Brass Educational Team Returns, Welcomes Some New Faces
Bluecoats promotes Kristen Eck and Kris Hammond to new roles, and welcomes Ben Harloff, Richard Alvarado, Alex Bender, and Alex Szabo. Derek Gipson will return in his eleventh year as Brass Caption Head.
Under the continued leadership of Brass Caption Head Derek Gipson, the 2022 Bluecoats Brass Educational Team brings diverse educational experiences to the Bluecoats’ 50th anniversary season. Kristen Eck will be returning to the team in a new position: Brass Caption Coordinator & Lead Brass Instructor - Mellophone. Kristen earned her Music Education degree from the University of Houston, and began her professional career gigging and teaching private lessons/marching band at several competitive Houston area band programs, including Clear Creek, North Shore, Pearland, Clements, and The Woodlands. She has since served as an elementary music teacher in Spring, TX and then continued as an assistant band director at Morton Ranch High School in Katy, TX. While at Morton Ranch, she led the jazz history & improv class, the MRHS Jazz Band, the marching visual program, & her ensembles consistently received superior ratings in both UIL marching and concert band contests. She first joined the Brass Educational Team in 2016 and is a Bluecoats alumna.
Kris Hammond will also be returning to the team in a new position as Lead Brass Instructor - Trumpet. Previously, he was the Field Staff Coordinator, Senior brass staff member, and trumpet instructor of the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps from 2013 to 2019. In 2006 he was on the brass staff for Teal Sound (Jacksonville, FL) and in 2008 he was the brass caption head for the Spokane Thunder Drum and Bugle Corps (Spokane, WA).
He attended the Fine Arts Center in Greenville, SC, and earned his BM in Trumpet Performance from Florida State University. Kris completed his MM in Trumpet Performance and Literature from Northwestern University, and his primary teachers have been Dr. Christopher Moore, Charles Geyer, Barbara Butler, and Christopher Martin. He is currently the Acting Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra for the 2021-22 season.
Kris served in the U.S. Navy as trumpet instrumentalist assigned to the “7th Fleet Band” in Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa, Japan from 2001-2005. In 2010, Kris was a full-time member of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago (the training orchestra of the Chicago Symphony) for two years. From 2014 to 2018, Kris was a full-time member of the Axiom Brass.
Bob Chreste will return to the team as Assistant Brass Caption Head alongside Brass Consultants Josh Gall, Dave MacKinnon, Donnie VanDoren, and Joni Perez. Joni Perez returns to the team after joining as brass instructor in 2020. Joni has served as Head Band Director at The Woodlands High School in The Woodlands, TX since 2010. Perez brings plenty of drum corps educational experience along with her to this role, having been on the brass staff at Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, and Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps.
Brass Instructor Richard Alvarado playing tuba during his age-out season at the Bluecoats in 2019.
New to the Bluecoats Brass Educational Team are Brass Consultant Ben Harloff, Brass Instructor - Tuba Richard Alvarado, Brass Instructor - Trumpet Alex Bender, Brass Instructor - Trumpet Alex Szabo.
2022 Bluecoats Brass Educational Team
Derek Gipson, Brass Caption Head
Bob Chreste, Asst. Brass Caption Head
Kristen Eck, Brass Caption Coordinator, Lead Brass Instructor
Josh Gall, Brass Consultant
Ben Harloff, Brass Consultant
Joni Perez, Brass Consultant
Donnie VanDoren, Brass Consultant
Patrick Geren, Lead Brass Instructor
Kris Hammond, Lead Brass Instructor
Richard Alvarado, Brass Instructor
Alex Bender, Brass Instructor
Aaron Dugger, Brass Instructor
Scott Dupre, Brass Instructor
Kevin Fenske, Brass Instructor
Kevin Kwaku, Brass Instructor
Sarah Paradis, Brass Instructor
Travis Pruitt, Brass Instructor
Aaron Renzenbrink, Brass Instructor
Alex Szabo, Brass Instructor
