Richard Canter
Director
[email protected]
513-363-8510 |
Richard Canter joined the Walnut Hills High School Instrumental Music Department in 2015. He holds a BA in Music Education (2000) from Bowling Green State University and an MM in Music Education (2006) from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. While at BGSU, he was an active member of the Falcon Marching Band, serving as Drum Major his senior year. Mr. Canter previously served as Director of Bands and Music Department Chair for the Finneytown Local School District (2000–2012) and as Director of Bands for the Mariemont City School District (2012–2015). A Cincinnati native, he is a graduate of Ross High School.
Mr. Canter is sought-after as a clinician, adjudicator, educational consultant, and guest conductor. In 2018, he was appointed Music Director of the Cincinnati Junior Youth Wind Ensemble at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. He has presented clinics on band pedagogy at conferences in 30 states, including two sessions at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. A dedicated advocate for music education, Mr. Canter served four years as District 14 President of the Ohio Music Education Association. His commitment to music literacy and pedagogy led to the development of Scale & Rhythm Chunks, a widely used teaching tool adopted by bands nationally and internationally. Endorsed by Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser as “exactly what is wanted and needed… an idea whose time has come,” the program released its 3rd edition in 2023, featuring a collaboration with Patrick Sheridan, co-author of the Emmy-Award-Winning Breathing Gym® series. Mr. Canter’s accolades include the Mark S. Kelly Senior Marcher Award at BGSU, Finneytown Local School District Educator of the Year, the Hamilton County “Celebrate Excellence” Award, and the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching at Walnut Hills High School. His composition, Mirage for flugelhorn and piano was a national winner of the Music Educators National Conference Composition Competition and premiered in Washington, D.C in 2000. He was inducted into the Arts Wing of the Ross High School Hall of Fame in 2022 and was inducted into the Finneytown Local School District Hall of Fame in 2025. Bands under Mr. Canter’s direction have performed at the OMEA Professional Development Conference and in cities including Indianapolis, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington D.C., in Paris, France, and at Walt Disney World. Ensembles under his direction have consistently earned top ratings at Ohio Music Education Association Marching and Concert Band Adjudicated Events. Mr. Canter's professional affiliations include the National Association for Music Education, the Ohio Music Education Association, the Texas Bandmasters Association, ASCAP, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Kappa Kappa Psi. In 2024, Mr. Canter joined the KHS America Academic Alliance as an Educational Artist, representing Jupiter Band Instruments and affiliated brands. In addition to directing the Marching Blue & Gold, Mr. Canter teaches Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Junior Band, Symphonic Band and the Walnut Hills High School Wind Ensemble. |
Andrew Peoples
Associate Director
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Andrew Peoples joined the Walnut Hills High School Instrumental Department for the 2017-2018 school year. He is originally from Ocala, Florida. Mr. Peoples received his BM in Music Performance from Stetson University ('03), MM in Music Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music ('05) and Education Licensure from Xavier University ('16).
Upon graduation from CCM, Mr. Peoples began a ten year career as a professional trombonist and educator. While performing nationally and internationally at music festivals and with professional ensembles, he maintained a private teaching studio of up to forty-five weekly students. This teaching experience encouraged him to follow a path to band directing. Prior to his appointment at Walnut Hills High School, Mr. Peoples served two years as Instructor and Assistant Band Director with the award winning William Mason High School Band, while also serving as Adjunct Professor of Trombone at Xavier University. In 2016 he had the honor of assisting Marie Speziale with a presentation on rehearsal techniques for young brass choirs at the prestigious Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago, IL. In addition to his work with the Walnut Hills Marching Band, Mr. Peoples directs Beginning Band, Intermediate Band, Junior Band and is the Jazz Lab Band and Jazz Ensemble Director at Walnut Hills High School. Under Mr. Peoples' direction, The Walnut Hills Jazz Ensemble has been a featured performing ensemble at local jazz festivals and were invited to perform at the Ohio Music Education Professional Conference in 2020. |
Joshua Duebber
Visual Caption Head/Drill Writer
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Joshua Duebber is a saxophonist and engineer from Cincinnati, Ohio. He is currently an Aerospace Engineer at GE Aerospace. Joshua currently serves as the Visual Caption Head and Drill Designer at Walnut Hills High School.
