Band Staff

 

Color Guard Instructor

Photo of Amber SmithAmber Smith

Amber Smith started her color guard career during high school and after graduating she continued building her talents by competing for four seasons with Carolina Visual Productions Winterguard. Following her age-out year of Independent A Class, Amber went on to spin with First Flight Independent World Winterguard for two seasons. During those two summers, she also performed with DCA’s Carolina Gold Drum and Bugle Corps and for two years Amber was a member of the Marching Tarheels at UNC-Chapel Hill. Accomplishments include: WGI Independent A Finalist, two-time WGI Independent World Finalist, DCA Class A Champion with two-time Best Color guard. Amber currently helps instruct Carolina Visual Productions Winterguard, the Elon marching band’s color guard, and works as a Registered Nurse.

Percussion Instructor

Joseph Spearman

Dr. Joseph Spearman is a percussionist and music educator based out of Carrboro, North Carolina. He is the Marching Percussion Instructor and Arranger for the Fire of the Carolinas at Elon University. He also serves as a Lecturer of Music at Fayetteville State University, teaching percussion, music theory, and music history, and maintains a private studio of high school and middle school students in the Triangle area. Dr. Spearman is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and serves on the Percussion Ensemble Committee.

Joseph’s current interests include commissioning and composing works for percussion that involve narrative/text in their processes or performance. He has commissioned composers such as JaRon Brown, Kevin Day, and Hannah Moore. His dissertation research focused on the percussion ensemble music of Christopher Deane, analyzing several of his works from a theoretical, performance, and pedagogical lens.

His performance experience spans multiple music styles and includes performing in the percussion sections of the Worthington Chamber Orchestra, Nashville Philharmonic Orchestra, Muskingum Valley Winds, and Palmetto Concert Band. While living in Nashville, he frequently played drum set in local pop and rock bands, performing in various locations across the Southeast.

Joseph frequently collaborates, writes, and performs music with fellow percussionist Kramer Sell as one half of JS…KS Percussion Duo. Their repertoire draws from a multitude of styles of music based on their lived musical experience playing in family bands, percussion ensembles, and other music groups.

In 2022, Joseph graduated with his DMA from The Ohio State University where he studied percussion performance. He earned his master’s degree in music performance from Belmont University. He earned his bachelor’s degree in music education from the University of South Carolina. Joseph’s teachers include Susan Powell, Christopher Norton, Scott Herring, Gordon Hicken, Todd Kemp, Jeff Handel, and Sean McGrew. He has also studied drum set with Jim Rupp, Todd London, and Jay Ware.

Volunteers

  • Tim Wood
  • Greg Piel
  • Michael Smith
  • Rick Earl

Student Leadership

  • Social Media Committee: Rachel Coughlin, Hunter Patterson
  • Social Media Committee Chair: Kiera Wenzel
  • Uniform Committee: Hunter Patterson, Brie Melchor
  • Uniform Committee Chair: Sydnie Matda
  • Elon Band Assistant: J’lynn Poplin and Sydnie Matda
  • Band Librarians: Ryan Reece, Zoë Myers, Cayden Williamson
  • Woodwind Captain: Brandon Cericola
  • Piccolo Section Leader: Adriana Losey
  • Clarinet Section Leader: Brandon Cericola
  • Saxophone Section Leaders: Ryan Merrigan
  • Brass Captain: Lucas Hoffses
  • Trumpet Section Leader: Raegan Baute
  • Mellophone Section Leader: Thomas DeVoe
  • Low Brass Section Leader: Lucas Hoffses
  • Percussion Captain: Cayla Bellamy, Ryan Gibbons
  • Front Ensemble Co-Section Leaders: Ryan Gibbons, Faith Almond
  • Drum Line Section Leaders: Sam Wolf (BD), Cayla Bellamy (Sn) Christopher D’Inzeo (Tenors)
  • Color Guard Captain: Zoë Myers
  • Student Relation Committee: Lucia Plaza Gasalla, Tess Trayner
  • Student Relation Committee Chair: J’lynn Poplin
  • Properties Crew: Chloe Capitanio, Mason Cappelletty, Tyler Craig, Sarah Allen Straight, Beth Resch (front)
  • Properties Crew Chair: Alex Sonnier
  • Drum Majors: Kate Rivera, Sydney Guns