Wildcat Marching Band Faculty
Scott Atchison
Director of Athletic Bands
Director, Wildcat Marching Band
Scott-Lee Atchison is the newly appointed Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Kentucky. Prior to his appointment at the University of Kentucky Mr. Atchison served as the Associate Director of Bands at Texas A&M University - Commerce where he conducted the symphonic band and concert band and taught classes in music technology, music literature, marching band techniques in addition to being the director of athletic bands. During his time at Texas A&M University – Commerce, Mr. Atchison oversaw significant growth of the marching band, more than doubling it in size and earning an invitation to perform at Texas UIL State Championships. In 2012, Mr. Atchison was privileged to guest conduct the Texas A&M University - Commerce Wind Ensemble in performances at the CBDNA Regional Convention and Carnegie Hall.
Mr. Atchison received a Masters Degree from the University of Tennessee and his Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of North Texas. He recently completed his doctoral residency at the University of Washington and will soon complete the requirements for a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting. At the University of Washington he studied instrumental conducting with Tim Salzman and trumpet with Allen Vizzutti and David Gordon. While at Washington, Mr. Atchison guest conducted the Wind Ensemble during their 2007 Japan Tour. At Tennessee, Mr. Atchison was a conducting student of Dr. Gary Sousa, Dr. David Stutzenberger, and James Fellenbaum, and has had additional conducting study with John Whitwell, Eugene Corporon, Jerry Junkin, Jack Stamp, H. Robert Reynolds, Allan McMurray, Craig Kirchhoff, Richard Floyd, Frank Battisti, Ray Cramer, and Robert Halseth. At North Texas he studied trumpet with Keith Johnson and Leonard Candelaria.
In 2007, Mr. Atchison joined the instructional staff for The Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps where he served as Brass Caption Head and in 2009 The Troopers were welcomed back into the DCI Finals after a 23-year absence. Mr. Atchison is currently the Brass Caption Head for The Cavaliers Drum & Bugle Corps from Rosemont, Illinois and serves as an active designer and clinician with marching bands and drum corps throughout the country. Finally, Mr. Atchison is a Yamaha Performing Artist and is a contributing author for the book series A Composer's Insight: Thoughts, Analysis and Commentary on Contemporary Masterpieces for Wind Band (Volume IV) where he collaborated with Pulitzer Prize winning composer David Del Tredici on a chapter featuring his contribution to the wind band and American music.
Wildcat Marching Band Instructional Staff
Mark Clodfelter
Brass Program Coordinator
Mark Clodfelter is the Professor of Trumpet at the University of Kentucky. He is a versatile performer of international acclaim and a Grammy nominated recording artist. Has was recently described by Classical Voice North Carolina as “…a stellar world-class trumpeter who’s dazzling playing wowed the audience”, and as “warm toned” by the Lexington Herald Leader (KY). As a soloist, Mark has appeared throughout the United States, Germany, France, Switzerland, Italy, Ireland, Russia, Thailand, Greece, and the Peoples Republic of China with orchestras, wind ensembles, brass ensembles, jazz bands, and solo recitals. This summer he will make his debut in Australia and Brazil.
Mark can be heard as Principal Trumpet of the Asheville Symphony Orchestra, the Trade Winds (Tamp Fl.) and Co-Principal of Orchestra Kentucky. His commercial affiliations include split lead with the DiMartino/Osland Jazz Orchestra and the Kentucky Jazz Repertory Orchestra. Mark is member of Covalence, a duo, with Rebecca Wilt, his wife and renowned collaborative pianist. Additionally, he is Co-Conductor of the Blue Grass Area Jazz Ambassadors and the Central Kentucky Youth Jazz Orchestra.
Mr. Clodfelter has recorded extensively in styles ranging from classical to rock. He has also appeared with such headliners as The O' Jays, Gladys Knight, Mannheim Steam Roller, the Moody Blues, the Lettermen, Doc Severinson, Bob Mintzer, Frank Mantooth, Lou Rawls, Glen Campbell and Ray Charles.
Prior to his appointment at the University of Kentucky, Mark was Instructor of Trumpet and Director of Jazz Band at Mars Hill College. He served on the faculty of the Eastern Music Festival as a member of the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra and has taught the Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps. Mark was a founding member of the Giannini Brass and has held positions with the Greensboro Symphony, the Western Piedmont Symphony, the Salisbury Symphony, the Greenville (SC) Symphony and the Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mr. Clodfelter holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Lenoir-Rhyne College and a Master of Music Degree from the North Carolina School of the Arts. Please visit Mark at www.markclodfelter.com.
Mark is a Yamaha Performing Artist and plays Pickett Brass custom mouthpieces.
Mark Casey
Percussion Program Coordinator
Mark Casey has received international recognition as a performer, teacher, composer, and adjudicator within the percussion activity. He has worked with the likes of the World Champion Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps, the World Champion Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps, the Yamato Drum and Bugle Corps, the University of Kentucky, the University of Miami (FL), the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the Miami of Ohio University, the McGavock High School Marching Band, and the Lafayette High School Marching Band. Mark has judged for Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, and Indiana state-sanctioned shows and has also been a judge for SCGC, WGI, and PAS.
Keegan Magee
Color Guard Instructor
Keegan recently graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelors of science in biology. She has been in color guard since 2000 when she was in the seventh grade. Keegan has been a member of the WMB for five years and has been co-captain and instructor for two years.
Sarah Urban
Color Guard Instructor
Sarah is a 2011 UK alumnus with a BS in Psychology. A native of Russellville, KY, she has been in colorguard and winterguard since 2000, having previously instructed Russellville High School colorguard, and co-instructed Woodford Co. High School colorguard. Currently she is working part time as UK colorguard co-intructor and part time as an EMT. I plan to go back to school to be a Physician Assistant in the near future.
