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Jolene Madewell is a flutist and teacher residing in Austin, Texas. She was the recipient of an Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant from the Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research at the University of New Hampshire to complete a project entitled: The Balanced Flutist: A Study of the Benefits of Body Mapping on Flute Performance. Jolene has studied Body Mapping and is also a student of the Alexander Technique.
Jolene has presented numerous master classes and workshops, most recently, as a guest artist at the University of Texas at Arlington. She was a featured guest artist for the Texas Flute Society in 2018, presenting a master class and workshop at Brookhaven College entitled Effortless Playing Through Self Awareness.
Jolene’s work has attracted a large online following, sharing inspiration through Instagram, YouTube, and her blog, Practice Room Revelations. She was recently published in The Flute View’s April 2019 issue, and has also been featured in The Flute Examiner, Music Studio Startup Podcast, Passion Behind the Art Podcast, Breakthrough Music Podcast, and more.
Jolene has performed at National Flute Association and Florida Flute Association Conventions, and she has been privileged to perform in master classes throughout the nation with renowned artists. She has enjoyed performing with the Tallahassee Composer's Orchestra, the Cinematic Symphony, the Central Texas Medical Orchestra, the St. Edward's Symphony Orchestra, and the Florida State Baroque Ensemble.
Jolene received a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Florida State University, where she held a graduate teaching assistantship as a student of flute performance and pedagogy. Prior, she received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the University of New Hampshire.
Jolene is proud to be a Beaumont Music Artist.
Jaleen Seshadri has been a performer and educator for over 20 years. A native of central New York state, she received a Bachelor's of Music in Oboe performance from Berklee College of Music, and a Master's of Music in Oboe performance from New England Conservatory of Music.
Her performance credits include: principal oboe with the US Army Forces Command Band, Augusta Symphony, Silicon Valley Symphony and she performs regularly with Austin Symphony and Opera, Temple Symphony Orchestra, Corpus Christi Symphony, Victoria Symphony and San Antonio Opera. As an educator, Ms. Seshadri was formerly on faculty at Santa Clara University and currently maintains an active oboe studio in Round Rock. She has 2 musical children, Gabriel and Anna and enjoys exploring the beautiful state and national parks, climbing, trail running and cooking (when she's not making reeds!).
Chris Gonzalez is a freelance musician serving the southeast United States. A native of Orlando, FL, he currently resides in Austin, TX where he teaches a full-time bassoon studio of over 40 middle and high school students.
A passionate educator, Chris has been teaching private bassoon lessons for over 10 years. He’s held positions as a graduate teaching assistant in bassoon, a highly-effective rated music & art teacher in the state of Florida, and a high school marching band technician. He was featured as a guest clinician in bassoon at Rollins College.
As a professional bassoonist and contrabassoonist, he’s performed with the Northwest Florida Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, Panama City Pops, and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestras. Additionally, he has performed in a variety of musicals as a woodwind doubler.
As a soloist, he was awarded grand prize at the First Coast Wind Symphony Concerto Competition performing the Mozart bassoon concerto. The Tampa Bay Symphony awarded him as the sole woodwind finalist two years in a row performing the Mozart and Hummel bassoon concerti.
He has attended Florida State University, Louisiana State University, McGill University’s Schulich School of Music, and Lynn Conservatory of Music. His primary teachers include Jeff Keesecker, Darrel Hale, Stéphane Lévesque, Whitney Crockett, and Ashley Heintzen. Awarded fellowships, he has attended the National Music Festival, National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, and Orford Musique.
I started playing clarinet in the Hurst-Euless-Bedford school district. I moved for a year to Midwest City, Oklahoma during the 8th grade. This is when I started taking private lessons with Loris Wiles who was the solo clarinetist of the Oklahoma City Symphony. When I returned to H-E-B, I was way ahead of all the students. My high school years were spent at L.D. Bell. My private instructor there was Bob Stanton who became the solo clarinetist of the Kansas City Philharmonic. I made the Texas All State Band my Jr. and Sr. years. I was in the top band , 7th chair Jr. year and 2nd chair my Sr. year. I also received the John Philip Sousa Band Award my Sr. year.
