A native Iowan, Mike Giles is a vibrant and accessible musician.  He is in constant demand as a performer and clinician, and stays active as an improviser and writer.  He has fused his varied skill set and diverse musical background into a unique perspective that he shares successfully in the classroom and on the stage.  His dedication to discovering and developing inventive approaches to teaching and performing has established him as a recognizable voice.  He is devoted to educating students and expanding the jazz audience through imaginative programming.  

Giles has appeared as a soloist in front of a giant marching band, wedged into assorted orchestras, at community bandshells, alongside an opera legend, situated beside a bunch of percussionists, with an electronic music guy running a joystick, in gymnatoriums for school assemblies, amongst visitors at art museums, in contemporary classical settings, on the floor with grade school kids, mainstage at national jazz festivals, within a choir of trombones, and in concert halls throughout central Europe and Russia.  He leads the saxophone studio and the jazz program at Iowa State University.  Learn more at www.creativemusicstuff.com

David Kobberdahl grew up in West Des Moines where he graduated from Valley High School in 1983. He received his undergraduate degree from Truman State in 1988 and later earned his Master's from VanderCook School of Music.

After college, David spent his first year working with Willie Thomas, his lifelong mentor and teacher, to establish the Des Moines Community Jazz Center. The CJC remains a vital source of support and opportunity for young musicians to learn and perform jazz across the Des Moines metro area and nearby rural communities. In 2018, David was honored as a Community Jazz Center Hall of Fame recipient.

David taught for seven years at Woodward-Granger and for twenty-six years in West Des Moines Community Schools. His jazz bands achieved numerous accolades at jazz festivals across the midwest, including the Iowa Jazz Championships. Additionally, he served on the faculty of summer jazz camps at Simpson College, University of Northern Iowa, and Southwestern Community College.

Though retired from public school teaching, David remains in high demand as a judge, clinician, and guest artist. He continues to perform professionally and has recorded several CDs with groups including The Des Moines Big Band, Ashanti, Gabriel Espinosa, and various others.

David and his wife Jerilyn, also a retired band teacher, have two daughters, Taylor and Samantha.

Mike McMann received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the University of Iowa and Master of Music Degree in Jazz Pedagogy from Northern Illinois University, where he was the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the Jazz Department and directed the All-University Jazz Ensemble.

A trombonist, Mike represented the State of Iowa in the Grammy All-American High School Band; was lead trombonist and assistant director of the 1995 and 1996 Walt Disney World All-American College Bands in Orlando, Fl; and was selected by the Disney Corporation to lead the pilot program of the Disneyland Paris International Student Show Band in France. Mike has performed professionally at numerous venues, including the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, North Sea Jazz Festival in the Netherlands, Jazz a Vienne in France, the International Association of Jazz Educators Conference in New York, the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, the Bix Jazz Festival, and the Iowa City Jazz Festival. He has also been fortunate enough to perform and/or tour with legends such as Aretha Franklin, Curtis Fuller, Wynton Marsalis, The Temptations, Louie Bellson, The Four Tops, Frank Foster, Benny Golson, Ed Thigpen, Kurt Elling, Arturo Sandoval, Joe Williams, Jiggs Whigham, Jon Faddis, Allen Vizzutti, Matt Harris, and many others. Mike is also the founder of the professional soul/funk band 10 of Soul and is the musical director, arranger, and trombonist for that group.

He also continues to play professionally in various other groups, including the Rod Pierson Big Band featuring Craig Boche, the River City Six, the Goodtime Brass Band, and occasionally with Orquesta Alto Maiz. Mike was the trombonist and horn arranger for The Late Night Blues Brothers Band, and is featured on their CD and DVD. He was also the trombonist and horn arranger for the Iowa City-based funk band Shade of Blue from 1995-2007, and can be heard on their live CD as well.

Mike has had the opportunity to perform with the nationally touring productions of "Grease", "Chicago", "A Chorus Line", and has played in the horn section for The Temptations, Gloria Gaynor, The Four Tops, Martha and the Vandellas, and Don Rickles.

