Jason Gao is a senior Piano Performance and Music Education double major at Commonwealth University – Mansfield, a stone’s throw from his hometown Athens, PA. Outside of classes, Jason works as a church keyboardist, piano teacher, and peer tutor. After Mansfield, Jason intends to attend grad school for an MM Piano Performance and then settle down teaching elementary general music.

Dave Wert holds degrees in music education from Mansfield University and Boston University. He was hired in the Northern Tioga School District in 2009 as a band director. Mr. Wert took a hiatus from teaching in 2016 to enlist in the United States Marine Corps where he served as a musician and combat marksmanship coach. During his time in the Marines, Sergeant Wert was nominated for Marine Corps Musician of the Year, earned the title of Honor Graduate from Corporals Course, was selected as Noncommissioned Officer of the Quarter, and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal. Dave returned to the teaching field in 2020 where he currently serves as a band director for students in grades 4-12 at Cowanesque Valley High School and Westfield Area Elementary School. In his free time he enjoys the outdoors, reading, learning, travel, and being a foodie. Additionally, he serves as a mentor to underprivileged kids and as a member of the Board of Directors for Hamilton-Gibson Productions, a community theatre located in lovely Wellsboro, PA. Mr. Wert has performed previously with the Great Lakes Wind Symphony in their inaugural year. His other percussion performance credits include the Southern Tier Concert Band, Parris Island Marine Band, and the Endless Mountains Music Festival Orchestra where he is currently a section percussionist and a featured soloist. Dave has been fortunate to have performed around the US and Europe and is proud to be able to count performing at Carnegie Hall as one of his accomplishments. He would like to thank all those who support music education and the opportunities it brings to children.

Adam Price is a percussionist from Corning, New York. Adam graduated with a Bachelors in Music Education from Mansfield University. He teaches K-12 General, Alternative, and Exceptional Education based music classes for GST BOCES students from over a dozen surrounding schools in the Twin Tiers. In his free time he loves to work with performing groups ranging from Concert/Marching Bands (Corning, Horseheads), local theater (Bath, Horseheads), or an occasional choir!

Ben Kutay is a percussion performer and music educator based in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. He was the full-program band director for the East Lycoming School District from 2023 to 2025 and currently works as a studio staff member at EPIC Percussion. Ben is currently a substitute percussionist for the Williamsport Symphony Orchestra and a percussionist for the Lycoming College Community Orchestra. A 2019 graduate of West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Wells School of Music, Ben studied and performed under Dr. M. Gregory Martin, Dr. Adam Gumble, Dr. Ralph Sorrentino, and Prof. David Nelson. He was active in the Wind Symphony, Percussion Ensemble, Latin Jazz combo, and the Sudler Trophy-winning “Incomparable” Golden Rams Marching Band. Ben is extremely active in the marching arts in northcentral Pennsylvania and beyond, marching with multiple DCI All-Age drum and bugle corps including the Reading Buccaneers (2020), Fusion Core (2022 A Class Champions, 2023), and the White Sabers (2025). He also teaches marching percussion at EPIC’s WGI Open Class indoor percussion, Montgomery Area High School, Bloomsburg Area High School, and Danville Area High School.

Ian Brennan is a graduate of Mansfield University having earned a degree in Music Technology in 2019. He is a trained vocalist and percussionist and enjoys performing in theatre productions, singing with a local A Capella group, and playing in a variety of ensembles as a percussionist. Ian works at Good Will Enterprises and at OneWell, providing companionship as a Direct Support Professional.

David Ray-Hull, from Tamaqua, PA, graduated from Mansfield University in 2025 pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music. He studied voice as his primary instrument, and percussion, conducting, and piano as secondaries during his time at Mansfield. While he later plans to attend graduate school to pursue a degree in Choral Conducting, he currently lives in New Ringgold with his girlfriend, Lauren, and works a blue collar job to financially prepare for his future.