Faculty

Gordy Knudtson
Gordy.Knudtson@mcnallysmith.edu
Department Head, Percussion
Faculty Member Since: 1989
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Gordy has played hundreds of sessions for jingles, radio and television station logos, industrial film scores, record albums, and compact discs.  He has toured extensively, including with the Roy Buchanan Band in 1981 and the Ben Sidran Trio from 1982-1989. In 1987, Gordy joined the Steve Miller Band and has been touring and recording with the band ever since.  Freelance performance credits include: Jack MacDuff, Eddie Harris, Ernie Watts, Dave Brubeck, Richie Cole, Kevin Mahogany, Othello Molineaux, James Williams, Manfredo Fest, Chuck Berry, Bob Hope, Don Rickles, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers, Garrison Keilor, and many others.

Learn more about Gordy and see a free drum lesson here.

Aaron Barnell
Aaron.Barnell@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2002
Primary Department: Ensemble
Secondary Department: Percussion
Formal Education: BS Music Performance, University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Professional Experience: Dan Wilson (Semisonic), Peter Ostrusko, A Prairie Home Companion Radio Show, Bill T. Jones/Arne Zane Dance Company (NYC), Dance in the Dark (Southern Theater Mpls), Liz Lerman Dance Exchange (Washington DC), Composed original score for the feature film Strange As Angels and Theater Production The House That Crack Built, Trans World Aire Media Installation with film maker Craig Baldwin (Walker Art Center, Mpls). Other teaching experience: Concordia College (St Paul, MN), Jazz Camp West (San Francisco), World Cultures Magnet (St Paul, MN), Seward Montessori (Mpls), Cottage Grove Junior High (MN), Crestview Elementary, Guest Artist Teaching: Walker Art Center, Carlton College, Breck High School. Other training: Private study with : Afro-Caribbean Drumming Scholar and Master Drummer John Amira, Cuban Master Drummer John Santos, Frame Drum Master Glen Valez, Brazilian Master Drummer Nana, Ghanaian Master Drummer Sowah Mensah, MacPhail School for the Arts (Mpls), Eastern Music Festival (Greensboro, NC).

Marv Dahlgren
Marv.Dahlgren@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1989
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Marv Dahlgren is a nationally known figure in the drumming world, having authored and co-authored many influential books on drumming including 4-Way Coordination, Accent on Accents, and Drumset Control. Marv was the former principal percussionist and assistant timpanist for the Minnesota Orchestra, now retired. In addition to the albums he has made with the orchestra, Marv has also recorded with Cat Stevens and Leo Kottke and has performed on many jingles. Marv is also known as an excellent mallet player and performs on vibes with his own jazz group in venues around the Twin Cities. As a part of the percussion department at McNally Smith College of Music, Marv conducts frequent master classes. Other teaching experience: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Dave Hanzel
Dave.Hanzel@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1998
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Dave Hanzel is known for his versatility and is one of the busiest drummers in the Twin Cities. As the drummer for Rupert’s Orchestra for nine years, Dave played club dates and corporate shows backing such national recording artists as Céline Dion, Michael Bolton, Huey Lewis, and Chuck Mangione. As an experienced studio musician, Dave has performed on many jingles as well as various album projects. Dave is also known for his great skill in repairing, refinishing, and customizing drums at his own shop Boom Alley Drums.

Steve Jennings
Steve.Jennings@mcnallysmith.edu
Department Head, Ensembles
Faculty Member Since: 2009
Primary Department: Ensemble
Secondary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:BA in Music from Luther College

Professional Experience: As a drummer, Steve has explored many musical styles in the past 24 years including:  jazz, rock, r & b, soul, gospel, country, funk, bluegrass, and classical. He works with modern rock songwriter David Levin, the electric bluegrass band Over & Back, jazz / blues vocalist and actress Regina Williams, and leads his own modern jazz ensemble Story City.  Steve has performed and/or toured with such diverse artists as blues guitar legend Ron Thompson, the Platters, Yukiko Isomura, Jevetta Steele, Dan Aykroyd, Denis DeBlasio, Brian Gallagher, the Coasters, Connie Evingson, Julius Collins, John McCutcheon, and the late Bobby Peterson among many others.

