The Director of Bands at Lowell Middle School is Kate Bredwell.  Ms. Bredwell is in her 29th year teaching band at Lowell.  She earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Michigan State University in 1997, where she studied clarinet with Frank Ell and conducting with John T. Madden and John Whitwell.  She earned her Master's degree in music education from MSU in 2004.  She has continued her education with post-graduate work at VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, IL.  She is a member of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association.  She is an alumna of the Alpha Lambda chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional fraternity for women in music, and she is a member of the Michigan chapter of Women Band Directors International (WBDI).  Ms. Bredwell was honored to be selected twice as a clinician for the Michigan Music Conference, presenting sessions entitled "Middle School Band: What Works" in 2017 and "Clarinet 101: Teaching Tips for Beginning and Advancing Clarinetists" in 2023.  She also presented her "Clarinet 101" session at the WBDI Summer Conference in 2024.

Ms. Bredwell teaches all band classes at Lowell Middle School and assists with the LHS Red Arrow Marching Band outside of school hours.  In past years, she has also taught choir, orchestra, and even elementary music.  In addition to her teaching duties in Lowell, she directs the Campus Band at Grand Rapids Community College, she is an MSBOA adjudicator for Solo & Ensemble festivals at the district and state level, and she has worked with students at many area schools as staff for marching band and for solo festivals.  She has served on the faculty of Calvin University's Knollcrest Music Camp since 2011.  In 2024, she was a staff member with Michigan Musicians Abroad and taught and conducted in Europe.  She plays clarinet in the Grand Rapids Symphonic Band and the Beer City Winds, and sings in the choir at Trinity Lutheran Church.

Ms. Bredwell grew up in Port Huron, where she grew to love band while learning from her directors David Cunningham and Greg Christensen and her clarinet teacher Pat Dempsey.  She now lives in Lowell with her husband Bryan (who she met in the world famous Spartan Marching Band!  Go Green!), their children, Leah, Kai, and Zoe, and their dogs Melody Pond Bredwell and Gromit Bredwell.  The Bredwells have also hosted three exchange students: Bia from Brazil, Fenny from Thailand, and Nadine from Germany.  When not doing musical things, Ms. Bredwell likes to crochet and knit, sew, watch movies, read, scrapbook, and occasionally exercise. She does not like to clean her house! ;-)

Along with Ms. Bredwell, our sixth grade band is team-taught by our high school band director, Tim Haan.  Mr. Haan is currently in his 35th year of teaching and 23rd year at Lowell High School.  He holds a B.M.E. from Aquinas College where his teachers included Ava Ordman, Dr. Bruce Early, and Dr. Nancy Summers.  While at Aquinas, Mr. Haan won the Benny Carew Jazz Scholarship and the inaugural Sister Henry Suszo Lerzack Scholarship.

A native of Grand Rapids, Mr. Haan grew up in a musical household.  Every member of his family either sang or played an instrument.  While taking piano lessons at the age of seven, he also sang in the church choir and played in the handbell choir.  Mr. Haan later participated in the Northview High School bands and was inspired by his band directors David Wells and Max Colley Jr.  He was a member of the Symphonic Band for four years, the Jazz Band for three years, and was a two-year drum major of the marching band.  Mr. Haan was fortunate enough to be named to the Michigan Youth Arts Festival All-State Jazz Ensemble his senior year.  A personal highlight for Mr. Haan was the two summers he marched in the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, the corps that has won more championships than any other.  It was during his time as a Cavalier that he switched his primary instrument from trumpet to baritone.

Mr. Haan is married to Samantha Warber, who assists the high school band in many ways.  Mr. Haan is also the proud father of his wonderful daughter Emily.