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James is an active freelance musician and educator, based in Birmingham, Alabama, working and teaching throughout the Southeast. He is a member of the LaGrange Symphony and Pensacola Symphony Orchestras, and appears regularly with the Alabama Symphony, Columbus Symphony, and Mobile Symphony Orchestras. James teaches applied studies in horn at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and at Birmingham-Southern College.
Brass ensembles have been a fixture in James' career from early on. His first professional group, the Bala Brass, is an award winning, critically acclaimed chamber ensemble that actively pursued new music from the brightest up-and-coming new composers. With the Bala Brass, James has performed on stages around the world and he continues to enjoy the power and flexibility of the genre as a creative outlet.
Also in demand as a master craftsman, James is the owner and proprietor of Custom Brass Instrument Service in Birmingham, AL where he specializes in repair and custom modification of brass instruments. When not performing, teaching, or in the shop, other interests include photography, cycling, and playing baseball with his boys. James lives in Vestavia Hills, AL with his wife Angel, daughter Bella Grace, and sons Ben and Bo.
While starting out as a jazz performer and writer, having penned music performed and recorded by the One O’Clock Band at the University of North Texas and the University of Northern Colorado, Dr. Doug Bristol’s output over the last 20 years has concentrated mainly on classical chamber music with a few excursions into larger ensembles. About his Fantasy for euphonium and orchestra, Jerry Young writes, "Every serious euphonium player should find this piece and study it . . . no audience exists that would not fall in love with this work" (International Tuba Euphonium Journal, 2008). Works available on CD include Mpingo for sopranino saxophone and prerecorded media, Conversation for trombone and timpani, Fantasy for euphonium and orchestra, and Five Miniatures for tenor saxophone, trombone, and piano. For a full discography click here. In 2016 Bristol received a Fellowship Grant from the Alabama State Council on the Arts in music composition and in 2017 was awarded the Commissioned Composer of the Year from the Alabama Music Teachers Association.
Dr. Bristol is an active and versatile trombonist performing in a variety of classical, commercial, and jazz settings. He is a founding member and has performed numerous recitals with the trombone quartet, Quatuor du Sud and also with the Alabama Tuba/Euphonium Quartet; concerts with Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Four Tops, Temptations, O'Jays, Shirley Jones, Mary Wilson and with many other commercial and jazz artists; and on over 140 musical theater performances at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. He can be heard on the recording, Got the Spirit by the New South Jazz Orchestra. Dr. Bristol is also a regular performer with the Southeast Trombone Symposium Professors Choir since 2011.
He earned the Doctor of Arts in Theory and Composition from the University of Northern Colorado with a secondary emphasis in Jazz Pedagogy, M.M. in Trombone Performance from Georgia State University, and B.M. in Jazz from the University of Tennessee.
UNC Jazz Press, TAP Music, Cimarron Music Press, Tuba-Euphonium Press, ITA Press, and Warwick Music publish his works.
R. Scott Robertson is the retired Director of Music from Trinity United Methodist, Birmingham, AL where he served for over 15 years. During his time as DOM at Trinity, he developed a very vibrant, multifaceted music department with over 400 participants. While providing weekly music for worship, musical ensembles from Trinity traveled locally, nationally and internationally. Robertson initiated and developed the Trinity Orchestra which provides music for worship regularly. While serving as DOM at Trinity, Robertson taught Tuba at the collegiate level at Samford University and University of Alabama at Birmingham. Many of his former students are now employed in United States Military Bands and as band directors all across the country.
Robertson's professional playing career includes the UAB Faculty Brass Quintet, The U. S. Army Ground Forces Band, and as a substitute musician with many orchestras including the Alabama Symphony, and Atlanta Symphony. As a vocalist, Robertson was a member of the Grammy Award winning Atlanta Symphony Chorus and Chamber Chorus under the direction of the late Robert Shaw.
R. Scott Robertson received his musical education at Northwestern University and the Navy School of Music. His primary tuba instructors were Arnold Jacobs, Michael Moore and Robert Rusk.
