OSU Bands Staff
Director of Athletic Bands
Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
Director of Bands
Color Guard Instructor
Spirit Coordinator
Dance Team Coach
Drill Designer
Operations/Web
Dr. Brad Townsend, bio
Percussion Instructor, Concert Band Director
Dr. Bob Brudvig, bio
Chris Chapman, bio
Kristin Heckers, bio
Amber Bezates, bio
Tami Smith, bio
Preston Howard, bio
Todd Shechter
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
Christopher Chapman is in his first year as the acting Director of Bands for the Oregon State University Department of Music. His responsibilities include conducting the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, the Jazz Ensemble, instructing music education courses and instrumental conducting. Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Chapman has a Bachelor of Music degree from The Ohio State University, a Masters of Music degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is a candidate for the Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Washington. His prior teaching experience includes the Associate Director of Bands at Florida Atlantic University where he worked with the athletic bands and Symphony Band, Graduate Assistant Director for the University of Washington band program, and Director of Bands at Foothill High School in Henderson, Nevada. Mr. Chapman is in demand as a clinician, adjudicator and conductor for numerous instrumental ensembles around and his marching band arrangements have been performed by high schools and universities alike. He has studied conducting from Richard Blatti, Thomas Leslie, Takayoshi “Tad” Suzuki and Timothy Salzman and is the Co-Governor of the Western District for the Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity. Chapman is a member of the College Band Directors National Association, Oregon Band Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference and Oregon Music Educators Conference. Mr. Chapman resides in Corvallis, Oregon with his wife Robyn.
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
Tami Smith, Dance Team Coach
Previous to coaching the Dance Team at OSU, Mrs. Smith coached & choreographed for the West Albany
Hi-Steppers for several years. She has enjoyed designing and choreographing several
award winning routines, including West Albany's 2007 state routine, Trapped,
which brought home the 5A Large State Championship title. She is also a
certified Content Judge for the Dance & Drill Judges Affiliation and judges
high school dance teams in Category & Traditional competition events
throughout the state of Oregon. She enjoys traveling around the country and
competing in West Coast Swing, with her husband, Stuart.
Tami Smith has a uniquely well-rounded dance training & education, and she
brings a wealth of experience and talent to the program. She attended Brigham
Young University & Oregon State University, earning a BS in Fisheries &
Wildlife Science in 2002. As a student, she trained and performed at both BYU
and OSU. She has extensive performance experience in Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop,
and Modern dance, along with West Coast Swing, Rumba, Cha-Cha, Samba, Salsa,
Lindy Hop, Hustle, Waltz, Quick Step, Foxtrot, Paso Double, Tango, and East
Coast Swing. Mrs. Smith also has Bronze, Silver, and Gold syllabus training
and certification in International & Social Ballroom and Latin Styles. She is
continuously training from top dance professionals around the world, such as
the famous Skippy Blair, Benji & Buddy Schwimmer, Myles & Tessa, Kyle & Sarah,
Jordan & Tatiana, and many more. She currently is seeking certification
through the prestigious Golden State Dance Teachers Association.
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
Another former Tenor Sax player in the OSUMB and graduate of OSU, Matt has taught
at several nationally ranked high schools in Hawaii (Kamehameha Warrior Marching
Band). Matt brings a wealth of experience, having played in the OSU Jazz Band,
Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Sound Machine, Jazz Improv and Winter Drum Line. Matt
provides drill and music instruction as well as musical arrangements for the band.
Preston J. Howard Jr
Preston started his Drum Corps. career in 1978 with the Seattle Imperials. He then went on to perform with the Concord Blue Devils in 1983 – 1986, where he was a soloist in 1984 and 1985, earning two most outstanding performer awards in 1984 and 1986. He was then asked to come back and join the visual staff in 1987 and 1988. Preston enjoys writing full field shows, winter guard, and winter percussion shows. As well as being an accomplished trumpet player, he also has experience in dance and theater that he tries to incorporate in to his designs to enhance the visual effectiveness through any given show concept.
He currently resides in Lebanon, Oregon with his beautiful wife Shawna and three year old son Preston III.
Currently serves, as Visual Designer and Visual Caption Head for Oregon State University, Skyview High School from Vancouver Washington, as well as several high school programs through out the west coast. Throughout his twenty six years involved in the pageantry world, he has enjoyed designing and working with such programs as the Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps., Clovis High School and Buchanan High School of Fresno California, and many others thru the years.
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:
