Brass Educational Team Continues to Grow
Bluecoats welcomes Ben Harloff, Genevieve Clarkson, Max Crofton, and Alex Bender to team after previously welcoming Richard Alvarado and Alex Szabo.
The 2022 Bluecoats Brass Educational Team continues to grow under the continued leadership of Brass Caption Head Derek Gipson.
Ben Harloff will be joining the team as a Brass Consultant.
“I am excited to join the Bluecoats team because of the incredible history of the Drum Corps and the amazing staff.” - Ben Harloff
Ben has been teaching drum corps since 1999, including The Cadets, Magic of Orlando, Crossmen, Syracuse Brigadiers, Blue Knights, Troopers, Minnesota Brass, Blue Stars, and Carolina Crown. He is currently a band director at Eastview High School in Apple Valley, Minnesota.
Ben has two degrees from Indiana University: Trumpet Performance and Music Education. While at IU Ben studied trumpet with Edmund Cord, Stephen Burns, John Rommel, and Dominic Spera. Ben completed a Master’s Degree in conducting from Southern Oregon University in 2008.
Dr. Genevieve Clarkson joins the team as Lead Brass Instructor - Tuba. She currently resides in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma where she serves as the Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at Oklahoma City University. Genevieve has been featured as a soloist and clinician at a variety of conferences and workshops, including the Texas, Arizona, and Oklahoma Music Educators’ Conferences, the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the Army Band Tuba-Euphonium Workshop, and most recently the 2022 Midwest Clinic.
Genevieve has traveled and performed with various ensembles, playing on some of the world’s most beautiful concert stages including the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Teatro Caio Melisso in Spoleto, Italy, and the Harbin Concert Hall in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China.
Genevieve received her DM in Tuba Performance from Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music (2017), her MM in Tuba Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (2011), and her BM in Music Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, VA (2009) where she graduated Magna cum laude. Her past teachers have included Daniel Perantoni, Timothy Northcut, Kevin Stees, John Cradler, and John Mueller.
Max Crofton joins the team as Brass Instructor - Tuba. He currently serves as the Principal Tubist with the United States Air Force Band of Mid-America, where he performs in the Concert Band, Ceremonial Band, and Airlifter Brass Quintet.
Max has won spots in many festivals and competitions, including the Round Top Festival Institute, the Disneyland All-American College Band, the National Intercollegiate Band, and the 2016 Paducah Symphony Orchestra (KY) Concerto Competition. Max frequently performs with the Evansville Philharmonic Orchestra (IN); and has also performed with the Terre Haute Symphony Orchestra (IN), Columbus Symphony Orchestra (IN), Paducah Symphony Orchestra (KY), and the U.S. Air Force Concert Band (D.C.). Max is an alumnus of the Bluecoats, having marched tuba in 2014.
As a teacher, Max’s collegiate teaching experience includes serving as Associate Instructor in the Music Education and Brass Department at Indiana University, an Adjunct Professor of Music at Lincoln Trail College (IL), as well as presenting masterclasses to various programs across the US. Max holds a Master of Music Degree from Indiana University, a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Murray State University and is currently a Doctoral Candidate at Indiana University.
Alex Bender joins the team as Brass Instructor - Trumpet / Lead Specialist. Alex is a professional musician in New York City. He is the original trumpeter of Broadway’s Finding Neverland, Side Show (revival), and Cirque du Soleil’s Paramour, and recently finished his seventh season as the split-lead trumpet of the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, performing with the Rockettes. He can be heard on recordings with an array of artists including Kelli O’Hara, Josh Groban, John Zorn, and Dave Leibman. In 2017, Alex expanded to the acting stage where he originated a supporting lead role in the Tony Award-winning Broadway show, Bandstand.
Equally at home as an orchestral musician, Alex has performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, and as guest principal trumpet with the New Jersey, Harrisburg, Springfield (Ma), Hartford, and Princeton Symphony Orchestra. Alex made his orchestral soloist debut during his tenure as Principal Trumpet with Symphony in C, performing Tartini’s Violin Concerto on the piccolo trumpet.
Alex earned a BM in Music Education and a Jazz Studies minor from James Madison University, a MM in Orchestral Performance from the Manhattan School of Music, and is currently pursuing a DMA from Michigan State University on a University Distinguished Fellowship. His primary teachers include Vince Penzarella, Mark Gould, Tom Smith, Justin Emerich, Jim Kluesner, Laurie Frink, and Bill Perbetsky.
2022 BLUECOATS BRASS EDUCATIONAL TEAM
Derek Gipson, Brass Caption Head
Bob Chreste, Asst. Brass Caption Head
Kristen Eck, Brass Caption Coordinator, Lead Brass Instructor - Mellophone
Josh Gall, Brass Consultant
Ben Harloff, Brass Consultant
Joni Perez, Brass Consultant
Donnie VanDoren, Brass Consultant
Kris Hammond, Lead Brass Instructor - Trumpet
Patrick Geren, Lead Brass Instructor - Baritone/Euphonium
Genevieve Clarkson, Lead Brass Instructor -Tuba
Alex Bender, Brass Instructor - Trumpet / Lead Specialist
Kevin Kwaku, Brass Instructor - Trumpet
Alex Szabo, Brass Instructor - Trumpet
Scott Dupre, Brass Instructor - Mellophone
Aaron Renzenbrink, Brass Instructor - Mellophone
Kevin Fenske, Brass Instructor - Baritone/Euphonium
Sarah Paradis, Brass Instructor - Baritone/Euphonium / Trombone Specialist
Travis Pruitt, Brass Instructor - Baritone/Euphonium
Richard Alvarado, Brass Instructor - Tuba
Max Crofton, Brass Instructor - Tuba
Aaron Dugger, Brass Instructor - Tuba
