312th United States Army Band Iowa Sreet Jazz

Iowa Street Jazz - Click To Enlarge Photo

312th Army Band
Iowa Street Jazz

From Left To Right: SGT Aimee Meagher, SSG Nick Proctor, SGT Scott Griffitt,
SGT Matt Crandall, SSG Constance Kelley and SSG Gene Kelley.

Click On Photographs To Enlarge

SGT Matt Crandall, Saxophone, Sergeant Crandall is a 2001 graduate of Topeka High School in Kansas and is in the process of completing a Bachelor of Music Education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. SGT Crandall is the saxophone section leader in the 312th Army Bands' concert band, is the NCOIC of the Saxophone Ensemble and Dixieland Band as well as being the lead alto player in the Stage Band and member of Iowa Street Jazz. He is regularly featured as a soloist with many of these groups including a recent performance for the opening ceremony of the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois where he was featured on two occasions before a combined audience of 30,000.

SGT Crandall completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma and performed with the 77th Army Band. His military awards include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

SGT Scott Griffitt, Drumset, Sergeant Griffitt recently completed a Master of Music Education degree with emphasis in conducting from Wichita State University and is the Band Director at Haysville Middle School in Kansas. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Fort Hays State University and is a graduate of Hoisington High School in Kansas.

As a member of the 312th Army Band, SGT Griffitt participates in several ensembles. In addition to Iowa Street Jazz, he a member of the country band, concert band, marching band, percussion ensemble, and stage band. During 2004 he was selected as the Soldier of the Year for the 312th Army Band, 317th Quartermaster Battalion, 326th Area Support Group, and 89th Regional Readiness Command. He competed in the United States Army Reserve Command's Soldier of the Year competition which consisted of an Army Physical Fitness Test, marksmanship, land navigation, common task testing (skills common to all soldiers), an essay, a written exam, and a board appearance. As with the board appearances at each prior level of competition, candidates appeared before several command sergeants major and were graded on military bearing, customs and courtesies, appearance, confidence, military knowledge, and military history. SGT Griffitt completed Basic Combat Training and Advanced Individual Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

SSG Constance Kelley, Flute, Staff Sergeant Kelley is currently in the final stages of a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Flute Performance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has served as both the interim professor of flute and a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Nebraska where she is a recipient of the Othmer Graduate Fellowship. Her duties at UNL included developing a curriculum for and teaching the Flute Methods course, coaching chamber ensembles, teaching applied flute, performing as a member of the Graduate Chamber Society and directing the UNL Flute Ensemble. Recently, she was honored by being selected from among all UNL School of Music doctoral students as the school's Preparing Future Faculty Fellow. While pursuing the DMA, SSG Kelley is concurrently a professor of music at Union College in Lincoln, Concordia University in Seward, NE and a member of the Anonymous 5 woodwind quintet. She maintains a large private studio, and has recently been published in both The Flutist Quarterly and Flute Talk journals. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Southwest Missouri State University and a Master of Music in Flute Performance from Louisiana State University. Prior to beginning the DMA program at UNL, SSG Kelley spent several years as a public school band director in Kansas and Missouri. She is a graduate of Owensville High School in Missouri.

SSG Kelley is the flute section leader in the 312th Army Band's concert band and is the NCOIC of the Woodwind Quintet and Flute Ensemble. She is a member of Iowa Street Jazz as well as other various small ensembles. She is regularly featured as a soloist with the band including concerts in El Salvador and Nicaragua. Recently SSG Kelley was a featured soloist at the dedication ceremony for the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois where she performed twice before a combined audience of 30,000.

SSG Kelley completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Jackson, SC where she was selected as her companies Soldier of the Cycle. Recently she was selected as the Army Reserve Component's Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for 2004. She was selected from all NCOs in the 73 National Guard and Army Reserve Bands for this honor based on musical ability, leadership skills and physical conditioning. In addition she was awarded the Academic Excellence award and selected as the Distinguished Honor Graduate upon completion of the Army's Primary Leadership Development Course, and was also selected as the 2001 Soldier of the Year for the 312th Army Band and 317th Quartermaster Battalion. Her military awards include the Army Commendation Medal with two Oak Leaf Clusters, the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

SSG Constance Kelley's Recognition Ceremony as the
Army Reserve Component's Senior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for 2004.

