STAFF

Director
Barry Spanier received his Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from the University of Southern California, and his MA with a focus in Arts Administration from New York University. He has directed and produced music for events on the world's largest stages, including two Olympic Ceremonies and a World Exposition, plus special events, festivals, concerts, and musical theatre. The hallmark of Mr. Spanier's career has been establishing new musical ensembles and building programs and organizations. For World Expo 88, he designed and directed a marching band program in an environment that previously had no such tradition. For the Sydney Olympics he directed 2,000 young musicians from 23 nations and blended them into a cohesive ensemble, the largest marching band in history. As leader of the New York University Orchestra Mr. Spanier revitalized the program and built it from a rudimentary 19-piece string group to an 85-piece symphony plus secondary orchestra and various chamber groups. Mr. Spanier served as Associate conductor of the USC Trojan Bands, Venue Band Coordinator for the 1984 Los Angeles Summer Olympics, and was Founder and Executive Producer of the Gallatin Arts Festival in New York. Mr. Spanier performed as a trumpet player and percussionist with artists Don Ellis, Lalo Schiffrin and Maynard Ferguson, amongst others. He has also served as music director and conductor for dozens of musical theatre productions and recording sessions in commercial and academic settings.

Assistant Director
Mark D. Lighthiser, an Innovative Percussion and Evans Artist, is an accomplished percussionist, teacher, composer and conductor. From 1991-1993, Mr. Lighthiser was a proud member of the World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps. During this time he also served as the Director of Percussion Studies at Hasllet High School and worked as a percussion instructor for many other award winning ensembles including the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, the BOA Champion Plymouth Canton High School Marching Band, and the Pickerington High School Marching Band. Mr. Lighthiser completed his M.M. degree at the University of Oregon in 2004 under the direction of Charles Dowd and Gary Hobbs.

While at the University of Oregon, he was a member of the award winning Oregon Percussion Ensemble, the University Symphony Orchestra, the Hundredth Monkey new music group, the Eugene Symphony Orchestra, the Oregon Bach Festival, and served as the principal percussionist with the Oregon Wind Ensemble. He performed with the Emerald City Jazz Kings, Tommy Tune, Mike Pardew, Rob Kohler and numerous other professional ensembles. Mr. Lighthiser also held positions as Director of Percussion Studies for the Oregon Festival of American Music and Co-director for the Willamette High School Marching Band and Percussion Theater program.

Currently, Mr. Lighthiser plays with the New Orleans based funk band Gravy, serves as Assistant Marching Band Director at Tulane University, and Director of Percussion for Destrehan High School. He also designs drill and arranges music for numerous marching band programs across the country.

Percussion Instructor/Operations Coordinator
Mendel Lee, an Innovative Percussion Artist, received his Bachelor degree in Music Composition from West Chester University and his Masters of Music degree in Music Composition from the University of Oregon. He has composed and performed as a pianist, percussionist, electronic musician, and conductor for various music ensembles in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Oregon, and Louisiana.

An advocate of music technology, Mr. Lee has composed numerous interactive works for computer and live performer as well as interactive installations using infrared motion sensors controlled by performers' or audience members' hand and body movements. He has taught music technology classes at West Chester University and the University of Oregon, and has worked as the audio engineer and coordinator for the Future Music Oregon Electronic Music Concerts working with esteemed artists including Jeffrey Stolet, Chris Chafe, Allen Strange, Brian Belet, and Barry Truax.

Mr. Lee's education and marching experience including being the tenor captain of the Crossmen in 1995 and 1996 has helped him build success as a percussion instructor, music ensemble instructor, and marching band arranger for various high school and collegiate marching band and winter drumline programs in Pennsylvania, Ohio, New Jersey, Delaware, Virginia, Oregon, and Louisiana as well as an instructor with World Class Drum and Bugle Corps including the Jersey Surf and the Glassmen. He currently serves as the percussion instructor and operations coordinator for the Tulane University Marching Band in New Orleans, Louisiana and the music arranger and creative consultant for the Hermiston High School Marching Band in Hermiston, Oregon. He has also been commissioned to write a work for solo timpanist to be performed in France in 2011.

Colorguard Instructor
Valen Nicole Gonzales directs the Tulane Color Guard. Miss Gonzales has a bcchelor degree in Criminal Sociology at Louisiana State University. Miss Gonzales has 8 years experience in color guard, 4 years performing and 4 years privately teaching and contract consulting for several independent color guards.

Program Coordinator
Patricia McWhorter-Broussard brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to the band program. As a veteran of Tulane University she keeps the band office in top shape and makes all the connections to move us forward.

Student Leaders:

drum majors: Allie Feibus and Kyrsten Melander

drumline captain: Daniel Halle

production krewe: Catherine Nicolosi