Faculty & Staff

Dave Schreier is the Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Central Florida. His duties include assisting in the instruction and direction of the UCF Marching Knights and Jammin Knights Pep Bands. Additionally he is one of the Assistant Directors for the Concert Band Program, including the UCF Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band, and is the primary conductor for the Concert Band. He also teaches Low Brass Methods to Music Education Majors and is the Director of the UCF Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble.

Prior to his appointment at UCF, Mr. Schreier served as the Director of Bands at Osceola High School in Kissimmee, FL from 2002-2008. During this time he oversaw all aspects of the award winning instrumental music program at OHS including the Marching Kowboys, OHS Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, Chamber Groups, Percussion Theater Indoor Drumline, and Euphoria Winterguard.

Mr. Schreier earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from UCF in 2002. After his six-year tenure at Osceola High School, he returned to UCF to pursue his Masters degree. He was awarded a full graduate assistantship to work with the athletic and concert bands. In spring of 2010 he earned is Master of Arts in Music Degree, with an emphasis in Conducting. His primary teaching and conducting influences are Mr. Michael Garasi, Mr. Ron Ellis and Dr. Richard Greenwood. Mr. Schreier is also a Euphonium Player and has studied with Mr. Roy Pickering, Mr. Mike Roylance, Mr. Paul Weikle, and Ms. Gail Robertson.

Through his experiences, Mr. Schreier has become a sought after clinician, guest conductor and adjudicator in the state of Florida. He is a member of CBDNA, FMEA, NAfME, FBA, NBA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Pi Kappa Lambda and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He is a past Chair of the Marching Knights Alumni Association, and Founder, past President and current Treasurer of the Central Florida Alumni Association of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. He is also currently a faculty advisor for both the Zeta Tau chapter of Sigma Alpha Iota and the Mu Eta chapter of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

Richard L. Saucedo is currently Director of Bands and Department Chairman at the William H. Duke Center for the Performing Arts at Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana. He will be retiring at the end of the 2012-13 school year after teaching for 31 years. Under his direction, Carmel bands have received numerous state and national honors in the areas of concert band, jazz band and marching band. The CHS Wind Symphony has performed at the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival three times (1992, 1999, and 2004) and was named the Indiana State Champion Concert Band in 1999. The group also performed at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago during December of 2005. The Carmel Jazz Ensembles have won numerous awards at jazz festivals in Indiana and throughout the Midwest. The Carmel Marching Greyhounds have finished in the top ten at the Bands of America Grand National Championship for the past 15 years and were named BOA National Champions in the fall of 2005 and again in 2012. The Marching Band has been an Indiana Class A State Champion four times in recent history. The Indiana Bandmasters Association named Mr. Saucedo Indiana's "Bandmaster of the Year" for 1998-99. Mr. Saucedo was recently named the "Outstanding Music Educator" in the state of Indiana for 2010 by the Indiana Music Educators Association. Mr. Saucedo's accomplishments have been recently highlighted in articles by HALFTIME and SCHOOL BAND AND ORCHESTRA Magazines

The band program at Carmel currently serves 450 instrumentalists and 60 color guard members in six concert bands, four jazz ensembles, a 200+ member marching band, a 100 member pep band, three competitive winter color guards (2011 WGI Scholastic World Class National Champions), music theory classes, a music technology class and a jazz improvisation class.

Mr. Saucedo is a freelance arranger and composer, having released numerous marching band arrangements, concert band works and choral compositions. He is currently on the writing staff for the Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. His concert band works have been performed all over the world by middle school and high school bands as well as by college and university groups. Mr. Saucedo's first orchestral piece, "Nocturne for Orchestra" was named most outstanding new original composition at the National Orchestra Cup Festival held at Lincoln Center in NY during April of 2009. His second orchestral work "Nibiru" was premiered in December of 2009 at the Midwest Band and Orchestra Convention. Mr. Saucedo has received commissions from all parts of the United States and Japan and he will be releasing numerous works for university, high school middle school bands and orchestras in the near future. He is the author of two DVD's on the subject of rehearsing the marching band wind section "Dynamic Music". He is also featured in a concert band rehearsal techniques DVD "The First 20 Minutes of Rehearsal", now available from Dynamic Music/Marching.

Mr. Saucedo travels throughout the country as an adjudicator, clinician and guest conductor for concert band, jazz band, marching band, and orchestra. He will be a guest conductor, clinician or commission composer in over 15 different states during the 2012-13 school year. He has been a featured clinician for the Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the Texas Music Educators Association, the Arkansas Bandmasters Association, the Colorado Music Educators Association, the California Music Educators Association, the North Dakota Music Educators Association, The Virginia Music Educators Association and the Indiana Music Educators Association. He has served as Music Caption Head for the Drum Corps Midwest Judges Guild and has served as a music judge for Drum Corps International for many years. Mr. Saucedo also served as the brass composer/arranger for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps in Rosemont, Illinois from 2000 through 2008. The Cavaliers won the DCI World Championship five times during Mr. Saucedo's tenure. He will be the brass composer/arranger for the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps in 2013. Mr. Saucedo is also an Educational Consultant for "Music for All" and "Bands of America".