SSG Gene Kelley, Bass, NCOIC, Staff Sergeant Kelley is currently is the final stages of a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Double Bass Performance at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has served as a graduate teaching assistant during the degree and is a recipient of the Othmer Graduate Fellowship. In addition, he is the professor of strings and teaches music theory courses at Concordia University in Seward, NE, is a contract teacher at Union College in Lincoln, and a member of the Lincoln Symphony Orchestra. He has also served on the faculty of the University of Kansas and Baker University. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity to perform with a variety of jazz groups, bands and several orchestras including the Acadiana Symphony in Louisiana. He has also performed with jazz and popular artists such as Roger Ingram, Bobby Shew, Frank Mantooth, Si Zentner, John Davidson, and Frankie Avalon. Prior to beginning work toward the DMA SSG Kelley spent six years as an instrumental music teacher in the Lawrence, Kansas public school system. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Southwest Missouri State University, a Master of Music in Double Bass Performance from Louisiana State University, and is a graduate of Smith-Cotton High School in Sedalia, MO.

As a member of the 312th Army Band SSG Kelley is the NCOIC of Iowa Street Jazz, a member of the country band and performs in several small ensembles. He was selected as the Army Reserve Component's Junior Non-Commissioned Officer of the Year for 2003. He was selected from among all NCOs in the 73 National Guard and Army Reserve Bands for this honor based on musical ability, leadership skills, and physical conditioning. During 2003 he was selected as the Soldier of the Year for the 312th Army Band, 317th Quartermaster Battalion, 326th Area Support Group, and 89th Regional Readiness Command. He competed in the United States Army Reserve Command's Soldier of the Year competition which consisted of the Army Physical Fitness Test, marksmanship, land navigation, common task testing (skills common to all soldiers), an essay, a written exam, and a board appearance. As with the board appearances at each prior level of competition, candidates appeared before several command sergeants major and were graded on military bearing, customs and courtesies, appearance, confidence, military knowledge, and military history. SSG Kelley completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.

SGT Aimee Meagher, Piano/Vocal, Sergeant Meagher is currently teaches music at Cedar Hills Elementary School in the Blue Valley School District in Kansas. She has enjoyed a significant amount of success designing and developing the elementary music program during the school's inaugural year. This school will begin its second year of operation this fall. In addition to being a full-time teacher and serving in the U.S. Army Reserve, SGT Meagher is a studio musician for the University of Missouri-Kansas City's Theater Sound Design Program, is the cantor and pianist at St. Agnes Parish in Roeland Park, Kansas, is the drum set player in Hooray Henry, and maintains a large private studio. She is currently seeking a Master of Arts in Education through Baker University's School of Professional and Graduate Studies in Overland Park, Kansas. SGT Meagher holds a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Missouri-Kansas City, and is a graduate of Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, Kansas.

SGT Meagher is one of the most versatile members of the 312th Army Band. She serves as the percussion section leader in the concert band, is the vocalist and pianist with both Iowa Street Jazz and the Stage Band, is the NCOIC and vocalist for the country band and participates in several other small ensembles. She is regularly featured as a soloist with all of these ensembles in addition to being called upon to perform the National Anthem on a regular basis, most recently at the 320th Army Ball in St. Louis, Missouri. She was also featured during the opening ceremonies for the Dole Institute in Lawrence, Kansas. SGT Meagher completed Basic Combat Training at Ft. Sill, Oklahoma. Her awards include the Army Achievement Medal, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, and Army Service Ribbon.

SSG Nick Proctor, Trumpet, Staff Sergeant Proctor is currently the band director at Paola High and Middle School in Kansas and is working toward a Master of Music Education degree at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. He earned a Bachelor of Music Education from Wichita State University under the tutelage of trumpet professor John Hagstrom who is now a member of the Chicago Symphony.

In addition to performing with Iowa Street Jazz, SSG Proctor is the trumpet section leader in the Concert Band, lead trumpet in the Stage Band, NCOIC of the Brass Quintet and participates in several other small ensembles. He is regularly featured as a soloist with many of these groups including a recent performance for the opening ceremony of the Lincoln Presidential Museum in Springfield, Illinois where he was featured on two occasions before a combined crowd of 30,000. His awards include the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster, Army Reserve Components Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and the Army Service Ribbon.

Iowa Street Jazz Rehearsal January 2005