Directors and Staff
Dr. Robert J. Ambrose
Founder, Music Director, Wind Ensemble Principal Conductor
Robert J. Ambrose is Director of Wind Studies and Ensembles, Associate Professor of Music and the Associate Director of the School of Music at Georgia State University where he conducts the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra and University Chamber Winds, and coordinates the Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting degree program. Prior to this appointment he held conducting positions at the Chicago College of Performing Arts and Boston College. He also served for five years as Director of Instrumental Music in the public schools of Norwood and Monson, Massachusetts.
Dr. Ambrose received the Bachelor of Arts degree in computer science with a concentration in music from Boston College, the Master of Music degree in music education from Boston University and the Doctor of Music degree in conducting at Northwestern University. His principal conducting teachers have been Mallory Thompson, Frank Battisti and Eric Rombach-Kendall. In addition, he has attended classes with Seiji Ozawa, Robert Spano and Andre Previn at the Tanglewood Music Center.
Ensembles under the direction of Dr. Ambrose have performed at Carnegie Hall, Spivey Hall, the College Band Directors National Association Southern Division Conference, the Georgia and Massachusetts Music Educators Conferences, Boettcher Hall in Denver and at the Hatch Memorial Shell in Boston. In addition, a recent performance of Igor Stravinsky's Symphony of Pslams under his direction has been given repeated airings on Georgia Public Radio.
An ardent supporter of contemporary and avant-garde music, Dr. Ambrose is co-founder, conductor and guitarist of the Atlanta-based contemporary music ensemble Bent Frequency. Hailed by Gramophone Magazine as "one of the brightest ensembles on the [Atlanta] scene," and by the Atlanta Journal Constitution as "a suddenly indispensable part of the Atlanta music scene," this ensemble has received widespread critical acclaim for their musical virtuosity and innovative programming.
In 2003, Dr. Ambrose co-founded the Metropolitan Atlanta Youth Wind Ensemble, a youth wind band comprised of 52 of the most talented high school musicians from the greater Atlanta area. This ensemble performed an acclaimed program at Carnegie Hall in May of 2005 and is now a resident ensemble of Georgia State University.
Dr. Ambrose is in great demand as a guest conductor and clinician and he has worked with countless college and high school bands and orchestras throughout the United States and abroad. He recently traveled to Australia where he served as artist-in-residence and clinician for five public schools in the Brisbane area. He currently serves as a staff adjudicator for the Dixie Classic, Gateway, All-American, Southern Star, Music Maestro and Performing Arts Consultants Music Festivals.
A guitarist by trade Dr. Ambrose has performed in dozens of jazz ensembles, combos, rock bands and pit orchestras in Boston and Chicago. His rock band "Hoochie Suit," formed with members of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, received rave reviews throughout the Chicago area and has performed for such distinguished guests as Yo-Yo Ma, Larry Combs and Daniel Barenboim.
For three years Dr. Ambrose served as co-editor of the internationally-circulated Music Educators National Conference Measurement and Evaluation newsletter. Recent publications include articles in the Bulletin of Historical Research in Music Education and The Georgia Music News. Dr. Ambrose is a member of Phi Delta Kappa, the College Band Directors National Association, the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Wind Ensembles, the Music Educators National Conference and the Georgia Music Educators Association and has served on the Executive Board of the Massachusetts Instrumental Conductors Association. In addition, he has been awarded the National Band Association Citation of Excellence.
Mrs. Laura Moates Stanley
Wind Ensemble Associate Conductor
Laura Moates Stanley is in her Sixth year as Associate Director of Bands at Brookwood High School in Snellville. A native of Blue Ridge, GA, she is a 2001 honor graduate of The University of Georgia where she received her BMUS in Music Education. She also graduated from the same institution in 2003 where she received an MM in Wind Conducting.
Mrs. Stanley served as the drum major of the UGA Redcoat Band from 1998-2001. During this time, she was also appointed as Assistant Band Captain from 1999-2000 and as Band Captain from 2000-2001. During her undergraduate career, Mrs. Stanley was a student conductor with the UGA Concert Bands. While receiving her graduate degree in Wind Conducting, Mrs. Stanley studied privately under Dr. John N. Culvahouse, Professor Allen Crowell, Professor Mark Cedel, and Dr. H. Dwight Satterwhite. She has studied clarinet under the late Dr. Theodore Jahn from 1997-2001 where she was a finalist of the UGA Concerto Competition for two years and under Dr. D. Ray McClellan (2001-2003). Mrs. Stanley was a member of the UGA Wind Ensemble from 1997-2003 where she performed as principal clarinetist during the ensembles appearance at CBDNA in Denton, TX. She is also a clarinetist with the Northwinds Community Band and teaches a studio of private clarinet and conducting students. Mrs. Stanley has taught clarinet and conducting clinics for Joycliffe Summer Camp, the University of Georgia Marching Band Camp, the University of Georgia Summer Music Camp, ENCORE! Summer Music Camp, and JSU Spirit Camp.