Joshua was highly involved in the CCM saxophone studio under the direction of Dr. James Bunte during his time at the University of Cincinnati. He has been a part of various ensembles, including the CCM Wind Symphony, CCM Wind Ensemble, CCM Saxophone Ensemble, UC Bearcat Jazz Band, Midnight Quartet, and Tertio Quartet. Joshua also currently serves as the Chief Operations Officer of Radiant Ensembles, a nonprofit that helps put on the largest reoccurring saxophone ensemble in the Midwest. He also serves as the social media manager for the Cincinnati Wind Band. Joshua has put his engineering skills to use in his music pursuits by designing various devices and equipment for saxophonists. He is also skilled in woodwind instrument repair and cleaning. |
Beatrice Aldrich
Visual Instructor
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Beatrice Aldrich is a native of Cincinnati, OH where she works as an educator and musician. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Music Education, focusing on band pedagogy, clarinet performance, and instrumental conducting. Her degree culminated in her student teaching experience at Walnut Hills under Richard Canter with the middle and high school concert band program. This is her first year working with the Marching Blue and Gold.
At UC, she spent time involved with various leadership positions for the Ohio Collegiate Music Educators Association, UC Bearcat Marching Band, and Tau Beta Sigma, the national bandswomen’s sorority. Beatrice has a strong passion for the marching arts as a teacher, performer, and fan. She is currently on staff with the Academy Drum and Bugle Corps as a brass instructor. She has also worked with multiple high school programs, teaching and designing in all captions. She was a member of the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 2024 and 2025, and a student leader with the UC Marching Band. Her primary values as an educator and artist include service, community, and diversity, with an emphasis on empowering women in the music and band world. Outside of music, she loves exploring new hobbies and trying new things. She has recently been trying a lot of different visual art mediums and exploring new restaurants. |
Peter Koury
Woodwind Caption Head
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Peter Koury is an educator and performer aiming to expand the proliferation of saxophone, exploring varying sonic palettes through saxophone in all settings, whether it be solo, chamber, or large ensemble. He serves to bring saxophone pedagogy through instruction to all, aiming to amplify the reach of saxophone through the spheres of concert music.
As an educator, Peter has extensive teaching experience throughout Central Kentucky and Ohio with students from Madison Central High School, Lafayette High School, Paul Laurence Dunbar High School, Ryle High School, Bourbon County High School and Middle School, George Rogers Clark High School, and more. He is an active chamber coach as well, having founded and coached numerous chamber ensembles including the Madison Central Saxophone Ensemble, who most recently were invited to perform a full program at the KMEA Convention, and is the current director of the Cincinnati Youth Wind Ensemble Saxophone Ensemble. Peter also has a passion for saxophone quartet, most recently coaching the Divum Saxophone Quartet from Madison Central High School to compete at the quarterfinals of the 51st Annual Fischoff National Chamber Competition. Peter is also a very active performer in both chamber music and solo settings. He is a co-director of the Cincinnati New Music Ensemble where he has worked with directly with composers and commissioned works for solo saxophone, mixed chamber ensemble, and saxophone quartet from composers Saman Shahi, Serin Oh, Owen Hopper, Matthew McAllister, James Loughery, and more. Peter is also an active chamber musician as the alto chair of RUBRA, the graduate saxophone quartet at CCM, and has performed with the group at the international Navy Band Saxophone Symposium, Region V NASA Conference, and most recently advanced to the semifinal round of the 53rd Annual Fischoff National Chamber Competition. Peter is currently pursuing a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, where he also holds a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance. His primary instructors include Dr. James Bunte and Dr. Om Srivastava. |
Andrew Strawn
Woodwind Caption Head and Drum Major Instructor
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Andrew Strawn is an established young composer whose talent and dedication has already gained attention and respect within the musical community. His music is known for its romantic expression and highly polished orchestration, with topics often drawn from visual art and literature. He is a 2025 graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), where he studied music composition with Douglas Knehans, Michael Fiday and Ellen Harrison; and saxophone performance with James Bunte and Carly Hood.
