Bill Kessinger
bill.kessinger@north-scott.k12.ia.us
563-285-3316

Woodwind Instructor
Marching Band
Symphonic Band
Jazz 2
Pep Band
Music Theory
Bill Kessinger

Bill is completing his 38th year at North Scott High School. A graduate of Augustana College in Rock Island, IL, he taught for 2 years in Illinos before coming to North Scott.  At North Scott he directs the Symphonic Band and Jazz II and teaches all woodwind lessons.  He has also served as Fine Arts Department Chair.

Students under his direction have been active participants in the All-State Bands, as well as numerous honor bands and festivals.  While at North Scott, Bill has hosted many music legends, such as Louie Bellson, Randy Brecker, Jiggs Whigham, Bobby Shew, Harold Jones, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Bob Mintzer, Jim Pugh, and many others.

Bill is a member of IBA, SEIBA, ASBDA, MENC, IMEA, NEA, JEI, ISEA, and NSEA (past president). In the Southeast District of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, Bill served as Secreatry-Treasurer from 1978 - 1991, and was SEIBA President in 1991-92. He has served as an adjudicator, clinician, and honor band director in both Iowa and Illinois.  In 2004, Bill was honored with the Karl King Distinguished Service Award for the Southeast Iowa Bandmasters District. (SEIBA)

Bill is an active performer on oboe and English horn, plays in the Clinton Symphony Orchestra and is a charter member of the Quad City Wind Ensemble. Bill's wife, Lee is an active performer and teacher of horn in the Quad City area.

He considers himself lucky to have performed and worked with many outstanding directors and teachers in his career, including George Opheim, Don Jackson, John Paynter, Ardy McIntosh, Dan Anderson, Jim Bawden, Jennie McKenna, Chuck Dcamp, Andy Mast, and Mike McMann.

Bill lives in Moline with his wife, Lee, who is the French Horn Professor at Augustana College and runs a private horn studio out of their home.


                                                  
Mike McMann
mike.mcmann@north-scott.k12.ia.us
563-285-3317

Brass / Percussion Instructor
Marching Band
Jazz 1
Jazz Combos
Concert Band
Pep Band
Jazz Theory / Improvisation
Mike McMann

Currently in his seventeenth year of teaching (twelfth at North Scott High School), Mike received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Iowa and Master of Music Degree in Jazz Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, where he also directed the All-University Jazz Ensemble.

Students under his direction have been active participants in both the All-State Jazz and Concert Bands, as well as numerous honor bands and festivals.  During the past
11 years at NSHS, students have had an opportunity to work and/or perform with notables such as Stefon Harris, Wycliffe Gordon, Victor Goines, Sean Jones, Byron Stripling, Frank Wess, the Boston Brass, Melton Mustafa, Dennis Mackrel, Kurt Elling, Javon Jackson, Joey Sellers, Reggie and Mardra Thomas, Anthony Cox, Bill Bell, Eddie Henderson, Hamiet Bluiett, Ron Carter and the NIU Jazz Ensemble, Orquesta Alto Maiz, and The Late Nite Blues Brothers Band.  In 2009, NSHS Jazz 1 was selected as one of 15 finalists in North America to perform in the Essentially Ellington Festival at Lincoln Center, New York City.  In 2005 and 2008, Jazz 1 was chosen to perform at the prestigious Iowa Bandmasters Conference in Des Moines.  In 2003, Jazz 1 received a special invitation to perform with jazz recording artist Victor Mendoza.

A trombonist, Mike has been a member of the Grammy All-American High School Band; was lead trombonist and assistant director of the 1995 and 1996 Walt Disney World All-American College Bands in Orlando, Fl; and was selected by the Disney Corporation to lead the pilot program of the Disneyland Paris International Student Show Band in France.  Mike has performed professionally at numerous venues, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Jazz a Vienne in France, the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in New York, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the Bix Jazz Festival, and the Iowa City Jazz Festival.  He has also been fortunate enough to perform and/or tour with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Curtis Fuller, Wynton Marsalis, The Temptations, Louie Bellson, Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Ed Thigpen, Kurt Elling, Arturo Sandoval, Joe Williams, Jiggs Whigham, Jon Faddis, Allen Vizzutti, Matt Harris, and many others.  Mike recently formed his own professional Soul/Funk band called 10 of Soul and is the musical director, arranger, and trombonist for that group.

He also continues to play professionally in various groups, including the Rod Pierson Big Band featuring Craig Boche, the River City Six, the Manny Lopez Big Band and Sextet, the Goodtime Brass Band, and occasionally with Orquesta Alto Maiz.  Mike was the trombonist and horn arranger for The Late Night Blues Brothers Band, and is featured on their CD and DVD.  He was also the trombonist and horn arranger for the Iowa City-based funk band Shade of Blue from 1995-2007, and can be heard on their live CD as well.  

Mike has had the opportunity to perform with the nationally touring productions of "Grease", "Chicago", "A Chorus Line", and has shared the stage with The Temptations, Gloria Gaynor, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and Don Rickles.

Mike is Past-President of the Iowa Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators (currently Jazz Educators of Iowa); is currently the Educational Content and Materials chair for Jazz Educators of Iowa; has been an advisor for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European Tour; has been featured in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers" in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, ansd 2009; was nominated for the 2005 National DisneyHand Teacher Award; and received the Wal-Mart "Teacher of the Year" Award in 2005.  He was also a research associate and contributing author for the GIA Publication Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz.

Mike also arranges music for jazz and marching/pep bands, having his tunes performed by the North Scott Lancer Marching Band, Hawkeye Marching Band, NIU Huskie Marching Band, and many high school bands around the midwest.

Mike has conducted workshops at the College Music Educators Conference in Illinois and Iowa, has been a guest director / instructor for numerous festivals and camps, including Northern Illinois University and University of Iowa Jazz Camps.  He has been a featured soloist and clinician at many high schools throughout Illinois and Iowa.

Mike currently lives in Eldridge with his wife Christie and three children, Connor, Zach, and Paige.