John A. Ryther
Russ Weaver
Russ Weaver is a professional composer/arranger and woodwind specialist in the Central Florida area. He has served the music industry in many capacities, including his current position as a retired band director. Having founded the Osceola County School for the Arts, located in Kissimmee, Florida, which is still going strong since opening in 2003.
Mr. Weaver is currently a State Certified Judge for the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA). He has also served as an adjudicator for the All Star Music festivals, Heritage Music Festivals and Festivals of Music. Currently, Mr. Weaver is a freelance musician working with many Central Florida groups including a Christian Jazz Group that performs at St. Lukes Lutheran Church in Orlando. From 1995-2003 he directed bands at Parkway Middle School where his creative teaching efforts earned him the coveted 1999 Disney American Teacher Award, selected from over 75,000 nationwide nominees. Look for clips from his teachings on the Disney channel as part of Disney’s Learning Partnership series, which celebrates creative teaching in America.
Mr. Weaver's bands have received consistent Superior ratings at FBA sponsored events and have performed at the White House in Washington D.C. as a part of the Millennium 2000 festival.
Mr. Weaver's compositions are an effort to give beginning students more quality literature to choose from in the way of solos and ensembles as well as special music for church. Mr. Weaver is an active performer/clinician/adjudicator and was nominated for a Grammy in 1995 for the album "Jazz for Christmas" which he recorded with the Orlando based jazz group; Horizon. Russ Weaver is a 1989 graduate of the University of Iowa receiving a B.M. in music performance and education. He is also the president of http://www.CyberwindsMusic.com.
Dr. Chris Sharp
Dr. Chris Sharp has a Ph.D. in Composition from the University of Florida in Gainesville, FL where he studied composition with Paul Richards, James Sain and Paul Koonce, and studied conducting with David Waybright. He has extensive experience as a professional trombonist, having served almost 20 years as a bandleader and sideman for The Walt Disney World Company. In addition, he was Associate Director of Bands at West Orange High School in Winter Garden, FL from 1997-2001.
As an arranger, he has provided music for many professional and scholastic groups including the Disney parks worldwide, the Boston Pops, Universal Studios (both Florida and California), the Dallas Brass and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. He has also contributed pieces to several service bands including the famed USAF Airmen of Note, who recorded his arrangement of Duke Ellington’s “Caravan” on their 1999 CD, Invitation.
Dr. Sharp earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Florida, studying under Richard W. Bowles, Gary Langford and Frank Wickes. He earned a Master’s degree in Studio Writing and Production from the University of Miami, where he studied with Gary Lindsay, Ron Miller, Whit Sidener and Alfred Reed. He is in constant demand as a clinician, having taught brass technique and composing/arranging in many different settings including the Berklee School of Music in Boston. He has had compositions and arrangements performed at the prestigious Midwest Clinic in each of the last seven years, and in 2005, 2006 and 2007 earned awards from ASCAP for sales of his published pieces.
Dr. Sharp is a profession at Lynchburg College in Lynchburg, VA and owns and manages CSharpMusic.net while he tours as both a conductor, performer and judge.
David MacKenzie
Cyberwindsmusic.com is pleased to present the advanced jazz writing of Mr. David MacKenzie. New Jersey Native David MacKenzie is a professional writer/arranger who travels extensively but makes his home in the Central Florida area.
David MacKenzie studied with both George Mesterhazy and Dennis Sandole in Philadelphia and David's writing credits include writing for the Walt Disney World Corporation as well as for the Michael Andrew Atomic Big Band, Swingerhead and Bill Allred's Classic Jazz Band. David's playing and writing can also be found on Jazz Attack website along with being principle composer for the jazz group “Surface Tension”. Check out some of David's writing and you will soon discover why his writing is so in demand!
Perry Orfanella
Perry Orfanella former student of Gary Karr, has performed in many diverse situations on both coasts of the United States. From playing retro-swing with the band "Swingerhead" at the Viper Room in Los Angeles, to playing with the bass section of Iceland Symphony, to providing chamber music on the Live with Regis and Kathy Lee in Orlando Florida, to backing jazz luminaries such as Lionel Hampton, Jackie Mclean, George Young, Glenn Zottola and Joe Morello in NY, CT, and PA, Perry Orfanella has not limited his playing to any one style.
Other notable performances include Rosemary Cloony, Al Martino, Jerry Vale, Sergio Franchi, Connie Francis, Leslie Gore, The Ink Spots, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, Barbara Eden, and many others. A dedicated and eclectic performer, Perry also has been heavily involved in music education for many years.
He has headed the instrumental program at the prestigious Wyoming Seminary Preparatory school for nine years, taught double bass at Wilkes University, and directed successful summer music camps for the past 15 years. He makes his home in St. Cloud Fl, where he maintains a busy performance schedule which includes Walt Disney World and Busch Gardens, symphony orchestras in Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Orlando Fl., and shows and jazz dates covering the State of Florida.
In addition, he is a composer and arranger having premiered works for big bands, orchestras and choruses at festivals and concerts throughout the United States.
John was born in California on April 12th, 1953. He grew up in Long Beach, California. When attending middle school, John took up the Horn and fell in love with the instrument right away. It was during his middle school years that his band director, Roger Johnson introduced him to music theory, counterpoint, and basic arranging. Mr. Johnson also found John his first Horn teacher, Nickolas Kobsev who was a member of the Long Beach Symphony. When John went to high school, he began composition lessons with Bruce Polay and horn lessons with several horn players around the Los Angeles area including James Decker.
After graduating from high school, John joined the California Army National Guard Band in Los Angeles, California and also attended classes at Long Beach City College. During these early college days, John began a working relationship with the Disney Company as a musician. In 1976, John attended California State University, Long Beach studying music education. There he studied horn with Fred Fox, composition with Justice Mathews, and conducting with Larry Curtis. John graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education in 1984. In 1985, John began his graduate work on a Master of Arts degree in composition and conducting. Graduate school was cut short however, even after gaining the “Outstanding Thesis Award” for the College of Arts” in 1987, when he took a job at Walt Disney World as a full time musician. John was used quite often by the Disney Company for his arranging ability during his employment until 1999. John continues to write for the company occasionally. John now is writing arrangements and original compositions for four different publishers.
John A. Ryther
Lamar Boulet
Paul Parker
Lamar Boulet has been a freelance composer/arranger in the Local Orlando Area since 1992. Prior to arriving in Orlando, Mr. Boulet received his Masters in Studio Jazz Writing from the University of Miami and received his undergraduate in trumpet performance from the University of Kentucky where he studied with Vince DiMartino.
He currently writes for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, Local production companies and has had several of his salsa arrangements go to the top of the latin charts in both New York and Miami.
Mr. Boulet is an in demand trumpet player in the Central Florida Area and performs nightly at Gloria Estfan's Orlando club called "Bongo's Cuban Café".
Paul Parker is a freelance percussionist /drummer in the Central Florida Area since 1985 and is the adjunct percussion instructor at the Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee, Florida. Mr. Parker has provided the educational listening files located in the All-County Jazz section of the Cyberwindsmusic.com catalogue. He is currently the staff drummer at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort.
He is endorsed by Sabian Cymbals and is one of their recognized International performing artists.
Mr. Parker attended the American conservatory of Music in Chicago, IL from 1976-1980 where he studied with Jack Mouse and James Dutton. Mr. Parker can be seen in weekly performances at the Grand Floridian Resort in Resort in Lake Buena Vista.
Paul lives in Kissimmee with his wife Cathy and maintains the finest private percussion studio in Central Florida.