Jamie McLemore is currently the Organist/Music Associate at South Highland Presbyterian Church, a position he has held since September, 2009. Prior to this, he was the organist at Briarwood Presbyterian Church for over 19 years. Mr. McLemore is employed with the Samford University Bookstore as Assistant General Manager in charge of visual design and merchandising.
A native of Birmingham, Mr. McLemore began his musical studies with Susie Francis Dempsey at Trusswood Piano Studio. Mr. McLemore received his Bachelor of Music in Organ Performance from the University of Alabama where he studied with the late Warren Hutton. Further study has been with Dr. Patricia Fitzsimmons, Dr. James Dorroh, and the late Dr. Jonathan Biggers. He has studied improvisation with Mr. Herbert Buffington in Atlanta. Mr. McLemore spent two summers at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey, studying choral techniques for children’s choirs with the late Sue Ellen Page for work on his graduate degree.
In addition to playing for numerous weddings, Mr. McLemore has also been used as a consultant for weddings. His knowledge of getting the most out of budgets for wedding ceremonies is invaluable to both brides and their families.
Mr. McLemore has led workshops on service playing and introducing adults to the organ with little prior knowledge of the instrument. These hands-on workshops have proved invaluable to those who attended. He is a strong proponent of keeping organs in churches and for them to be used in worship.
A long-time member of the Birmingham Chapter of the American Guild of Organists, he has held the position of Dean, Sub-Dean, Hospitality Chair, and is currently a member of the Executive Board. He was chair of the 2011 Pipe Organ Encounter for high school students held in Birmingham and served on the board for the 2013 POE. Mr. McLemore has been organ consultant for churches in Alabama and West Virginia.
In his spare time, Mr. McLemore loves travel, art collecting, and spending time with his extended family and close friends.
Nicholas Ciulla is currently the Assistant Principal Trumpet of the Alabama Symphony Orchestra, having joined the orchestra in 2015. Prior to his appointment in the ASO, Nicholas played Second Trumpet in the Wichita Symphony Orchestra from 2012-2014. An avid educator, he has served semester appointments at Auburn University and the University of Montevallo. Additionally, Nicholas serves as trumpet instructor for Mountain Brook City Schools and Hoover City Schools as well as adjunct instructor at Talladega College and the Alabama School of Fine Arts. Nicholas has a Bachelors of Music Performance from Baldwin-Wallace University and a Masters of Music Performance from Wichita State University and is currently pursuing his DMA at the University of Alabama. His principal teachers include Michael Sachs, Geoff Hardcastle, Mario Guarneri, Jack Sutte, David Hunsicker and Chris Moore. Nicholas is also a Conn-Selmer Endorsing Artist.
Dr. Eric Yates is the trumpet professor at the University of Alabama School of Music, principal trumpet of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra, first trumpet of the Alabama Brass Quintet, and a founding member of the internationally-touring Fortress Brass.
An in-demand soloist and clinician, Dr. Yates has appeared throughout the United States and around the world, having performed in England, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Cuba, the Republic of Georgia, and numerous times in Russia where he has presented recitals and master classes at the St. Petersburg and Moscow Conservatories seven times since 2009. He has appeared at the Instituto Superior de Arte (ISA) in Havana, Cuba; the American University of Rome, Italy; the Tbilisi State Conservatory in Georgia; and at numerous institutions in the U.S., including Northwestern University, Yale, NYU, the University of Georgia, Furman University, Mississippi State University, Western Carolina University, and many others.
Eric Yates has hosted the Trumpet Festival of the Southeast regional conference at The University of Alabama three times and serves on its board of directors, and he has judged several years for the National Trumpet Competition. He has toured with the award-winning Fountain City Brass Band of Kansas City, MO, served two years as Principal Solo Cornet of the Prairie Brass Band of Arlington Heights, IL, and has engaged in numerous tours throughout the U.S. and abroad as member and co-founder of the Fortress Brass.
Yates's performance career has included engagements with many professional orchestras in the United States including the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra, the South Bend Symphony, the Illinois Symphony, the Elmhurst Symphony, the Northwest Indiana Symphony, and the Nashville Symphony, and he performs regularly with the Alabama (Birmingham) Symphony Orchestra in addition to serving as principal trumpet of the Tuscaloosa Symphony Orchestra since 2007.