Off to college. I received a scholarship to Sam Houston State. I was solo clarinetist in both the band and orchestra. I also received the Tau Beta Sigma Outstanding Band Award. During the summers, I would visit my family who had moved to southern Michigan. There I played in the Michiana Symphonette in South Bend, Indiana. I performed the Mozart Clarinet Concerto with this group. It was a great experience. Also while in college, I began teaching private lessons in the Houston area.
After graduating from SHSU, I moved back to the H-E-B area and was the clarinet instructor for all of the schools in the district. I also performed with the Irving Symphony. I was invited back to SHSU as a Graduate Assistant after a year of teaching, so I returned to Sam Houston to work on my Masters and taught clarinet students at Sam. During this time I played professionally often as a substitute in the Houston Symphony. I was so fortunate and played under many incredible conductors. Also, I was invited to fill in on a tour with the Kansas City Philharmonic during this time. I also auditioned for the 2nd chair in the Houston Symphony. I was 3rd out of 110. It was an experience I will never forget.....sitting on the stage of Jones Hall and playing alone!!!
Now I had to go make a living, so I moved to Houston and taught private lessons at many area schools. I also got married and had a child. I stopped teaching for a while to raise my son. My husband was transferred to Austin, so after a bit, Chris(son) and I moved to Austin also. As our son got older, I felt the need to teach clarinet again. I did not know musicians in this area, but found the Austin Symphonic Band and thought that would be a good place to start. And yes it was. I met many band directors and started teaching almost immediately. I totally enjoyed playing in the Austin Symphonic Band, but my student load became very large, so I had to stop playing in the band, I met so many wonderful and talented musicians.
So for the last 13 years I have been teaching private clarinet lessons in this area, including Hays CISD, Austin ISD and RRISD. Every year for the last 10 years, I have had a student make 1st chair in their Region Band. I have had former students go on to make All State. I love teaching. I have grown away from teaching high school kids. I really prefer middle school.
I had 3 very incredible clarinet teachers. They were all solo clarinetists of major symphony orchestras. They inspired me greatly and that is what I hope to always do with my students.
Robert Perkins is a conservatory trained saxophonist from North Carolina who has studied at UNC School of the Arts for his BM in Saxophone Performance and UT Austin for two Master’s Degrees in performance and education. Mr. Perkins was honored to have been awarded many merit based scholarships, including the Rudkin-Kalyn Scholarship all four years of his undergraduate studies. Mr. Perkins has cultivated a strong and extensive saxophone studio over the past 18 years within RRISD, LISD, and GISD. With over 25 years of performing experience and had the honor of performing in the Vintage 15 Big Band, Austin Swing Orchestra, Vendetta Big Band, Republic of Texas Big Band, and a recording artist with the Bus Stop Stallions in 2012 on the album entitled, “Crosswinds.”
Additionally, Mr. Perkins is a professional photographer who runs 3 different photography brands including live action paintball and has the utmost pleasure working with Netflix and a few mainstream celebrities. When he doesn’t have a saxophone or a camera in his hand, he keeps up with his private piano studio and enjoys spending time with his wife, two dogs, camping, and playing paintball across the U.S. He and his wife are elated and anxious for the birth of their first child in November!
Maxwell Franko is a trumpeter, composer, and sound designer living in Austin, Texas. Originally from the Cleveland, Ohio area, Max has experience performing in the first class jazz band, the Atlantic Music Festival Orchestra, The Sunrise Brass Quintet, the Hispanic Caribbean Ensemble of UT Austin, and a number of independent bands in the Austin and Cleveland area. Max also composes music for performing ensembles and works freelance as an audio engineer and sound designer on independent theater and film productions. He is excited to join the Pearson Ranch Middle School team!
