Recent Conductors

 Joe received his BMA in Music Education from Montclair State College in 1973.  Shortly after he earned an MA with concentration in conducting, from Trenton State College.  Joe has taught in the Newark School District and the Warren Hills Regional School District.  Hired in 1974 at Warren Hills, Joe worked to create the then Warren Hills Regional Junior High School Band. In 1983 he moved to the high school where he worked until his retirement in 2010.  As a long time member of the Hackettstown Community Band, Joe has served on the Executive Committee as Trustee, Vice President, and President.  During the 1990's, he conducted the band for five years and also has been a member of the clarinet section.  Joe was once again appointed as the conductor of the HCB in January of 2018. 

 John has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2005.  In 2012, he earned a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and in 2014, he earned Master's degrees in Wind Conducting and Music Education, all from Syracuse University.  While at the Setnor School of Music, he served as Music Director and Conductor of the University Concert Band, was the instrumental music director for SU’s student-run musical theatre group, First Year Players, and guest conducted the University Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, Brass Ensemble, Contemporary Music Ensemble, and other various chamber groups.  He was also a frequent guest conductor with several community bands and honors youth ensembles from around the Syracuse Area.

As a conductor, John has studied with Dr. Bradley Ethington, Dr. James Tapia, Dr. John Laverty, Prof. Justin Mertz, and Maestro Daniel Hege.  He has also studied trumpet with Gabriel DiMartino, Vince DiMartino and Larry Wright.

John can be heard on many recordings with the Syracuse University Wind Ensemble, produced by Mark Records, and has performed with world-renowned artists such as Vince and Gabriel DiMartino, Ronald L. Caravan, Carol Jantsch, Marshal McDonald, Maynard Ferguson, and the Boston Brass.

John currently serves as the Director of Bands at Readington Middle School in Whitehouse, NJ where he directs the 6th-8th grade concert bands, advanced wind symphony, jazz ensemble, pep band, and is the district's brass lesson specialist.  He is also one of the Wind Instructors for the Hunterdon Central Regional High School Marching Red Devils.  Aside from his position with the Hackettstown Community Band, he performs with the Eastern Wind Symphony, Raritan Valley Symphonic Band, freelances as a session and pit orchestra musician, and continues to attend various conducting symposia around the country. 

 Samantha has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2012. She started playing in community bands and jazz ensembles during her high school years in Staten Island, New York. In 2005, she moved to New Jersey to study Jazz Performance (Trumpet) and Music Education at William Paterson University. During her time at WPUNJ, Samantha served as a lead trumpet player for the WPU Jazz Orchestra and Latin Band where she performed with musicians such as Wynton Marsalis, Jimmy Heath, Clark Terry and Randy Brecker. Samantha was also a member of the WPUNJ Concert Band, Trumpet Ensemble and various jazz ensembles that opened for the acclaimed series "The Jazz Room," at William Paterson University.

Samantha is currently a full-time music teacher at Knowlton Township Elementary School where she teaches instrumental and general music. In addition to conducting the Hackettstown Community Band, she teaches privately. She will be pursuing a Masters Degree later this year. 
 

Andrew Lawrence has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2009. Originally from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, he studied saxophone and piano before going on to graduate with a degree in Saxophone Performance and Music Education from Ithaca College. While at Ithaca, Andrew was a member of the Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, and Jazz Band, as well as several saxophone quartets and chamber groups. In 2008, Andrew won the college’s Concerto Competition, and received the opportunity to be the featured soloist with the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra. In addition to performing in several saxophone conferences and performance symposiums, he has toured Ireland with the Ithaca Wind Ensemble and studied saxophone in London. Andrew’s saxophone teachers include Dr. Steven Mauk and Kyle Horch, and he has studied conducting principally with Dr. Stephen Peterson, Dr. Beth Peterson, and Dr. Mark Fonder.

He is currently the Instrumental Music Teacher at Brass Castle Elementary School in Washington, NJ, and he continues to hone his conducting and rehearsal technique at various symposiums around the country. In addition to his duties with the Hackettstown Community Band, Andrew is a member of the Raritan Valley Symphonic Band.

