Donald (Dee) McAfee - Eb Soprano Cornet

Dee attended Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida and received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Trumpet Performance in 1986.  His teachers include Billy Rousch of the Glen Gray Orchestra, William Hill from the New England Conservatory of Music, Larry Black with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Brian Goff at Florida State University.

Considered to be one of the preeminent soprano cornet players in the United States today, in October 2007 Dee was invited by conductor Russell Gray to perform as Soprano Cornet with the world-famous Leyland Band at the 2007 National Championships of Great Britain at London's Royal Albert Hall. Dee’s services are also in demand in the United States, as he assisted the Fountain City Brass Band (Missouri) in winning a third North American Brass Band Championship Section title in 2009.  Dee most recently won Best Cornet at the 2011 U. S. Open Brass Band Competition. 

Dee is currently a member of the world famous Herald Trumpets at the EPCOT resort at Walt Disney World. Dee also performs with Uptown, Orlando's favorite funk band, and at St. Margaret-Mary Church in Winter Park, where he is a frequent featured performer, notably as flugelhorn soloist on "Silent Night" on the CD "Sounds of Christmas" from St. Margaret Mary Church. This cd has sold thousands of copies and is a liturgical favorite in the Orlando church scene. Dee has been featured with such jazz and soul artists as Marcus Roberts, Rex Richardson, Freddie Hubbard, the Temptations, Vinnie Di Martino, Dick Oates, Ira Sullivan, Ray McKinley, and Larry Elgart Big Band.  He has also performed as first trumpet at the Seaside Music Theatre in Daytona Beach, the Lite Beer "World's Toughest Rodeo" and with the Clyde Beatty/Cole Brothers Circus.

In addition to being a busy freelance musician, Dee is the Director of Bands at the St. Margaret-Mary Catholic School in Winter Park, and is the father of 5 great children, three of them trumpet players. 

Dee is a founding member of the BBCF.

Bob Hinckley - Solo Cornet (Principal)

Bob is a native Floridian and spent most of his youth growing up in the Orlando area before pursuing a career in music.  After studying with Don Yaxley at Stetson University, he began his undergraduate work at Florida State University.  At FSU he studied with Bryan Goff before transferring to Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and completing his Bachelor of Music Education degree under trumpet professor, Jim Ault.  Bob then accepted an assistantship at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and completed his Master of Music degree in trumpet performance.  While at SMU he studied with Tom Booth – trumpet professor and member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

After graduate school, Bob was the band director at Colonial High School in Orlando, Florida for four years before entering into full-time Music Ministry.  He is currently the Music Director of the LifePoint Community Church in DeLand, Florida.  Bob lives in DeLand with his wife and four children.

Bob has also studied with Bob Wolpe - Houston Symphony Orchestra, Vincent Cichowicz – Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Arnold Jacobs – Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Tom Wohlwender – Cleveland Symphony Orchestra.

Bob currently is a member of the Stetson University Faculty Brass Quintet and on-call trumpet with the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Southwest Florida Symphony.  He has performed with the Sarasota Opera, Brevard Symphony, Dallas Opera, Roman Festival Orchestra, Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Bach Festival Orchestra, Seaside Music Theatre, Walt Disney World Entertainment and recording studio session work in the central Florida area.

Chris Dolske - Solo Cornet

John Copella - Flugelhorn

Brian Sullivan - 2nd Tenor Horn

Brian Sullivan earned the Bachelor of Music Education degree at the University of Florida and the Master of Music (Conducting) at the Florida State University.  As a student at UF, he served as Principal Clarinet of the University Band and Symphony Orchestra and was a Field Assistant with the Gator Marching Band.  At FSU he served as Assistant Conductor of University Orchestras, was a three-time recipient of the prestigious University Fellowship and taught undergraduate conducting and music theory.

He began his teaching career in Brevard County serving as Band Director at Cocoa High School from 1981 to 1986.  For 14 years, Brian was the Band Director at Kissimmee Middle School.   Under his direction, the KMS band established itself as one of Central Florida's finest, earning the highest ratings at the FBA Band Festivals.  Brian is the Band Director at Glenridge Middle School in Orlando.

He also has considerable experience leading orchestras, serving as Music Director of the Okaloosa Symphony Orchestra, the University of Central Florida Orchestra, the Gulf Coast Community Orchestra, the Tallahassee Youth Orchestra, the Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Somerset Music Festival Youth Orchestra.  He has appeared as Guest Conductor with the Spokane Symphony Orchestra and the Brevard Symphony Orchestra and studied with Paul Vermeil at the Aspen Music Festival and with Gunther Schuller at the Festival at Sandpoint.

Mr. Sullivan conducted the Florida All-State 7th and 8th grade Honor Band in 1997 and has conducted all-county high school and middle school bands in Hillsborough, Orange, Polk, Brevard, Okaloosa and Gilchrist counties.  He serves as adjudicator for the Florida Bandmaster's Association and the Florida Orchestra Association and is the author of a solfege-based beginning band method.  He plays the clarinet with the Southern Winds Concert Band.

His wife Jennifer is the music teacher at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in Kissimmee and they have two children, Kerry and Daniel.  His hobbies include basketball, hiking and reptile keeping.

Jeremiah Hemphill - Solo Euphonium

Jeremiah completed his Bachelor's degree in Euphonium performance from the Eastman School of Music.