Mike is Past-President of the Iowa Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators (currently Jazz Educators of Iowa); is currently the Educational Content and Materials chair for Jazz Educators of Iowa; served as the Honor Jazz Band Chair for Southeast Iowa Bandmasters Association; has been an advisor for the Iowa Ambassadors of Music European Tour; received the Karl King "Active" Service Award for the Southeast Iowa district; has been featured in "Who's Who Among America's Teachers"; was nominated for the National DisneyHand Teacher Award; and has received the Wal-Mart "Teacher of the Year" Award. He was also a research associate and contributing author for both volumes of the GIA Publication Teaching Music through Performance in Jazz.

Mike currently lives in Eldridge with his wife Christie and three children, Connor, Zach, and Paige.

Wayne Page began his teaching career in Lenox, Iowa in 1984. After spending a year as a graduate assistant at Northeast Missouri (Truman) State, Wayne taught for three years at Saydel High School. In 1990, he moved to Ankeny, where he taught for fifteen years before being named the Director of Jazz at Waukee High School in 2005. Over the next decade, he would build the jazz program into a model of jazz performance in Iowa. Last fall, Wayne retired as the 9th grade band director at Prairieview School in Waukee, concluding a 39 year teaching career.

Bands under Wayne’s direction have performed at the annual conferences of both the Iowa Bandmasters Association and the Iowa Music Educators Association. His jazz bands have performed at the Iowa Jazz Championships fifteen times, finishing in the top three in twelve of those appearances and finishing first twice. Wayne is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout the state and was inducted into the Community Jazz Center Jazz Hall of Fame in 2019. 

Wayne performs regularly with The Jazz Page (his own quartet), The Des Moines Big Band, The Turner Center Jazz Orchestra, Max Wellman, The Des Moines Symphony, Fred Gazzo, Freestyle, The Gaylin Sudik Orchestra and Dan Hartzer. He has also performed with Michael McDonald, Harry Connick Jr., Sheena Easton, the Temptations, Lou Christie, Leslie Gore, and B.J. Thomas.

Wayne holds a Bachelors in Music Education degree from Drake University and a Master of Arts degree from Truman State University. He is a member of the local unit of the American Federation of Musicians, the Iowa Bandmasters Association, the Jazz Educators of Iowa, and is a Past-President of the Iowa unit of the International Association of Jazz Educators. He has been a Keilwerth artist/clinician and is proud to be currently working as an Artist Educator for “Tenor Madness” Saxophones. Wayne is currently adjunct faculty at Drake University, where he teaches Drake Jazz II and teaches classes on Jazz Pedagogy.

Joel Poppen recently retired after thirty years of teaching in the Ankeny Community School System where he served as Lead Instrumental Music Instructor, Co-Director of the Ankeny Marching Hawks, Director of the 11-12 Concert Band, and Director of Jazz Lab. Joel graduated from Charles City High School and received his Bachelor of Music in Trumpet Performance and Jazz Studies from Coe College and received his teaching certification from University of Northern Iowa.

Joel is a past president of the South-Central District of the Iowa Bandmasters Association. He is also a past president of the now defunct Iowa Chapter of the International Association of Jazz Educators, is currently on the resource panel for the Jazz Educators of Iowa and in 2018 received an Award of Special Recognition from the Community Jazz Center of Greater Des Moines. Joel has been a beta tester for SmartMusic and a team member of the Iowa Comprehensive Musicianship Project. He is active as an adjudicator and clinician at festivals throughout Iowa, and performs regularly with the Turner Center Jazz Orchestra, the Des Moines Big Band, and the Karl King Band.

Joel spends free time following and listening to his sons Andy and Ben as they perform music in the Des Moines Metro area or following and watching his son Cole play or coach soccer. Joel’s wife, Josie, is an instructor of technical theater at Drake University specializing in costume design, costume construction, and stage makeup.

A native of Cedar Rapids and a graduate of Prairie High School, Kelli Swehla received degrees from the University of Northern Iowa (Bachelor of Music in Music Education) and Kansas State University (Master of Music in Conducting and Music Education). Swehla has been teaching for 20 years and is currently Co-Director of Bands at Prairie High School in Cedar Rapids. At Prairie, she teaches marching band, Jazz Band One, music theory and Symphonic Band, after previously serving Kirkwood Community College, Xavier High School and North-Linn Community Schools. 