 Joseph Tamburro graduated from Philadelphia Biblical University in 2006 with two Bachelors degrees; one in Bible and one in piano. He studied piano under Dr. Samuel Hsu, clarinet with Mr. Neil Horrocks, and took conducting lessons from Mr. Joseph Caminiti.

He was an active member of music ensembles both in high school and college. In high school, he was in concert band, jazz band, and a section leader in the marching band. While in college, he participated in the symphonic band, hand bell choir, and the Chorale.

Joseph now takes lessons with Dr. Hsu, and is the accompanist at St. Bernard's Roman Catholic Church in Mount Hope, NJ. He has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2008.

 Ellis Jasenovic has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2002. He was later encouraged to continue in the band by Art Martin, who was not only the conductor of the band by that time, but a saxophone teacher whom Ellis studied with for five years. While at Warren Hills Reg. H.S., under the direction of Joe Yaremczak, as well as Mr. Martin, Ellis's love of music was nourished, and he went on to Montclair State University to pursue a degree in Music Education.

Before graduating with a B.A. in Music Education, he played in the Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Jazz Band, Harry Partch studio, and various jazz combos and sax quartets. He has studied saxophone with Dr. Paul Cohen and Prof. David Bixler and conducting with the orchestral director, Prof. Paul Hostetter and the director of bands, Dr. Mary Ann Craig. At present, he continues to enhance his understanding of conducting and music by participating at conducting symposiums and taking occasional private lessons with Dr. Thomas McCauley, the current director of bands at Montclair State University.

Ellis is currently teaching instrumental music at John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson. Aside from conducting for the Hackettstown Community Band, he is a member of the Garden State Saxophone Quartet, LLC, The One-More-Once Big Band and various other groups.

Kristin Bungert has been a member of the Hackettstown Community Band since 2002 when she was a student at Warren Hills Regional High School. She graduated from Montclair State University with a B.A. in Music Education. While at Montclair, Kristin participated in the Symphonic Band, Wind Symphony, Chorale, Orchestra, Jazz Band and numerous chamber ensembles, while continuing her participation in the Hackettstown Community Band, filling in as conductor when needed. She also plays with Bushel o’ Brass, an Eb alto horn ensemble. She has studied clarinet with David Singer, Dennis Smylie, and Hana Kim, and conducting with Paul Hostetter and Dr. MaryAnn Craig. 

 Art taught in the New Jersey public schools for over 35 years. During that time, Art has served on the Board of Directors of New Jersey Music Educators Association and has been active with the International Association for Jazz Education. In 1998, Art received a Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Music Educators Association for his years of dedication to music education.

A member of the National/International Association for Jazz Education since 1974, Art has served as Treasurer and President of the New Jersey Unit, conducted the Region II High School and Jr. High School jazz ensemble, has managed the All State Jazz Ensemble and currently chairs the auditions for the All State Jazz Ensemble. He also was cited at the 27th annual International Association for Jazz Education conference in New Orleans for his accomplishments as editor of the Jersey Jazzer, the New Jersey IAJE newsletter and recognized by the Association for organizing the first Eastern Regional IAJE Conference. Art currently is United States Section Coordinator for the International Association for Jazz Education and oversees the structuring and organization of regional conferences.

He is currently Adjunct Professor of Music at Montclair State University.

As a musical consultant, Art along with Rufus Reid and Philip Thomas, organized the Jazz For Teens Program at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, now in its eighth year. Art is currently Program Advisor and teaches jazz history and listening.

Since retiring from the New Jersey Public Schools, Art has become very active as a clinician, adjudicator and conductor. Art has presented clinics at Educational conferences in New Jersey, Delaware and Pennsylvania and has adjudicated festivals in New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland and Delaware. He conducts the Hackettstown Community Band, performs with the Asbury Park Concert Band, freelances in pit orchestras for several school musicals and also teaches sax, and jazz improvisation privately.

Art has performed professionally with Benny Golson, Ron Carter, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Don Braden, Valary Ponomorev, Cecil Brooks III, Bruce Williams, Mark Gross, Dion Parsons, Joris Teepe, Earl McIntyre, Mike LeDonne, Clark Terry, Slide Hampton, Dizzy Gillespie, Rosanna Vitro, Denis DiBlasio, George Rabbai, The Warren Covington Orchestra, The Pied Pipers, The Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Little Anthony and The Platters.