Staff

Robert Spradling, Director of Bands

Formerly Director of Bands at Syracuse University, he has taught at both the junior and senior high levels in Florida public schools. As a guest conductor and clinician, he has been active nationally and internationally at clinics and conferences as well as with amateur and professional ensembles. His articles have been published in the Instrumentalist, Journal of Band Research, Journal of Research in Music Education,and Band Director's Guide. He has received the American School Band Directors Stanbury Award and the Kappa Kappa Psi A. Frank Martin Award for leadership in the music profession. He is co-founder of the New York State Band Directors Association and has served as Florida State Chairman of the National Band Association. For the CBDNA he has been New York Chairman, National Coordinator for State Chairmen, and Eastern Division President.

David Montgomery, Director

David W. Montgomery is Assistant Director of Bands and Director of the Bronco Marching Band at Western Michigan University, where he also coordinates sports band operations, teaches courses in music education methods and conducting, and conducts the University Concert Band. Mr. Montgomery earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education from the University of North Carolina-Greensboro (1998) and the Master of Music degree in Music Education and Wind Conducting from Kansas State University (2004). He is currently pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Wind Conducting at the University of South Carolina.

Under his direction, the Bronco Marching Band is recognized for its excellence in musical performance, fast-paced drill movements, and high energy entertainment. Performances of the band continue to generate great acclaim and recognition. From 1998 to 2002, he was Director of Bands at East Gaston High School in Mt. Holly, North Carolina. During his tenure the concert band program was built from Grade IV to Grade VI and received four consecutive superior ratings at the NCMEA Concert Band Festival. Under his direction the marching band also won numerous first place awards and consistently earned superior ratings. In addition to his teaching duties, Mr. Montgomery frequently serves as an adjudicator and clinician across the Midwest and Southeast.

Mr. Montgomery's professional memberships include Music Educators National Conference, Michigan Music Educators Association, and College Band Directors National Conference. He also holds memberships in Pi Kappa Lambda music honor fraternity, Phi Kappa Phi interdisciplinary honor society and honorary memberships in Kappa Kappa Psi, Tau Beta Sigma, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.

 Landon Ewers, Percussion Coordinator

Landon Ewers is a professional, freelance percussionist, instructor, and arranger. He received a Bachelor’s Degree in Percussion Performance from Western Michigan University where he studied with Judy Moonert. Landon has arranged for and instructed numerous high school, college, independent, and drum corps percussion sections. Landon is currently the Percussion Supervisor for the Legends Performing Arts Association from Kalamazoo, MI where he heads the percussion section for the Legends Drum and Bugle Corps and the Legends Percussion Independent A winter drumline. He is the percussion coordinator and arranger for Parchment schools where the winter drumline program won the MCGC Class Michigan A State Championships their first year in competition in 2007.

Landon was a snare drummer with the 1998 Santa Clara Vanguard percussion section that won the DCI Fred Sanford High Percussion Award. He was also a member of the Northern Aurora Drum and Bugle Corps in 1995 and 1996. Landon played tenor drums and snare drum for the Bronco Marching Band from 1995 to 1997. He consults for numerous marching percussion programs, maintains a private lesson studio, performs on a regular basis, studies non-Western percussion, and indulges a deep seeded passion for Kung-Fu movies.

Casey Spring, Percussion Assistant

Casey Spring moved to Portage, MI from East Lyme, Connecticut in 1987. He graduated from Portage Northern High School where he played tenor drums for four years. He was a member of the Bronco Marching Band from '92 to '94. After a few years in smaller Michigan drum corps, he marched with the Bluecoats of Canton, Ohio during the 1993 season. Casey graduated from WMU in 1997 with a BA in Art emphasizing in photography and computer design. His teaching career has brought him into contact with several Michigan high school programs including Hartford, Portage Central, Portage Northern, Jenison, and Roseville. He currently works in Kalamazoo as a free lance photographer, computer consultant, and dabbles in web design.