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FULL-TIME FACULTY click name to read bio Dr. Christopher Barrick ADJUNCT FACULTY
Dr. Christopher Barrick cbarrick@westliberty.edu
Dr. Christopher Barrick is an Assistant Professor of Music at West Liberty State College, where he teaches applied saxophone and clarinet, woodwind methods, and directs the Jazz Ensemble. A versatile musician and educator, Barrick performs and teaches all styles of music including classical, jazz, and rock. He has performed at numerous conferences including those of the North American Saxophone Alliance, the United States Navy Band International Saxophone Symposium, and the Association for Technology in Music Instruction. Barrick has performed with nationally known acts such as the Omaha Symphony, Johnny Mathis, the Legends of Swing, the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Sonny Turner and the Platters, The Crystals, The Coasters, the Harry James Orchestra and The Temptations. An experienced educator, Barrick has taught at two major universities and in the public schools of Tennessee. In 2008, he directed the Nebraska Class B All-State Jazz Band. Prior to his appointment at West Liberty, he served as the Jazz Ensemble Director at Doane College (Crete, NE) and as a Teaching Assistant in Saxophone at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Barrick holds music degrees from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (DMA, 2008), the University of Tennessee (MM, 2003) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (BA, 2000 and BS, 2001). Visit his personal website: www.christopherbarrick.com back to top Dr. Richard L. Brown rbrown@westliberty.edu Dr. Richard Brown is an Associate Professor of Music and is currently in his tenth year at West Liberty State College, where his duties include elementary and secondary teaching methods classes for music majors, music methods for elementary education majors, band instrument repair, and supervision of student teachers. He was also the master teacher of instrumental music at the 2001 and 2002 West Virginia Governors School for the Arts. He is currently president of West Virginia Music Educators Association, and is on the Executive Board of the Southern Division of MENC: The National Association for Music Education. Prior to his appointment at West Liberty, he was Chair of the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance at Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA where he taught a variety of music and music education classes. Dr. Brown also taught at Hanover College in Hanover, Indiana, where he directed the wind ensemble, the chamber orchestra, pep bands, and taught a variety of music and music education classes. He has 12 years experience in public school teaching, which includes K-3 general music, middle school vocal, general, and instrumental music, and high school band. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from Morehead State University, a Master of Music degree from Bowling Green State University, and a PhD in Music Education with a Cognate in Child Development from Michigan State University. He has presented numerous workshops on music for special learners and music teacher preparation in Pennsylvania and West Virginia, and served as a guest conductor of band and orchestra honours ensembles in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Dr. Linda Cowan lcowan@westliberty.edu
Soprano Linda Cowan holds the Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, the Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Indiana State University, and the Doctor of Musical Arts from Rutgers University Mason Gross School of the Arts, where she studied with Judith Nicosia and Faith Esham. She has had many opportunities to perform in the genres of opera, musical theater, theater, oratorio, and the concert hall. Some of her major roles have included the Countess in Marriage of Figaro, Micaela in Carmen, Ariel in Shakespeare's Tempest, Bellamy in The Fantasticks, M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias, the Baker's Wife in Into the Woods, and Domina in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. Her directing experience includes the musicals Mame and The ThreePenny Opera. She served as vocal director for West Liberty productions of Scrooge, Godspell and A Little Night Music. She held the dual roles of performer and music director for three summers at the ISU Summer Stage Cabaret, an Actors Equity company. Dr. Cowan made her New York City debut singing the Brahms Requiem at the church of St. Luke's in the Fields in Greenwich Village. Other oratorio performances include Mozart's Coronation Mass, Haydn's Creation, Bernstein's Chichester Psalms, the Durufle and Mozart Requiems, Handel's Messiah and Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ. She has concertized extensively in NJ, IN, PA and West Virginia. At West Liberty, Dr. Cowan teaches private and class voice, diction, and musical theater/opera workshop classes. She also maintains a small private voice studio consisting of some of the area's top high school voice students. Dr. Angela Day aday@westliberty.edu 
