Jessica Raposo Coleman, D.M.A.

Flute, choir, performance, music theory, music history — Dr. Jessica Raposo Coleman is the music program coordinator and an Associate Professor of Music at Indiana University East. As a flutist, she performs as a solo and chamber musician in Indiana, Ohio, and Connecticut, most actively with flutist Mihoko Watanabe (Duo Rouge) and guitarist Thomas Garcia. Her orchestral experience includes the Vancouver, Burnaby, and Muncie symphonies as well as the Rome Festival Orchestra. Dr. Raposo Coleman earned her music degrees from the University of Michigan, the Royal Academy of Music, and the University of British Columbia. Her research into the flute’s English performance history won her the National Flute Association’s Graduate Research Competition and has been featured in the NFA, British Flute Society, and Netherlands Flute Society journals.

Richard Begel, M.M.

Trombone, euphonium, tuba — Rich Begel, from Long Island, New York, completed his music education and performance degrees at The Crane School of Music and the New England Conservatory, and also attended Michigan State University. He now manages his small ensembles: The Flying Klezmerians and En Fuego. Rich is also a member of the Klaberheads and the Dayton Philharmonic and has performed with many other orchestras, including the Cincinnati Symphony, the Tanglewood Festival Orchestra, the Spoleto Festival, and the Boston Ballet. He teaches at The Dayton Regional STEM School, Sinclair Community College, Earlham College, Indiana University East, and in his home studio. He is also a Trombone Artist for the Edwards Band Instrument Company.

Keith Cozart Steele, M.A.

Percussion, music history — Keith Cozart Steele is a performer, teacher, student, collaborator, volunteer, and father. He has studied Afro-Brazilian percussion, West African djembe, and Western Classical percussion. Keith has a graduate degree in adult/community education; is certified in online education as well as trained and experienced in drum circle facilitation; and loves manual labor in the form of swinging hammers, chopping wood, and making hand drums. One of his favorite creations and passions is directing the annual outreach collaborative concert with area community groups and public-school percussion programs entitled DRUMunity. He performs and records with many regional bands, but he is most noted for performing in concert with Max Weinberg, Jeff Hamilton, Paul Winter, John Conlee, and Louie Bellson.

Jarrod Davis, M.M.

Voice — Jarrod Davis Jr. was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. He received his Bachelor of Music degree from Wright State University and his Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University with focus on vocal performance. He has played the roles of Papa Ge from Once on this Island, Marius Pontmercy from Les Misérables, the Pirate King from Pirates of Penzance, and Mr. Sankey from Street Scene. He has had the privilege of singing with the Toledo Opera, the Dayton Opera, and the Miami Valley Symphony Orchestra. When Jarrod isn’t performing, he is teaching in Dayton at The Piano Preparatory School, Sinclair Community College, and Stivers School for the Arts or in Richmond at Indiana University East, Earlham College, and Richmond Civic Theatre.

Lynda Herndon, M.M.

Violin, viola — Lynda Herndon is the violin/viola adjunct faculty at IU East and Earlham College as well as violin faculty for the Young Musicians’ Program at Miami University. With master’s degrees from Miami and Louisiana State universities, she performs with the Richmond, Springfield, and Lima symphony orchestras and the Butler and Southwest Ohio philharmonics. As an orchestral, solo, and chamber music performer, Lynda has performed across the United States, including in New York City, California, Louisiana, and Illinois, and internationally in Austria, Czechia, Germany, Luxembourg, and Japan. She has also held executive positions for various professional orchestras across the country, including as executive director of Queens Symphony Orchestra in New York City. Lynda is founder/CEO of Myriad Music Services, a booking agency for musicians in the Ohio/Indiana area.

Christopher Jeffery, M.A.

Trumpet — Christopher Jeffery, after retiring from the USAF Regional Bands in 2011, has become a member of the Dayton Jazz Orchestra, the Ohio Valley British Brass Band, The Greater Dayton Brass Ensemble, and the Dance and Motion Pictures Pit Orchestras. He is also the contractor and a performer for Wright State University’s department of Theatre, has been appointed to the sub list for the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, and has frequent calls from the Tom Daugherty Orchestra, Hal Harris Big Band, and Johnny Clueless & the Syndicate. He was also invited to be one of three jurors for the first round of the 2017 National Trumpet Competition. Chris is an adjunct professor in trumpet at Indiana University East and Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, and has a strong trumpet studio in the Beavercreek area.

Marc Jensen, Ph.D.

