The University of Arizona

Band Staff

GREGG I. HANSON

Director of Bands
Professor of Music

Music Building, Room 166A
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.7024, fax 520.621.1916
hansong@u.arizona.edu

Gregg I. HansonGregg I. Hanson was born in Ogden, Utah in 1943. He studied trumpet, piano, and voice in his formative years before attending The University of Michigan where he earned bachelor and master degrees in 1967-68. He has studied conducting with Elizabeth A. H. Green and William D. Revelli and now heads an innovative graduate conducting program at the University of Arizona where he currently serves as director of Wind Bands and professor of conducting. His performing ensembles have appeared at all of the major venues in the United States including the conferences of the College Band Directors National Association, Music Educators National Conference, and the American Bandmasters Association. He was inducted as a member of ABA in 1984. In the summer of 2001, the UA Wind Ensemble performed at Lucerne, Switzerland. His conducting experience is varied and includes commercial music, musical theatre, opera, chamber music, orchestra, and wind band.

Under his baton, The University of Arizona Wind Ensemble has achieved international recognition with the release of three compact disc recordings, all of the music of David Maslanka, under the Albany label. Hanson enjoys numerous guest-conducting and clinic appointments in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe, and most recently in China where he was the first American wind band conductor to conduct a public concert with the Peoples Liberation Army Band. During the fall semester of 2003, he returned to China for the purpose of creating the first-ever wind ensembles at the Beijing and Xi'an Conservatories of Music. Hanson has been praised for his authentic interpretations and degree of excellence of his work and is credited with numerous premieres of outstanding repertoire for the wind band.


JAY C. REES

Associate Director of Bands
Professor of Music
Director, the "Pride of Arizona"
Athletic Bands

Music Building, Room 166
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.7027, fax 520.621.1916
jrees@u.arizona.edu

Jay C. ReesJay Rees is an experienced and innovative musician with a varied background as a conductor, composer, arranger, and performer. Concert, jazz, and athletic bands perform his original compositions and arrangements. Warner Bros./C.P.P. Belwin, Pumpkin Monkey Music, and Musicexpresso.com have published Rees' works. Major universities and high schools across the country commission hiis music annually.

An accomplished musician in jazz performance, Rees has appeared throughout the U.S., Canada and Japan. He toured with the international recording act The Lettermen as bassist and music director and is featured on their album release Now and Then. Rees currently performs as bassist, leader and composer of Sylvan Street, a progressive new ensemble fusing jazz, rock, latin and funk styles. Sylvan Street features a diverse collection of Rees' original works on their 2009 Summit Records CD release The Perfect Leaf. Rees also collaborates with the UA jazz faculty and performs at UA's annual AZ Jazz Concert Series.

Under his inspired direction, the University of Arizona's marching and pep bands have attained national reputation with Rees' contemporary arrangements and inventive drill design. Rees' work is referenced extensively in the book "Marching Bands and Drumlines: Secrets of Success from the Best of the Best." In 2009, the prestigious College Band Directors National Association named The Pride of Arizona one of the top marching bands in the country. The bands have released CD recordings, are heard as part of an Electronic Arts college basketball computer software program, and they have appeared in numerous television features including NBC-TV's Today Show and Fox Sports. Rees is also conductor of the UA Wind Symphony, teaches undergraduate music education courses, and travels as a clinician, guest speaker and adjudicator for band programs nationwide.

Rees choreographed a live "human flag" for the Tucson community in response to the events of 9/11/01. His imaginative design incorporated 10,000 citizens and became a national symbol. The image appeared on CNN and was published in a special issue of Sports Illustrated.

Rees is listed in Who's Who In America for the 21st Century as well as Who's Who Among America's Teachers. A native of Detroit, Rees lived in Miami and Los Angeles before making his home in Tucson with his wife and two sons.


ROBERT R. BAYLESS, PH.D.

Assistant Professor of Music Education
Director of Symphonic Band & Outreach Honor Band

Music Building, Room 147
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.7469, fax 520.621.8118
rbayless65@comcast.net

Robert BaylessDr. Robert R. Bayless, a native of Ohio, received a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education, a Masters of Music Education degree and a Doctorate of Philosophy degree in Music Education from Kent State University. His doctoral dissertation studied the leadership qualities of high school large group ensemble directors.