Yannick Innis - Euphonium

Yannick completed his Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Stetson University in DeLand, Florida and currently is the Band Director at Mainland High School in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Steve Hewitt-1st Baritone
Steve grew up in Central Florida graduating from Winter Park High School and Stetson University.  While at Stetson, Steve was a trombone student of Don Yaxley and in 1980 completed his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education.

In 1980, Steve began performing as a euphonium player in the twelve piece circus band at the Ringling Brothers, Barnum and Bailey’s theme park - Circus World.  In 1984 Steve started working at Disney's theme parks as an on-call musician, doubling on trombone and euphonium with the Magic Kingdom's World Band, Future Corps at EPCOT, the TubaFours and Hollywood Brass at the Disney-MGM Studios.  Steve has played in the orchestra at the First Baptist Church of Orlando for the past 20 years as well.

Rick Mizell - 2nd Trombone/Assistant Conductor

After completing his Master's Degree in Trombone Performance at Ball State University, Rick joined the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra under the direction of Buddy Morrow and toured extensively for several years in the United States, Mexico, Canada, and England.  In 1980, Rick settled in Orlando performing and touring with Andy Williams, Lou Rawls, Natalie Cole, Wayne Newton and numerous other noted entertainers.  In 1982 he accepted a full time position as a trombonist with Walt Disney World.  Rick also served as assistant conductor of the Magic Kingdom's Walt Disney World Band, Entertainment Manager at Epcot, and in Disney's Talent Casting and Booking Department.  Currently, Rick is Music Director for Walt Disney Entertainment and is the Assistant Conductor of the BBCF.

Rick is an active and prolific arranger specializing in the brass ensemble medium.  His arrangements have been performed by numerous brass ensembles nationally and internationally and are published through Kirklees Music, UK.  As a conductor, Rick has appeared with Doc Severinsen, Disney's Mariachi Cobre and the San Jose, Phoenix, Modesto, Nashville, Minnesota, Tucson, Oklahoma, Milwaukee and Las Vegas Symphony orchestras.

In addition to the support and love from his wife Bonnie, son John, daughters Kristin and Megan and six grandchildren, Rick credits his musical experiences at the Interlochen Center for the Arts as being a profound influence upon the direction of his life’s journey.

Dale Edwards - Bass Trombone

Dale’s teachers include, Dr. James Rountree, retired Trombone professor, Anderson University, Harold Van Schaik, Bass Trombone, Florida Orchestra, Mike Roylance, Principal Tuba, Boston Symphony, and Chester Schmitz, retired Principal Tuba, Boston Pops / Boston Symphony.

John-Mark Hemphill - Eb Tuba

John-Mark is a Senior at the University of Central Florida with a double major in Music and Computer Science.
 

Robin Sisk - Eb Tuba

Robin Sisk is currently the Professor of Tuba and Euphonium at the University of Central Florida and on the faculty at the Patel Conservatory at the Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa.  She served as a tubist for the BBCF in 2006 and 2007, before returning to the band in 2011.  A native of Pittsburgh, Robin’s brass band experience first began while playing in the River City Youth Brass Band, and from 2009-2011, she was Principal Tubist of the New England Brass Band (Boston, MA) and performed with the Natural State Brass Band (Little Rock, AR) on their 2010 tour of the UK.  She has performed most notably with The Florida Orchestra, Sarasota Ballet, Walt Disney World, Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, and the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra.  She has been featured as a soloist with the USF Symphony Band, Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra, and on several occasions with the New England Brass Band, appeared as a guest artist at the ITEA South Region Tuba Euphonium Conference, and was named a semi-finalist for the International Tuba Euphonium Quartet Competition in both 2008 and 2010.  Most recently in 2011, she gave master classes and performances at Polk State College and West Virginia University, as well as a guest recital at Duquesne University as the Pennsylvania Representative for the inaugural North American Tuba Repertoire Initiative.

In addition to having served as a teaching assistant at the University of South Florida and assisting with tuba, euphonium, and brass ensemble instruction at The Hartt School, Robin has held positions in public and private schools across the eastern U.S. She regularly serves as a tuba and euphonium clinician, as a marching instructor and low brass coach for high school programs, and has been an all-state brass adjudicator for the Florida Bandmaster’s Association.

Robin earned a MM in Tuba Performance from the University of South Florida and a BM in Music Education, Summa Cum Laude, from West Virginia University.  Upon graduation from WVU, she was recognized as the Division of Music’s “Most Outstanding Graduate.” She is currently completing the final stages of the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Hartt School.

Her primary teachers have included Jay Hunsberger, Scott Mendoker, Dave McCollum, and Les Dean, Sr. 

Bob Tucker - Bb Tuba (Principal)

Bob received his Bachelor of Music Education degree from The Ohio State University, studying with Robert T. LeBlanc and James M. Akins.  From there, Bob began a lengthy career at Walt Disney World where he founded and was leader of the first professional tuba quartet, the Tubafours.

Bob keeps very busy with Major/minor Projects LLC, an instrument repair business specializing in brass repair which he started from a hobby.  He remains active in his spare time performing with various ensembles in the Central Florida area, including being a founding member of the brass quintet, Tapestry Brass. 

Jonathan Cruz - Bb Tuba

Jonathan is a freelance musician in Central Florida.

Rich Sweat - Percussion

Jonathan Katz has been an avid percussionist since picking up his first set of drumsticks at age 5.  He is a Freshman at the University of Central Florida, majoring in Architecture with plans to Minor in Music beginning in his sophomore year.  Jonathan attended Edgewater High School, where he was the drummer for the school's jazz band, winning the prestigious "Louis Armstrong Award" in his Senior Year.