NSBA is changing to an electronic voting format. NSBA members please reference the January Newsletter for details. Current candidate biographies are below.

 


----- Candidates for President-Elect -----


MurphyMike Murphy is currently in his twenty sixth year of teaching at Lincoln Pius X High School. Prior to Pius X, he taught in Wymore, Adams, and Grand Island. At Pius X, Mr. Murphy is responsible for the marching band, two concert bands, and jazz band. He also teaches music theory, music appreciation, and jazz history. In addition to his Pius X duties, Mr. Murphy teaches elementary and junior high band at St. Peters and Sacred Heart schools in Lincoln.

Mr. Murphy earned a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and has also completed a substantial amount of graduate work.

In addition to teaching, Mr. Murphy is an active performing musician in the Lincoln/Omaha area. He has performed with the Omaha Symphony, Lincoln Symphony, Lincoln Municipal Band, and the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra, as well as doing much free lance work in the region. He is also a long time member of the Lincoln Community Concert Band.

Mr. Murphy is married to Karen, also a Lincoln Catholic Schools instrumental music teacher and a professional flutist. They have two sons, Sean and Ryan. Sean is a senior music performance double bass major at UNL. Ryan is a senior at Pius X and a likely music education, low brass major next year in college.

SteagerSteve Steager teaches Instrumental Music at Fremont Middle School. He received his Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of Nebraska at Omaha in 1986 and his Masters Degree in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago in 1994. Previously, he taught at Schuyler Central High School from 1986-1989. The Schuyler Central High School band earned 1st place trophies in parade, marching and concert band at the Red River Exhibition in Winnipeg, Canada in 1989. The Fremont Junior High Band performed for the NSBA state convention in 1996 and the Fremont Middle School Tiger Band performed for the NSBA state convention in 2010. The Fremont Middle School Jazz Band performed for the NMEA state convention in 2001.

Mr. Steager has served as a session clinician for both the NSBA and NMEA conventions, has conducted honor bands in Nebraska and has judged numerous contests. Mr. Steager was also the Band Director at Midland Lutheran College from 1997-2003. During those years, the Midland band toured many surrounding states, including Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Illinois, Arkansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas, and South Dakota. He taught brass methods, low brass lessons and conducted the Midland College Band (at the same time as teaching at Fremont Middle School).

Steve also taught at the Wayne State Music Camp and Jazz Band Camp, assisting with the concert band, jazz band, low brass lessons and all state audition preparation.
While at UNO, Steve was the first tuba player to win the James B. Peterson Concerto Competition and was the first chair tuba in the intercollegiate band three consecutive years. Currently, Steve plays tuba professionally in the Palladium Brass Quintet, the Omaha Brass Ensemble, and The Plymouth Brass. He also played principal tuba in the Lincoln Symphony from 2007-2008, 2008-2009 concert seasons. He has been a substitute performer with the Omaha Symphony and has performed with the onstage band in the musical “Chicago”.

Steve and his wife, Debbie, have three children, Joshua (21), Jeremiah (19) and Michaela (15). All three are past members of the 8th grade All State Band; Joshua-trumpet, Jeremiah-Euphonium, Michaela-Horn. Jeremiah is currently marching in the UNL band, playing tuba.


 

----- Candidates for Membership Chair ------


IberoFrank Ibero is currently in his eleventh year of teaching and his ninth as Director of Bands at Scottsbluff High School. He assists with the 5th Grade Beginning Band program, and the 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Concert Bands. Mr. Ibero is also responsible for conducting the marching band, concert band, and jazz band at Scottsbluff High School. Prior to coming to Scottsbluff, Mr. Ibero taught in Ravenna, Nebraska.

He received a B.A. degree from the University of Nebraska at Kearney (2000) with an emphasis in K-12 Music Education and a M.A. in Music Education also from University of Nebraska at Kearney (2008).

Under his direction, Scottsbluff High School bands have consistently earned Superior and Excellent Ratings. In addition, He has been an active adjudicator the past seven years at marching contests, conference solo and large ensemble contests, and district music contest.

He is a member of Nebraska State Bandmasters Association (Class AA Representative), Nebraska Music Educators Association, and Music Educators National Convention. In his spare time, Frank enjoys reading and spending time with his family, Shannon his wife, his daughter Ashlyn, and son Riley.

SnyderEric Snyder has been teaching in Nebraska public schools since graduating from Wayne State College in 1989. He is finishing his masters of music education at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. He has kept current with new music teaching strategies through his membership in Music Educators National Conference, Nebraska Music Educators Association and Nebraska State Bandmasters Association. He attended guitar workshops in Los Vegas and has performed as a percussionist with various local groups. His first position was teaching K-12 Vocal and Instrumental music at Bradshaw Public Schools in 1990 and 1991. Since then he has taught Jr. High and High School vocal and instrumental music at Mead Public Schools (1992 – 1996), Middle School and High School Instrumental at Wahoo Public Schools (1997 – 2009) and is currently on staff at Lincoln Northeast High School where he teaches Jazz Band, Orchestra, Guitar, Music Technology and is assistant director of marching and concert bands. Throughout his career, his Choirs, Marching Bands, Concert Bands and Jazz Bands have received top awards at local and state contests. His bands have performed across the Midwest including Chicago, IL, St, Louis, MO, Branson, MO, and Minneapolis MN. In 1997, Mr. Snyder had the honor of conducting the world premier of “Awakenings”, a commissioned work by the Eastman School of Music in honor of the Wahoo, Nebraska composer, Howard Hanson. He has been appointed by his peers into leadership positions in the Nebraska Class B All-state Honor Band and was a staff member with the Nebraska Ambassadors of Music 2007 and 2009.

