OSU Bands Staff
Director of Athletic Bands
Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
Director of Bands
Color Guard Instructor
Spirit Coordinator
Operations/Web
Staff Assistants
Dr. Brad Townsend, bio
Percussion Instructor, Concert Band Director
Dr. Bob Brudvig, bio
Chris Chapman, bio
Kristin Heckers, bio
Amber Bezates, bio
Todd Shechter
David Manela, bio
Matt Urabe, bio
Robyn Chapman, bio
Dr. Brad Townsend, Director of Athletic Bands
Dr. Townsend, a native of Somerset, Pennsylvania, holds degrees
from The Pennsylvania State University and The University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign.
He has had a wealth of experience as a band director at both the public school
level as well as the College level. Previous to his appointment at OSU he taught
at Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Ramapo High School in Franklin
Lakes, New Jersey, Murray State University in Murray, Kentucky, and Iroquois
High School in Erie, Pennsylvania.
He has also directed the Pennsylvania Lions Club All State
Band, was an Associate Editor of the Council for Research in Music Education
Bulletin at the University of Illinois, and as a sousaphone performer, was one
of 48(!) sousaphone players for the 1984 Olympics All-American Marching Band
at the Games of the Twenty-Third Olympiad.
In addition to his band work Dr. Townsend has had much experience in the world of musical theater. He has conducted and music directed many high school, college, and community theater productions as well as played piano in numerous pit orchestras. He has also performed on stage in such shows as Assassins, Side by Side by Sondheim, The Quilt: A Musical Celebration, Forever Plaid, and many original reviews. Locally he has appeared in productions of Damn Yankees, Godspell, Threepenny Opera and The Rocky Horror Show. Townsend is also a founding member of Puttin’ on the Bitz, a Cabaret group based in the Willamette Valley.
Dr. Brad Townsend is Director of Athletic Bands at Oregon State University. He directs the OSU Marching Band, Basketball Pep Bands, Rhythm and Beavs Pep Band as well as teaches courses in music education.
Chris Chapman, Director of Bands
Dr. Christopher Chapman is the Director of Bands for the Oregon State University Department of Music, where he conducts the Wind Ensemble and Jazz Ensemble and teaches courses in music education and graduate and undergraduate instrumental conducting. Prior to his appointment at OSU he served as the Associate Director of Bands at Florida Atlantic University, where he founded the athletic band program and Symphony Band. From 2002-2005 Chapman worked as the Graduate Assistant Director for the University of Washington band program and before then served as the Director of Bands at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Chapman holds a bachelor's degree in music from The Ohio State University, a master's degree in music from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and a doctorate of musical arts degree from the University of Washington. He has studied conducting with Richard Blatti, Thomas Leslie, Takayoshi "Tad" Suzuki, and Timothy Salzman. Dr. Chapman is a sought-after clinician, adjudicator, and conductor, and has worked with bands regionally and nationally including Oregon, Ohio, Florida, Nevada, New York, Arizona, Illinois and Japan. He has been a contributing author in A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band, a series of books on contemporary wind band composers for Meredith Music Publications, a subsidiary of the Hal Leonard Corporation. He is an honorary member of the Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity where he has served as the Co-Governor of the Western District, and an honorary member of the Tau Beta Sigma honorary band sorority. He currently serves as President-elect for the Northwest division of the College Band Directors National Association. Other organizations include the Oregon Band Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, and Oregon Music Educators Conference.
Bob
Brudvig, Percussion Instructor
DMA, University of Arizona; MM, Portland State University; BA, Oregon State University. In addition to teaching percussion and music theory at OSU, Bob maintains a busy performing career in the western and southern United States. He has performed with the Tucson Symphony, Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Arizona Opera, Oregon Coast Music Festival and the Ernest Bloch Music Festival. He has toured Japan and the United States with "Starfire," a trio of two harps and percussion based in Tucson, Arizona. He also enjoys performing in a flute and marimba duo with his wife Jeanette. While pursuing his doctorate at the University of Arizona, he was awarded a teaching assistantship in percussion, and twice won the "President's Concert Concerto Competition," which included a concerto performance.
Amber Bezates, Spirit Coordinator
David Manela
A former Tenor Saxophone player in the OSUMB, Dave is now an IT Consultant at the Valley Library. Dave coordinates uniform distribution and almost ever other aspect of the OSU Band program—he even conducts the band!
Matt Urabe
Matt begins his sixth year as a staff assistant/visual/arranger with the OSUMB and the Oregon State Winter Guard . As a former member of the OSUMB, Matt brings a wealth of experience having played in the OSU Jazz Band, Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Sound Machine, Jazz Improv and the Oregon State Winter Drum Line. Matt has taught at nationally ranked Kamehameha High School(Honolulu, HI), Oregon City High School(Oregon City, OR) and Skyview High School (Vancouver, WA) serving as Visual and Music Staff. In addition to his band work, Matt also plays with The Badfish Band(vocals, keyboards, sax) touring throughout the northwest, west coast and Hawaii. As a musician, Matt has had the honor to perform with Doc Severinsen, Arturo Sandoval, Eek a Mouse, Norma Frasier, Natural Vibrations, Debra Arlyn, Intervision, Amadan and Ghostland Observatory.
Kristin Heckers
Kristin begins her sixth year as Color Guard Instructor and choreographer for the OSUMB and the OSU Winter Guard. Krisitn brings a wealth of experience, having performed in the OSU Color Guard and Winter Guard and various other guards:
Robyn Chapman
Chapman returns for her second year as a music teacher at Franklin School in Corvallis, Oregon. She completed a master of arts in interdisciplinary studies degree at Oregon State University in 2008, where she served as a graduate teaching assistant for the OSU Band program. She also holds a bachelor of music education degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. In 2006, Chapman was the music specialist at the Lacomb School in Lebanon, Oregon. From 2002 to 2005, she worked as a music specialist at Totem Falls Elementary School in Snohomish, Washington. She began her career in Las Vegas, Nevada as the director of bands at O’Callaghan Middle School and Swainston Middle School. Her professional affiliations include the Music Educators National Conference, the Oregon Music Educators Association, Women Band Directors International and an honorary membership in Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity. Chapman lives in Albany, Oregon with her husband Chris, and their daughter Cecilia.
Robyn Chapman is a Staff Assistant for the Oregon State University Athletic Bands. She works both on and off the field for the OSU Marching Band and helps conduct the Basketball and Volleyball Pep Bands.