Steve is the Director for the St. Cloud Area Jazz Bands, teaches privately and has mentored young musicians from Minnesota to Mexico. He has also studied with John Vidacovich, Ed Soph, & Phil Hey. With a BA in Music from Luther College, Steve is pursuing a Master of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Augsburg College.   
 

Michael Pilhofer
Michael.Pilhofer@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2002
Primary Department: Ensemble
Secondary Department: Music Theory
Tertiary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:M.M. (Education) Eastman School of Music, B.M. (Jazz Studies) University of Miami, Florida

Professional Experience: Professional Musician and Recording Artist for over 18 Yrs, worked with national artists such as: Joe Lovano, Marian McPartland, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Bill Holman, Wycliffe Gordon, Peter Erskine and Gene Bertoncini in addition to some of finest musicians in the Twin Cities. Other teaching experience: Private Studio Instructor; Mid-West area Clinician & Educator; Adjunct Director of Jazz Southwest High School, Minneapolis Public Schools; Director of Contemporary Music, Maple Grove High School, Osseo MN;  (’00-‘02). Awards and Honors: Jazz Drumset and Jazz Ensemble Teaching Assistantships Eastman School of Music; Downbeat Magazine Award “Best Instrumental Jazz Small Group” (’99), Memberships:  AFM Local 30-73. Other Training: Certifications: K-12 Instrumental Music.

David Schmalenberger
David.Schmalenberger@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2005
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Dave has performed in concert and at gigs with artists such as John Scofield, Marvin Stamm, Larry Grenadier, Richard Davis, Steve Turre, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Cab Calloway, the Fifth Dimension, and Ernie Krivda. He has recorded with the Garth Alper Trio, the Bigtime Jazz Orchestra, the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Equilibrium, and SCHAG. David was the principal timpanist with the DSSO for ten years. David has also toured with the Summit Brass Ensemble and the Intergalatic Contemporary Ensemble (“I.C.E.”).

David Stanoch
Dave.Stanoch@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2001
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: David has performed globally with a highly eclectic array of talent including Sheryl Crow, Richard Davis, Herb Ellis, Robert Goulet, Col. Bruce Hampton, Scott Henderson, Shirley Jones, Keb'Mo', Jack McDuff, New Kids On The Block, Bernard Purdie, Bonnie Raitt, Don Rickles, Martin Short, Ben Sidran, Clyde Stubblefield, Timbuk3, Butch Vig, and Mary Wilson, among many others. Locally he juggles live and studio freelance work with regular duties for several bands including the progressive trio TRIPLICATE, described by DRUM! magazine as being "so good that it's intimidating." Since 1999, David has co-produced several critically acclaimed CD's on his own Rhythmelodic Records label. He has studied with master drummers Max Roach, Alan Dawson, Jeff Hamilton, Ignacio Berroa, and Chad Wackerman, and has been a McNally Smith faculty member and co-author of the curriculum for the percussion school since 1990. David endorses Paiste Cymbals, Vic Firth Drumsticks and products by GK Music and Gauger Percussion International. He is a contributing author to MODERN DRUMMER, DRUMMER (UK) and Percussive Arts Society magazines and in 2008 released his first method book, Mastering the Tables of Time, Volume 1, to instant critical acclaim as one of the essential drumming books of our time. David is a member of the Percussive Arts Society, a contributing educational artist for Vic Firth and an advisor for the Hudson Music Teacher Integration Program.

Paul Stueber
Paul.Steuber@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1990
Primary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:Milwaukee Area Technical School (studied ear training and music theory); Performance Certificate from the Percussion Institute of Technology.

