DIRECTOR
BRANDON BITNER
Band Director Brandon W. Bitner is in his eighth year of teaching and directing bands and ensembles at Central Dauphin High School. Mr. Bitner directs the CD Jazz Orchestra, 11 O'Clock Big Band, and 12 O'Clock Big Band and the Wind Ensemble, and teaches beginning Music Theory and AP Music Theory. He is also the director of the Pit Orchestra for the musical. Prior to teaching at CDHS, he taught at E.H. Phillips and Rutherford Elementary Schools in the Central Dauphin School District.
Mr. Bitner holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education degree from Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, and a degree in Music Vocations from Southwestern Community College in
Creston, Iowa.
In addition to teaching, Mr. Bitner is an active performer here in the south central Pennsylvania area. He sings and plays saxophone with the Lower Paxton Variety Band, sings with the One More Time combo, and is a member of Voices of the Valley. Mr. Bitner has conducted the pit orchestra with Keystone Theatrics at Allenberry Playhouse and the Carlisle Theatre Company.
Mr. Bitner holds membership in the National Association for Music Education, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Jazz Education Network, and is a life-long member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia.
DIRECTOR
SAMUEL TATE
Band Director Samuel Tate is a music educator and director of bands at Central Dauphin High School. He teaches and directs the beginning and advanced percussion ensembles, the Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble. He also teaches a class on wind instrument techniques. He is the director of the Central Dauphin High School Ram Marching Band, which competes in Tournament of Bands sanctioned events in Pennsylvania and surrounding states. He previously taught in the Gettysburg Area School District, Pennsylvania, and Howard County Public Schools, Howard County, Maryland, and Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Tate holds a Bachelors of Music Education degree from the Pennsylvania State University, and a Masters of Music degree from Towson University in Maryland.
Well versed in multiple musical styles, his previous playing tenures include Penn State and Towson University Ensembles, including four years as member of the Penn State Blue Band. He was principal trumpet of the Hunt Valley Symphony Orchestra, played in multiple small chamber ensembles in the Greater Baltimore Area, as well as performing other freelance performances. He was selected to perform in New York City with the Mid Atlantic Collegiate Jazz Orchestra,
under the direction of Eric Richards.
Mr. Tate can be found playing lead trumpet with the Dave Neith Jazz Orchestra, the Lehigh Valley Italian American Band, and other concert bands in the Lehigh Valley.
TRICIA BUTZ
INDOOR COLOR GUARD DIRECTOR & COLOR GUARD CAPTION HEAD
Tricia Butz graduated from Nazareth Area High School, where she participated in marching band and indoor color guard for four years. While studying secondary education at Kutztown University, Mrs. Butz instructed color guard at Whitehall and Nazareth Area High Schools, as well as marching for an independent indoor color guard ensemble named Q, in the Lehigh Valley area of eastern Pennsylvania.
Mrs. Butz has personally competed in the Tournament Indoor Association (TIA), the Mid-Atlantic Indoor Network (MAIN) as well as the Winter Guard International (WGI) circuits. She has also traveled to Dayton, Ohio for the WGI World Championships as a performer, appearing twice on the finals floor.
Known by students as "Frau" she teaches German at Central Dauphin High School, having joined the Central Dauphin High School Band Program staff in 2016. She spends her free time reading, watching Netflix, grading class work, and planning for color guard seasons.
MARCHING BAND STAFF
BRANDON
BITNER
WIND STAFF
TESSA
SHAFFER
WIND STAFF
TIM
MILLER
WIND STAFF
CHAD
BUTZ
WIND STAFF
MICHAEL
FEHER
PERCUSSION STAFF
TRICIA
BUTZ
COLOR GUARD
KEISHA
BROWN
COLOR GUARD
KRISTI
STONEKING
COLOR GUARD
ALEXIS
REINBOLD
PERCUSSION STAFF
TAYLOR
BALDWIN
PERCUSSION STAFF
BRYAN
DAVIES
PERCUSSION STAFF
PERCUSSION STAFF
TAYLOR BALDWIN
Bass Drums & Visual Designer
IAN TAYLOR
Tenors
ALEXIS REINBOLD
Visual & Front Ensemble Staff
BRYAN DAVIES
Snares & Tenors
EVAN MARTIN
Snares & Visual Designer
MICHAEL FEHER
Front Ensemble Staff
ANTONY MIRANDA
Visual Designer & Cymbal Line Staff
SAM TATE
Administrative Staff & Visual Staff