Meet The Cornet Section

 

James Rapp

2nd Bb Cornet


 

Douglas Purcell

Bb Solo Cornet


Douglas Purcell recently moved to The Villages from Massachusetts where he was the Director of Bands at Amherst Regional High School for 33 years. He was recognized twice for teaching excellence, having received the Robert Frost Teaching Chair in 1982 and a Merit Award in 1985.  During his tenure, the ARHS Wind Ensemble was invited to perform at the Massachusetts Music Educators All-State Conference on three occasions. He retired in 2004.


Doug received a Bachelor of Music degree in trumpet performance and music education, and a Master of Music degree in music education, both from the University of Massachusetts where he studied trumpet with Walter Chesnut.


He has directed the UMass Symphony Band, Greenfield Community College Jazz Ensemble, and taught trumpet at Westfield State University and Amherst College. Music ensembles with which he has performed include the Massachusetts Wind Orchestra, Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Valley Festival Orchestra, Pioneer Valley Orchestra, Hampshire Choral Society, New England Brass Quartet, Amherst Brass Ensemble, and the Amherst Brass Band.


Doug resides in the Village of Hadley with his wife Judith. When he is not at home you can probably find him on one of The Villages’ golf courses.

 

Mike Smucker

Bb Solo Cornet


Mike started playing trumpet in 4th grade.  Mike performed in /with the Moon Liters, Celebrity Singers, Harald Brass, Air Born Brass as well as numerous shows.  Mike also was a member of the veterans group, Red Rose Honor Guard and has performed over 500 military honors.


Mike retired in 2013 from his job as a Safety Manager.  He is married and has 2 children and 4 grandchildren.  Mike and his wife moved to the Village of Pinellas  in 2103.


When not playing his trumpet, Mike keeps busy with woodworking, hunting and carries a commercial pilots license for multi engine aircraft and is instrument qualified.  Mike is also glider qualified.

 

Chuck Mander

Eb Soprano Cornet


Soprano cornet soloist Chuck Mander, originally from Morrisville, VT, has been a member of The

Celebration Brass Band since Oct. 2010.  He earned a BS degree in Music Education from the University of Bridgeport, Bridgeport, CT in 1973.  From 1976 until 1984 was a public school music teacher and a member of the Vermont Army National Guard’s 40th Army Band.


In 1984 he enlisted in the US Navy as a fleet musician.   His tours included several stateside bands and 2 very enjoyable tours in Naples, Italy.  He retired 2005, attaining the rank of Senior Chief Musician.


In 2005 Chuck and his wife Juanita moved to Camano Island, WA, where he had hoped to live in retirement.  Enjoying the serenity and beauty of western WA lasted only a few months before he decided to become part-time driver for FedEx. His musical experiences in Washington state included playing in church and with the Camano Island swing band, Camano Junction, where he also served as music director.


Chuck and Juanita moved to The Villages in October 2010.

 

Greg Weber

Bb Solo Cornet

Greg Weber is from Columbus, Ohio, and is a lifelong fan of the "Buckeyes".  He started playing trumpet in the 5th grade, as was fortunate to attend a high school that had one of the top music programs in Ohio.  He started as a music major at Ohio State, and although changing majors, receiving a degree in business administration, he vowed that he would always be involved playing trumpet in various music groups.  Over the years Greg played in different community orchestras, bands, and brass quintets.  In 1997, Greg began playing cornet, and joined the Central Ohio Brass Band, participating in 14 years of competitions at the North American Brass Band Championships.  


Greg and his wife Dona moved permanently to the Villages in 2010 and live in the Village of Sabal Chase.  Greg began playing in the Celebration Brass Band in 2010, and also plays in the the Villages Orchestra, and the Wind Ensemble.  Greg and Dona have 4 children and 4 grandchildren.  Dona and Greg spend their summers in Columbus, and Greg plays in brass bands and community bands when there.  He has been very fortunate to play with brass bands in England and Italy, confirming music is truly an international language.  

 

Andy Phillips

Andy Phillips

Bb Solo Cornet

Andy has been continually playing trumpet/cornet for over 55 years. He graduated from UMass Amherst with a BA in MusEd and subsequently earned a MA of Ed degree from Leslie University. He was an instrumental music specialist for 34 years in the Amherst/Pelham Regional School District in western Massachusetts with responsibility for wind/percussion students in grades 4-12 in his early years and then settled into working with grades 4-8until retirement.


While living in Amherst, MA, played with The Pioneer Valley Symphony, The Hampshire Choral Society, The Mass. Wind Orchestra, The Amherst Brass Ensemble, So. Amherst Brass Quartet, Amherst Brass Band, Keene State Orchestra and many union concert bands. All the while, I was a trumpet soloist in many churches from northern CT, western MA, VT and ME and maintained a studio of private students.


My most recent brass band experience was on Eb cornet with the Providence (Rl) Brigade Band that is dedicated to performance of Civil War era music on period instruments.

