About

First Year

Jacob Koch is a percussionist and music educator from northern Ohio. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance from the University of Toledo and a Master's degree in Music Performance from Kent State University. Jacob is currently pursuing a DMA in Contemporary Music from Bowling Green State University where he also serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the percussion studio.

Third Year

David is in his third year of pursuing a M. M. in Percussion Performance at BGSU and was previously the Graduate Assistant for the Percussion Studio, as well as the President for the Student Percussion Assosication. He holds a B.A. in Music from Muskingum University where he studied with Professor Seth Alexander. He has performed in many groups including the South Eastern Ohio Symphony Orchestra, Muskingum University Wind Ensemble, and other various ensembles. David has also taught privately and acted as Percussion Instructor for the East Muskingum School District for the past three years. David also spends his time studying Jazz and Music Composition; having written works for solo marimba, wind band, and SATB choir.

First Year

Nick is a first year M.M. in Percussion Performance at BSGU and is currently the Graduate Assistant for the Percussion Studio. He previously attended Iowa State University where he studied under Dr. Jonathan Sharp and earned a B.M. in Percussion Performance. He has worked with many ensembles while at ISU, including the Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Marching Band, as well the Central Iowa Wind Ensemble and Ames Municipal Band. Nick was also a member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps in 2021, and played with the indoor WGI group, Crossroads Percussion, for three years. As an educator, Nick has worked with many indivual students and was the percussion instructor for Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.

Senior

Tate is a fourth-year undergraduate music education major specializing in instrumental music at Bowling Green State University. At Bowling Green, he is a member of the Musicianship and Advanced Pedagogy program, The Student Percussion Association, performs with the university’s wind symphony, and serves as the College of Musical Arts senator in the Undergraduate Student Government. He is currently serving as treasurer of the OCMEA chapter at Bowling Green and as membership chair for the state board of the organization. He is the historian for the BGSU Student Percussion Association.

Senior

Cadence is a fourth-year music education major specializing in instrumental music from Dayton, Ohio. He has performed actively as a soloist with the Bowling Green State University Philharmonic after being one of the winners of the undergraduate division of the BGSU Concerto Competition in 2022. He has also played in masterclasses for artists such as Ji Su Jung, Ji Hye Jung, Michael Udow and many others. He attended the Sandbox Percussion Seminar in 2022 where he performed with artist Ian Rosenbaum to premier the piece Loud and Soft by Molly Joyce. He has been a member of the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra, the BGSU Wind Ensemble and Philarmonic, the Falcon Marching Band and the New Music Ensemble. Outside of performing, he teaches the front ensemble at Findlay High School during the spring. In his free time, Cadence longboards trails around the local area as well as enjoys time reading and spending time with individuals from the College of Musical Arts.

Senior

Ian is a senior Music Education student at Bowling Green State University. From Sylvania, Ohio, Ian previously studied under Dr. Olman Piedra and Dr. Aaron Ziegler. Ian has a great interest in topics in ethnomusicology and musicology and is an avid enjoyer of popular music from the 20th and 21st centuries. Outside of school, Ian also has an interest in synthesizers and keyboards, songwriting, and playing music alongside his younger brother, Jake.

Senior

Kaitlynn Kamer is a fourth year Music Education student from Toledo, Ohio. She graduated from Northview High School where she participated in multiple ensembles and OMEA events. She has played with multiple honor bands and ensembles including the Perrysburg Symphony Orchestra. While at BGSU, Kaitlynn has been a member of the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, and Falcon Marching Band. She is currently serving as the secretary for the Student Percussion Association and is a member of the BGSU honors college.

Junior

Jayden Hall is a third-year student getting a BMA with a minor in recording technology. He's been a member of symphonic band and percussion ensemble at BGSU. He is also a former member of Cap City 2. He is eager to work on anything that will help him be better off with anything he does.

Junior

Frank Sanzo is a third-year Music Education major from Painesville, Ohio. He attended Riverside High School, where he was heavily involved in their theatre, choir, and band programs. On campus, Frank is involved in Music Industry Club, serves as Vice President of the Student Percussion Association, and is currently President of the Ohio Collegiate Music Education Association. Besides percussion, Frank also plays guitar, piano, sings, and writes music in his free time.

Junior

Riley Kramer is a third-year Jazz Studies major from Monclova, Ohio. He graduated from Toledo Christian Schools, where he participated in the marching band, concert band, worship band, choir, and musical theatre programs. Riley is a recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award, and has competed at the national level as a member of the Calvary Student Ministries worship team. He is a proud member of the Falcon Marching Band Cymbal Line and the BGSU Honors College.

Junior

Emma Zemancik is a third-year music performance major at BGSU. She is a graduate of Northwestern High School, where she was involved in choir, theatre, and the marching and concert bands. She was also a four-year member of the Akron Youth Symphony and has participated in numerous honor bands and choirs. Along with music, she is interested in literature and writing.  

Junior

Anna Martin is a junior majoring in Adolescent to Young Adult Mathematical Education and minoring in music. She is from Pickerington, Ohio, where she attended Pickerington High School North. She has been involved in DCI and WGI, including Bluecoats and Rhythm X, where she played vibraphone.

During college, she has been involved in the wind symphony, philharmonic orchestra, and percussion ensemble at Bowling Green State University. Throughout high school, she has performed in the Ohio Music Education Association All-State Band, college honor bands, her high school symphonic band, and earned years of superior ratings during solo and ensemble. She was also very involved in the front ensemble during high school marching band, taking multiple leadership roles. Outside of music, she plays club volleyball for BGSU as libero. In addition, she earned Second Team All Ohio Capital Conference in high school for volleyball. She enjoys playing table tennis as well and competes within her college and at the Arnold Sports Fest in Ohio.

