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Dean became the conductor of The Old Pros in 2012. He was born into a musical family where playing, performing and conducting was never a question.
Dean started playing piano at age eight, and then picked up the trombone at age 10. He has played in various groups including orchestras, concert and marching bands, drum corps, ensembles and, his love, jazz bands.
After receiving his degree in music from DePaul University in Chicago, he taught music at the elementary and high school level for 10 years.
He has continued playing and conducting as much as time allows. He currently works as an independent insurance agent. Dean and his wife live in Floyd.
BILL DAVIS, member since 2014
Bill grew up in the U.S. Air Force, living in five states and Japan before college at the University of Illinois. During high school in Columbus, Ohio, he was drawn into swing music as part of the school stage band and the all Columbus stage band. With his time in graduate work, engineering, and the USAF, playing music dwindled. In early 2006, he started playing at church and joined The Old Pros in the spring of 2014. He also plays tenor in the Blacksburg Community Band and was a substitute member of the Let’s Dance Band in Boones Mill. He and his wife, Aura Lee, reside in Blacksburg.
CHARLES KATZ, member since 2022
After a brief 46-year break from wind instruments, Charlie quit working for pay and bought his first saxophone. Three weeks later he joined the Blacksburg Community Band. He has also had the pleasure of playing with the Roanoke Valley Community Band and occasionally with the Salty Pretzel Band. Since 2022, making music with the Old Pros has enabled Charlie to follow in the swinging steps of his father and uncles, who played in a local band in South Alabama during the 1930s.
DARCY HAVENS, member since 2022
Darcy*
BRADLEY GREINER, member since 2022
Michigan born and Roanoke raised, Bradley received his undergraduate degree in music from Radford Univ. in 2022. Bradley has played the saxophone since the age of 11, finding more passion every time he picked up the instrument. Now, he plans to pursue further education in medicine while continuing his love for music as a side gig.
DIXON SMILEY, member since 2006
Dixon was born and raised in Vienna, Va., and moved to the New River Valley in 2005. He earned degrees in general education, biological parks management, and biology from Santa Fe Community College. He has worked in veterinarian clinics and zoos. Currently he is working for a chemical company in Christiansburg. He participates in the Kazim Shrine Band, Kazim Salty Pretzel Band, Sauerkraut Band, The Let’s Dance Band, Roanoke Valley Community Band, Blacksburg Community Band, and has played in all the Summer Musical Productions since 2007. He is single and makes his home in Christiansburg.
CATHY DUERBECK, member since 2022
Cathy moved to southwest Virginia from Leesburg in 2019. Originally from the Philadelphia area, she has a BS in Accounting from Virginia Tech and an MBA from Temple University and works for University Libraries at Virginia Tech. She is a former Marching Virginian and also plays in the Blacksburg Community Band and the Roanoke Valley Community Band.
WALTER DOBYNS, member since 1985
Walter is a Dublin native. He majored in music education at Concord College in Athens, West Virginia. He directed bands at Dublin High School and Dublin Middle School before retiring. He is an active member in the Wytheville Community Band.
JOHN JONES, member since 2022
John was born is Wytheville and grew up in Pulaski Co. He started piano at 5, joined the Pulaski MS band on alto sax and at Pulaski Co HS played bari sax in jazz band, contrabass clarinet in symphonic band, alto clarinet in concert band, and 3rd/4th bass in the Marching Band drumline. He studied music education at Radford Univ., playing Bb/Eb contrabass clarinet, bari sax, and alto clarinet in concert band and wind ensemble under the direction of Mark Camphouse. After college, he worked for several years at a music shop in Blacksburg. He was a member of the Blacksburg Community Band and in the pit orchestra for several Summer Music Enterprise productions in the early 2000's. He married in 2006 and moved to Floyd County, taking a hiatus from band as marriage and children became a reality, but transitioned to directing choir at church for a short stint. He has recently rejoined the Blacksburg Community Band and is proud to be in the sax line of The Old Pros.
JUDITH LINEBERRY, member since 2001
Judith lives in Galax where she grew up and graduated from Carroll Co. High School. She earned a degree from Radford Univ. in Teacher Education. She also has a master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction from Radford, and has earned the prestigious National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification. She currently teaches middle school math at Gentry Middle School in Surry County, North Carolina. Judith currently plays in the Blew Ridge Brass Quintet, Wytheville Community College Band, the Sauerkraut Band of Blacksburg, the Old Pros, and numerous churches. She is an active member of Calvary Church of Christ in Galax, Virginia.
JOHN GREGG, member 1984 – 1992 and since 2010
John is a native of upstate New York and attended the University of Michigan. He was an athlete, earned his doctorate and served his surgical residency there. He held faculty appointments at UNC Chapel Hill, Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and VCU Department of Oral/Maxillofacial Surgery. He currently performs with a jazz trio at Our Daily Bread on the first Saturday of each month. He also plays with The Bill Hoffman Quintet, William Penn Orchestra and Ratatouille. He is a charter member of Blacksburg Community Band and the Sauerkraut Band. He lives with his artist wife, Leslie, in Blacksburg and has three children and five grandchildren.
LINDA BARTLETT, member since 2001
Linda grew up in South Florida. She now lives in Galax with her husband, Sam. She has a music education degree from Asbury University. She has directed bands and has been a music educator for 35 years. Recently she stepped back from teaching to do more performing and traveling to see her two granddaughters. Linda played in the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, Kingdom of the Sun band and has done many Church and community programs. She now actively plays in the Wytheville College community band, Radford University band, Sauerkraut band, Old Pros, Blue Ridge Brass, and does solo work performances for many occasions.