Dr. Angela R. Day is an Adjunct Professor of Voice at West Liberty. She holds both Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Vocal Performance from Louisiana State University, as well as a Bachelor of Science degree in Vocal Performance from Mid-America Christian University. Her roles while at LSU included the title role of Little Red Riding Hood, La suora infermiera in Suor Angelica, Sister Mathilde in Dialogues of the Carmelites, Nora in Riders to the Sea, and the Bat in L'enfant et les sortilege. Day also appeared in LSU Opera Scenes as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro, Frasquita in Carmen, Pamina in Die Zauberflute, Anne in A Little Night Music, as well as in the LSU Opera Outreach Program as Gretel in Hansel und Gretel, Papagena in Die Zauberflute, and Marie in La Fille du Regiment. Alfred R. de Jaager dejaager@westliberty.edu
Alfred R. de Jaager is the Interim Dean of the School of Liberal Arts at West Liberty. He holds degrees from the Oberlin College Conservatory of Music (Bachelor of Music) and West Virginia University (Master of Music). He holds the ChoirMaster Certificate from the American Guild of Organists (1964) and has completed additional graduate studies at West Virginia University, Westminister Choir College, The University of Texas at Austin, North Texas State University, and the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. In addition to his duties as Dean, Professor de Jaager directs the All-College Chorus and the Chamber Choir. He also teaches conducting and music literature classes. Professor de Jaager was given the Award of Excellence by The American Choral Directors Association of West Virginia in 2002. And recently, he received the 2006 Professor of the Year award from the WLSC Student Government Association. back to top Dr. David Manuel Garcia dgarcia@westliberty.edu
He is now in his first year as Associate Professor of Music at West Liberty State College, but after thirty years of full-time teaching, he's still learning every day. David received Bachelors and Masters degrees from Bowling Green State University in both music education and composition, and eventually received the Doctor of Musical Arts from The Ohio State University. He has taught full time at elementary, middle school and high school, in addition to four full-time university positions in Ohio, Massachusetts and North Carolina. During the 15 years at Bridgewater State College in Massachusetts, he conducted college, high school and professional bands, including the Colors of Liberty Band of Plymouth, and the Bridgeway Wind Orchestra of Boston. He serves as Minister of Music at Indian Trail United Methodist Church, and has recently accepted the post of conductor and musical director of Camerata Charlotte, a professional chamber wind orchestra. A successful season debut in January of 2008 has started the ensemble on the direction to reflecting its nickname, "a chamber ensemble of distinction." With over 300 arrangements and compositions to his credit, and a number of publications, Dr. Garcia continues to take commissions, as well as providing music just for the joy of it. He has conducted honors bands in Massachusetts, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Florida. He has conducted middle schools, choirs, community groups and other unique ensembles, such as the Intergenerational Band of Cape Cod (Massachusetts). The common thread among all his conducting, teaching and composing experiences is that he "hopes that all musicians continue to be lifelong learners and participants in music making, no matter what career choice they make or where ever life takes them." back to top Dr. Matthew D. Harder mharder@westliberty.edu
Matthew D. Harder is Assistant Professor of percussion and music technology at West Liberty. Dr. Harder teaches Electronic Music, Recording Techniques, Fundamentals of Percussion and private lessons in Percussion and Composition. He also directs the Percussion Ensemble and Panhandle Steel Ensemble (WLSC's steel drum ensemble). Dr. Harder leads performances of dance-drumming music from Ghana, West Africa. He studied with the Ewe people of Ghana in the summer of 1998 with a group from Bowling Green State University. Dr. Harder has been employed at institutions of higher learning in Illinois, Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Illinois Wesleyan University, two Masters degrees from Bowling Green State University in Percussion and Composition, and a Doctor of Music degree in Composition from Northwestern University. Dr. Harder is active as a performer, clinician and composer who has had his works performed in numerous cities around the country. This past July, he performed his piece Dark Wood for marimba and bassoon at the International Double Reed Society Conference in Provo, Utah. Dr. Harder has been commissioned to write music for a wide variety of instruments and electronic media. His compositions have received numerous awards, including a First Place award for Skies of Couple Color from the Music Teacher's National Conference (East Central Division), the William T. Faricy award for creative composition from Northwestern University, and a performance of his orchestral piece Catharsis by the Cleveland Chamber Symphony.
