Team

Powell Johann
Senior Director
Powell is one of our three Senior Directors of International Participation. He is himself an accomplished musician and an expert on European History and Culture. Powell has led in the development of all of Youth Music's products and has successfully led hundreds of groups through the process of travel to Europe.
Jonathan (Johnny) Whaley
Senior Director
Jonathan is a Senior Director of International Participation along with Powell and Bill. Jonathan's experience of the events Youth Music offer is vast. He worked in numerous roles for the event organisers before taking up his current senior role twenty years ago.
William (Bill) Northen
Senior Director
Bill is the third of triumvirate of Senior Directors of International Participation. He has worked with all of the special events and performance tours offered by Youth Music since the inception of the London Parade. Bill is a fount of superb practical advice on performance travel to Europe.
Bobbi Peddicord
Contract and Accounts Manager
Bobbi is the contract and accounts manager for Youth Music. Bobbi brings a wealth of experience to her role with Youth Music, which is amply demonstrated by her meticulous attention to detail and superb efficiency.
Dean Oblonsky
Senior Consultant
Dean is a Senior Consultant for Youth Music. His principal job is to ensure that product delivery to the client is up to the high standards established by Youth Music over 30 years. Dean has been with the organisation for 15 years and has more than 30 years industry experience.
Dr. Paula Crider
Director of Music
Paula is Professor Emeritus of Music at the University of Texas and a former director of the renowned U of T Longhorn Band. Paula acts as the director of Music for Youth Music.
Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser
Senior Consultant
Dr Tim of Attitude concepts for Today is a consultant to Youth Music and offers his leadership seminars as part of many of Youth Music's Performance Tours.
Gary Locke
Senior Consultant
Gary Locke is a Senior Consultant for Youth Music. Up until this year the director of the world famous Riverside Marching Tigers. Gary has a wealth of experience to offer directors embarking on a Youth Music project.
Rob Engl
Senior Consultant
Rob retired several years ago after a very successful career as a Band Director in Wisconsin schools. Rob has remained very active in musical circles in his State and devotes a great deal of energy to his role as consultant to Youth Music.
Robin Engl
Senior Consultant
Robyn is Rob's wife and like her husband she has enjoyed an extremely successful career as a music educator in Wisconsin. Robyn joined the Consultancy team of Youth Music along with Rob five years ago.
Jonathan Hooper
Consultant
Jonathan Hooper directed bands and taught trombone for 39 years in Texas before retiring to Nashville, Tennessee, where he remains active as a clinician, composer, and performer. He has a wealth of experience in international travel with bands as a conductor, performer and tour leader in Prague, Vienna, Ireland, and led two trips with his University band to London for London's New Year's Day Parade.

Dr. Craig Miller
Musical Consultant
Dr Craig Miller completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in instrumental Conducting from the University of Missouri at Kansas City Conservatory of Music in 2000. Dr. Miller has been the Conductor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection Adult Orchestra since 2011. Dr. Miller retired in May 2018, finishing a 30 year career in public school education. He is the former Director of Bands at Park Hill South High School is Kansas City, Missouri and Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas. Dr. Miller is a prominent conductor, clinician and adjudicator throughout the United States and abroad.
Dr. Matthew McCutchen
Consultant
Matthew McCutchen is the Associate Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of South Florida. McCutchen is an active guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and performer who has had articles published in the “NBA Journal”, and in the “Teaching Band Through Performance” series. Matt is a firm believer in the wonderful opportunities offered by Youth Music to young American Musicians both at High School and University level.
Randall Coleman
Consultant
Randall Coleman is currently the associate director of bands and associate professor of music at The University of Alabama. Prior to his appointment to at The University of Alabama in 2007, Randall enjoyed a successful 25-year career as a high school band director and supervisor in metropolitan Atlanta, Georgia. He is excited to be part of the Youth Music team.
Robert H. (Bob) Ambrose
Consultant
Bob recently retired as Band Director at Andover High School, Michigan. During his long career Bob brought many groups to Youth Music events and has advised many other Michigan schools on how to arrange performance tours to Europe Bob has served five years as a consultant to YM.
Terry Rush
Consultant
Terry has retired after a long and distinguished career as a Band Director with Lincoln Schools. Terry has long seen the great value of overseas travel for students and has brought many groups to Youth Music Events. Terry has been a Consultant to Youth Music for five years.
Mike Lowery
Consultant
Mike is a legendary band director from Edmond School District in Oklahoma. He is one of Youth Music's most committed consultants and has fervent belief in the incredible value of overseas performance travel.
Guy C Wood
Consultant
Guy has been a senior consultant to Youth Music for nine years. His legendary career in the world of Louisiana Bands saw him inducted to the Louisiana Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2011. Guy has taken groups on Youth Music Performance Tours to numerous countries in Europe. He is currently Director of Bands at Archbishop Shaw High School in metro New Orleans
Anne Riley
Consultant
Anne worked for many years in the Performing Arts Department at Mission San Jose High School. She enjoyed a long and successful career as a producer and director before turning her attentions to her work as a Consultant to Youth Music.
Charles (Charlie) Ferrara
Consultant
Charlie is Band Director at Walnut Hills High School in Ohio. One of the most charismatic band directors working in Ohio, Charlie enjoys his role as Consultant to Youth Music.
Cliff Bialkin
Consultant
Cliff Bialkin is Director of band at Ramsey High School New Jersey where he directs the award winning Marching Band and superb Jazz Ensemble. He has extensive experience of European travel on Youth Music Programs and has acted as a Consultant to the organisation for 5 years.
James (Jim) Bruce
Consultant
Jim is currently Director of Bands at Manatee high School, Florida. He has extensive travel experience with his band and is now a consultant and advisor to Youth Music.
Erik W Mason
Consultant
Erik enjoys a spectacularly successful career as a Band Director in Georgia. Currently at Mill Creek high School, Erik believes fervently in the value of overseas travel and performance. He travels with his own group regularly and has advised and assisted many of his colleagues in Georgia on their Performance Tours with Youth Music. Erik is a Consultant to Youth Music.
Chris Moura
Consultant
Chris is Band Director at Oak Grove High School California and former President of the Western Band Association. Chris has travelled extensively with his own group and has helped an advised numerous other on their travel in his role as Consultant to Youth Music.
Greg Normandin
Consultant
Greg Normandin is Director of Bands at Catholic Central High School in Michigan, and is one of the most travelled Band Directors in the United States. He has taken part in Youth Music Performance tours on numerous occasions throughout Europe, and in his role as Consultant has advised many other groups from his State on their travel plans.
Jon W Sever
Consultant
Jon is Director of Bands at Bloomingdale High School in Florida. He has been a consultant to Youth Music for five years and in that time has helped numerous Florida groups with their Performance Tour Plans. He has been bringing his own groups to Europe for more than 20 years.
Josh Thompson
Consultant
Josh is currently Director of Bands at Lake Zurich High School in Illinois. He is an avid traveller with his band, and as a Consultant helps and advises Youth Music in the quest to find the very best bands for performance in their prestigious European Programmes.
Chris L. White
Consultant
Chris White is currently the highly successful Director of Bands at Hickory Ridge High School in North Carolina where he was honoured as teacher of the year in 2014. Chris has served as clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor for many marching and concert events. He is a great believer in the value of international travel and performance and is thrilled to be a consultant to Youth Music.
Destination Events
European Event Owners
Destination Events is the organiser of all of the European Events for which Youth Music has the exclusive rights in the production of performance tours. Visit the Destination Events website and meet their talented and experienced team of professionals. www.destinationevents.com