CAROLINE BINGHAM, member since 2023
Caroline is a recent graduate from Virginia Tech with degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience and Trumpet Performance and is now currently at VCOM/Bluefield working on her Master's in Biomedical Sciences. When she isn't in the library studying you can find her playing in many community groups around Blacksburg such as the Blacksburg Community Band and Blacksburg UMC Orchestra.
DANIEL McPHERSON, member since 2023
Daniel McPherson graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Computer Engineering, while playing in the Marching Virginians, Virginia Tech Wind Ensemble, and New River Valley Symphony. He is active in the Blacksburg Community Band, Blacksburg Community Strings, Summer Musical Enterprise, and the Sauerkraut Band.
JAMES WILLIAMS, member since 2023
James favorite genre is jazz. He used to play lead trumpet with a Glen Miller type orchestra in Florida. James is a security consultant and an ordained minister. He also plays with the Wythe Community.
JEFF RITCHIE, member since 2011
Jeff is a native of the New River Valley, earning a degree in Computer Engineering from New River. He has worked as an IT technician for Montgomery County Public Schools and now works as an IT Specialist for the School of Neuroscience at Virginia Tech. He has maintained a presence in local music since joining the Blacksburg Community band in 2008. Local music groups include, the Blacksburg Community Band, the Summer Musical Enterprise Orchestra, Ratatouille, the Sway Katz, the Nobleman Big Band, the Salty Pretzel band, the Sauerkraut Band, Brassworks, the Blacksburg Brass Quintet, the BUMC Orchestra, Brass5 and of course the Old Pros. Jeff performs with these groups all over the New River and Roanoke Valley, with Brass5 traveling across the state of Virginia and beyond, performing for various k-12 institutions and other concert venues.
LARRY ROOT, member since 2017
Larry graduated from Virginia Tech in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research in 1972 and was commissioned into the Air Force. He retired in 1994 and went into private practice until 2001 when he became a civilian employee for the Army Corps of Engineers. He retired in 2014 and moved to Newport (Giles County). He continues playing in the Blacksburg Community Band since 2014 and loves playing with the Old Pros.BEN GARLIC, member since 2022
Ben was born in Fort Hood Texas and moved to Virginia at an early age. He attended Pulaski County Public Schools graduating from PCHS in 2008. He attended Radford University where he received a Bachelor's of Music. During his time at RU he became a brother in Phi Mu Alpha. As a music educator he spent 7 years in Wythe County teaching various age levels of general music, choir, and band at Speedwell Elementary, Rural Retreat Elementary, Middle, and High School. He is currently in his third year of teaching general music at Burlington Elementary School in Roanoke County.
STEFAN CASTRO, member since 2022
Stefan picked up the trombone 20 years ago and never put it down! After graduating from Radford University with a degree in music, Stefan currently teaches K-5 music in Roanoke, and has performed with a variety of groups in Southwest Virginia, such as The Let's Dance Band, Sway Katz Big Band, The Sauerkraut Band, Slides Rule, Valley Chamber Brass, Brass 5, and Latin Clave.
KATIE MORRIS, member since 2023
Katie grew up in Pennsylvania and earned a degree in secondary education from Pennsylvania State University. She taught social studies and English in Baltimore, MD, Philadelphia, PA, and Salem, VA for fifteen years before staying at home with her second child. Katie has played in the Baltimore Symphonic Band and Blacksburg Community Band, but the Old Pros is her first chance to play jazz since college. Without lesson planning and grading on her plate, Katie finally feels like she has time for Sunday night rehearsals and has been happy to join the big band.
EVAN DANIELS, member since 2023
Evan*
SUSAN SANDERS (Piano), member 2010-2016 and since 2023
In addition to playing piano for The Old Pros, Susan plays percussion for the Blacksburg Community Band and accordion with the Sauerkraut Band. She lives in Blacksburg and is publicity manager for the Virginia Tech School of Performing Arts.
BILL HOFFMAN (Guitar), member since 2010
Bill hails from Roanoke and has an organization development and community developing consulting practice; he is principal at etc Network. He specializes in jazz guitar and plays with The Bill Hoffman Quintet.
BLAKE MILES (Acoustic & Electric Bass), member since 2019
Blake Miles is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma and has lived in Wichita, KS and the flint hills region of Kansas. He received a bachelor’s of music education from Wichita State University in 2008. Also, he has taught K-12 orchestral music in the Wichita School District (USD 259). Furthermore, he has taught English in Gangneung, South Korea. He has played in many different groups through out his playing career. From university ensembles to garage rock bands he has done it all. Rock, jazz, bluegrass, red dirt country, Afro beat, drum and bass, classical, Irish and etc. Currently, he resides in Radford, VA with his wife and two kids. Blake teaches double bass, electric bass and guitar.
DONNA ARNOLD (Percussion), member since 2009
Donna is a Galax native and graduated from Carroll County High School. She is employed by Cliffview Church and playing with church Band 46 years, she has been the percussionist with a praise band. For 12 years she has kept the rhythm for the gospel group, Wings of Hope. She and her husband, Tommy, make their home in Galax and have three daughters and three grandchildren.
KIM CHIAPETTO, member since 2015
Kim grew up in Galax, Va., in a musical family. She studied voice at DePaul University School of Music in Chicago. and was a member of the DePaul Chamber Choir. She obtained a B.A. from Milligan College in Tenn. where she was a member of the Milligan College Concert Choir and several college musicals. She returned to Chicago, staying active in music at First Christian Church, later moving to Richmond as a paralegal and singing with the Richmond Chamber Choral. The Chiapetto family then moved to Leesburg, and in her off time she and her son, Adam were active in community theatre while Dean played and directed theatre groups in both Leesburg and Reston. She is now active with a group at Belmont Christian Church and enjoys singing big band music with The Old Pros.
