All State Middle School Band
Mike Eagan

Michael Eagan, currently in his 33rd year in education, is a graduate of Georgia State University and in 1985, completed his Masters Degree at VanderCook College in Chicago.  Mike began his career in Clayton County, Ga. and has since taught at the elementary, middle school, junior high, senior high and college level.  For the past twenty years he has served as the director of bands in Benzie County, Michigan. Mike’s bands have presented invitational performances at the GMEA State Conference, the University of Georgia High School Music Clinic, the Midwestern Conference in Ann Arbor, MI, and the Midwest Clinic in Chicago.  He has conducted honors bands in Michigan, Georgia, New York and Ohio and each summer, he conducts a band at the Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp.  In 2000, Mike was named the “Outstanding Person in Education” for the Benzie County Schools and in 2007, he was selected as the Michigan “Teacher of the Year” for Band.

Mike has been an active officer and committee chair in statewide music education associations. In Georgia, he twice served as an All-State Organizing Chair and in Michigan, he held a number of district and state level offices in the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association (MSBOA).  In 2001, Mike was elected statewide President of MSBOA and in 2006, he organized the first Michigan All-State Band and Orchestra. He was elected into the American School Band Directors Association in 1988 and has twice been awarded the National Band Association “Citation of Excellence”. Mike is also currently a member of the VanderCook College of Music Board of Trustees.   

Mike and his wife, Cynthia Swan-Eagan, live in Manistee, Michigan where she serves as director of bands.  Cindy and Mike still work together on music education committees, adjudicate at all levels, and present clinics at conferences and universities.

All State Middle School Band
Erik Morales

The music of Erik Morales (born Dec. 10, 1966, New York City) has a unique
melodic and harmonic vocabulary that appeals to audiences worldwide. He has composed best-selling music for many types of genres (classical, jazz, pop), a trait which is rare among today's composers. His many published works encompass a large variety of styles and settings, including works for wind, orchestral, jazz and chamber ensembles and have been part of featured performances across the globe. In addition to his published works he also is commissioned regularly by schools and organizations nationwide. A good portion of Mr. Morales' work focuses on achieving a balance between artistic and educational literature. He studied composition at Florida International University, and completed his bachelor's degree at the University of Louisiana, Lafayette (1989).

     Mr. Morales  began composing music at an early age. His composing career began shortly after graduation from high school in south Florida when his former band director offered to pay him to arrange music for the marching band (1985). This inevitably led to more arranging jobs and would open doors to the educational music publishing industry.  In 2002 Mr. Morales signed an exclusive contract with the FJH Music Company for his educational wind and string works. Most recently, his critically acclaimed chamber ensembles have won numerous awards including first place performances at the 2006 and 2008 National Trumpet Competitions. Mr. Morales is currently a member of the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the International Trumpet Guild (ITG).

     Currently, Mr. Morales  maintains an active composing and conducting schedule. Mr. Morales' concert and orchestral works are published exclusively through The FJH Music Company, Inc. and his jazz ensemble music is published through Belwin Jazz, a division of Alfred Publishing.  All of Mr. Morales' chamber music editions are self-published and are available exclusively through MoralesMusic.com.

All State Concert Band
Bill Connell

Bill Connell has been Director of Bands at Virgil I. Grissom High School in
Huntsville, Alabama since 1986.  During his tenure the band program has expanded to two symphonic bands playing grade VI music and a grade IV concert band plus two jazz bands with full instrumentation.  A myriad of chamber and jazz ensembles (in addition to a full pit orchestra for the annual musical) perform throughout the school year in the community, state-wide and nationally. There are two marching bands at Grissom, an all-inclusive ensemble that performs pregame at all home football games
plus provides entertainment and spirit for all the varsity games.  A more select auditioned contest band performs at marching contests and festivals throughout the southeast and at halftime for the football games.  The symphonic/concert, marching and jazz bands are recognized throughout the U.S. for the quality of literature played and their professional
level of performance. Prior to his tenure at Grissom, Mr. Connell taught in South Carolina and Tennessee where his bands were recognized as being of the highest quality of any high school ensemble in the state.

Mr. Connell is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator for both concert and marching band. In recent years he has adjudicated several state concert and marching festivals throughout the southeast, plus numerous local and regional festivals/contests.  As a guest speaker, Mr. Connell has conducted seminars and round table discussions on a variety of topics such as advanced rehearsal techniques, choosing music to fit your band and the overall organization of the band program.

Professionally, Mr. Connell has served on the boards of all the state music associations where he resided. He is a member of Phi Beta Mu music fraternity, National Band Association (where he served on the national board), co-founder of the Alabama Band Directors Association and member of all the state and local education music associations and their national affiliates.  Mr. Connell is married with two daughters age 9 (Laura Beth) and 5 (Brooke) and a 13 year old step son (Brandon).  He also has two adult siblings (Ian and Kristin) from a previous marriage.

All State Symphonic Band
Dr. Stephen Peterson

Stephen Peterson was appointed Director of Bands at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York, in 1998, where he currently conducts the Wind Ensemble, teaches courses in conducting and wind literature, and heads the band and MM wind conducting programs. From 1988-1998 he served as Associate Director of Bands at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Dr. Peterson was also Conductor of the renowned Northshore Concert Band.  He held positions as Associate and Interim Director of Bands at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas and has several years of successful teaching experience in the public schools in Arizona. Dr. Peterson holds the Doctor of Music degree from Northwestern University and Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Arizona State University. His ensembles have appeared before national conventions of the American Bandmaster’s Association, the College Band Director’s National Association, the National Association of College Wind and Percussion Instructors, the American School Band Director’s Association, at Orchestra Hall with the Chicago Symphony Chorus, and at Lincoln Center.

For many years Peterson served as a new music reviewer for The Instrumentalist Magazine, and has conducted throughout the United States, and in Canada, Ireland, the Republic of China, Luxembourg, and Qatar. He is a member of the Music Educator’s National Conference, the College Band Directors National Association, (for which he will serve as president beginning in 2013), the World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, The New York State Band Director’s Association, the New York State School Music Association, and has been honored with membership in the prestigious American Bandmaster’s Association.

All State Symphonic Band
Dr. Robert Ponto

Robert Ponto serves as Director of Bands at the University of Oregon
School of Music and Dance. He has conducted ensembles through the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. His own performing ensembles appear regularly at state, regional and national music conferences. They have also been featured at the Bang on a Can contemporary music festival in New York City, on National Public
Radio and on Oregon Public Radio.

A self-described “musical omnivore,” Ponto is an advocate for original music in all genres and is actively involved in the commissioning
and performance of new works. He has collaborated with many influential composers including John Adams, Steven Stucky, Michael Daugherty, Gia Kancheli, Frank Ticheli, Scott Lindroth,
Augusta Read Thomas and many others. Herecently conducted
the world premiere of Justine F. Chen’s Philomel
with soprano Lucy Shelton.

As an electronic musician and sound development hobbyist,
Ponto has contributed to unique projects in that genre as well.
The contemporary music ensemble, Beta Collide has performed his
Postmark Sirius: In Memoriam Karlheinz Stockhausen for trumpet
and live electronics, Beta Bacher (commissioned for the Oregon
Bach Festival’s Bach Remix V),and a new digital realization of
Stockhausen’s classic work, Solo. Most recently, his sound design
work was used extensively by British pop singer/songwriter
Imogen Heap on her single, “Lifeline.”