Recently, the Brookwood High School Symphonic Winds was chosen to perform as a guest band at The 2005 University of Georgia January Festival, the 2007 Honor Bands of Georgia Clinic at Columbus State University, The 2008 University of Alabama Honor Band Festival and the 2008 Georgia Music Educators Association In-Service Conference.
Mrs. Stanley has received the Outstanding Sophomore Music Major Award, the Undergraduate Director's of Excellence Award, the Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award, and was the first recipient of the Dr. Theodore Jahn Memorial Scholarship from The University of Georgia. She also received the 2004 Class Act Teacher award from Channel 11 Alive and was aired on a live news broadcast in late May of that year. Mrs. Stanley was chosen as Brookwood High School's STAR Teacher in 2007. She was also selected as the Region IIIA STAR Teacher and as a Georgia State Finalist STAR Teacher in 2007.
Mrs. Stanley is a member of GMEA, MENC, NBA, PAGE, Golden Key International Honor Society, National Collegiate Scholars, Delta Epsilon Iota, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the International Clarinet Association. She currently serves as the GMEA District 13 Band Chair and as President on the board of the University of Georgia Redcoat Band Alumni Association.
She is the daughter of Elden and Wanda Moates, retired band directors in Fannin County. She has one sister, Amy, who is a school psychologist in Dalton, GA and one brother, John, who is a percussionist and Public Relations Specialist in the Atlanta area. Mrs. Stanley resides in Lawrenceville, GA with her husband, Darren, a freelance musician.
Dr. Stuart Gerber
Percussion Ensemble Director
Hailed as "Instrumentalist of the Year, Percussion" by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry (W.A.M.I.), Stuart Gerber is currently assistant professor and percussion coordinator at Georgia State University in Atlanta. Dr. Gerber has performed extensively throughout the US, Europe, Australia, and Mexico.
As an active performer of new works, Dr. Gerber has been involved in a number of commissions and world-premiere performances. This past summer he gave the world premiere of Karlheinz Stockhausen's latest solo percussion work Himmels-Tür in Italy. In the summer of 2005 he gave the world-premiere of Mittwoch-Formel (also by Stockhausen) at the annual Stockhausen-Courses in Kürten, Germany. He has also given the U.S. and Australian premieres of Stockhausen's duo version of Nasenflügeltanz for percussion and synthesizer, and the U.S. premiere of his solo percussion work Komet. Since July 2005 Dr. Gerber has been the faculty percussionist for the Stockhausen-Courses, and recorded two works for the Stockhausen Complete Edition CD 79. This fall he will record two more works for upcoming Stockhausen-Verlag releases.
In addition to his work with Stockhausen, Dr. Gerber has worked with many other notable composers, such as Kaija Saariaho, Steve Reich, Tristan Murail, Frederic Rzewski, George Crumb, Tania León, Michael Colgrass, Ricardo Zohn-Muldoon and John Luther Adams.
He was recently a featured performer and pedagogue at the Hannover-Schlagfest percussion festival in Germany, and at the 2005 Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in Columbus, Ohio (his third PASIC appearance). He also is featured on the world-premiere recording of John Luther Adams' Strange and Sacred Noise with the Percussion Group Cincinnati, released in November 2005 by Mode records.
Dr. Gerber is a founding member of the Atlanta-based new music group Bent Frequency, performs internationally with the Australian pianist Michael Fowler in ENSEMBLE SIRIUS, and is regularly heard as extra percussionist with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Gerber received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Oberlin College Conservatory where he studied with Michael Rosen, and was awarded a Master of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM). His teachers at CCM were Allen Otte, Russell Burge, and James Culley of the Percussion Group Cincinnati. He has also done advanced studies at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hannover, Germany, with Professor Andreas Boettger.
