Staff for Chattanooga Independent 2012
Director
Matt Broom
Matt is from Ringgold Georgia and currently lives in Chattanooga. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and a Master’s degree in Percussion Performance from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, serving as a Graduate Assistant for the athletic bands.
Matt has taught at many schools in the area including Bradley Central H.S., Hixson H.S., Ooltewah H.S., Cleveland H.S., Red Bank H.S., Chattahoochie H.S. (John’s Creek, GA), Lakeview Ft. Oglethorpe H.S., Ringgold H.S., and is currently the Director of Percussion at Signal Mountain H.S. in Signal Mountain, TN.
In addition to teaching percussion, Matt is also in demand as a drummer/percussionist throughout the Chattanooga area, is a member of the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera, performing in the percussion section, and is the Director of Technical Support at Signal Mountain Presbyterian church.
Having served on the instructional staff of Velocity Indoor Percussion Ensemble as well as Chattanooga Independent for many years, Matt is excited and honored to begin serving as the organization’s director for the 2012 season.
Ensemble Caption Head
Matt Grimes
Originally from Columbia, Tennessee, Matt has been involved with marching percussion since 1997. He was on staff during the inaugural year of Chattanooga Independent in 2006 and is very excited to return to CI for this year as ensemble caption head and a member of the design team.
As a performer, Matt was a member of Music City Mystique from 2001-2005 and was the quad section leader from 2003-2005. Matt won two WGI World Championships (2001, 2004) as a member of MCM. He was also a member of the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagle Marching Band in 2002 and 2004. Matt has performed for Cracker Barrel, World Outreach Church, and most notably, with Sugarland during the 2011 CMA Music Festival. You may also find Matt performing on the streets of downtown Chattanooga as a member of Funkabuckets.
After aging out in 2005, Matt served as quad tech for Music City Mystique from 2006-2010. His teaching experience also includes Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps in 2005, Memphis Sound Drum and Bugle Corps in 2006, and countless high schools throughout Tennessee. Currently, Matt is the percussion instructor at Cleveland High School.
Matt holds a Bachelor’s Degree in the Science of Nursing from Middle Tennessee State University and works as a Registered Nurse in Cleveland, TN. Matt lives happily in Chattanooga, TN, with his life partner, Betsy Taylor, his son, Taylor, and two dogs, Lucky and Baxter.
Snare Drums
Kevin Jankowski
Kevin Jankowski is a graduating senior at the University of Tennessee. He is from Nashville and attended Father Ryan High School, where he participated in marching band and indoor drumline. In 2004 and 2005, he competed in the PASIC Individual High School Snare Solo Competition, placing tenth and fifth, respectively. After graduating from Father Ryan in 2006, Kevin began pursuing a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education at UT.
Kevin competed in the PASIC Individual College Snare Solo Competition in 2006, placing thirteenth. He has marched snare drum with several organizations: the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Marching Band (2006-2008), Chattanooga Independent Percussion Ensemble (2007), The Arizona Academy Drum and Bugle Corp (2008), Father Ryan Independent Percussion Ensemble (2009) and the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corp (2009).
Kevin’s teaching experience includes but is not limited to, working as the Percussion Director at Powell High School (2006 – 2011), the Indoor Drumline Visual Designer at Christian Academy of Knoxville (2009), and the Undergraduate Percussion Instructor with the University of Tennessee Pride of the Southland Band (2009-2010). Kevin is currently working as the snare drum instructor for Father Ryan High School Marching Band and Indoor Drumline.
His teachers include: Mark Douglass, Jeff Schletzer, Derek Schletzer, Dustin Schletzer, Ryan Masterson, Carl Eppler, Tim Maynard, and Brian Tinkel. Kevin has also played under the direction of Dallas Thomas, Glen Crosby, Ralph Hardimon, Jim Casella, and Jim Ancona.
Kevin is a supporter of Innovative Percussion Sticks and Mallets and is excited about his first year on staff with Chattanooga Independent.
