MEET OUR EXECUTIVE TEAM!

OUR MISSION STATEMENT: 

To provide a setting wherein University of Alberta students from all disciplines can rehearse, perform, and learn the conventions of jazz music in a group.

Club President

Rebecca Dust

Hi, my name is Rebecca and I am a fourth-year BSc student majoring in biology and minoring in music. I have studied the piano most of my life, but for jazz, I like to stick with the trumpet as my weapon of choice. My favourite part of the UAJBC is meeting people from all across campus and making friendships with talented and down-to-earth people. Fun fact about me? I've studied abroad in Ireland!

Club Vice President

Dylan Lindsay

My name is Dylan, and I'm very pleased to serve as the Vice-President of the UAJB! I'm in my third year of a Bachelor of Music, focussed on a saxophone performance route. This is my second year in the jazz band and on the executive team, and beyond this band I also enjoy playing in saxophone quartet, and the U of A Symphonic Wind Ensemble. I play lead alto and soprano in the Gold Band, but I also enjoy playing tenor and baritone saxophone.

Club Treasurer

Mitch Cassidy

Hey there! I'm Mitch, and I'm the Treasurer for the UAJB this year. I play trombone in the band, and I'm in my first year of the After Degree Education program with Music as my major teaching area. Off campus, I'm a practicing geotechnical engineer, an avid canoer, and a recovering SKA musician. I'm looking forward to playing with the band this year and working alongside the rest of our fabulous executive.

Club Social Media Manager

Julianna Dust

Hello! My name is Julianna Dust, I am a third year Industrial Design student, and I play trumpet and sing in the UofA Gold Band! On the rare occasion that I'm not in the industrial design studio working on a project, you can find me researching ancestry, taking pictures of birds, or doing a puzzle.

Club Events Coordinator

Ibrahim Toume

Hi I’m Ibrahim Toume, I’m a first year Honors in Neuroscience student and I play the Baritone saxophone for the UA Jazz Green Band. In my free time I'm either composing music, volunteering with Cosmopolitan Music Society, with friends, or desperately trying to convince myself I can still get that A+!

Club Secretary

Kyla De Groot

Hey! My name is Kyla De Groot and I am a second-year Education student. I play alto sax in the Green Jazz band. Fun fact is that my primary instrument is the Flute.


VOLUNTEERS

Band Director

Tom Dust

Dr. Tom Dust brings a wealth of experience to his role as one of the conductors of the UAJBC. Tom earned a Master of Jazz Studies degree at the famous Indiana Jacobs School of Music where he studied all aspects of jazz music with jazz educator icons David N. Baker and Dominic Spera. While a graduate student at Indiana University, Tom held the position of Associate Instructor in the Jazz Department and was responsible for conducting Jazz Band IV as well as the jazz band at the Indiana University/Purdue University joint campus in Indianapolis. In addition to his role as Professor of Secondary Music Education at the University of Alberta, Tom conducts the University of Alberta Convocation Band, the University of Alberta Marching Band, and the UAJBC bands. For 20 years, Tom was the director of the joint Grant MacEwan University/University of Alberta Jazz Band II. As a trumpet performer, Tom has played with the Edmonton bands of Big Miller, Tommy Banks, Zen Magus, and Gordon Schmitt, as well as numerous travelling shows. While studying in the United States, Tom performed with the Al Cobine Big Band, The Mid-west Swing Orchestra, the Tony Baron Orchestra, The Tommy Dorsey Band, and others.

Band Director

Curtis Farley

Curtis Farley is an accomplished music educator with 16 years of experience as a teacher. He is currently the co-director of the University of Alberta Jazz Band and he directed Blackgold Community Band, the Jr All City Band and the Cosmopolitan Music Society Beginner Band. 

Curtis attended the University of Alberta where he received Bachelor degrees in music composition and in education. He is an active trombone player in many ensembles around Edmonton. 


Club Photographer

Roan van Helden

Hi there, I'm Roan van Helden. I'm currently in my 2nd year at the UofA and the 4th year of my degree in Ancient and Medieval Studies. I've worked as a videographer in both the Netherlands and Australia before I came to Canada, and now scratch that itch by making pictures for the UofA Jazz Band. Also I am very much most certainly, Dutch.