Music history — Marc Jensen is a composer, performer, and scholar who received a Ph.D. in Music Composition from the University of Minnesota. Much of his work is oriented around composing relationships rather than specific sounds: setting up situations in which performers follow simple sets of rules to interact and produce an unpredictably complex whole. Marc holds a teaching certificate from the Deep Listening Institute and has edited several books on deep listening. He is the author/composer of Open Spaces: Environmental Listening and Sounding and has published articles in several journals, including Perspectives of New Music, Tempo, and Cinema Journal. Marc currently teaches improvisation at the University of Oklahoma School of Music and also teaches online music history classes for Indiana University East.

Charles Ramsey, M.A.

Guitar — Charles Ramsey is a native of Richmond, Indiana. He graduated from the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he studied classical guitar, and also holds a Master of Arts degree from the Hebrew Union College. After graduating, he spent 17 years living in New York City, performing and teaching. Charles has performed at the United Nations, Rubin Museum of Art, Tibet Center, The Yippie Museum, Tank, ABC No-Rio, Make Music New York, and in the Music in Chelsea series, as well as in cities like Los Angeles, Tokyo, and Chiang Mai. He is a recipient of a 2012 New York State grant from COAHSI for his work with flutist Yuuki Koike in their Duo Nanashi. Currently, he performs with the Richmond Jazz Orchestra, various jazz ensembles, and a psychedelic rock group and curates the music series Music Question Mark, which promotes music that is experimental, ambient, noisy, and completely improvised.

Kaleb Rhea, D.A.

Music theory, composition — Kaleb Rhea went to Illinois College to develop his voice. Dr. Timothy Kramer personally oversaw his growth and helped broaden his knowledge by introducing him to composers like Hindemith and Shostakovich. While at Illinois College, Kaleb took a semester to study abroad in Heidelberg, Germany. While overseas, Kaleb focused on orchestral writing by going to many orchestra concerts, studying scores, and orchestrating a piano piece he had written the previous year. After receiving his bachelor’s from Illinois College in May 2018, Kaleb went to study at Western Illinois University. He studied with Pulitzer Prize Finalist Dr. James Romig and electro-acoustic specialist Dr. Hong-da Chin. He received his Master of Music in Composition in May 2020 and his D.A. in Music Theory and Composition at Ball State University in 2025.

Michael Ronstadt, M.M.

Cello — Michael G. Ronstadt is an adept multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, and composer, captivating audiences throughout North America for nearly two decades. A master at his craft, Michael traverses a mélange of musical styles that range from folk, jazz, classical, and Americana to the wildly ethereal, and anywhere in between. He holds a master’s degree in cello performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music (CCM). Michael displays genre-blending explorations on cello and guitar in complement to thought-provoking lyrics. To say his originals are unusual is an understatement since they set the bar at Olympian heights in their depth and breadth. In addition to his solo and group recordings, Michael is a much-sought-after studio musician who has appeared on more than 170 albums in the last 20 years. Michael, who hails from his famous Arizona family, now lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, where he is a sought-after cello teacher and mentor.

Mark Simmons, M.M.

Pep band — Mark Simmons is currently a director of bands and steel bands in Richmond Community Schools. He has his bachelor's degree in performance from Miami University and his Master of Music in Performance from Bowling Green State University. He has performed and taught throughout the Midwest, with notable performances at Carnegie Hall, Ford Field, and the Peristyle in Toledo, Ohio. Mark is active in our area as a musician, playing with the Richmond Jazz Orchestra (RJO) and the Eaton Area Community Band. Recently, the RJO released a CD titled Big Band Saturday Night, also available on streaming services, where Mark has been featured as a soloist. He has directed music at Richmond Civic Theater, such as Elf in 2022 and Rent in 2023. Mark currently leads the Back Row Tuba Quartet, a quartet of local tuba and euphonium players that performs throughout the region.

Shiyu Wang, D.M.

Piano — Pianist Shiyu Wang has given solo recitals and performances in the United States, China, Japan, and Europe and has performed as a soloist with renowned orchestras such as the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Changsha Symphony Orchestra, and the University of Rochester Symphony Orchestra. Shiyu won first prize in the PianoTexas Young Artist Concerto Competition, the Connecticut Bach Festival and Competition, the University of Rochester Concerto Competition, and “IMKA” Internet Music Competition, as well as second prize in the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Concerto Competition, and a silver medal in the Manhattan International Music Competition. Shiyu received her Doctor of Music degree in 2023 at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. She also published her first book, Inside the Kaleidoscope, on Amazon in 2020 and an article on Chopin’s E Minor Prelude in Music Space magazine in 2013.