Our Story
Trombone Troupe
The Members
Who We Are
Aidan Bradley | President
music performance
Aidan Bradley is a junior trombone performance major from Pittsburgh, PA, and currently serves as the president of the Ithaca College Trombone Troupe. Outside of Troupe, Aidan is the principal trombonist of the IC Wind Symphony. Aidan has performed in a variety of ensembles while at IC including the IC Brass Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Concert Band and various chamber groups. Aidan values versatility and strives to be an adaptable musician in every facet.
Timothy White | Internal Affairs & Multimedia
theatrical production & design
Timothy White is a junior theatrical production & design major concentrating in audio engineering. He is currently serving as the Director of Internal Affairs & Multimedia for Trombone Troupe. Though Timothy isn't a music major, he has been active in Troupe and various ensembles within the music school since freshman year and he is currently a member of the professional marching arts group, The Blue Knights. In the future, Timothy hopes to do anything he can regarding production once he leaves Ithaca, in whatever form it shall present itself in.
Clare Martin | External Affairs
music composition
Clare Martin is a junior composition major from Gaithersburg, MD, and is currently serving as the Director of External Affairs for Trombone Troupe. Other than troupe, Clare plays in the IC Concert Band and sings in IC Chorus. Clare is also proud to be a sister of Sigma Alpha Iota, one of the professional music fraternities here at IC. In the future Clare hopes to be a composer capable of all styles, and plans to write many pieces dedicated to Trombone Troupe.
Wyatt Weldom | Treasurer
music education
Wyatt Weldum is a junior music education major from Syracuse, NY, and is currently the treasurer of the Ithaca College Trombone Troupe. He currently plays in the IC Wind Ensemble, as well as a trombone quartet and the Aurora Brass Quintet.
Richard Michael | Archivist; Librarian
music education
Richie is a junior music education major from Wallingford, PA. He is serving as the Director of the Archive on the troupe board. He is currently playing in the Wind Symphony here at the college.
Gavin Anderson
music education
Gavin Anderson is a freshman music education major from Hilton, New York. In the past, Gavin has participated in the Eastman Youth Jazz Orchestra and several honors bands around the Rochester area. In the future, Gavin would like to be a high school band teacher.
Eli Bartlow
music education & performance
Elijah Bartlow is a junior music ed major from Rochester, NY. Outside of troupe, Elijah is also a member of the IC Wind Symphony. In high school Elijah went on a 19 day tour with American Music Abroad to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and France and performed in 6 concerts throughout that time. He was also a member of Math League in high school and went to the All-State Meet for Monroe county in his senior year. Elijah hopes to eventually be a high school band teacher.
Kurt Eide
music education & performance
Alex Felker
music education
Alex is a junior music education from the most magical place on Earth... Long Island. Alex is one of the bass trombonists in the Ithaca College Trombone Troupe, as well as the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Ensemble and other chamber groups. Alex is excited to be back on campus and attending in-person classes. He is additionally looking forward to Junior Student Teaching this year, as he hopes to one day become an elementary/middle school band teacher. He has also enjoyed teaching private lessons to several students this past year on both trombone and euphonium. In his free time, Alex enjoys watching football, quiet time, and reading a good book.
Carolyn Fitzgerald
music performance
Carolyn FitzGerald is a sophomore trombone performance major from Greeneville, Tennessee. She is currently principal trombone of the IC Symphony Orchestra and is the bass trombone in the IC Jazz Repertory Ensemble. She served as principal trombone of the IC Wind Ensemble as a first-year and this is her second year in Trombone Troupe. She has attended multiple summer workshops/seminars including Summer at SEM at Wyoming Seminary in Pennsylvania, Jeremy Wilson and Karen Cubides' first virtual Body Mind Spirit workshop, the Gene Pokorny Low Brass Seminar at Northern Illinois University, and the Summer Trombone Workshop held at East Tennessee State University co-directed by Haim Avitsur and Justin Waller. Carolyn has worked closely with many professional orchestral musicians including Randy Hawes, Megumi Kanda, Brian Hecht, and Tim Higgins and is always striving to learn more about her craft through both experience and individual study.
jazz studies
Samir Ghalayini is a freshman jazz studies major from Westfield, MA. Samir participated in the MMEA Western District Jazz Band all four years of his high school career, as well as in the UMass Amherst Jazz in July program during the summers of 2019 and 2020. Samir also composes in his free time, and is currently writing music for a game that him and his friends from high school are developing.
music education
Rosemary Hoitt is a senior Music Education major from Norwell, Massachusetts. Being primarily a member of the tuba and euphonium studio, Rosemary doubles on trombone and loves being able to be a part of Trombone Troupe! Outside of Troupe, Rosemary is the President of the IC Chapter of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, plays in the IC Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, and is the Upperclassman Representative of IC's NAfME chapter. She was named the 2021 Presser Scholar at Ithaca College. Rosemary has performed at ITEC 2019, and has worked as a counselor at Ithaca College's Summer Music Academy for two years. Rosemary loves being a part of Troupe, and is so grateful for the friends and community that has come out of being a part of this ensemble!