Andrew has received commissions from the CCM Concert Orchestra, CCM Wind Ensemble, CCM Saxophone Ensemble, CCM Wind Symphony, UC Symphony Orchestra, UC Bearcat Marching Band, Ryle High School Wind Symphony, and many chamber ensembles and soloists. He was recognized as a finalist in the MakeMusic International Young Composers Contest, the National Young Composers Challenge, and the Essentially Ellington Student Composition/Arranging Contest. Additionally, he received a national award of excellence in the 2019 Kentucky PTA Reflections Contest and first prize in the 2023 Cincinnati SongSLAM for his work “Trapped in Mexico.” As a conductor, Andrew organized the Ryle Student Wind Ensemble which premiered and recorded three new works in 2021. He has also conducted the UC Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Youth Saxophone Ensemble, the Florence Community Band, and the Ryle High School Wind Symphony for his own works. Outside of music, Andrew is a Kentucky Governor’s Scholar and greatly enjoys both academic and fictional literature. |
Marie Conti
Percussion Caption Head
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Dr. Marie Conti is a percussionist and educator originally from Akron, Ohio. As a performer, she has played with the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, Sō Percussion, The CCM Philharmonia and Wind Symphony, and around various communities in the Akron and Cincinnati areas. In 2022, she was the winner of the Three Arts Scholarship Competition. In addition to classical and marching percussion, Marie also plays several world music instruments including steel drums, Ghanaian gyil, and Northern Indian tabla. Marie has taught several different high school percussion sections throughout Ohio. She has also taught at several middle school band camps where she led the section in rehearsals and group lessons. As a Masters and Doctoral student at CCM, she lead the CCM Philharmonia and Wind Symphony percussion sections and taught Percussion Methods to undergraduate students. She also served as the percussion teacher for the CCM Preparatory Department.
Marie received her undergraduate degrees from The University of Akron in Percussion Performance and Music Education and her Masters and Doctoral degrees from The University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. |
Corbin Keene
Front Ensemble Instructor
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Corbin Keene is a performer and educator currently studying classical saxophone and multiple woodwinds at the University of Cincinnati College Conservatory to Music. He performs on multiple woodwinds in the CCM wind ensemble, wind symphony, and in pit orchestras around the city. He performs regularly as the baritone chair in the Cincinnati based OTR Saxophone Quartet. Corbin has also been invited to work with bands as a guest conductor at several high school and middle schools in northeast Indiana. He has served as Percussion Director at Wawasee High School in northeast Indiana since 2023.
Corbin is excited to work with the Marching Blue & Gold again this season! |
Shea Vidourek
Color Guard Caption Head
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Shea Vidourek is a Cincinnati Native and is a 3rd year student at the University of Cincinnati. She is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School and was a member of the Marching Blue & Gold from 2018 to 2022. She has previously marched with Cincinnati Tradition Drum and Bugle Corps, Onyx, and Cap City Percussion. Her prior teaching history includes East Central High School, and Oak Hills High School Color and Winter Guards.
Shea served as Assistant Color Guard Instructor during the 2025 season and is thrilled to take on the new role of Color Guard Caption Head for the Marching Blue & Gold for the upcoming season! |
Madison Pennell
Assistant Color Guard Instructor
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Madison Pennell is a color guard choreographer and coach originally from Columbus, Ohio. After graduating from the University of Cincinnati with a degree in Chemistry, she relocated to Cincy officially. Along the way she discovered her passion for teaching guard through the Oak Hills High School Color and Winter Guard programs. This is Madison's first year working with the Marching Blue and Gold, and she also directs the Moeller HS-Mount Notre Dame HS joint color guard program.
While at UC, she was a leader and performer in the UC Bearcat Marching Band, a proud sister of the Theta chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, and became an awarded speaker and published researcher in Analytical Chemistry. Madison is excited to start her journey with the Walnut Hills marching band and can't wait to see where this season takes us! |
Scratch Thompson
Color Guard Technician
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Scratch Thompson is a 2nd year social work student at the University of Cincinnati. He is a graduate of Walnut Hills High School and participated in the Marching Blue and Gold from 2017 to 2021, including as a leader from 2019 to 2020.
Scratch is very excited to reconnect with music and help with the Marching and Gold this upcoming season! |
Elyse Sennett
Color Guard Technician
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Elyse Sennett is a first year nursing student at the Good Samaritan College of Nursing. She graduated from Walnut Hills High School in 2022, and participated in the Marching Blue and Gold from 2017 to 2021, including serving as captain in 2021.
She is very excited to reconnect with color guard, and is looking forward to a wonderful season and a great show! |
Whitney Kroll
Color Guard Technician
Whitney Kroll is a fourth year middle childhood education major at the University of Cincinnati. She graduated from Kings High School and spun Color Guard and Winter Guard for eight years in the Kings High School Guard program. She is very excited to help this season and help create a wonderful experience for students during their show!