Bass Drums/Visual Caption Head
Zach Turner
Zach has been with the Chattanooga Independent family since 2001. He started as a marching member of Velocity Indoor Percussion Ensemble from 2001-2006, playing bass and tenors. The summer of 2002, he marched bass drum with Scenic City Drum and Bugle Corps. In 2005, he was a marching member of Bluecoats drum corps where he played bass 4. He spent his age out year for WGI with Music City Mystique in 2007, and returned to Chattanooga Independent as an instructor.
In the fall Zach teaches the percussion section at Soddy Daisy High School, where he has taught since 2003.
He will take the role of visual caption head and bass tech with Chattanooga Independent this season.
Front Ensemble
Betsy Taylor
Betsy Taylor, originally from Knoxville,TN, has been involved with indoor percussion since 2004. Betsy played Marimba with Velocity Independent Percussion Ensemble in 2004 and 2005 and with Chattanooga Independent Open Percussion Ensemble in 2006 and 2007, where she was a charter member and front ensemble section leader.
Betsy has taught at numerous area high schools, including: Soddy-Daisy High School from 2005-2007 and from 2009- present, Cleveland High School, Red Bank High School, and Hixson High School. Betsy was the Director of Percussion Studies at the Salvation Army School of Music from 2009-2011. Betsy has been on staff at Chattanooga Independent as a front ensemble technician since 2011, when the ensemble received a silver medal at the 2011 WGI Championships.
Betsy was a member of Scenic City Drum and Bugle Corps in 2003, a member of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Marching Mocs in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2009 and a member of the percussion ensemble at UTC from 2004-2007 and from 2009- present.
Betsy is currently persuing a Bachelor’s Degree in music education from UTC. She resides in Chattanooga with her life partner, Matt, and their son Taylor.
Tom Thomas
A native of Soddy-Daisy, TN, Tom first experienced marching percussion as a member of the Soddy-Daisy High School Band. During his time there, he was also a member of the Velocity Percussion Front Ensemble from 2003-2005. He continued marching with Chattanooga Independent in 2006 and 2007, and his age-out in 2009.
Tom has served as a percussion instructor for several area schools, including: McMinn County H.S.; Hixson H.S.; Loftis M.S.; Soddy-Daisy H.S.; Lakeview Fort-Oglethorpe H.S.; and Signal Mountain H.S..
Tom is currently pursuing a B.M. in Instrumental Music Education at UT-Chattanooga, where he has served as the Front Ensemble Section Leader of the Marching Mocs. He is a member of the UTC Percussion Ensemble, and a student of Dr. Monte Coulter.
Heather Hall
Heather Hall is currently in her 5th year as Band Director at Lookout Valley Middle/High School in Chattanooga, TN where she instructs the Beginning Band, Intermediate and High School bands
Over the past 9 years, Heather has enjoyed working as a freelance front ensemble instructor at Bradley Central HS, Cleveland HS, McMinn Co. HS, Red Bank HS and Ooltewah HS where she served on the percussion staff from 2003-present and director in 2007.
Graduating in 2007 from Lee University with a degree in Music Education-percussion emphasis, Heather was a student in the studio of Dr. Andy Harnsberger and a member of the Percussion Ensemble, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, under the direction of Dr. David Holsinger.
At present, Heather is pursuing her Master’s in Music Education at Lee University.
In 2003 and 2005, Heather played marimba in the front ensemble of the Chattanooga based Independent Open group Scenic City Velocity and was a 2004 Independent Open Bronze Medalist at WGI World Championships in San Diego, California.
In her free time, Heather enjoys running and volunteers overseas on mission trips throughout the summer.
Jessica Trogdon
(Bio coming soon.)
Arranger
Hunter Stricklin
2012 will mark Hunter’s second season with CI as battery and front ensemble original composer/arranger. Hunter was a member of Music City Mystique in 1998, 1999 and 2001-2007. He served as section leader for the snares from 2003-2007. Along with being a composer/arranger for several high school programs in Tennessee Hunter has been percussion director for John Overton High School since 2009.
He holds a BS in Theory & Composition and a BS in Music Education from MTSU and is currently the band director for Poplar Grove Middle School in Franklin, TN.
Hunter lives in Nashville with his wife, Megan and his daughter, Nicole.
