-coming educator with a deep-rooted love for the marching arts. His journey in the world of the marching arts began at Cedar Park High School, where he sparked his passion for the marching arts and contributed to the success of the marching band, securing two back-to-back state marching band championships during his time there.

In 2019, Ian embarked on his journey with the Crossmen where he marched euphonium in 2019 and lead baritone from 2021-2023, Ian also served as a soloist and on leadership from 2021 to 2023. During the 2023 season, Ian took on the role of horn sergeant demonstrating his dedication to excellence within the corps. It comes as no surprise that he was recognized as the Crossmen of the Year in 2023, a testament to his exceptional contributions to the corps.

Dr. Guytano Martorano III is the Adjunct Lecturer of Tuba & Euphonium at Texas A&M - Kingsville and a freelance performer/educator in the Greater Austin Area, regularly with the Austin Symphonic Band and The Lake Travis Tuba & Euphonium Ensemble. At TAMUK, Dr. Martorano takes on a mentorship role in music performance lessons and low brass pedagogy courses. Other areas of his professional expertise include music arranging/composition, music theory, recording technology, and sight reading pedagogy.

As an educator, Dr. Martorano regularly publishes various educational materials on his website, both for local competitions, such as the TMEA region auditions, and for his private studio.  Dr. Martorano also runs a longstanding literacy series, “Transposition Inquisition”.  Some past appointments include principal tubist of the Lubbock Civic Orchestra, principal tubist for the LSO Educational Brass Quintet, and the acting substitute tubist for both the Lubbock Symphony Orchestra and the DFW Brass Quintet.

Jonathan Pereira is an Austin-based percussionist and educator. As a classically trained percussionist, he feels equally at home performing classical, jazz, or popular music. Mr. Pereira holds degrees in music education and percussion performance from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY (BM 2013, MM 2016). He spent several years teaching instrumental music in New York State public schools and private percussion lessons before relocating to Austin in 2018. He has extensive performance experience in wind ensembles, orchestras, and pit orchestras for musical theatre productions, and currently performs with Flechaus, an indie folk band based in Austin.