Truman Clarinet Studio

Chloe Armentrout is a senior music therapy major.  She transferred to Truman from the State College of Florida in Bradenton, Florida, where she received the “Most Outstanding Woodwind” Award and served as a woodwind staff member for the Lakewood Ranch High School marching band. She was also named “Music Student of the Month” by the Florida College System Activities Association and received the Diane Gorzycki Woman Band Directors Scholarship.

Madison Backes is a senior music minor who served as a music teaching assistant in high school and received the Sousa Award. She was awarded honors at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest in both instrumental and vocal performance and served as a leader for her marching band. When she’s not playing the clarinet or bass clarinet, she enjoys baking and working at her family’s restaurant.

Mason Bender is a first-year music education major from Troy, Missouri where he made the All-District Honorable Mention Band and received Gold on his solo at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest.  When not playing music, he likes to hang out with friends and practice archery.

Adan Callejo is a freshman music business major from Milan, Missouri where he was selected to perform in the All-District Band for two years.  He also received Gold ratings at the state contest, was a member of the national FFA Band and received the Sousa Award.  He enjoys running and spending time with animals.

Brianna Dotson comes to us from St. Louis, Missouri, where she was selected for the All-District Honor Band and conducted the Phantom Regiment Drum Corps. She also received the John Philip Sousa Award. She’s currently a graduate teaching assistant for the bands area while pursuing her Master of Arts in Conducting.  She loves playing clarinet and received the 2021 Hearst Fine Arts Memorial Scholarship.

Karley Drabik is a graduate student pursuing her Master of Arts in Education from Grain Valley, Missouri, where she was selected for the All-District Honor Band all four years and served as the drum major of her high school band for two years. She also received superior ratings at state contest for both solos and small ensemble performances. Her hobbies include watching movies and listening to music.

Nicholas Dudley is a freshman music education major from Troy Buchanan High School where he played in the All-District Band for three years and received two Gold ratings at the state solo contest.  He also enjoys wrestling and playing jazz saxophone.

Harper Golden is a second-year graduate student from Meeker, Oklahoma, pursuing the Master of Arts in clarinet performance degree at Truman, where she is a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the bands program.  She received her undergraduate degree in music education from the University of Central Oklahoma, where she won the 2022 University Concerto Competition and received the Presser Scholarship.  In her free time, she enjoys playing badminton, spending time with her dog, and reading.  She recently received Honorable Mention in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers Association Graduate Woodwinds Competition.

Jennifer Jones is in her senior year after transferring to Truman as a music performance major from Indiana University-Bloomington. A native of St. Louis, Missouri, she was a member of the St. Louis Youth Orchestra for two years, performed with the 2018 NAfME All-National Honor Ensembles Symphony Orchestra as first chair overall, and was selected as first chair overall of the Missouri All-State Convention for two consecutive years (she choose band in 2018 and orchestra in 2019). Recently, she received first place at the 2020 Missouri Music Teachers Association Collegiate Woodwinds Competition and first place in the 2023 Music Teachers National Association State-Level Competition for Collegiate Woodwinds.

Colton Kniffen is a sophomore music performance major and political science minor from Iowa, where he made the All-State Band his senior year.  He also received Superior ratings at contest and made first chair in the Drake Honor Band.  When not playing clarinet, he enjoys playing badminton, watching Netflix, and playing video games.  He recently won Honorable Mention in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers Association Collegiate Woodwinds Competition.

Trystan Lickteig is a junior clarinet performance/music education double major from Kearney, Missouri. He was a two-time All-State Band member, a four-time All-District Band member, earned two gold ratings at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest, served as his high school’s drum major, and received the Sousa Award.  He received “Honorable Mention” at the 2021 Missouri Music Teachers Association Collegiate Woodwinds Competition.

Alayna McCulley is a second-year music education major from Imperial, Missouri, where she received the Director’s Award and Best Senior Award.  She also performed in the All-District Band for two years and received Gold ratings at the state contest.  She was soloist with both her high school concert and marching bands.  She enjoys playing video games in her free time.

Lacey Mihalevich is a senior music education major from Kirksville, Missouri, where she received a gold rating at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest, was awarded her high school’s musicianship award, and served as her marching band’s section leader for two years. She was a guest conductor for one of her middle school’s band concerts, and in addition to the clarinet, she plays saxophone, guitar, piano and sings.

Irene Pehanich is a second-year graduate student from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pursuing the Master of Arts degree in clarinet performance at Truman, where she serves as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the freshman aural skills class.  Her undergraduate degree is in clarinet performance from Slippery Rock University, where she was principal clarinetist of the Wind Symphony for six semesters and maintained a private clarinet studio in Pittsburgh.  In her free time, she enjoys watching movies, listening to new music, and working out.  She recently won the second clarinet position with the Quincy (IL) Symphony Orchestra and received Runner Up in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers Association Graduate Woodwinds Competition.

Josh Ryan is a senior music education major from Monroe City, Missouri, where he received the Sousa Award, served as his marching band’s section leader, and was selected to perform in the All-District Band. When not playing the clarinet, he enjoys drinking tea and collecting mugs.

Lily Schmitt is a second-year music education major from Washington, Missouri, where she performed in the All-District Band all four years of high school.  She also was selected for the All-State Honorable Mention Band her senior year and received Gold ratings at the state contest, as well as the Music Department Award.  She recently won first place in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers Association Collegiate Woodwinds Competition.

Thomas Stahl is a sophomore music composition and physics double major from Washington, Missouri, where he received a Gold rating at state contest for his bass clarinet solo.  He enjoys learning astronomy, making board games, playing volleyball and running.

Josiah Stocks is a sophomore music education major from Kirksville, Missouri, where he was section leader of the high school band for two years and was selected for the All-District Band on alto clarinet.  He enjoys collecting vinyl, listening to music on his hifi system and traveling to enjoy new experiences.

Danilo Viquez-Poveda is a second-year graduate student from Cartago, Costa Rica, pursuing the Master of Arts degree in clarinet performance at Truman, where he is a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the bands program.  His undergraduate degree was from the University of Costa Rica, where he studied clarinet with Prof. Yamileth Perez Mora.  For several years he was a band conductor and clarinet teacher of 35 musicians aged 10 to 21 years old.  He looks forward to returning after his graduate studies to share what he learned.

Alex Walcott is a senior music therapy/psychology double major from Bevier, Missouri. Alex served as section leader all four years of high school and performed throughout Europe with the Missouri Ambassadors of Music. They know how to play 15 different instruments and also enjoys singing.

Beckett Whitworth is a freshman music education major from Kirkwood High School in St. Louis, where he played bass clarinet in the youth orchestra for three years and was selected as third chair bass clarinet in the Missouri All-State Band his senior year.  In his free time he enjoys working out at the gym.

Julian Williams is a senior music minor from St. Louis where he was selected to perform in the All-State Band and was awarded the Sousa Award.  He also received a gold rating at the State Solo and Ensemble Contest his senior year.

Yongzhuo Zhu is a second-year graduate student from Sichuan, China, pursuing the Master of Arts in clarinet performance degree at Truman, where he is serving as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the clarinet studio.  He received his undergraduate degree at the Sichuan Conservatory where he studied with clarinetist Zhen Sun.  He enjoys listening to music, watching musicals and playing video games.  He recently received first place in the 2023 Missouri Music Teachers Association Graduate Woodwinds Competition.