BMO music & buisness
music education
Lea LaChance is a Junior Music Education Major from Sussex, NJ. Though primarily a tenor trombone player, Lea has recently picked up bass trombone, and has fully switched since Spring 2021. As a future music educator, Lea strives to be the best educator for all ages and instruments, but hopes to place a job as an elementary general music teacher. Outside of music, Lea also enjoys illustrating and fishing!
BMO music & deaf studies
Miranda Lape is a Bachelor of Music in Combination with an Outside Field major and a Deaf studies minor from Mechanicsburg, PA. As part of her degree, she primarily focuses on studying trombone and psychology. Currently, Miranda is working on research that analyzes music engagement practices in d/Deaf and hard of hearing individuals. At Ithaca College, Miranda also works as a Teaching Assistant in the psychology department and as a Peer Learning Coach for various psychology and Deaf studies courses. After graduating, she hopes to continue her musical studies and eventually become a pain psychologist who uses music therapy in her practice. Outside of school, she enjoys indoor rock climbing and making pottery.
M.A. music performance
Gabe Leardi is a second year graduate student pursuing his master's in trombone performance from New Britain, CT. Gabe serves as a graduate assistant, with duties that include teaching Class Trombone, and assisting in the IC trombone studio as well as Troupe. Gabe completed his undergraduate in music education at Central Connecticut State University, during which time he served as assistant director of the CCSU Marching Band, featured soloist, and arranged music to be perfrormed by the CCSU Wind Ensemble. Outside of his time in Ithaca, Gabe is an active member of the 102d Army Band where he has served as an arranger, soloist, vocalist, and front man. When not working or performing, Gabe enjoys long walks on the beach, piña coladas, and getting caught in the rain.
music education
Justin, or more commonly known by his closest friends and mentors as Dusty, is a junior trombonist and Music Education major at Ithaca College from Branchburg, New Jersey. In the past, Justin has participated in a vast array of musical ensembles such as Region Jazz Band in high school, choir, and even in high school drama productions as a member of the cast. This past summer however, Justin was able to participate in a once in a lifetime experience when he marched with The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps for the 2021 season on marching baritone! Currently, Justin serves as 2nd chair trombone in both Concert Band and the Jazz Repertoire Ensemble here at Ithaca College, and continues to value experiencing and exploring music with his peers and teachers!
B.S. in biology & minor in music
Kate Mori is a senior biology major and music minor from St. Johnsbury, Vermont. This will be her fourth year playing in Trombone Troupe and in The Ithaca College Jazz Ensemble. She works in a zebrafish regeneration lab and has a strong interest in genetics and developmental biology. In the future she hopes to attend graduate school for Genetic Counseling.
music education
Rosemary Hoitt is a senior Music Education major from Norwell, Massachusetts. Being primarily a member of the tuba and euphonium studio, Rosemary doubles on trombone and loves being able to be a part of Trombone Troupe! Outside of Troupe, Rosemary is the President of the IC Chapter of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, plays in the IC Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble, and is the Upperclassman Representative of IC's NAfME chapter. She was named the 2021 Presser Scholar at Ithaca College. Rosemary has performed at ITEC 2019, and has worked as a counselor at Ithaca College's Summer Music Academy for two years. Rosemary loves being a part of Troupe, and is so grateful for the friends and community that has come out of being a part of this ensemble!
BMO in voice & theatre arts management
Malaya Press is a musician and arts administrator from Baldwin, New York. She is a senior pursuing her Bachelor of Music (Voice) in Combination with Theatre Arts Management. In Summer 2021, she was an Administrative Intern and Opera Artist at the International Performing Arts Institute. Prior to that, she served as founder and president of the IC Musicians' Intersectionality Initiative and as Treasurer, VP of Community Outreach, and Trombone Day Coordinator for Troupe. Notable performances include IC's The Magic Flute (Second Spirit) and the featured soprano in Troupe's 2019 performance of Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5 (arr. van Hof). Malaya is currently a Development and Administrative Intern for Opera Mississippi.
music education & performance
Originally from Walpole, Massachusetts, Aaron is a freshman at Ithaca College. He is majoring in trombone performance and music education, and participates in many ensembles (Jazz Ensemble, Concert Band, etc.) as well as the Ithaca College Trombone Troupe. Aaron is also the founder of The Bone Zone, a rising network of elite trombonists throughout the globe (or at least the East Coast for now!) who collaborate and perform together. Aaron hopes to expand this group and begin performing professionally, and eventually settle down to teach music to whomever wants to learn.
B.S. cinema & photography
Alison True, or Ally as she is known to her friends, is a junior Cinema and Photography major from Massachusetts. She has played the trombone for almost a decade, finding a passion with the “glorified slide whistle” after dabbling on the trumpet for a few years. Along with her minors in Spanish and Animation, she studies cinema production with the hopes of being a Production Assistant. One of her animation projects won second place in Bo Nitzor, a student-run film festival through Ithaca College Hillel.