Mr. Saucedo did his undergraduate work at Indiana University in Bloomington and finished his master's degree at Butler University in Indianapolis. He is also an aviation enthusiast and a certified private pilot. Mr. Saucedo is married to his wife Sarah and is most proud of his daughter, Carmen, who is studying elementary education at Ball State University. The newest member of the Saucedo family is son Ethan David, who was born on December 8, 2006.

Romines is Director of Bands and Departmental Co-Chair for the Music, Theatre, and Dance Department at Marywood University in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His responsibilities include overseeing departmental operations and serving as artistic director for the Marywood University Wind Ensemble. Additional academic assignments include instrumental conducting courses, instrumental methods, and student teacher supervision.

Romines has directed innumerable musical ensembles during his 34-year professional career. Included are bands from public and private schools, community groups, collegiate entities, military, and professional organizations. Under Romines' leadership, the University of Georgia Redcoat Band toured the People's Republic of China where they introduced the American style of marching band by presenting marching exhibitions in five Chinese cities. These events marked the first stadium performances by an American collegiate marching band in China and at the time was the country's largest foreign musical tour. The band received favorable reviews throughout the country and performed for over 200,000 people.

Romines has guest conducted throughout the United States (30 states) and in Canada, Italy, South Korea, and China. He has served as guest artist in residence at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu, China, Yunnan Arts University in Kunming, China, and Sang Myung University in Seoul, Korea. The University of Georgia Wind Ensemble under Romines' direction performed at the joint conference of the College Band Directors National Association - Southern Division and the National Band Association at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Romines taught instrumental music in the public schools of East Tennessee for sixteen years (Rutledge and Bristol) where he was recognized by the Tennessee Governors School for the Performing Arts for outstanding mentoring and teaching. In addition, Romines received the National Band Association's Citation of Excellence for his contributions to the wind band profession.

Currently, Romines serves as Educational Advisor and Board Member for the U.S.-China Cultural and Educational Foundation. In this position, he works with cultural entities in China to bring outstanding musical and dance ensembles from the United States to China for the benefit of the Chinese people. He is also a member of the editorial board of the Music Educators Journal and serves the John Philip Sousa Foundation as a member of the Sudler Committee.

Romines earned Bachelor and Master of Music diplomas in Music Education from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi where he studied conducting with Dr. Thomas V. Fraschillo. Romines has received additional conducting instruction from Richard Blatti, Ray Cramer, Tom Lee, Allan McMurray, and Steven Pratt.

Tremon Kizer is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Central Florida, where he oversees all aspects of the athletic band program, including the direction of the 300-member UCF Marching Knights. He also conducts the Symphonic Band and teaches courses in music education and conducting. Furthermore, he is the principal conductor of the Youth Band of Orlando. Previously, he served on the music faculty at the University of Dayton, where he oversaw the Marching Band, the University Concert Band, taught courses in music education, and instructed the UD New Horizons Band.

Recently, he was a Doctoral Conducting Associate at the University of South Carolina, where he assisted and conducted in all aspects of University Band program, which included guest conducting the USC Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and as an Assistant Producer of an NAXOS Wind Band Classics Recording. Furthermore, he assisted with the organization and instruction of the 375-member Carolina Marching Band. He holds additional degrees from the University of Central Missouri and Kansas State University.

Tremon Kizer is an active guest conductor, adjudicator, and leadership consultant throughout the United States. As a guest conductor, he has conducted numerous district and regional honor bands. As a champion for improving leadership skills for high school and college students, he teaches his model for how to maintain a year-around leadership program through leadership seminars for high school band programs. He has been on staff for numerous music camps, drum major clinics, and collegiate and high school concert and marching band camps.

He holds memberships in CBDNA, FMEA, OMEA, FBA, WASBE, Phi Mu Alpha and honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi and Tau Beta Sigma. He enjoys spending time traveling with his wife Tracy and son, Tremon, Jr.

Erin Cole Steele is the Director of the Division of Education and Senior Educational Clinician for Conn Selmer Inc. Erin also serves as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Arizona State University's School of Music. Previously, Erin was the Director of Bands at Tapp Middle School in Cobb County, Georgia (1995-2017), where she was named Teacher of the Year. Under her leadership, the Tapp Band received numerous accolades, including performing at the 58th annual Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic. During her tenure at Tapp, she commissioned four pieces of music, including Robert W. Smith's "The Great Locomotive Chase," Frank Ticheli's "Simple Gifts-Four Shaker Songs," Samuel R. Hazo's ”Ascend," and was part of consortium commissioning Eric Whitacre's "The Seal Lullaby."