Junior

Kathryn graduated from Riverside Highschool and is currently a third-year student at Bowling Green State University. She came to BG to pursue a degree in Music Performance and possibly minor in Recording Production/Media. She has played percussion for 6+ years and has been involved in music for even longer. She has been involved in her highschool, one of the main activities being marching band, where she played bells for her first year, and bass for her remaining three. She was also a squad leader her senior year. She was also involved in her high school theater program, where she joined the Light and Sound crew, and assumed the position of Tech Head of the crew for two full years. She was a four year member of the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, and during her senior year she was a part of the Cleveland Institute of Music’s Percussion Ensemble.

Junior

Sam Batty is a Jazz Studies major from Temecula, California. He graduated from Temecula Valley High School in 2020 where he participated in the school's marching, jazz and concert bands as well as the indoor percussion ensemble. Sam also previously studied at Mira Costa College in Oceanside, California, before transferring to BGSU this fall. At Bowling Green, he is currently part of various jazz ensembles, and the percussion ensemble. 

Sophomore

Elijah Kuszmaul is a second year Music Education major from West Unity, Ohio. He is a graduate from Hilltop High School where he played drum set in jazz band for four years, marching band for four years, sang in audition choir for 4 years, and did theatre for 7 years. He was also actively involved in community ensembles and omea events which included black swamp community orchestra, black swamp community choir, and Solo and Ensemble. At Bg, Elijah is a part of the percussion ensemble, samba bateria, symphonic Band, and is a member of OCMEA and the Student Percussion Ascosication.

Sophomore

Over his past ten years of playing percussion-three of which being professional, Evan has put some impressive notches under his belt. While currently a full-time student in both the College of Musical Arts and the Schmidhorst College of Business, he still has an active performance career.

Dating back to high school, Evan has played in numerous orchestral ensembles, one of note being the Cleveland Youth Wind Symphony, where he was a three-year member and performed multiple concerts at Severance Hall with the group. Evan has also been an active jazz community member, playing in big bands and combo groups, which have led to performances at venues such as the Bop Stop and also a residency at Cedar Fair’s own Sawmill Creek Hotel.

Evan would like to thank the people who have supported him, as he is proud to be a recipient of a BGSU Choice Music Scholarship, a branch scholarship from the Ian’s Legacy Foundation, and most recently, the winner of the 2023 Percussive Arts Society Ohio Chapter - Bill Platt PASIC scholarship.

Sophomore

Mason Marquette is a second-year Music Education major from Stow, Ohio. In high school, he participated in the marching band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Choir, and multiple acapella groups. He also participated in OMEA Solo and Ensemble as well as Large Group Contest in both band and choral ensembles. He currently plays tenor drums in the Falcon Marching Band.

Sophomre

Matthew Graves is a second-year music education major at BGSU. He is from Avon Lake Ohio where he graduated from Avon Lake High School.  He participated in marching band, percussion ensemble, jazz band, the symphonic band, and the pit orchestra for the musicals.  He was also the president of the marching band his senior year. He competed in OMEA for marching band, solo and ensemble, and symphonic band.

Sophomore

Liam Lockhart is a second-year Music Education student from Oberlin, Ohio. He graduated in 2021 from Firelands High School where he was a member of marching band, concert band, and honors choir, performing in OMEA Solo & Ensemble and large group events with band and choir. He has performed in honor bands at both Kent State University and Cleveland State University. He was a member of the BGSU FMB Drumline in 2022/23 and is a member of the BGSU Samba Bateria and percussion ensemble. Liam is the secretary of the BG Student Percussion Association and the BGSU chapter of Ohio Collegiate Music Educators Association.

Freshmen

Eleanor Wisniewski is a first-year student getting a BMA. She is from Royal Oak, Michigan and graduated from Royal Oak High School. In high school, she participated in MSBOA Solo and Ensemble as a soloist. She also played in the Marching Band, Jazz Band, Pit Orchestra, Pep Band, Wind Ensemble, and she was in the Detroit Youth Wind Ensemble. She also had the privilege to perform with her drumline for the First Lady in her senior year.

Freshmen

Zion Bateman is a Freshman. He is from Reynoldsburg, Ohio, and graduated from Reynoldsburg High School Summit Campus. Back in high school Zion was a Drumline member of the Reynoldsburg Marching Pride, as well as being apart of Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. Zion has performed each year in OMEA Solo & Ensemble.

Freshmen

Sarah Hertenstein is a first-year Music Composition student from Powell, Ohio. She graduated in 2023 from Olentangy Liberty High School where she was a part of concert band, jazz band, marching band, pep band and indoor drumline. Sarah also participated in multiple concert choirs and Liberty Belles Acapella Group. She performed in several concerts and jazz gigs as well as the Kettering National A Capella Festival, OMEA Marching Band Competitions, OIPA, and WGI competitions.

Freshmen

Anthony is a first-year instrumental performance major. He graduated from Perkins High School in 2023, and participated in nearly every organization offered, from wind ensemble, marching band, and honor bands. On top of being a percussionist, he has performed guitar in his high school jazz band, pit orchestra, and assorted bands in his hometown. At BG, he is a part of the Afro-Carribian ensemble, Symphonic Band, and Percussion Ensemble; with plans to pursue further musical opportunities.

Freshmen

Alex Huss is a first-year student in Music Education. His primary instrument in percussion is the snare drum. He is from Genoa, Ohio and is a receiver of the John-Phillips Sousa Award in band. He is a participant in the Falcon Marching Band as an equipment crew member and he spends his free time playing the drum set and drawing.