Musicians
DWIGHT WAGES, founder/cornet/flugelhorn, is a Chemical Engineering graduate of Iowa State University, but music has always been an important activity and creative outlet for him. Dwight is a former member of Clairon Brass Quintets (in Springfield, MA; Cincinnati, OH; and in Belleville, Ontario) and he has recently established another Clarion Quintet “franchise” here in Tennessee. While living in England, Dwight was exposed to the UK’s hugely popular brass band movement which piqued his interest and resulted in the past 10 years of involvement in brass bands including the Cincinnati Brass Band and the Intrada Brass Band of Toronto, Canada. Dwight is President and Founder of the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass. Dwight performs with the Cookeville Community Band and Crossville Community Band, the Swing Street Big Band, and is a frequent soloist for concerts, weddings and church services.
DR. STEVEN SUDDUTH, conductor, is the former director of bands and low brass at the University of the Cumberlands (Kentucky), and currently the . He earned the doctor of musical arts at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. He holds masters degrees in trombone performance and composition from Western Michigan University and the University of Central Arkansas. Previously he has served as director of bands at the University of South Dakota, Dickinson State University, North Dakota and, Pfeiffer University in North Carolina. He is very active as a conductor and clinician and is frequently sought as a guest conductor at state and regional honor bands. Dr. Sudduth has performed professionally with the South Dakota Brass Quintet and the Bismarck-Mandan Symphony Orchestra, Roanoke Opera Company, and the West Shore Symphony Orchestra (MI).
He has had extensive involvement with the International Trombone
Association (ITA), serving as historian, and performing and presenting at various International Trombone Festivals (ITF). He has won several composition awards, including the Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) National composition contest and he was the 2005 commissioned composer for the State of North Dakota Music Teachers Association.
CHRIS MCCORMICK, flugelhorn, is Professor of Jazz Studies at TTU. Mr. McCormick directs TTU’s two jazz ensembles. In addition, he teaches jazz improvisation, jazz arranging, jazz history, Harmony, Ear Training, and Computer Applications in Music. Mr. McCormick is an active clinician, and adjudicates at festivals throughout the United States and Canada. As a trumpet player, Mr. McCormick is an active performer in both jazz and classical styles. He has performed all over the United States as well as Canada and Mexico. At TTU he is a member of the Bryan Symphony and the Brass Arts Quintet. In addition to playing in groups such as the Kadillacs, Jazz Arts Group, Nashville Jazz Orchestra, Paul Ross Orchestra, Top Brass, Jimmy Dorsey Band, and the Guy Lombardo Band, he has worked on cruise ships and backed such artists as Dennis Deyoung, The Temptations, The “Four Tops, Trace Adkins, and The Blues Brothers. Mr. McCormick is an active composer and arranger. His compositions include works for small and large jazz ensembles, and for brass quintet. Mr. McCormick holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Capital University, and a Master of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music.
STEPHEN COLLINS, Eb Soprano cornet, is a native of Carthage, TN. Stephen Collins holds music degrees fromTennessee Technological University and The University of Kansas. He has performed with the St. Joseph Symphony, the Kansas City Civic Orchestra, the Lawrence Chamber Orchestra, the TTU Faculty Brass Quintet, and the Kansas Brass Quintet. Stephen previously serves on the music faculty of Crown College and the Crown Music Conservatory in Powell, TN. Steven currently is in the insurance business. He resides in Knoxville, TN with his wife and four children.
JEFF WHITE, cornet, is a web developer for TAP Publishing. He holds B.S. and M.A. degrees in Journalism from Austin Peay State University, where he was the trumpet soloist with the Jazz Collegians Big Band for three years. Jeff plays lead trumpet in the Big Band Sound, and has played professionally with a variety of groups including the Establishment Big Band, The Bo Thorpe Orchestra, and in the pit for several productions at the Cumberland Co. Playhouse. He has studied privately with Rick Steffen and Brad Goode, and has had individual lessons with Bobby Shew, Jerry Coker and Pat Harbison. https://amzn.to/46EK0tN
JOSEPH (JOE) CHRISTIAN, trombone, graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2002 with a degree in College Scholars and emphases in Pre-Law and Music. While at UT, he was an active member of the trombone studio where he studied with Prof. Don Hough and performed with the Trombone Choir, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Marching Band and various small ensembles. For the 2000 and 2001 football seasons, Joe served as the Drum Major for the Pride of the Southlands Marching Band.
After graduating college, Joe attended Vanderbilt University Law School and is now a practicing attorney in Knoxville. He currently plays with the Old City Brass Quintet and is an active member of the Sevier Heights Baptist Church Celebration Orchestra. Joe’s wife, Megan, is the Director of Bands at Bearden High School.
CHUCK LYONS, bass trombone, is a charter member of the Southern Stars Symphonic Brass. While Chuck is currently employed as an IT consultant in Nashville, he has had the opportunity to pursue his love of music through teaching high school music at McGavock and White House High Schools in Middle Tennessee as well as performing in numerous groups throughout the region from quintets and ensembles to bands and orchestras.
A 1985 graduate of Tennessee Technological University with a B.S. in Music Education, he has had the privilege to perform with such notables as The Cab Calloway Orchestra, Slide Hampton, Marvin Stamm, Don Menza, Ernestine Anderson, David Baker, Dominic Spera, Bob Mintzer, Dave Liebman, Deborah Brown, Buddy Baker, Deborah Brown, Lorna Luft…just to name a few. Chuck currently resides in Goodlettsville, TN, with his wife, Missy, and their children Brittany, Chelsey and Brandon.
CARROLL GOTCHER, baritone, is employed as the director of bands in Jackson County (Gainesboro) TN. He is also a freelance brass teacher and active performer on euphonium and trombone. He plays principal trombone in the Cookeville Community Concert Band, lead trombone in the Big Band Sound Orchestra, principal euphonium in the Nashville Wind Ensemble and is a founding member of Euphouria, a professional tuba/euphonium quartet.