 

----- Candidates for Marching Band Chair -----


KellettBill Kellett is in his 8th year as Director of Instrumental Music at Papillion-La Vista South High School. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska- Lincoln, receiving his Bachelors Degree in 1981. Before his present position, he spent 4 years at O’Neill Public Schools, 2 years at Aurora High School, 1 year at La Vista Junior High, and 15 years at Papillion-La Vista High School for a total of 30 years in music education. During this time his bands have received numerous superior ratings and have traveled extensively to represent Nebraska. Performance highlights include a concert tour to Mexico in 1991, two Presidential Inaugural Parades in 1993 and 2001, and the London Millennium Parade and Concert on January 1, 2000.


Bill is a member of NMEA, NSBA, NEA, and PLEA. In 1986, he received the Jack Snider Outstanding Young Band Director Award. Bill was awarded the Papillion-La Vista School’s Challenge District Honorary Award of Excellence in 1994 and 2000, the First Baptist Church American Education Week Outstanding Educator Award in 1993, and he was named to Who’s Who Among High School Teachers in 1996. In 2004, he received the “Times Ten” award as one of the top ten most influential people in Sarpy County.
Bill and his wife Andrea, who has directed the color guard at each of his high school teaching assignments, reside in Papillion and have 4 children. Justin (25) and Kyle (24) are United States Air Force pilots. Wade (20) and Miles (19) are music education majors at Nebraska Wesleyan University and UNO

HardinRon Hardin is currently the Director of Bands at Bellevue East High School. Ron took this position in 2000, and has led the Chieftains to many successful performances in all areas, including Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Bands, Indoor and Concert Percussion, Chamber Ensembles and Indoor Color Guard. Under his watch, the band programs have performed in ten different states.

As a member of NSBA and NMEA, Ron has contributed to these organizations, both in service and performance. Ron has lead clinics and training sessions at all state conventions and workshops, both for fellow educators and adjudicators. Ron has served as the Marching Band Chair for three years, and has overseen efforts at state contest sanctioning and other efforts at growth, both in participation and financially. His Wind Ensemble has performed at both the NSBA convention and the NMEA conference.

Ron also has an extensive history as a professional music educator and performer. He was the founder and past conductor of the Diablo Wind Symphony, and was the Director of Bands at Clayton Valley High School in Concord, CA for six years where served as President of the Contra Costa County Band Director’s Association and Vice-President and Contest Coordinator of the Western Band Association. Ron has performed professionally with the Diablo Valley Jazz Orchestra and the Nebraska Jazz Orchestra. Currently, Ron serves as the Nebraska State Bandmasters Association Marching Band Chair. In addition, he is a recipient of the Jack R. Snyder Young Band Director’s Award.

Ron’s experience in the drum corps activity is extensive, spanning over twenty years. As a performer, he spent the 1991 and 1992 seasons with the Star of Indiana. Upon the completion of his performing career, Ron joined the Blue Devils as a member of their visual staff for eight seasons and later spent five years as the Visual Caption Head of the Santa Clara Vanguard. Currently Ron serves as the Visual Caption Head of the Canton Bluecoats. In addition to instructing, Ron has designed visual programs for Yamato, Pride of the Lions, Magic of Orlando and Minnesota Brass. He has also served as Visual Coordinator for the Blue Stars. Ron is currently an instructor representative on the DCI Instructors’ Task Force
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As a designer, Ron Hardin is very active and closely connected with the pageantry activity. Ron has designed hundreds of shows for bands, drum lines, winter guards and drum corps. Annually, he designs for a select amount of groups around the country. Ron is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator throughout the world, having done many clinics throughout the United States, Europe and Japan. In 2009 he launched www.ronhardin.com to better communicate with his clients.

Since 1999, Ron has served as a visual judge for Winter Guard International, annually adjudicating for many circuits, regionals and world championships. He also currently serves on the WGI Percussion Advisory Board. Ron has performed judging clinics for NMEA, NSBA, WGI, several indoor percussion circuits and the Judging Association of Mid America. His designs have appeared in several BOA regional finals. As an instructor, Ron has been a part of teams earning five DCI World Championships and several High Visual Awards.

In addition to his numerous responsibilities, Ron sees himself first as a family man. His greatest pride and joy is his family: his wife Molly, and their daughters Emma and Celeste.