New York State's Premiere Independent Winds Ensemble
Board of Directors
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About the Board
Dr. Donna Vallese is the co-founder, leader, and piccoloist for UNiTY Street Band, a non-profit, activist street band in Syracuse, NY. In collaboration with Crafted, she cohosts the annual Salt City Honk! Festival. She is also a school district leader in Greene Central School District and runs her own instructional leadership business called Inspiring Leaders, LLC. She has witnessed first hand the how music can turn a tenuous situation into a joyous one in a matter of moments. Music is the universal language that has the power to unite people from all walks of life.
Dan English has worked with numerous ensemble across New York and Ohio including the University of Buffalo, Syracuse University, Onondaga Community College, Jordan Elbridge HS, and Medina HS. He is currently the director of the Jordan-Elbridge Marching Band. Dan marched with Matrix percussion ensemble from Akron, Ohio as well as the Empire Statesmen where he was percussion caption head from 2011-2013. He is currently the co-owner of Downbeat Percussion and the director of the Stampede Drumline for the Buffalo Bills. Dan is proudly endorsed by Vic Firth, Remo, Zildjian, and Yamaha. He is a graduate of Kent State University.
Keller Shelton teaches middle school band in Central Square, New York, and is the music caption head for the Central Square Redhawk Regiment. He has also taught brass for several DCI World Class drum corps, including Music City, Spirit of Atlanta, and Colts. He currently serves as a Euphonium instructor at the Phantom Regiment,. He previously taught bands in Missouri and in his home state of Texas. He is a graduate of the University of Missouri and Anderson University (South Carolina).
Dr. Nieves Villaseñor III is the Director of Bands and Coordinator of Music Education at University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Previously, Dr. Villaseñor served as Assistant Director of Bands at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia, where he served as Assistant Director of the 535-member, Sudler Trophy award-winning, JMU Marching Royal Dukes and Director of the JMU Pep Band. He is the founder and artistic director of the San Antonio Community Wind Ensemble, a program offering of Crossmen Productions, Inc. and serves on the instrumental faculty of the North Carolina Governor’s School in Raleigh, NC. He has performed with the WGI Independent World Class Silver Medalist Indoor Winds unit Crossmen Winds, competed with DCA Open Class Finalist corps White Sabers Drum & Bugle Corps, was a performer with activist ensemble Unity Street Band, and is co-founder of the region's first WGI Independent Indoor Winds unit, Vortex Indoor Winds. Dr. Villaseñor is a graduate of University of Florida, Syracuse University, and University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Michael Tierney is passionate about the marching and performing arts and sharing all the gifts that music has to offer. He was a member of the Liverpool High School marching band during his high school years and became passionate about DCI and WGI after graduating. Michael has been a visual designer for Oswego High School, Mohonasen High School and Jordan-Eldridge High School. He served as the Assistant Band Director for the Marching Buccaneers and Director for the Oswego Winter Guard programs and has also worked with the Rochester Patriots Drum Corp from Rochester, NY. He retired from the activity after 24 years when his daughter joined the Liverpool High School Marching Band. Michael currently serves as the Director of Transportation for the Baldwinsville Central School District and resides in Liverpool, New York.