Educational Qualifications
Doctorate in Educational Leadership (pending)- Concordia University – Chicago
Master of Education - Concordia-Portland University
Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance – University of Houston
Texas Teacher Certification, All-Level Music - University of Houston
Graduate of Humble High School, Humble, Texas
Professional History
Principal Trumpet and Soloist, Austin Symphonic Band, 2002 - Present, Kyle Glaser -Conductor
Principal Trumpet and Featured Soloist, St. Martin’s L.C. Symphonic Winds, 2016 - Present, David Cross - Conductor
Co-principal Trumpet and Featured Soloist, Balcones Community Orchestra – Austin, Texas,
2002 - Present, Robert Radmer – Conductor Principal Trumpet and Featured Soloist, Central Texas Medical Orchestra – Austin, Texas,
2013 - Present, Robert Radmer - Conductor Associate/ Second Trumpet – Starlight Symphony Orchestra – Wimberly, Texas, 2021- Present, David Oertel - Conductor
Principal Trumpet, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Summer Band – Austin, Texas, 2008 - 2018, Mark Gurgel – Conductor
Guest Principal Trumpet, St. Edward’s University Symphony Orchestra – Austin, Texas, 2017 – 2019, Robert Radmer – Conductor
Guest Associate Trumpeter, Austin Civic Orchestra – Austin, Texas, 2002- Present, Lois Ferrari -Conductor
Various performances with the Houston Symphony, the Houston Concert Chorale, the Houston
Lutheran Chorale, H.I.T.S. – Unicorn Theater, the Houston Lyric Brass, the Houston Tower Brass Ensemble, the Houston Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Gulf Coast Community Band, the Pasadena Community Band and numerous community bands, chamber orchestras and church performances – 1978 - present
Music Instruction History
2021-Present Associate Band Director, Hill Country Community Church and School, Austin, Texas
2018-Present Associate Band Director, Austin Community Youth Bands, Austin Area Home School , Paragon Lutheran School and Redeemer Lutheran School, Austin, Texas
2018-Present Associate Band Instructor, Brentwood Christian School, Austin Private School, Austin, Texas
2016-2019 Brass and Percussion Instructor, Meridian International World School, Round Rock Charter School, Round Rock, Texas
2018-2019 Brass and Trumpet Instructor, Elgin Middle School, Elgin Independent School District, Elgin Texas
2013-2018 Trumpet Instructor, Hendrickson High School, Pflugerville Independent School District, Pflugerville, Texas
2002-2013 Head Band Director, J E. Pearce Middle School, Austin Independent School District, Austin, Texas
2001-2002 Trumpet Instructor, Thornton Middle School, Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District, Houston, Texas
1999-2001 Assistant Band Director, Texas City High School, Texas City Independent School District, Texas City, Texas
Nicoletta Pignatello is a freelance horn player and teacher in the Austin Area. She received her Bachelor’s Degree from Lawrence University and her Master’s Degree from Ithaca College. She teaches in Hutto, Pflugerville, Austin, and Round Rock.
Zol Waterhouse attended Del Valle High School and then studied Music at Texas State University in San Marcos before teaching and playing music professionally. The Austin native has been a season ticket holder with Austin FC since its inaugural season, and was a founding member of (the band in Q2 stadium).
He spent 5 years on the road and in the recording studio with Mingo Fishtrap. With that band, he played in venues and festivals around the country, joining musicians like Delbert McClinton and Marc Broussard on stage, anLa Murga de Austind is the trombone player on their album entitled "On Time" which released in 2014. Since then, he's been working full-time with The Nightowls. The Austin band is mostly known for its wild dance parties at conventions, weddings and other private or public events. After releasing the album "We Are The Nightowls" in 2018, they were invited to compete in the battle of the bands at Prince's Paisley Park. He's performed in 45 different states in the USA, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, on cruise ships in the Caribbean Sea and at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland.
