Directors
Director: Dr. Jon R. Woods
Dr. Jon R. Woods is in his twenty-sixth year as Director of The Ohio State University Marching Band. He served as Associate Director for ten years before becoming director. His duties with the band include Principal Field Conductor, Show Coordinator, and Administrator. Dr. Woods also serves as administrative coordinator and conductor of all Athletic Bands, which provide for various campus sporting events. As a faculty member of the School of Music, his teaching responsibilities include graduate music courses, graduate advising for masters and doctoral students, secondary instrumental methods, marching band techniques, supervision of student teachers, and principal conductor of The Concert Repertory Band. A recipient of the School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award, Dr. Woods is recognized nationally as a clinician and adjudicator for both marching and concert band festivals. He received his Bachelors Degree from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania, his Masters Degree from The Pennsylvania State University and his Ph.D. from The University of Michigan.
Assistant Director: Jonathan Waters
Jonathan Waters is in his eighth year as Assistant Director of The Ohio State University Marching Band. He received his Bachelors of Music Education degree from The Ohio State University in 2000. He was a member of the Marching Band from 1995-1999. He served as graduate assistant for the band for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He received two Masters degrees in Music Education and Conducting from The Ohio State University. Mr. Waters has written band shows for the Marching Band, Spring Athletic Band, and a number of high schools throughout the state. His other duties include teaching undergraduate conducting classes in the School of Music as well as conducting various concert ensembles.
Director of Bands for The Ohio State University: Dr. Russel Mikkelson
Dr. Russel C. Mikkelson serves as Director of University Bands and Associate Professor of Conducting at The Ohio State University, where he conducts the Wind Symphony and Chamber Winds, guides the graduate wind conducting program, and oversees all aspects of the university's band program. Under his direction, the OSU Wind Symphony has performed at the 2003 College Band Directors National Association Convention, the 2001 and 2004 Ohio Music Educators Association Conventions, and has recorded two CD's on the Mark Records label: Jubilare! and Sounds, Shapes and Symbols. A strong advocate for the creation of new works, Mikkelson serves on the Big Ten Band Directors Association Commissioning Panel, and has instituted a program of regular commissioning projects at OSU.
Dr. Mikkelson has received praise from composers Leslie Bassett, Krzysztof Penderecki, John Corigliano, Lukas Foss, Frank Ticheli, David Gillingham, and others, for his musical interpretation of their compositions. Corigliano wrote "Russel Mikkelson is a conductor who really understands my music, and that's rare. I have great admiration for his work." Mikkelson was a conducting fellow at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and holds the distinction of being that institution's first recipient of the DMA degree in instrumental conducting. Prior to his appointment at OSU, Professor Mikkelson was Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at the State University of New York-College at Fredonia, where he conducted the Wind Symphony, Concert Band, Orchestra, Opera, and musical theatre productions.
A native of Wisconsin, Professor Mikkelson began his career as a high school band director, serving from 1984-1990 as Director of Bands at Stevens Point Area Senior High School. His bands developed a reputation for superior musicianship coupled with a deep understanding of the music being performed. Under his leadership, The Stevens Point Wind Ensemble performed at numerous state, regional and national conventions.
Dr. Mikkelson is Past President of the Big Ten Band Directors Association, a member of the College Band Directors National Association, MENC, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, Phi Beta Mu, and was recently elected to membership in the American Bandmasters Association. He is a recipient of the School of Music Distinguished Scholar Award. Dr. Mikkelson is active internationally as a guest conductor and clinician with recent engagements including the High School All-State Bands of New York, Ohio, and Wisconsin, the West Virginia University Wind Symphony, the Suffolk County, Long Island, NY Honors Orchestra, and the Memorial University of Newfoundland in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada.
Associate Director of Bands for The Ohio State University: Dr. Richard Blatti
Richard Blatti is Associate Director of Bands, conductor of the Symphonic Band, and Associate Professor of Conducting. Under his direction, OSU bands have performed for conferences at the national, state, and regional levels, have recorded under the Delos label, and have been featured in numerous clinics and symposia. Dr. Blatti is the 1991 recipient of the School of Music Distinguished Teaching Award. He received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Northwestern University, has done postgraduate work at Michigan State University, and has taught in public schools and at the university level in Illinois, Michigan, and Ohio for over 25 years. Since 1995, Professor Blatti has been the artistic director and conductor of the Heisey Wind Ensemble of Granville, Ohio. His scholarly interests include conducting pedagogy and rehearsal techniques; in addition, as guest conductor, clinician, lecturer or adjudicator, he has appeared in 25 states, in Canada, England, The Netherlands, France, Belgium, Australia, and China. He was inducted into the prestigious American bandmasters Association in 1997 and continues to be a leader in the College Band Directors National Association, the Big Ten Band Directors Association, and the Ohio Music Educators Association.
Graduate Assistant Director: Chris Hoch
Chris Hoch returns to the 2009 directing staff after a seven-year absence. He is currently working towards his PhD in Music Education. A member of the OSUMB from '95-'99, Chris received his bachelor's degrees in Mathematics and Music Education. He joined the directing staff from 2000-2002 as a Graduate Assistant, graduating with a Master's in Instrumental Conducting and Music Education. Mr. Hoch served as the Director of Bands for the Delaware City Schools in Delaware, Ohio. Serving as the principle conductor of the Hayes High School band program, Chris actively composed and wrote awarding winning performances for Delaware Schools band program. Mr. Hoch currently serves as Artistic Director and Principle Conductor of the Scioto Valley Brass and Percussion Company.
Graduate Assistant Director: Kyle Huston
Kyle Huston is in his first year as a Graduate Assistant Director for the OSUMB. He is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in Music Education. Kyle received his Bachelor's of Music Education Degree in 2009 from The Ohio State University. During his undergraduate studies, Kyle was a proud member of the marching band from '04-'09 and served as Assistant Squad Leader of A-Row his last year. Kyle has written halftime shows for both the Marching Band and the Spring Athletic Band. Kyle is from Port Washington, Ohio.
Percussion Instructor: Mr. Gary Hodges
Gary Hodges is beginning his fifth season with the staff of The Ohio State University Marching Band. He spent three and a half years in the U.S. Air Force Academy music department in Colorado Springs prior to attending OSU where he was a proud member of "T" row (Trumpets). After graduating from the OSU School of Music in 1974, he taught in the Reynoldsburg and the Dublin school systems. In 1995 he was appointed Director of Bands at the newly opened Dublin Scioto High School where he taught marching band, wind ensemble, jazz ensemble, music history and theory, and music appreciation until his retirement in 2001. Gary was a percussion adjudicator for Drum Corps International for ten years, and has written a number of percussion charts for high schools as well as the OSUMB. He is currently a member of the Brass Band of Columbus (percussion), and a former member of the Worthington Civic Band (trumpet). Gary continues to stay actively involved in music education at the middle and high school levels as a clinician and guest conductor.
