MIGHTY SOUND OF MARYLAND STAFF

Jeremy Maytum

UMDrumline Arranger/Instructor

Communications Director for Athletic Bands

JEREMY MAYTUM, a native of Colorado, is a graduate of Colorado State University in 2009, where he earned the Master's Degree in Percussion Performance and served as the Graduate Teaching Assistant for the award-winning CSU Percussion Studio. Jeremy completed his Bachelor's Degree in Percussion Performance from Colorado State University-Pueblo in 2007. His primary teachers include Aaron Turner and Dr. Eric Hollenbeck. As an orchestral musician, Jeremy has performed with the Cheyenne Symphony in Wyoming, the Fort Collins Symphony, the Greeley and Boulder Philharmonic, the Lexington Philharmonic, and the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. He has also made a guest appearance playing timpani with The United States Army Field Band in Washington, D.C. As an international performer, Jeremy completed a week-long residency at Inner Mongolia University in Hohhot, China in 2015, and served as Principal Timpanist for the 2016 Prague Summer Nights Music Festival in the Czech Republic.

Jeremy has formerly taught at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, WY as the Adjunct Professor of Percussion. Additionally, he has held the position of Director of Percussion Studies at Bear Creek High School in Lakewood, CO as well as serving on percussion staff with 6-time BOA Class A National Champion Adair County High School in Columbia, KY. A dedicated performer in the world of the marching arts, Jeremy served as timpanist for the Blue Knights Drum & Bugle Corps in 2005.

Currently, Jeremy serves as the Coordinator of Marching Percussion at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD, where he also works as the Communications Director for Athletic Bands. He is also on percussion staff for The Cadets Drum & Bugle Corps in Allentown, PA. In addition, he is completing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance and Pedagogy at the University of Kentucky (currently A.B.D.), where he studies with James Campbell. Jeremy regularly performs as timpanist with the Maryland Winds in Columbia, MD, and performs and tours nationwide with his percussion quartet BlueSHIFT.  

Jeremy remains a very active member and contributor to the Percussive Arts Society, where he serves on the Marching/Rudimental Committee and as Secretary of the Maryland/Delaware Chapter. He proudly endorses Yamaha as a Marching Percussion Artist, serves as an Educational Artist/Clinician for Innovative Percussion, Remo Drumheads, and Sabian Cymbals, and is a member of the Black Swamp Percussion Educator's Network.

Suzanne Sturgis

Colorguard Instructor

SUZANNE STURGIS, University of Maryland Color Guard Instructor is an alumni member of MSOM. The fall of 2020 will be her 29th season as the guard instructor. In addition to attending UMD, Suzanne was a member of the 1984 Olympic band and a member of the All-American College Marching Band of for the 50th Presidential Inauguration. She is also a sister of Tau Beta Sigma, the treasurer for the Band Alumni Association (UMBAO) & Alumni band coordinator. She is recently retired as an elementary school teacher in Anne Arundel County. She is married to Bill Sturgis, also an alumnus of MSOM.  They have two children, John and Andrea.

Ann Marie Kennedy

UMD Dance Team Coach

ANN MARIE KENNEDY, University of Maryland Dance Team coach, has been dancing all of her life. She mastered grade eight of the Kirov Ballet Syllabus, completed the Vaganova Instructor Certification Program and trained on full scholarship at the School of American Ballet (New York City Ballet), American Ballet Theatre School, Joffrey Ballet School, and The Washington Ballet, before starting her professional career. In 2001, Annie returned to her alma mater to become the head coach of the University of Maryland Dance Team. When she isn't on the sidelines of football or basketball games cheering on the Terps, she can be found in a gym, coaching baton twirling. The Wheaton Dance Twirl Teams, under her direction, have won more national and world championship titles than any other organization.