When he's not on stage, Mr. Waterhouse can be found in Austin with his wife Jessica or in a practice room working 1-on-1 with a student. ¡Listos! ¡Verde!
Eli Westerfield began his tuba studies as a freshman in high school in Fort Worth, Texas. He earned a degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas and intended to be a band director before specializing in the tuba. He then went on to earn a Masters in Performance from Oklahoma City University, and has just completed his Doctorate in Performance from the University of Alabama.
Eli is currently adjunct instructor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of
Alabama-Birmingham. He also spent a year as the Assistant Director of Bands and Applied Low Brass instructor at Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. An active private instructor, he has taught private lessons during each of his degrees. He also regularly serves as a marching tech for high school band camps in Texas.
Eli has extensive chamber music experience as a member of OCU’s Blackwelder Brass and Alabama’s Low Tide tuba/euphonium quartet. Blackwelder is an active brass quintet based in Oklahoma City, gigging and playing at church services. The Low Tide quartet has placed in both regional and international competitions, including ITEC.
His principal teachers include Don Little, Ryan Robinson, and Jeremy Crawford. When not practicing or teaching, he enjoys hiking and camping, reading, and saving for retirement.
Matt Carr graduated from Louisiana State University in 2013 with a Bachelors in Music, where he studied under Brett Dietz, Troy Davis, and Geoff Clapp. During his time at LSU, Matt performed with Hamiruge, the LSU percussion group, at the PASIC convention in 2009. In 2011, he served as the principal percussionist of the LSU Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Donald McKinny. He also contributed to the recordings In Motion: The Percussion Music of David Stock and Reunion: Percussion Music of Stanley Leonard and Brett W. Dietz.
In 2016, Matt received a teaching assistantship at the University of Washington, where he studied with Ted Poor, Cuong Vu, and Greg Sinibaldi. While in Seattle, Matt was a member of the Improvised Music Project, a student-run organization that fundraised, coordinated, and organized performances of original works. He graduated in 2018 with a Masters in Music.
With over fourteen years of teaching experience, Matt lives to cultivate the art and performance of music by helping his students learn percussion and grow as musicians. He has served as an instructor for nonprofits in Louisiana and Texas that provide music education to underprivileged schools. Since moving to Austin seven years ago, Matt has helped many of his students reach Region Honor Band and achieve their musical goals.
As an active performer in the Austin music scene, Matt collaborates with various musicians and ensembles. He performs regularly with some of Austin's top musicians and groups, including Ephraim Owens, Andre Hayward, Elias Haslinger, and the NOW Jazz Orchestra. When not teaching or performing, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.
Austin-based percussionist Luciano Medina has excelled both as an educator and a performer. As an educator, Luciano finds value in connecting with students of all ages. He has taught private lessons to 6-12 grade students, instilling in young students technique fundamentals, the joy of music-making, and the awareness of one’s self. As a Teaching Assistant for the Pans of Texas at the University of Texas at Austin, he taught and led a band of 12 students, leading to performances in private events, featured concerts, and outreach performances at Dell Children’s Hospital. As a solo performer, he participated in the Great Plains International Marimba Competition in 2019 and performed multiple solo performances on steel drums. Yet, his passion truly lies in chamber music, having been a fellow at the new music hub Bang On A Can Summer Festival in 2023 and been part of the PASIC 2019 Intercollegiate Percussion Ensemble. In both avenues, his contagious expressive spirit guides him. Along with his interest in contemporary music, Luciano is a proficient performer on a variety of instruments and styles from Cuban, Brazilian, and Trinidadian traditions. He recently presented a clinic on the basics of rumba guaguancó at PASIC 2022, and he hopes to further expose others to this culturally rich music.
Luciano Medina received his MM from the University of Texas at Austin and his BM from the University of Kentucky. He studied under Thomas Burritt, Ivan Treviño, James B. Campbell, Paul Deatherage, and Richard Huntley.
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