Kelli plays trumpet regularly with several groups including the Heartland Brass Quintet, the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, and the Iowa Women’s Jazz Orchestra. She is a frequent clinician, guest director and adjudicator for groups and festivals across the state of Iowa. Kelli is current past-President and webmaster of Jazz Educators of Iowa (JEI), has served northeast Iowa as District Jazz Chair, is a past member of the Board of Directors for the Iowa Jazz Championships and is Vice-Chair of the Commission for the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band. She is a proud member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association, Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association and Jazz Educators of Iowa.

Robert Washut is Emeritus Professor of Music at the University of Northern Iowa where he retired in 2018. He served as Director of Jazz Studies from 1980-2002. An accomplished jazz composer and arranger, Washut has received numerous commissions from collegiate and high school jazz ensembles, professional jazz artists, and symphony orchestras. Many of his works are published by Kendor Music, UNC Jazz Press, ejazzlines, C.L. Barnhouse, Lorenz, Sierra Music, 3-2 Music, and Really Good Music. Washut also has served as jazz composer-in-residence at several universities around the country. 

 During his 22 years as director of the award-winning UNI Jazz Band One, Washut recorded eleven CDs (two of which earned 5-star ratings from DownBeat magazine), toured Europe three times, consistently received "Outstanding Band" recognition at collegiate jazz festivals throughout the Midwest, and was awarded three "Outstanding Performance" citations in DownBeat's Annual Student Music Awards.

Dr. Washut is in demand as a clinician and adjudicator nationally, and has conducted all-state jazz bands in 16 states. He is also a jazz pianist who founded the locally popular Latin jazz band, Orquesta Alto Maiz, in 1986, with which he remained for 27 years. His newest recording, Journey to Knowhere, was released in January, 2018 and features his original compositions for jazz dodectet. In 2000, he was a composer/arranger for Bobby Shew's Salsa Caliente recording. Washut also recorded a jazz duo CD (with Chris Merz) entitled Gemini, in 2007, and a jazz trio CD (with Mark Urness & Kevin Hart) entitled Songbook, in 1999. With Orquesta Alto Maiz, he recorded 10 CDs and performed nationally and internationally. In 2013 Washut was inducted into the Des Moines Hall of Fame and the Iowa IAJE Hall of Fame in 2003. At UNI he was the recipient of the Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Orfeus award in 2018, the recipient of the Distinguished Scholar Award in 2015, and the College of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences Dean's Award for Excellence in Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity in 2014. He received the Outstanding Teaching Award in 1996. In 2019, Washut was bestowed with the Iowa Bandmaster Association’s Honorary Lifetime Membership.

Anthony Williams is Associate Professor of Trombone at the University of Northern Iowa. He teaches courses in applied trombone, chamber music, trombone pedagogy, trombone literature, and low brass techniques. He also serves as a member of UNI’s jazz faculty by teaching courses in applied jazz trombone and directing the UNI Jazz Trombone Ensemble.

 Dr. Williams maintains a high frequency of performing in classical, jazz, and new music settings. His debut solo album, “Synthesis,” is a collection of five newly-commissioned works for solo trombone scored with various ensemble settings that combines classical, Latin, and jazz music. Other recent recordings include Dr. Williams performing as lead trombonist with the Mike Waldrop Big Band on recently released albums, “Origin Suite” and “Time Within Itself.” Additional recording credits include “Grosso for Trombone and Electronics” for Mexican-born composer, Jorge Sosa’s album, “Plastic Time,” and albums by UNI alums Ryan Middagh and Dave Lisik.

He is principal trombonist of the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony and performs regularly with other orchestras in the region. His current jazz and commercial music performance activity includes appearances with local and regional groups such as The Des Moines Big Band, Orquesta Alto Maiz, NOLA Jazz Band, Big Fun, and many others. Dr. Williams’ past experiences include engagements with the Memphis Symphony, Memphis Jazz Orchestra, Ray Charles Orchestra, Arkansas Symphony, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Natalie Cole, and Aretha Franklin.

He is a member of the International Trombone Association and the Jazz Education Network.