Quinn Mason is a composer and conductor of Western Art Music. He has received numerous awards and honors from such organizations as the American Composers Forum, Voices of Change, Texas A&M University, ASCAP, the Dallas Foundation, Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble, National Flute Association, International Clarinet Association, the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York, the Philadelphia Youth Orchestra, the Heartland Symphony Orchestra and the Arizona State University Symphony Orchestra. In 2020, Quinn was honored by the Dallas Morning News as a finalist for 'Texan of the Year'.

Brian Meixner is an active euphonium soloist, conductor, and educator, currently Associate Professor of Music at High Point University where he serves as the Director of Instrumental Studies, Director of Bands, teaches studio low brass, and conducts the HPU Community Orchestra and HPU Brass Ensemble. Brian is the Founder, Music Director, and President of the North Carolina Brass Band, has held the position of Assistant Conductor of the River City Brass Band (where he played euphonium full time for six years), and has been featured with the RCBB on several performances, both as a performer and conductor. Brian played euphonium and trombone for several years with the River Bottom Quartet, a diverse low brass chamber group composed of River City Brass Band members. He has previously served on the faculties of UNC-Greensboro, Slippery Rock University, the University of Texas at Arlington, Texas Woman’s University, and as the Euphonium Teaching Fellow at the University of North Texas.

The Euphonium Ambassador Adam Frey travels the globe sharing his talents as a performer and advocate for live music where he solos with orchestras and bands the world over. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Adam Frey received his musical training at the University of Georgia, the Royal Northern College of Music, and the University of Salford. Adam has more than one hundred and twenty works that have been composed or specifically arranged for him--most are published by Euphonium.com Publications, Pinnacle Brass Publications, and Absolute Brass.com.  He annually hosts the International Euphonium Tuba (IET) Festival at Emory University each June where more than 175 students and teachers from around the world participate in a week of playing, learning, and inspiration. It which will hold its 20th anniversary this year. Adam is a Yamaha Performing Artist and serves as Associate Professor of Music at the University of North Georgia.  His website, www.euphonium.com, contains sound files, performance schedules, photos from his world travels, and his recordings and publications.

Dr. Mike Vecchio is a lecturer of Music Education at the University of Illinois. While completing his doctorate at University of Michigan, he taught and assisted with courses throughout the undergraduate music education curriculum, pursued a cognate in wind conducting, and served as the assistant conductor of the Michigan Youth Symphonic Band and the University of Michigan Band Alumni Association Concert Band. Additionally, he has taught graduate music education coursework at Eastern Michigan University, and undergraduate music education coursework and applied brass lessons at Adrian College. He has performed as a Euphonium player with the North Shore Concert Band and the Chicago Brass Band. Vecchio previously taught music for eight years in the public schools of New York and the northern suburbs of Chicago. He earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education and Euphonium Performance from Ithaca College and Master’s Degrees in Music Education and Euphonium Performance from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on creative musical activities within instrumental ensembles and the development of creative musical agency.

Hiram Diaz is an educator euphonium player, bandsman, and multi-instrumentalist with the President's Own United States Marine Band. A second generation Cuban American, he grew up in Miami, surrounded by rich expressions of Latin-American art. He studied at Miami’s New World School of the Arts, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, and the University of North Texas. He also performs as a member of The High Bridge Brass and regularly on euphonium, trombone, and bass trumpet with the Baltimore Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and National Symphony Orchestras.

Dr. Chris Dickey has earned a reputation as a performer, teacher, and adjudicator throughout the United States, South America, and Asia. Currently, they are Assistant Professor of Tuba and Euphonium in the Washington State University School of Music. Dr. Dickey has received the WSU President’s Distinguished Teaching Award, a system-wide award given annually to a faculty member who epitomizes the highest levels of performance and excellence and who plays a vital role in teaching WSU students, has been inducted into the WSU President’s Teaching Academy and in 2021, they earned the Edward F. Mullen Memorial Teaching Award from the WSU College of Arts and Sciences, an honor given to a faculty member in the arts, humanities, or social sciences who demonstrates outstanding commitment to undergraduate education. Dr. Dickey is a founding member of the In Motus Tuba Quartet and Anonim Trio professional ensembles specializing in recording and commissioning new literature. They also perform with the Palouse Brass Company and the Crimson Brass Trio. They are a Miraphone Performing Artist.

Dr. Gail Robertson has a distinguished reputation as a euphonium artist and teacher, soloist, and clinician. She has also garnered worldwide attention for leadership, her work as composer/arranger, and as a musical talent. Robertson serves as Associate Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Central Arkansas. She is the former head of the jazz area where she coordinated jazz events and conducted the top jazz ensemble. In addition to teaching, she performs as tubist in the faculty brass quintet, Pinnacle Brass. She has been a longtime member of the Brass Band of Battle Creek, Keith Brion’s New Sousa Band,  Monarch Brass, and has been a clinician for the MIDWEST Band and Orchestra Clinic. Dr. Robertson is Past President of the International Tuba and Euphonium Association (ITEA) and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Leonard Falcone Tuba and Euphonium Festival. She is Past President of the International Women’s Brass Conference (IWBC) and co-hosted two international conferences. Robertson was Chair/Chief Editor of the International Tuba and Euphonium Press (2012-2017).

Lance LaDuke is an internationally known educator, writer, speaker and performer who teaches at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. Lance is a former member of international touring quintet Boston Brass, the United States Air Force Band in Washington DC, the Brass BAnd of Battle Creek, and the River City Brass Band—the only full time professional brass band in the country. He contributed to The GAME of Innovation, a full-color visual book that helps teams solve creative challenges. Lance is an Educational Ambassador for Jupiter Band Instruments, plays Parker Mouthpieces, and co-hosted (with Andrew Hitz) The Brass Junkies Podcast.  His book, “Music Practice Coach,” is available as a PDF download on his website where you can also view an array of his comedic endeavors. Most recently, he has launched a speaking career and regularly shares his ideas on practice, leadership, self-development, motivation, entrepreneurship, and innovation.

In this episode I talk about what I've been up to this summer, what I've learned, some things it made me think about, and why there weren't any episodes in August. 

The phrase "Lead by example" has been corporatized, marked, and perverted into a cliche that people put on resumes because they think it will help them fit in in the business world. In reality it is one of the most important, difficult, humble, and brave things you can pursue.  In this episode I reflect on what it takes to be the change that you want to see, where to look for inspiration, and how, in my experience, it will help you grow a more fruitful life. See what else I'm up to here! https://www.mcgowanmusic.com https://www.instagram.com/musicmcgowan/ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbSMiCS-aaadCTKdE943JJQ