Dr. Gordon Vernick
Jazz Ensemble Conductor
Dr. Gordon Vernick is associate professor of music and coordinator of Jazz Studies at Georgia State University. He holds a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY; a Master of Music in Education from the University of Miami, and a Doctor of Arts in Trumpet Performance and Jazz Pedagogy from the University of Northern Colorado, Greeley.
As a professional trumpet player, he has performed in all musical mediums from symphony orchestra to jazz quartet and has freelanced in Miami, New York, Denver, Kansas City and the Caribbean Islands. He is currently active in the southeastern United States as a clinician, adjudicator and freelance trumpet player.
As a jazz educator he is the past president of the Georgia Association of Jazz Educators, past chair of the International Association of Jazz Educators Curriculum Committee, and was recently appointed as the Southeast Coordinator of that organization. He was the Director of the NARAS Georgia Grammy High School Jazz Band from 1994 to 1999. He is the co-editor of the book Teaching Jazz: A Course Of Study, published by MENC. He recently co-wrote the college textbook, Jazz History Overview, published by Kendall-Hunt, which has been adopted by numerous universities around the country.
He is director of the GSU Faculty Jazztet which performs regularly in Atlanta area schools and has appeared at the Atlanta Jazz Festival, the Brasstown Music Festival, Oxford University Music Series and many other venues in the southeast. He has performed with such world renown jazz artists as Kenny Werner, Clare Fischer, John Hart, Kevin Hays, Conrad Herwig, Marc Copland, Randy Brecker, Paul McCandless and many others. The Jazztet was twice invited to perform in San Jose, Costa Rica by the Centro Cultural Costarricense-Norteamericano. During the summer of 2001 the Jazztet performed in Moscow, Russia at the Tribute to Willis Conover Jazz Festival and in March 2003 performed at Capitol University in Beijing, China. The group was invited to perform in November 2004 in Florianopolis, Brazil at the Curso e Colegio Bardal.
Mr. Thomas McConnell
Executive Director
Thomas "T.C." McConnell is the Executive Director of the MAYWE program as well as the University Bands Administrative Assistant and Band Relations Coordinator at Georgia State University. Mr. McConnell comes to GSU following six years with Kennesaw Mountain High School, where he served as the band relations assistant. In this position, he managed all business facets of the AAA National Champion Marching Band, World Champion Winter Guard and nationally renowned concert band program. Mr. McConnell, a native of Marietta, received his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Kennesaw State University in Kennesaw,GA. His past experience also includes five years with Music for All and Bands of America.
Ms. Lauren Freeman
percussion coach
Ms. Lauren Freeman (percussion coach) is a junior Music Education major at Georgia State University and a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. Ms. Freeman has extensive experience working with high school percussion ensembles and sections including serving as a staff member for the South Cobb High School Band during their performance preparations for President Obama's Inauguration parade.
Ms. Catherine Hofius
brass coach
Ms. Catherine Hofius is a senior Music Education major at Georgia State University. She is a School of Music University Scholar and was a Georgia State Presidential Scholar finalist. She also is the recipient of the prestigious School of Music Theodore Presser Award, a $4,000 scholarship given to the most outstanding undergraduate student in the School of Music. Ms. Hofius has served as a clinician for numerous band camps and plans to be a high school band director upon graduation.
Ms. Diana Maria Marks
woodwind coach
Ms. Diana Maria Marks is a junior Music Education major at Georgia State University and a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. A graduate of Sandy Creek High School, Ms. Marks is a clarinetist in the studio of Dr. Kenneth Long. She maintains an active clarinet studio in the greater Atlanta area. This is Ms. Marks second year as a MAYWE staff member.
Ms. Colleen McHugh
assistant to the Executive Director, woodwind coach
Ms. Colleen McHugh is a junior Music Education major at Georgia State University and a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. A graduate of Kennesaw Mountain High School, Ms. McHugh is a flutist in the studio of Mrs. Sarah Kruser Ambrose. This is Ms. McHugh’s second year as a MAYWE staff member.
Mr. Adam Norris
brass coach
Mr. Adam Norris is a sophomore Music Education major at Georgia State University and a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. He is a graduate of Centennial High School and is a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. Mr. Norris studies trumpet with Ms. Yvonne Toll.
Ms. Kelsey Owen
brass coach
Ms. Kelsey Owen is a sophomore Nursing major and Music minor. She is a recipient of the School of Music University Scholar Award. A 2008 graduate of Kennesaw Mountain High School, Ms. Owen is a horn player in the Georgia State University Symphonic Wind Ensemble.