Erin is a contributing editor for Hal Leonard's Essential Elements for Band. She has written chapters for three editions of the GIA publication series Teaching Music Through Performance and most recently wrote a chapter for the book Rehearsing the Middle School Band. Erin is an active guest conductor and speaker. She has presented sessions at the Midwest Clinic on several occasions as well as state and international conferences. She has been the guest conductor for numerous All-State and regional honor bands, appearing in over 30 states. She served as the conductor for Youth Bands of Atlanta from 2011-2017 and a conductor for the "Encore" Music Camp for several years. She was the founder and administrator of the Cobb County Summer Band Camp in Georgia. Erin has served as a clinician for the Music for All Summer Symposium and is currently on the teaching faculty and executive director for The Conn Selmer Institute.

Erin Cole Steele earned her bachelor's degree in music education from the University of Georgia in 1995. While at the University of Georgia, she played cello, flute, and piccolo in the University Symphony Orchestra, chamber groups, Symphonic and Concert Bands, and the Redcoat Marching Band.

Erin's professional affiliations include Phi Beta Mu, Sigma Alpha Iota, and the National Band Association, for which she was awarded the Citation of Excellence three times (2015, 2008, and 2003).

As a passionate supporter of school music programs, she continues to remain active in instrumental classrooms throughout the country and enjoys traveling for guest conducting and speaking engagements. Erin now resides in Scottsdale, Arizona where she and her husband Andrew enjoy hiking and biking on the weekends.

Vincent LoRusso is a conductor, educator, performer, and clinician with over twenty-five years of experience leading bands, orchestras, and jazz ensembles of all levels. Mr. LoRusso currently serves as the Music Director and Principal Conductor of the Northeastern Youth Wind Ensemble, Director of Bands at Blue Ridge High School in New Milford, PA, Director of the Marywood University Jazz Ambassadors, Director of the Marywood Summer Music Academy, and as Associate Conductor and Committee Chairman of the Pennsylvania Lions All-State Band.

As Chairman of the Lions All-State Band, Mr. LoRusso organizes yearly performances of the band (available to students at no cost) at the PA State Lions Convention. When held in North America, the Band assembles for performance tours to the Lions International Convention, providing students from across the Commonwealth opportunities to share and create music with 150 other students from Pennsylvania. In 2024, for his 26 years of work with Band, Mr. LoRusso was awarded the Lions Clubs International President's Award for Leadership, the third-highest award presented in Lionism.

Mr. LoRusso's conducting credits include Performance Tours of Italy, Spain, Detroit, Minneapolis, Chicago, Las Vegas, Orlando, Toronto, Boston, Nashville, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and Carnegie Hall. From 2016-2018 he held the Director of Bands position at East Stroudsburg University. He is a four-time recipient of the National Band Association Citation of Excellence and holds degrees from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. and Marywood University. He has studied conducting with Robert Garofalo, Ph.D., Kate Tamarkin D.M.A, Robert Zellner, and F. David Romines Ph.D.

When there is time away from the podium, Mr. LoRusso is an active performer, including leading his own eight-piece Bavarian Brass Band, the Schützengiggles Oompah Band at various venues along the east coast. He participated in the 2023 Saluting America's Band Directors Marching Band in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City with 425 other directors from across the United States. He is an obsessive (read: frustrated) NY Yankees and NY Giants fan - devoted husband to the most patient and understanding wife the world has ever seen, Maria - and the biggest supporter of his 9-year-old wonderkid (and beginning flute student), Cecilia.

Mr. LoRusso has been a member of the Northeastern staff since its inception in 2015. He is excited to embrace his new role alongside Ms. Hopkins as they lead the Ensemble into its next chapter.

Harlow Alexander is in her 7th year as Band Director at Mechanicsburg Middle School, where she directs the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade curricular bands, as well as two extracurricular jazz bands. Under her leadership, Ms. Alexander's students participate in numerous festivals across Central Pennsylvania throughout the year, such as the PMEA District 7 Youth Honor Band Festival, Cumberland County Honors Band, and the Junior Wind Band Celebration of Marywood University.

She also serves as the Woodwind Caption Head for the "Maroon Machine", the Mechanicsburg Senior High School Marching Band. In addition to her work at Mechanicsburg, Ms. Alexander is the Associate Conductor of the Northeastern Youth Ensemble in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor's degree in Music Education from Marywood University, where she studied with Dr. F. David Romines. Ms. Alexander is a master's candidate for the American Band College of Central Washington University.

Ms. Alexander is a member of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association and the National Association for Music Education.