Graduate Assistants

Zachary Harwell

M.M. Instrumental Conducting

ZACHARY HARWELL is a native of South Texas, originally from a small town called La Feria.  Zachary obtained a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Texas A&M University Kingsville, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.  With an emphasis in piano, he studied with Dr. Joachim Reinhuber, voice with Dr. Kenneth Williams and privately took conducting lessons from Dr. Brian Casey, Dr. Brian Shelton, and Dr. Scott Jones.  In 2015, Zachary taught one year of elementary music Pk-5th grade.  From 2016-2020, Zachary was the Assistant Brass Band Director for Orange Grove ISD. For the last six years Zachary has taught Junior High School and High School Band in Orange Grove, Texas.  For the 2020-2021 academic school year, Zachary was appointed interim Head Junior High Band Director and was then moved to full time Head Junior High Director for the 2021-2022 academic school year.  While in this role, Zachary oversaw all aspects of the Beginning Band, Junior High Symphonic Band and Honors Band. Zachary also assisted the High School Marching Band and taught the High School Symphonic Band.  This Fall 2022, Zachary will be attending the University of Maryland to study conducting with Dr. Michael Votta and obtain a Master of Music degree in Instrumental conducting.  Zachary is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Band Masters Association, National Association for Music Education, Golden Key International Honor Society, The Singing Classroom, American Orff-Schulwerk Association, and the American Recorder Society.

William Hernandez

M.M. Horn Performance

WILLIAM HERNANDEZ is a native of Maryland and a first-year Master's student in Horn performance. William received his education from Montgomery College in Instrumental Music Education with a concentration in horn performance, where he studied with Amanda Collins. He finished his Bachelors degree in Instrumental Music Education with Dr. Mark Adams with a concentration in Horn performance with Dr. John David Smith at the University of Delaware. William has taught marching band color guard and participated in directing several clinics in the marching arts within the states of Maryland, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and more. As a horn player, William has performed in pit orchestras around the state of Maryland and Pennsylvania, has served as a recurring member with the Center City Chamber Orchestra based in Philadelphia, and has credits in international movie scores and movie music festivals. William is incredibly proud to have been invited to participate by director Armando Castellano in Quinteto Latinos summer workshop (2022), highlighting Latin musicians from around the country and underrepresented communities. By working with and prioritizing young and professional Latin classical musicians, William aims to make the field of classical music accessible to all and diversify the face and sound of ensembles of the future.

Christine Higley

D.M.A. Instrumental Conducting

CHRISTINE HIGLEY is in her second year as a DMA student in Wind Conducting at the University of Maryland. She currently studies under the tutelage of Dr. Michael Votta. Christine also serves as interim co-director of the Maryland Community Band. Before coming to Maryland, Christine attended California State University, Los Angeles, where she earned her Master of Music degree in Instrumental Conducting in the Fall of 2020, studying under Dr. Emily Moss and Dr. Christopher Gravis. In addition to her wind conducting responsibilities at CSULA, Christine taught the Intro to Music Education and Intro to Classical Music in Western Culture courses. She also served as the president of the CSULA Chapter of the National Association for Music Education. Before pursuing her graduate degrees, Christine was the band and orchestra director at Sunset Ridge Middle School in Salt Lake City, Utah from 2014-2018. She also taught elementary school beginning band and served on staff for the Copper Hills High School Marching Band. In addition to teaching and conducting, Christine enjoys being a horn player. She was the horn section leader for the CSULA Wind Ensemble and Symphonic Band and has played with the Salt Lake Symphonic Winds, the Brigham Young University Idaho Symphony Orchestra, and various chamber groups. She has studied with Nathan Campbell, Dr. Jon Klein, and Bruce Woodward. Christine earned her B.M. in Music Education from BYU-Idaho.

Aunna Marzen

D.M.A. Trumpet Performance

AUNNA MARZEN is a trumpeter from Iowa currently based in Washington D.C. Her understanding of trumpet has allowed her to be a member of many ensembles including, wind bands, orchestras, chamber ensembles, jazz bands, drum corps, and brass bands, frequently taking her all over the United States and most recently Puerto Rico and Ireland. Before Aunna’s current tenure, she attended the University of Iowa where she received her Bachelor of Music Degree in Trumpet Performance and Florida Atlantic University where she received her Master of Music Degree. Throughout her time at the University of Iowa, she was privileged to be invited to compete at the National Trumpet Competition (2017, 2019, accepted 2020) and the International Trumpet Guild (2017) as a member of the studio’s Trumpet Ensemble. Aunna recently had the honor of being invited back to return to the National Trumpet Competition with the Florida Atlantic University Trumpet Ensemble in Newark, Delaware. She is currently a D.M.A. student and holds a Graduate Teaching Assistant position at the University of Maryland under the tutelage of Professor Chris Gekker. Her previous teachers include Dr. Amy Schendel, Dr. Aren Van Houzen, and Dr. Courtney Jones.