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TubaChristmas Personalities
Dr. Keith Wilkinson
Conductor, Brass Band of the Western Reserve; Conductor, St. Louis Brass Band; Faculty Member, Capital University
Dr.
Wilkinson brings a world of knowledge and expertise to his conducting. His
experiences are steeped in the British brass band tradition. During his
formative years, in the heart of brass band country in the UK, he began
performing on baritone and later as soloist on euphonium. Eventually
his performing skills led to his becoming principal euphonium in the
National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain.
While still a student, he began building a reputation in conducting and rose to great achievement as bandmaster of the Salvation Army and other highly regarded bands. His extensive conducting experience includes concert tours throughout Great Britain and Europe, along with many guest conducting performances. Wilkinson’s leadership led to outstanding contest successes and his credits as a fine conductor continued to grow with each accomplishment.
Dr. Wilkinson’s reputation has continued to be recognized after moving to the United States. He has been responsible for bringing brass bands to northern Ohio and is currently conductor of The Brass Band of the Western Reserve and The St. Louis Brass Band in Missouri, both of which are regarded among the finest brass ensembles in the country. Both bands have achieved acclaim, including competition awards and The Brass Band of the Western Reserve has been named Ensemble-In-Residence at The University Of Akron.
Wilkinson has several highly respected Brass Band CD’s to his credits in England and the United States.
We are so pleased to have Dr. Keith Wilkinson as our guest conductor for TubaChristmas Cleveland.
Roy Buser
Banking Executive, Musician, Trumpeter, Keyboard Performer
Roy Buser is a multi-talented musician and member of North Royalton Community Band, where he plays trumpet, doubling on keyboards, and is a member of the rehearsal staff. Roy is featured piano soloist with TubaChristmas Cleveland, performs pre-show entertainment and along with vocalist Deborah Decker, gets the audience warmed up and enthusiastically singing to begin the season of holiday concerts.
Roy is featured on our CD, TubaChristmas With Voices, performing: J.S. Bach’s “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring” and “Christmas Time is Here,” from A Charlie Brown Christmas" on the Steinway Grand Piano.
Roy is organist at Christ United Methodist Church where in addition to weekly performances for services, he and other members of the music staff along with choirs, vocal soloists and instrumental ensembles present concerts during the year. As an avocation, Roy is an avid bicyclist.
Deborah Decker
Soprano
Deborah Decker is an amateur musician with experience in both vocal and instrumental performance. She has sung with the Downers Grove, IL Oratorio, the Cleveland Lutheran Acapella, and numerous church choirs. She has also played flute since fifth grade and performed with the Ft. Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra, the LCCC Orchestra, and the North Royalton Community Band. Deborah is married to the Rev. Wayne Decker and works as a physical therapist in geriatric rehab at Pleasantview Care Center in Parma, Ohio.
Bill Park
Music Educator, Composer, Arranger and Conductor
Bill Park has taught elementary and secondary instrumental music for
over 35 years in Ohio and Michigan. He holds a Bachelors degree
in Education from
Bowling Green State University and has pursued graduate work at Eastern
Michigan and Cleveland State Universities.
His band and ensemble music is published by Band Music Press, JPM Publishers and Great Works Publishing and is performed throughout the US and appears on several state contest lists. Additional works are published by his company, Dynamic Music.
Beyond the school setting, his conducting experience includes directing the Perrysburg (Ohio) Suburban Singers for 4 seasons. With the Suburban Singers and Perrysburg Community Orchestra, he conducted Handel's Messiah plus theatrical productions ranging from Gilbert and Sullivan to Victor Herbert. Mr. Park is the founding director of North Royalton Community Band in which capacity he has served since 1998. In addition, Park hosts the Northeast Ohio Community Reading Band and has been Coordinator for TubaChristmas Cleveland since 2002.
Carl Schanz
Firefighter, Paramedic, Actor
Carl Schanz is a career Firefighter and Paramedic for North Olmsted Fire Department.
As a local actor for the past 35 years, he has portrayed such characters as the King in the "King and I", Fagin in "Oliver", Pilate in "Superstar" and "Godspell", "Peter Pan" and many others throughout the greater Cleveland area.
Also on Carl’s resume are TV commercials for Safe Auto and General Motors; movies such as "Those Lips Those Eyes", "One", "Will Work for Food" and being the voice for Tuba Christmas Cleveland since 2005.