Dr. Bayless has taught in both public schools and college music programs. His years of public school teaching have included several positions in Ohio. Prior to coming to the University of Arizona, Dr. Bayless’ college teaching experiences have included appointments in Ohio, New York and Wisconsin.


Performing groups under Dr. Bayless’ direction were always rated superior at district and state orchestra, band and choir music competitions during his Ohio public school teaching career. Among the performance honors received by groups conducted by Dr. Bayless include: the Anglo-American Bicentennial Festival, Royal Albert Hall, London, England; UNESCO-ISME Conference, Hanover, Germany; International Society of Music Educators, Montreaux, Switzerland; Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic, Chicago; Washington National Cathedral Easter Services, Washington, D.C.; Mid-East Band Clinic, Pittsburgh; Blossom Music Center International Festival, Cleveland; Bowling Green University Reading Clinic, Bowling Green, Ohio; Akron University Reading Clinic Akron, Ohio; American School Band Director’s Ohio State Meeting; Ohio Music Education Association Fiftieth Anniversary Concert, Fostoria, Ohio; Indian Head Honors Festival, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; and Ohio Music Education State Meetings. Among the guest conductors of his groups have included Karel Husa, Arnald Gabriel, John Paynter, John Boyd, Robert Fleming, Fredrick Fennell, Mark Kelly and Paul Whear. Dr. Bayless has continually worked as a conductor, teacher, adjudicator and clinician for high school and junior high school bands and orchestras throughout Ohio, New York, Wisconsin, and now Arizona.


Dr. Bayless is a member of WASBE (World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles), NBA (National Band Association), ASBDA (American School Band Directors Association), Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, Phi Beta Mu, MENC (The National Association for Music Education), AMEA (Arizona Music Education Association), and IHS (International Horn Society).
Currently Dr. Bayless is an Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Arizona, teaching conducting and music education courses. He is the director of the Symphonic Band and the Outreach Honor Band. Dr. Bayless is also the Editor of AMEA’s Arizona Music News.


SHAWN CULLEN

Adjunct Professor/Instructor
Athletic Bands
Pep Band Director

School of Music
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.1683, fax 520.621.1916
scullen@u.arizona.edu

shawn cullenShawn Cullen is on faculty with Tucson Unified School District where he has served as Instrumental and Choral educator and conductor with students K-12 since 2004. He quickly earned a reputation for his high-energy teaching style and “Superior and Superior with Distinction” award-winning performing groups. Cullen served as Music Director and Band Director for TUSD's largest 5th grade instrumental program where his school was chosen as the "arts spotlight" program for Governor Janet Napolitano's educational tour to Tucson for the 2005/2006 school year.  Currently he holds the position of Director of Bands at and Choirs at Magee Middle School and enjoys working as Lead Grant Panelist for the Arizona Commission on the Arts  helping to allocate millions dollars to state and local arts organizations.

Cullen has performed professionally with a multitude of groups including the Tucson Symphony Orchestra Chorus, Southern Arizona Symphony Orchestra and has traveled throughout the United States, Mexico, and South America as vocalist, instrumentalist and conductor. When not teaching or performing, Mr. Cullen serves as an artistic consultant to various musical groups as a sought out clinician, motivator, and guest conductor. Cullen has also composed and arranged music for film and radio and has directed multiple staged musical productions.


Mr. Cullen is a graduate of the University of Arizona, has recorded on multiple albums including Park Avenue Records and has recently been inducted into "Who's Who in America 2007". Most recently Cullen has been named Artistic Director of the Reveille Men’s Chorus for the 2009/2010 Season.

EVE DOTSON

Administrative Secretary

Music Building, Room 166
Tucson, AZ 85721
520.621.1683, fax 520.621.1916
dotson@u.arizona.edu

Eve DotsonEve Dotson, a native Arizonan, graduated from Sahuaro High School here in Tucson. After receiving her AA degree from Pima College, she worked as an Administrative Secretary at IBM for 10 years before coming to The University of Arizona.

Eve has been the Band Area administrative assistant since 1989 and still loves it. As the office manager for the band program, Eve enjoys being the "behind-the-scenes" staff member supporting the Director of Bands, Associate Director of Bands, and Pep Band Director.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact her. She's here to help you.