back to top Dr. Matthew Inkster minkster@westliberty.edu
Matthew Inkster is the Director of Bands at West Liberty State College where he conducts the Wind and Jazz Ensembles and coordinates the brass area. He recently served in a similar capacity at the D'Angelo School of Music, Mercyhurst College. Inkster is in demand as a guest conductor and clinician. He has specialized in conducting the music of our time, and he has led ensembles on several compact disc recordings of new music on American and European labels. His performances have been heard on national and regional NPR and worldwide on the BBC. Dr. Inkster is Artistic Co-Director of Winds on the Lake, a professional chamber ensemble of some of the finest musicians from the greater Tri-State Lake Region including Cleveland, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, and Erie. Reception of this ensemble has been warm and accolades have been numerous. The group is committed to the performance and promotion of seldom-heard compositions for chamber and orchestral winds by familiar composers, as well as works by contemporary composers. The ensemble plans to extend its season from its current three concerts per year to six or more by touring in an expanded geographic area. Inkster is also active as a trumpet soloist, recitalist, and clinician and has performed in 45 states and across Europe. He is Principal Trumpet of the Symphony of the Mountains (Tennessee/Virginia), and has held similar positions with the Tallahassee Symphony Orchestra, the Chapman and Redlands Symphony Orchestras (California). He is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, and he has competed in a number of the most prestigious trumpet competitions across the world: the Prague Spring International Music Competition, The International Trumpet Guild Solo Competition, the National Trumpet Competition, and the MTNA National Collegiate Artist Competition. Dr. Inkster is the WVMEA Research and Grants Chair and has recently served as the Composition Contest Chairman for the International Trumpet Guild. He has a number of research articles submitted for publication in the Journal of the International Trumpet Guild and in the Journal of Research in Music Education. He holds the degrees Doctor of Music (The Florida State University), Master of Music (University of Redlands), and Bachelor of Music Education (University of Wyoming). Dr. Inkster has taught in the public schools of Wyoming, California, and Florida. Wendy Kumer wwkflute@aol.com Wendy Webb Kumer attended Duquesne University with a major in Music Education then earned a masters degree in Flute Performance from Carnegie Mellon University. She has been on the faculties of Carnegie Mellon, Slippery Rock and Duquesne Universities, and most recently West Liberty State College and Mercyhurst College teaching Flute, Music Theory, Ear Training, Woodwind Methods, and Flute Choir. Ms. Kumer is the founder and director of The Flute Academy, a full service music school for more than 100 flutists in classes, lessons and ensembles who perform throughout western Pennsylvania. She is an Artist/Clinician for the Conn Selmer Corporation, Music For All, and Bands of America, former Secretary for The Marcel Moyse Society, Immediate Past President of the Pittsburgh Flute Club, and a guest artist at several universities. Her yearly performance schedule includes solo recitals, chamber music concerts, and regular church appearances. Wendy was invited to conduct the National High School Flute Choir at the 2002 NFA convention, served as Secretary for the NFA from 2003-05, served as Local Arrangements Chair for the 2006 NFA convention and assistant program chair for the 2007 NFA convention. Dr. Gerald Lee glee@westliberty.edu
Dr. Nels Leonard, jr. nleonard@westliberty.edu Dr. Nels Leonard taught full-time at West Liberty State College for 47 years prior to his retirement following the 2005-2006 school year. He taught guitar and double reeds. He currently teaches private guitar lessons as an adjunct instructor. Jay Ware jware@westliberty.edu
In addition to his performing credits, Mr. Ware is equally active as an educator and advocate for music education in school curricula. He is currently Associate Director of Bands at West Liberty State College. He has served as Associate Instructor in the Jazz Department at Indiana University, Director of Concert Band, Basketball Bands and Graduate Assistant for the "Pride of North Carolina" Marching Mountaineers at Appalachian State University, Instructor for the Musical Arts Youth Orchestra (IN), Director of Bands at South Lenoir High School, as well as Marching Percussion Arranger/Instructor for over 30 high schools. He is in high demand as a classical and jazz performing artist, guest conductor, adjudicator, marching clinician, and music advocate, and has offered masterclasses at universities and schools all over the nation. Mr. Ware has been twice nominated for Who's Who Among America's Teachers, is a winner of the Appalachian State University Concerto/Aria Competition, and was nominated for the prestigious Performers Certificate at Indiana University. Mr. Ware is an endorsing artist for Remo drumheads and world percussion instruments.
Master of Music Degree, Jazz Studies, Indiana University Click HERE to see a video of Jay Ware performing. Jay is endorsed by Remo: www.remo.com back to topDr. Harald Wiesner hwiesner@westliberty.edu Dr. Harald Wiesner is Professor of Music Theory, Ear Training, and Music Literature at West Liberty. Dr. Wiesner holds degrees from University of Richmond (B.A. 1961), Texas Christian University (M. Mus. 1965) and Northwestern University (D. Mus. 1968).
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