Conductors
Avious Jackson (High School SENIOR Honor Band)
Growing up in an Air Force family that lived in many different places, Avious always found comfort in music. He became a member of his school and church choirs, then joined his middle school band as a trumpet player. His experiences in the band left deep positive impacts on his life and further cultivated his intense love for music. Driven by a desire to provide the same kind of experiences he was fortunate to have, he decided to become a music educator.
Avious joined the instrumental music staff at Mason City Schools in 2008. While at Mason, Avious has taught several ensembles and grade levels, including Guitar Class, Middle School Band, Concert Band, Jazz Band, he serves as caption head for the brass section of the Marching Band, and Director of Bands for the 6-12th grade band program. Before joining the team at Mason, Avious served as Director of Bands and Orchestras at Stebbins High School in Riverside, OH. Memorable highlights for Avious include performances at Carnegie Hall, Severance Hall, National Concert Band Festival, appearances in Bands of America Grand National Finals, and two appearances in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.
Avious received his Bachelor’s in Music Education from Miami University in Oxford, OH in 2004. During his time at Miami, he was a member of several ensembles including Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Brass Choir, and Trumpet Ensemble. The opportunity to study trumpet with Jim Olcott, and conducting with Gary Speck, helped mold him as a musician. Professors such as Brenda Mitchell and Sam Reynolds inspired his philosophy of music education and helped him understand the importance of teachers and their impact on the world. In 2011, Avious completed a Master’s in Music Education from VanderCook College of Music in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to his teaching duties at Mason, Avious has served as a clinician with bands across the country. He is also a part of the Marching Band staff at the Music For All Summer Symposium held yearly at Ball State University. In 2018 Avious was named Associate Conductor of the Cincinnati Wind Band, Cincinnati’s official wind band. When Avious isn’t working in the band world, he enjoys working as a professional wedding DJ across the Cincinnati area.
Ryan Alexis (Middle School RED & BLACK Honor Band)
Ryan Alexis has been teaching in the Worthington City School District since 2006, where he is the Director of Bands at Kilbourne Middle School. At KMS, he conducts the 6th Grade Bands, 7th Grade Bands, 8th Grade Band, KMS Jazz Band, and “ KMS Red Bird” Honor Band.
In addition, he also assists with the Thomas Worthington High School “Pride of Cardinal Country” Marching Band, directs the TWHS Cardinal Jazz Band, and conducts the Thomas Worthington High School Pit Orchestra. Ryan has had the honor of directing the Capital Cadet Band (2017-2019) and Junior Winds (2019-2024).
Alexis received a BME from The Ohio State University School of Music, and an MMME from The Conservatory of Music at Capital University. Ryan is a member of OMEA, NAfME, ASBDA, and has served as a treasurer for the OMEA South-Central Region. Ryan serves as a guest clinician for OMEA Honor Bands all around Ohio, working with students of all ages. In his free time, Ryan enjoys teaching saxophone lessons, and coaching saxophone ensembles. Ryan resides in Worthington, with his wife Meg, and sons Benjamin and William.
Diana Wightman (Middle School BISHOP Honor Band)
Diana Wightman recently retired from the Newark City School District, where she served twenty-seven years as band director of Liberty Middle School and Wilson Middle School, and assistant band director for Newark High School. Prior to coming to Newark, Diana completed two years of graduate study in Brass Performance and Pedagogy at Bowling Green State University, and served four years as assistant high school director and Elementary Instrumental Music Program director at Chaminade-Julienne High School in Dayton. Active in OMEA throughout her career, she was chair of the District 10 Middle School Honors Band from 2006-2021. In 2017, she was the recipient of the Newark City Schools Outstanding Educator Award and the Coughlin Automotive “You Make a Difference Award.”
Since her retirement in 2022, Diana continues to assist Newark and surrounding community band programs through teaching private lessons and helping with sectional rehearsals and camps. She plays euphonium with the Heisey Wind Ensemble and is co-founder and director of the newly formed Newark Community Band. Diana served as guest clinician with Ohio State University Middle School Honors Band and the Ross County Elementary Honor Band, and she marched with the Band Director’s Marching Band in the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade and the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Originally from Centerville, Ohio, Diana earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Bowling Green State University, and is a member of Phi Beta Mu.
Adrienne Lape (Woodwind Ensemble)
Sarah Grosse (Brass Ensemble)
Ben Shaheen (Percussion Ensemble)
Festival Staff
Renee Simon (flute, piccolo)
Hannah Barenthin ’24 (clarinet, WW ensemble rehearsal assistant)
Hannah Watson ’23 (saxophone)
Karen Pfeifer (oboe, bassoon, bass clarinet)
Sam Nemeth (trumpet, Brass ensemble rehearsal assistant)
Kim McCann (horn)
Tony Weikel (trombone)
Dakota Parrish (baritone/euphonium, tuba)
Chris Lizak (percussion)
Logan Page (Senior Band rehearsal assistant)
Administrative Staff
Rich Edwards (Festival Director)
Lisa Hill (Performing Arts Department Academic Assistant)