Meet the Band!
Conductor
Christopher Ward
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Christopher Ward
West Bloomfield, Michigan Senior Director of Music and Gospel Arts, Great Lakes Division of the Salvation Army Member since 2018 Favorite Composers: Dean Goffin, Philip Sparke, Gustav Mahler Favorite Brass Band Piece: Fraternity (Thierry Deleruyelle) Hobbies: Golf, Fishing, Snowboarding, Watching Sports, Boating |
Cornets
E-flat Soprano Cornet: Mike Flickinger
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Mike Flickinger
Lake Orion, Michigan Music Teacher Member since 2006 (Founding Member) Favorite Composer: Peter Graham Favorite Brass Band Piece: As If A Voice Were In Them (Oliver Waespi) Hobbies: Golf, Mountain Biking, Fishing |
Principal Solo COrnet: Matt Taton
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Matt Taton
Mount Pleasant, Michigan Band Director Member since 2010 Favorite Composer: Ludavic Neurohr Favorite Brass Band Piece: Concerto No. 10 for Brass Band, Percussion & Onde Martenot (Ludovic Neurohr) Hobbies: Cycling with Jonnie, Traveling |
Solo Cornet: Gordon Ward
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Gordon Ward
Northville, Michigan Former Director of Music - Greater New York Division of the Salvation Army Member since 2019 Favorite Composers: Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky, Ray Steadman-Allen Favorite Brass Band Piece: The Present Age (Leslie Condon) Hobbies: Golf, Watching English Football |
Solo Cornet: Andrew Cicchelli
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Andrew Cicchelli
Warren, Michigan Computer Deployment (IT) at All Covered Member since 2019 Favorite Composer: Paul Lovatt-Cooper Favorite Brass Band Piece: From Ancient Times (Jan Van der Roost) Hobbies: Listening to music, hanging out with friends, Watching Hockey & Baseball |
solo cornet: Erin Garvey
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Erin Garvey
From: Blissfield, Michigan Occupation: Band Director, The Lamphere Schools Member since: 2014–2020, 2025 Brass Banding Achievements: Brass Band: US Open Grand Champions 2025; Dublin Festival of Brass Grand Champions 2025. Best Cornet Section: US Open 2025; Dublin Festival of Brass 2025 Personal: FLSB Member of the Year 2025. Biography: Erin Garvey graduated with high honors from Michigan State University, where she was named Outstanding Senior in the College of Arts and Letters, and holds a Master of Music degree from the University of Michigan. In addition to her appointment with Five Lakes, she is a member of the Athena Brass Band and most recently performed in Valencia, Spain at the International Tuba and Euphonium Conference. Her principal teachers include Toledo-area band director Tom Watson; Michigan State trumpet professor Rich Illman; and SGM (Ret.) Woodrow English, principal trumpet of United States Army Band Pershing's Own. While her favorite contest repertoire changes from season to season, her favorite transcriptions remain constant: Eric Ball’s complete set of Edward Elgar’s Enigma Variations and Bertrand Moren’s arrangement of Rimsky-Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol. Her first brass band album came about thanks to her mother’s interest in gardening: recordings by the Black Dyke Band for the BBC television program Ground Force. Those recordings remain favorites, especially “The Titsmarsh Warbler” and “Lament of the Dandelion.” Geneva Instruments Section Performing Artist: Geneva Cardinal Cornet |
Repiano Cornet: Russ McMartin
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Russ McMartin
Davison, Michigan Band Director - Brandon School District Member Since 2020 Favorite Composer: Peter Graham Favorite Brass Band Piece: Metropolis 1927 (Peter Graham) Hobbies: Boating, Fishing, Camping |
Second Cornet: Owen Brown
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Owen Brown
Biography coming soon! |
Second Cornet: Colleen Land
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Colleen Land
From: Lansing, Michigan Occupation: Pupil Accountant, Lansing Public Schools Member since: 2016 Brass Banding Achievements: Brass Band: NABBA Champions 2023; Dublin Festival of Brass Grand Champions 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025; US Open Grand Champions 2022, 2023 and 2024; Best Cornet Section: US Open 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; Dublin Festival of Brass 2025 Biography: Colleen is a proud graduate of Michigan State University - GO GREEN! She started playing in Brass Bands in 2001, as a founding member of Capitol City Brass Band. Colleen began subbing with FLSB in 2016, becoming a permanent member in 2017. When she is not practicing, or performing with FLSB, she enjoys watching sports (particularly football and hockey), hanging out with her sisters, and relaxing with her dog and cat. Geneva Instruments Section Performing Artist: Geneva Cardinal Cornet |
Third Cornet: Dan Head
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Dan Head
Waterford, Michigan Brass Instructor at Expressions Music Academy Member since 2019 Favorite Composer: J.S. Bach, Gustav Mahler Favorite Brass Band Piece: Pavane, Op. 50 by Gabriel Faure (arrg. Peter Graham) Hobbies: Reading, Brewing Beer, Arranging Music, Woodworking |
Third Cornet: Jeff Markwick
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Jeff Markwick
Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan Retired Industrial Salesman / Freelance Musician Member since 2006 (Founding Member) Favorite Composers: Philip Sparke & Peter Graham Favorite Brass Band Piece: Harmony Music (Philip Sparke) Hobbies: Golf |
horns
Flugelhorn: Michael Baker
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Michael Baker
Madison Heights, Michigan Member since 2023 Favorite Composer: Favorite Brass Band Piece: Hobbies: |
Solo Tenor Horn: Megan Fritz
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Megan Fritz
Hazel Park, Michigan Sales Representative Member since 2019 Favorite Composer: Gustav Mahler Favorite Brass Band Piece: Sinfonietta No. 3 (Etienne Crausaz) Hobbies: Biking, Road Trips, Board Games, Family & Friends |
First tenor Horn: Derek Kolp
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Derek Kolp
Biography coming soon! |
Second Tenor Horn: John Aren
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John Aren
Biography coming soon! |
Baritones
First Baritone: Jeff Scheu
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Jeff Scheu
Clarkston, Michigan Works at General Motors Member Since 2017 Favorite Composer: Paul Lovatt-Cooper Favorite Brass Band Piece: Enter the Galaxies (Paul Lovatt-Cooper) Hobbies: Cooking, Kayaking, Biking, Playing with Granddaughter |
Second Baritone: Chris Taravella
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Chris Taravella
Member since 2024 Favorite Composer: Favorite Brass Band Piece: Hobbies: |
Trombones
Solo Trombone: Dallas Long
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Dallas Long
Oakland, Michigan Engineer Member since 2021 Favorite Composer: Gustav Mahler Favorite Brass Band Piece: Red Priest (Philip Wilby) Hobbies: Playing Bass in a Garage Band, Snow Boarding |
Second Trombone: Craig Lewis
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Craig Lewis
Biography coming soon! |
Bass Trombone: Doug Holman
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Doug Holman
Sterling Heights, Michigan Plastic Assembly Program Manager at Flexngate Member since 2019 Favorite Composer: Robert Redhead Favorite Brass Band Piece: A Pastoral Symphony (Robert Redhead) Hobbies: Golf, Building Things |
Euphonium
Solo Euphonium: Ryan McCrudden
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Ryan McCrudden
Biography coming soon! |
SOLO EUPHONIUM: DUANE SITKIEWICZ
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Duane Sitkiewicz
Jonesville, Michigan Retired Educator Member since 2023 Favorite Composer: John Williams Favorite Brass Band Piece: Titan’s Progress Hobbies: Pontoon rides, fishing, spending time with family. |
SECOND EUPHONIUM: BENJAMIN DAWLEY
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Benjamin Dawley
Biography coming soon! |
Basses
SOlo E-flat Bass: Chris Jackson
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Chris Jackson
Ypsilanti, Michigan Failure Analysis Technician Member since 2007 Favorite Composer: Philip Sparke Favorite Brass Band Piece: Year of the Dragon (Philip Sparke) Hobbies: Disc Golf, BBQ, Golf |
E-Flat Bass: Thomas SIlvey
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Thomas Silvey
Clarkston, Michigan Mechanical Engineer Member since 2018 Favorite Composer: Phillip Sparke Favorite Brass Band Piece: Symphony No. 1 The Lord of the Rings by Johan de Meij Hobbies: Fishing, Biking, Hiking, Canoeing, 3D printing, mechatronics tinkering, and woodworking. |
Prinicipal B-flat Bass: Stephen Molnar
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Steve Molnar
South Lyon, Michigan Principal Tuba- Traverse Symphony Orchestra Member since 2006 (Founding Member) Favorite Composer: Gustav Mahler Favorite Brass Band Piece: Breath of Souls (Paul Lovatt-Cooper) Hobbies: Boating |
B-Flat Bass: Brian P. Gorski
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Brian P. Gorski
From: Blissfield, Michigan Occupation: Ensemble Director: National Homeschool Music Ensembles Director, Adrian City Band Member since: 2023 Brass Banding Achievements: Brass Band: NABBA Champions 2023; US Open Grand Champions 2024, 2025; Dublin Festival of Brass Grand Champions 2023, 2024, 2025. Best Bass Section: US Open 2023, 2024, 2025; Dublin Festival of Brass 2024 Personal: FLSB Member of the Year 2023. Biography: Brian studied music performance at Eastern Michigan University where he achieved various accolades and achievements in performance and in leadership. He assists FLSB in several ways with graphic design, web, and social media management. In his spare time he enjoys spending time with friends and family. Mercer and Barker Mouthpieces Section Artist: MB7 Lake Monster Wessex Tubas Section Artist: Prokofiev BBb Tuba |
Percussion
Principal: Caleb Goncz
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Caleb Goncz
Grand Blanc, Michigan Music Teacher Member since 2021 Favorite Composer: Gustav Holst Favorite Brass Band Piece: Equilibrium (Paul Lovatt-Cooper) Hobbies: Board Games, Chess, Puzzles |
SPENCER EATON
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Spencer Eaton
Biography coming soon! |
David Mace
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David Mace
Clinton Township Technical Trainer and Voice Over Talent Member Since 2023 Favorite Composer: Leonard Bernstein, Frank Zappa Favorite Brass Band Piece: On The Shoulders of Giants Hobbies: Playing Drum Set, Recording Music, Listening to old records and Singing Karaoke. |
KARTHIK GANAPATHY
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Karthik Ganapathy
Biography coming soon! |