Bassoon
Frank Chambers
832-372-7468
Clarinet
Carrie Smith
281-236-3368
Carrie Smith has been performing, teaching privately, and presenting master classes in north Houston for twenty-seven years. She currently maintains a studio of sixty students that range from beginners to college-level players. Her students experience a high degree of success and have consistently earned placements in Region and All-State organizations, have received first division ratings and outstanding performer honors at solo & ensemble contests, have earned admission to respected summer music festivals including Interlochen Arts Camp, Tanglewood Music Festival, and Buffet Crampon Summer Clarinet Academy, and have been awarded scholarships to some of the most prestigious college music programs in the country including Northwestern University, Rice University, Vanderbilt University, the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Texas at Austin, and the University of Houston. A graduate of Rice University’s Shepard School of Music, her principle teachers include David Peck, Thomas LeGrand, and Carol Stinson. She has done additional study with Richard Hawkins, Randall Griffin, and Sidney Forrest. Carrie has been involved with the Texas Music Educators Association for over twenty years and served as the 2019-2020 TMEA All-State etude selector for soprano clarinet. Carrie is the director of the CS Honor Clarinet Choir who was awarded an invitation to perform at the 2020 Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Currently Carrie teaches in the Conroe Independent School District. Campuses include Oakridge High School, Grand Oaks High School, The Woodlands College Park High School, York Junior High School, and Clark Intermediate. When Carrie is not teaching or performing, her interests include fitness training, teaching indoor cycle classes, working with her personal training clients, and traveling.
Flute
Davina Sloat
713-306-7814
Freelance flutist, private instructor, and adjudicator in the Woodlands / Houston area. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Flute Performance (1985) from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas where she studied with Julliard graduate, Claire Johnson, student of Arthur Lora of the New York Met and NBC Orchestra. A former student of the late Byron Hester, principal flutist of the Houston Symphony and Dr. Sydney Carlson, former flutist / piccoloist of the Houston Grand Opera. Currently, she studies with International acclaimed, Denis Bouriakov, principal flutist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic through the Invested Musician program. Privately taught at the Arts Magnet High School in Dallas and the Mesquite school district. Since 2003, she teaches in the Conroe Independent School District. Her students are regular participants in the TMEA and TPSMEA All State, All Area, All Region Orchestra and Bands, CISD Honor Bands, UIL State and Region Solo & Ensemble contest. They are finalists and grand prize winners of the Woodlands HS Chamber Music Festival, College Park HS Concerto Competition, Grand Oaks HS Chamber Music Competition, Texas Flute Festival and Houston Flute Festival solo competitions. Students have also been members of the highly competitive, Houston Youth Symphony. Her students have been accepted to Summer enrichment programs such as the Interlochen Center for the Arts, Oberlin Conservatory, Sewanee Music Festival, ARIA International Academy, and the Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall. Her students have been selected to participate in masterclasses with flute professionals including James Galway, Carol Wincenc, Jim Walker, and Jeanne Baxtresser. Davina is the director of the nationally recognized Woodlands Young Artist Flute Choir, who performed at the 2007 National Flute Association convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Davina also serves as an instructor and accountant for Floot Fire, a Summer flute program founded by her former flute professor, Claire Johnson. Davina also held the position of Controller for the Dallas Symphony from 1997 – 2000. She is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Houston Flute Club, and the National Flute Association.
French Horn
Deborah Harvey
832-244-3346
Low Brass
Jerome Stover
Oboe
Leanne Becknell
818-517-4893
Leanne Becknell has been teaching oboe for Conroe ISD and Magnolia ISD for seven years. The students Leanne currently works with are attending the Woodlands High School, College Park, Knox, McCullough, Collins and Magnolia High School. Past performing experience took place in Los Angeles where Leanne played in the LA Opera, Hollywood Bowl Pops Orchestra, Pasadena Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Pacific Symphony and the Motion Picture Industry.
Percussion
Seth Bagwell
985-688-7163
Percussion
Terry Mckinney
832-800-4673
Saxophone
Reece Burgan
281-658-4450
Houston-based saxophonist and educator Reese Burgan is Adjunct Professor of Saxophone at Lone Star College - Montgomery where he is an active performer and avid teacher of saxophone and coordinator of the annual Montgomery Saxophone Day. His performing career has taken him around North America, performing in venues spanning the United States to Canada, and he is an ensemble member of Ikigaioto Duo and Eurus Saxophone Quartet. As a private lesson and master class teacher, he maintains a vibrant saxophone studio of over 50 students spanning The Woodlands and Cypress areas and is the site coordinator for the Young Saxophonist’s Institute -North Houston, an annual summer saxophone camp with locations throughout Houston and Dallas. His special interests include new music and collaboration. Recent commissions include works by composers including Viet Cuong, Mark Markowski, and Coleman Rowlett spanning genres including electronic music, chamber music, and solo works. Additionally, Reese is a published composer/arranger through Murphy Music Press. His competition experience includes 2nd Prize in the 2018 International Wind Duo Symposium and 2nd place at the 2013 Lone Star College Quartet Competition as part of Phoenix Saxophone Quartet. Reese holds a Master’s Degree from Georgia State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Sam Houston State University.
Saxophone
Aaron Martinez
956-463-6481
Trombone
Dan Black
281-451-2319
Dan has been a Band Director for 29 years, teaching Trombone to College Park High School and Knox Junior High students for the past 16 years. This school year, Dan has openings for students in Wind Ensemble, Symphonic and Concert I bands after school.
Trombone
Ted Sonnier
361-676-0088
Growing up in Port O'Connor, TX, Ted started playing trombone at age twelve at the beginning of his seventh grade year, falling in love with the instrument immediately. Over twenty years later, that love is still going strong. Ted likes nothing more than helping young trombonists fall in love with the trombone and with music just as totally as he did. Ted holds degrees from Yale University and Oklahoma State University, and a certificate from Carnegie Mellon University. Ted has been very fortunate to be able to play with great musicians throughout his career, including close friends in the highly successful trombone quartet and trombone octet at OSU, doing well in several competitions, including winning the International Trombone Association's 2008 Emory Remington Competition for best large trombone ensemble. Ted has also been very fortunate to be a member of The Symphony of Northwest Arkansas and the Westmoreland Symphony in Pennsylvania, as well as performing with the Mid-Texas Symphony outside of San Antonio.
Trumpet
Amanda Pepping
940-268-9147
Trumpet