Jenni Webb
Sweetheart Majorettes Instructor
Jenni is a professional member of the United States Twirling Association, a former UK feature twirler (1998-2000) and US Trials team member (1999). With over twenty years of experience in competitive dance and baton twirling, she has held many state, regional, and national baton twirling titles. A 2002 graduate of the UK School of Education, Jenni is currently an instructor at Bluegrass Dance Center in Richmond.
Wildcat Marching Band Graduate Staff
Kenneth Iyescas
UK Bands Graduate Assistant
Kenneth Javier Iyescas was born in Managua, Nicaragua, and immigrated to the United States at the age of two years old to Jersey City, New Jersey, where he lived until his early teens. He began his musical studies at the age of nine playing the trumpet following in his father’s foot steps, who was an accomplished trumpeter in their native country. Music was always present in the home, be it in the form of Spanish dance music or native folk songs sung and accompanied by his father’s guitar, which was an enormous influence. Shortly after moving to Red Oak, Texas, Mr. Iyescas began playing the French horn.
After graduating from Red Oak High School, he was accepted to Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas. While at Howard Payne University, Mr. Iyescas received many awards for his French Horn playing, was the Student Conductor for the Symphonic Band and studied conducting and French Horn with Dr. Robert Tucker. He also was a member of the National Wind Symphony that performed in Carnegie Hall under the direction of Maestro H. Robert Reynolds. Upon completion of his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Howard Payne University, Mr. Iyescas was accepted into the Master’s degree program at Texas Tech University, where he graduated with a Master’s of Music degree in Horn Performance studying with Anthony Brittin. While at Texas Tech University, he performed with all of the top ensembles, including the Texas Tech Wind Ensemble and the Texas Tech Symphony Orchestra, as well as many of the professional orchestras in the area, including New Mexico.
Most recently, Mr. Iyescas has served as the Music Director and Conductor of the Fort Worth Symphonic Band, as well as an Assistant Director for the Crowley High School Mighty Eagle Band for 10 years in the Crowley Independent School District.
Colin Hill
Percussion Instructor
Colin Hill holds a Bachelor of Music degree in music performance from the University of North Texas, a masters degree from Indiana University, and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky.
Colin has studied marimba with Mark Ford, Kevin Bobo, and Robert Schietroma; Timpani with John Tafoya and Christopher Deane; snare drum with Paul Rennick, Jason Baker, and James Campbell; jazz drumset and vibraphone with Ed Soph, Steve Houghton, and Ed Smith; and world percussion with Jose Aponte, Gideon Foli Alorwoyie, Poovalur Sriji, and Michael Spiro.
He has played with the Bloomington Pops Orchestra, the UNT Wind Symphony under conductor Eugene Corporon, the 13-time national champion UNT Indoor Drumline, the Seattle Cascades Drum and Bugle Corps, Oregon Crusaders Drum and Bugle Corps, and the UNT Percussion Ensemble, which traveled to Paris, France in 2007 to perform concerts at the Ecole Nationale de Musique de Le Mans, Ecole Nationale de Musique d'Alençona, and at the annual PerKumania Festival hosted by the Paris Superior Conservatory of Music. In 2004 he attended the Leigh Howard Stevens Summer Marimba Seminar in Asbury Park, New Jersey.
Most recently, Colin finished second place in the 2009 PASIC marching keyboard competition and won the 2009 Indiana University percussion concerto competition which resulted in the performance of Russel Peck's "Glory and the Grandeur Percussion Concerto" with the IU Concert Orchestra. He has also performed on albums with the UNT Wind Symphony, UNT Symphonic Band, IU Wind Ensemble, and UNT percussion ensemble. Some of these albums include: "Concerto for Saxophone and Wind Ensemble" by Chris Rutkowski, "With Heart and Voice" by David Gillingham, "Vespertine Formations" by the UNT percussion ensemble, and "Teaching Music Through Performance in Band Vol. 6 and 7" by G.I.A. Publications.
Colin has taught, adjudicated, and written music for numerous high schools and middle schools in Dallas, Texas and Bloomington, Indiana and is a current member of the Percussive Arts Society (PAS).
Wildcat Marching Band Support Staff
Vicki Pendleton
UK Band Staff Support Associate
Vicki Pendleton's bio coming soon.
Michael Friedman
Voice of the Wildcat Marching Band
The voice of the WMB since 2008, Michael Friedman is a professional actor and writer who now makes his career in television and industrial films. He’s written documentaries for A&E’s Biography and for PBS, and has appeared nationally in commercials, television, and film. With wife Margo Buchanan, he wrote the historical dramas Daniel Boone, the Man and the Legend and Freedom Trail. He was Artistic Director of Paragon Music Theatre, Kentucky’s premiere musical theatre company, and with composer Ryan Shirar created the musical version of Shakespeare’s Merry Wives of Windsor. Before coming to Lexington, where he and Margo live with children Nathan, Noah, and Emma, he served on the faculties of Elmhurst College and the University of Wisconsin.
Chuck Perry
WMB Photographer
UK Band & Alumni first started seeing Chuck show up around old Stoll Field in the Fall of 1980. By 1983 he traveled with the band to the Hall of Fame bowl in Birmingham to capture the event. He’s been around ever since doing a “a blood, sweat & tears” slide show of early week and an end of the year capsule for closing awards and banquet. In between you’ll spot him at the football and basketball events, preserving memories.
Quoting Chuck, “Being free lance, I’m too much of an historian to be a profitable photographer. I take photos knowing I am preserving some of the best experiences of their college life. I see special accomplishments, events and memories, rather than profitability. Nevertheless I’ve been blessed. Band stories abound; there have been some great road trips. There is no bigger rush than to hear Pre-Game on Football Saturday.”
