About the Judges

John Cox has been a string specialist for 35 years. His career has been with the Bellevue School District teaching at Tyee Middle School, Newport High School and numerous elementaries. In 2002 John retired from teaching leaving Tyee Middle School with the largest middle school orchestra program in Bellevue. He returned for one year until a replacement could be found and now teaches orchestra part time at Tillicum Middle School. John is a bassist, pianist, and singer. He currently plays the electric 12 string guitar, bass and sings in a pop band and has also been an adjudicator at numerous orchestra and solo/enemble festivals.

Aviva Leonard, violist and violinist, is both a teacher and freelance musician. Aviva has a large home studio of private students in Lake Forest Park. She is a viola coach for the Cascade Youth Orchestra, Summer Sounds Music Camp and the Shoreline School District . She also serves as an adjudicator for the Washington State Solo/Ensemble Competitions in the Puget Sound area. Aviva performs with the Rainier Symphony, Boise Philharmonic Orchestra, and Tacoma Symphony. She enjoys playing chamber music as the violist in the Seattle String Quartet. Aviva is a graduate in botany of the University of California at Berkeley. She lives in Lake Forest Park with her husband David Stone, daughter Sarah, Minty the dog and Kitsel the cat. She always finds time to garden and play chamber music and read books.

Robin received her Master’s Degree in Percussion from Indiana University.

She is currently a General Music Teacher at Ridgecrest Elementary in Puyallup. In addition to her daily teaching Robin also coaches the Ferrucci Junior High Percussion Ensemble and Emerald Ridge High School Percussion Ensemble. Robin has a private teaching studio and is often times requested as a clinician and adjudicator for both the Regional and State Contest. Robin currently has more than 20 years of teaching experience and performs with the Tacoma Concert Band.

Kevin Fay is the Principal Clarinetist of the Northwest Symphony Orchestra and the Washington Wind Symphony. As an active performer throughout Seattle Kevin has performed with the Village Theater, Philharmonic Northwest Orchestra, Rainer Symphony, Lake Union Civic Orchestra, Federal Way Symphonic Band, and the Northwest Mahler Festival.

Kevin studied Clarinet under Bill Wicker, William McColl, Eugene Zoro, Kim Fay and Allen Siegel. Kevin has also attended Master Classes performing with for David Schifrin and Mitchell Lurie. Kevin has two undergraduate degrees from the University of Washington and currently holds Law Degrees from New York State at Buffalo and Harvard Law School. Kevin is currently employed in corporate law and tax planning for the Microsoft Corporation

Rhonda Cummings graduated cum laude from Western Washington University in 1987 with degrees in flute performance and music education. She currently plays piccolo in the Washington Wind Symphony where she has been a member of the flute section for 16 years. She freelances on both flute and piccolo in the Seattle area. She is in her 17th year teaching general music in the Northshore School District.

Sheryl Clark is a Western Washington University Graduate in Saxophone Performance and holds a teaching certificate from Pacific Lutheran University. She has been a member of the Tacoma Concert Band and principai Alto saxophonist for 25 years. Ms. Clark has also been a member of the Jim Kerl's Swing Session, Swing Reunion Orchestra, Seattle Woman's Jazz Orchestra, The Marvelles, and many blues and club bands which have performed in the Puget Sounds, Europe, Peru, and Canada. Currently she is a band director at Harbor Ridge Middie School in Gig Harbor and continues to adjudicate and perform on all saxophones.

Ward is the Director of Bands and music department chair at Kamiakin Junior High School. A Seattle native and current Bothell resident, he is a graduate of the Shoreline School District and a 1985 graduate of the University of Washington with a B.A. in Music Education and a Bachelor of Music Degree. While at the U. W., he studied trumpet and jazz studies with Roy Cummings and conducting under Vilem Sokol. He also holds a Master's of Education Degree with a focus on Integrated Arts Education.

Mr. Brannman has taught concert groups, jazz studies, conducting, and brass pedagogy and has served as trumpet soloist and guest conductor for local bands and orchestras as well as clinician and adjudicator for concert band and solo/ensemble festivals.

Dennis has been a high school band director for 28 years, 26 years at Clover Park High School in Lakewood. He has performed with the Tacoma Symphony and currently performs with the Tacoma Concert Band. He has judged the Washington State and Oregon State Solo Competitions as well as numerous high school and middle school solo and ensemble contests.

A Seattle native, Stan Jeffs attended the New England Conservatory ofMnsic. As a freelance musician, he performed as an extra trombonist with the Boston Symphony and Boston Pops Esplanade orchestras. Currently living in Seattle, he teaches and coaches low brass. He has performed with the orchestras of the Fifth Avenue and Paramount Theatres, most recently in the Lion King. He is founder of Cascadia Brass, and is a member of the Cathedral Brass ofSt. James/Seattle.

John Cox - String Bass & String Ensembles