 

Lew Humphrey

2nd Bb Cornet


Lew Humphrey received a B.S. in Music Education from Jacksonville State University in Jacksonville, AL.  He was a member of the Marching Southerners and served a trumpet section leader. He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia Fraternity.  His honors include being selected as a member of Phi Beta Mu International School Bandmaster Fraternity.  He also participated as a member of Atlanta CV Drum and Bugle corps from 2007-2010.


He taught instrumental music in Northwest Georgia for 30 years where he served as the band director of Chattanooga Valley High School, Murray County High School, Bagley Middle School, and Dalton Middle School.  He also served as the assistant director of the high school when he was a middle school director.  He retired from the State of Georgia in 2012.

Since his retirement, Lew serves as the Music Specialist at Sorrento Elementary in Lake County.  He enjoys spending time exploring Florida with his wife, Joan and playing in the Celebration Brass Band.

 

Greg Adams

Solo Cornet


Greg was born and raised in Miami Florida. He picked up the horn in the fifth grade after seeing his name on a Tower of Power album and hasn’t put his trumpet down since. Greg attended Miami Dade College under a music scholarship which allowed him to travel to many places while playing in the jazz band including The Montreux Jazz Festival and North Sea Jazz Festival in 1986 as well as touring Brazil and U.S. Although a career in I.T took precedence, Greg continued playing in Miami for many Latin “Conjunto’s” and Supperclub’s including the once famous Les’ Violins as well as several local Big Bands. His most recent gig was with the horn section of Miami’s “Mr. Nice Guy” a prominent classic rock band playing all of South Florida and the Keys. Greg moved to this area a few years ago and now enjoys riding his motorcycle around Central Fl.

 

Peggy Maina

Bb Repiano Cornet


Peggy was born and raised in upstate New York in a suburb of Rochester, NY.  She began playing trumpet at the age of nine.  She was very fortunate to be in a school district with numerous musical opportunities.  As a high school student she played in the Wind Ensemble and the Stage Band.  As a senior, the band members took a five country concert tour of Europe.


While in college, she participated in Concert and symphonic bands, jazz band, brass quintet and marching band. She received her Masters in Education at the University of Rochester and taught high school special education for 31 years, serving as department leader for the last seven years of her career.  Although her career area was not music, she was fortunate to be able to continue her passion for music by participating in several community concert bands, jazz bands, pit orchestras, and other small ensembles.


In 1987 she met her husband, Ed, a professional trombone player.  They began playing in jazz bands together and Ed helped her to further develop her jazz skills. Some of her fondest musical memories  are of Ed and her playing together in musical groups.  After becoming a resident of The Villages, she became a member of the New Horizons Concert Band, the Celebration Brass Band, the more recently formed Stadtband Braunholz German Band, and a small brass ensemble.


Although music is her passion, my other areas of interest include golf, running and fitness. She has played competitive golf for 40 years, and is a member of the Women’s Rochester District Golf Association and the Women’s Western New York Golf Association.  She and her husband have taken many golf vacations over the years.  Peggy is also a runner, and has competed in all of the 5k races in The Villages since moving here in February 2009.  Peggy said that when she started playing trumpet she had no idea of the impact it would have on her life. Through music she has not only made many lifelong friendships, but met my husband and married into a wonderful family.

 

Dan Ladsow

3rd Bb Cornet


Daniel Lasdow moved to The Villages full time in 2017 from Weymouth, Massachusetts with his wife Jane. He holds degrees in Music Education and Trumpet Performance from UMASS Lowell, with additional studies at Boston University and New England Conservatory. Dan has studied trumpet with John Coffey, Natalo Paella, Walter Chesnut and Steven Emery.


Dan retired from the East Bridgewater Massachusetts Public Schools as the Director of Music and the Director of Bands. His high school band received many gold medal awards and performed at Boston Symphony Hall and Ozawa Hall at Tanglewood. 


After retirement from East Bridgewater, he served as Assistant Director of South Shore Conservatory in charge of Arts Partners, a community outreach program. He has taught many private trumpet students in Duxbury, Pembroke, Marshfield and King Philip school districts and has been called as a clinician, festival and auditions adjudicator and conductor of District and State festival bands throughout New England. He was guest conductor of UMASS Lowell Summer Band and was conductor of the Tri County Symphonic Band.


A founder of A Touch Of Brass Quintet, he has performed with Met Winds;Boston Brass Ensemble; Cape Cod, New Bedford, Brockton and Plymouth Symphony Orchestras; Academy Brass; Monomoy and Company theaters; SouthCoast Jazz Ensemble; Chaminade Opera; and numerous choral societies. Dan was also a recipient of the Lowell Mason Award and Distinguished Service Award from the Massachusetts Music Educators Association and the Plymouth County Excellence In Teaching Award. 


He has four children and four grandchildren. Dan enjoys golf, fishing, dancing, and sky diving.