Professional Experience: Paul is a respected musician in the Twin Cities area. He has performed with many local artists, playing a wide variety of styles. Paul has performed with Kanda Bongo Man (International Soukous Recording Artist), Samba Mapangala, Ragga Dee, Halima and Roy Kapale (African recording artists), Lorraine Klaasen (Canadian Recording Artist), Phyllis Diller, and Synergy.   He has traveled throughout the United States and Puerto Rico performing for major corporate events (Toyota, Mobil Oil, All State Insurance, Motorola, and American Express).  Paul also played for the productions "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?"   He performed as a studio musician for Hal Leonard Publishing, Jensen Publishing, Milwaukee Public Television, Tri City National Banks, Super Valu, Imperial Eastman, United Way, and many local artists.

Additional Experience: Paul has studied with Joe Porcaro, Chuck Flores, Gary Hess, Steve Houghton, Ralph Humphrey, Ed Roscetti, and Effrian Toro. Paul was also an instructor for four years at Musician's Institute (Hollywood, CA), where he also earned the Drummer of the Year Award.

Kevin Washington
Kevin.Washington@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2008
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience:

Kevin’s stellar skills have been featured in Modern Drummer Magazine, however his dedication to drumming began as soon as he could hold the sticks. And with teachers of such excellent caliber like Max Roach and Roy Brooks, it was almost impossible for him to go wrong.

In 1996 Washington moved to New York City to study jazz at the New School for Social Research. He performed all over New York with different musical groups such as The Chico Freeman Quartet, Arnie Lawrence, Antonio Hart and James Carter to name a few.  During his stay in New York he was also a Rhythm Instructor at the Harlem School of the Arts.

Since leaving New York, Washington has been traversing the Twin Cities area with his highly sought after drum performance skills. Washington has accompanied various visiting musicians, such as Brian Lynch, Steve Slagle and Dave Stryker, David ‘Fat Head’ Newman, Rodney Jones and James Carter.

He is the lead drummer with The Kevin Washington trio and Moveable Feast; who released their second CD in 2002 and are in the process of recording their third. He can also be found playing with other great musicians such as Cuban pianist Nachito Herrera, the incomparable members of Jazz is NOW! and vocalist Bruce Henry.

In July 2003, Kevin, along with the Doug Little Quartet, embarked upon a month long European tour that covered locations including Germany, France, and Italy. In April 2006, Kevin accompanied Afro-Peruvian guitarist Andres Prado to Lima, Peru and performed at various music venues during a 10-day tour.

Kevin is currently working on his solo CD project that will include many of the top musicians in Minneapolis.

Nicolai Zeilinksi
Nick.Zielinski@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2006
Primary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:Bachelor's degree in performance from the University of Minnesota at Duluth; Master's degree in Improvisation from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor

Professional Experience:

Since earning his bachelor's degree in performance from the University of Minnesota at Duluth and his master's degree in Improvisation from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, Nick has become an active performer and composer in rock and jazz.

He keeps busy in a variety of different independent projects throughout Minnesota and Wisconsin including: ARP of the Covenant, Ingo Bethke, Kilometers Davis, Brenda and the Holsum Family Fiscal Planner, Stefan Kac Quartet, Rontana, Justhis, and About Ouch!. He has also performed extensively in musical theatre projects and orchestral ensembles such as: The Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Minnesota Repertory Theatre, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Arrowhead Chorale, Itasca Symphony, Bloomington Medalist Band, Carlton College Musical Theatre, Renegade Comedy Theatre and the Twin Ports Wind Ensemble. 

Currently, Nick is working toward a Ph.D in Music Composition at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. His composition "Mr. Li Poses with His American Birthday Cake." was featured in the October, 2005 issue of Jazziz Magazine.

His previous teaching experience includes positions at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (Rock and Roll History), University of Minnesota at Duluth (percussion, jazz, and improvisation), Residential College of the University of Michigan (percussion, Afro-Cuban drumming, and "found" instruments), Paul Green School of Rock Music (drum set, assistant director for KISS and AC/DC shows), East Metro Music Academy (percussion), Minnetonka Community Education (percussion), Michigan Arts Council (improvisation), John Duss Conservatory (percussion), North Shore Summer Music Experience (percussion, head counselor), Superior High School (percussion), Esko High School (percussion), Duluth East High School (percussion), and the Duluth-Superior Symphony Chamber Ensembles in the Schools (percussion).