COME ON INSIDE AND MEET THE DANCE MASTERS!
You've heard the music, you've read the history, now meet everyone behind the sound!
______________________________________________________________________| THE VOCALS |
 |
CINDY MOSS Ophir and Baird hunted for two years for a vocalist for the band. They traveled to various places to listen, and others were auditioned. All were excellent, but none had that special something they were looking for until they found Cindy down in Charleston, WV. She has been a fixture with the band since 2000. Cindy has appeared in several musical productions in the Charleston area, with small combos in clubs in the Kanawha Valley, and anytime the Cab Calloway Band is in the general area they ask Cindy to sing with their band. We are very lucky to have her. She is a marvelous singer, and a great personality. |
_________________________________________________________________| THE SAX SECTION |
 |
TY PRICE Dynamite Tenor man - retired music teacher and one of the finest jazz tenor men you will find anywhere. His improvisation is clean, clear, and on the money. He takes pride in his work, and works at keeping on top of his game. He has been with the band since its inception in 1998. Ty lives with his wife in New Cumberland, WV. |
 |
BILL BALAWAJDER Tenor Saxophone and clarinet. A retired band director from Wilkinsburg School District in Wilkinsburg, PA for 34 years, Bill has played with various bands in the Pittsburg, PA area for the past 50 years. Some of these bands include Patsy Oliver and Graham Grubb. Bill presently leads the Frankie Carroll Orchestra, a seven-piece ballroom dance band. Bill studied clarinet with Bernard Cerelli and Louis Paul, as well as saxphone with George Franz and Jerome Levine. |
 |
NELLO ANTONUCCI Nello's background was given in the discussion about the original Dancemasters, but we should add that he still plays great alto sax, and is an excellent lead alto man. Nello Lives in Wheeling, WV. |
 |
PHIL KOVAL Received a BS in Music Education from Duquesne University, as well as a Masters in Music Performance from Carnegie, and is presently employed in the Pittburgh Public School System. Phil performed with the Wheeling Symphony for 28 years, the Civic Light Orchestra in Pittsburgh for 25 years, The McKeesport Symphone for five years and the Beaver Philharmonic for two years. He has taught at the Catholic High Schools in Pittsburgh and the Public High Schools in Creative and Performing Arts. Besides his experiece with Big Bands, he has played for numerous headliners such as Ray Charles and the Moody Blues, remaining always in demand for shows. The Dancemasters are delighted to have a musician of his quality and experience as a member of our organization. |
|
JOHN M. MORGAN John began his music career at the age of 11, taking lessons from a man named Bill Herriman. He was in the right place at the right time as John Carroll Carr, the 1st clarinet with the John Phillip Sousa Band, retired shortly after and returned to his hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia giving John the chance to take lessons from him. He started on alto sax at the age of 13 and joined Local 507 in Clarksburg at 14, playing the local Moose Lodge every Saturday night in the "Jimmy Morgan Orchestra", his father's band. His mother on piano, an uncle on trumpet, another uncle on bass, his teacher John Carr on lead alto, plus a trombone and a drummer made the band. John is playing alto sax with us now and we are happy to have John on board. Over the years John has played with various groups including The Leonard Hannigan Orchestra The Club Trio, The Orlando Columbo Orchestra, Richard Powell's Evergreen Orchestra, The United Moine Worker's Orchestra, and The East Listening Quintet from Clarksburg, West Virginia. John played with the Sam Bettini Orchestra for over 10 years, and played in the back up bands of Boots Randolph and Floyd Cramer, as well as playing with The Pastels. |
_____________________________________________________________| THE TRUMPET SECTION |
 |
JOHN CHRISTIAN He is a retired high school director from Fairmont, WV. with a Masters degree in music. He is much in demand for judging music contests in other states as well as in WV. because of his knowledge, judgment, and fairness. John not only adds a great sound and excellent improvisation to the trumpet section, but also a pleasant, cheerful personality. To John, music is not a job, it's a pleasure and a privilege and it shows through when he plays. We found him the second year the band was in business, and he has been a fixture ever since. |
 |
RON LEVI A graduate of the University of Oklahoma in 1969 receiving a degree in music, he became a member of the Pennsylvania State Police and having served his time retired in 1991. He then resumed his musical goals full time playing with many styles of bands in the Pittsburgh area becoming a well rounded musician. He was, for many years the lead trumpet for the nationally recognized R & B band "The Jaggerz". Ron was co-founder and is owner of the embouchure teaching system SCREAMIN. This embouchure method is known world wide. It is taught by both personal lessons and a world wide video tape distribution system. Besides playing with "Buddy O& the Dancemasters", he puts on performances in the Pittsburgh area each summer titled "A Tribute to Maynard Ferguson". |
 |
BAIRD KLOSS He is the other original member of the Dancemasters that is with us, and upon which this band is founded. He has been a fine trumpet player for more years than he wants to talk about, but still plays as well as ever. He has no thought of hanging up his horn as long as he can play this well. And that is the good thing about music. It is a profession, or an avocation that one can enjoy all their life. |
____________________________________________________________| THE TROMBONE SECTION |
 |
JOHN NEUROHR He has his own overhead door business, but also has a degree in music. This guy is an excellent trombone player. He can flat out read anything you put in front of him. He is always upbeat, johnny-on-the-spot and loves to play. He has been a great addition to our group as he is not only an excellent player, but is fun loving and a joy to be around. He resides with his family in Wellsburg, WV. |
 |
HOWARD HARTMAN Howard was an academic student at Brentwood High School who was involved in every aspect of music. He formed the first "swing" band that Brentwood High School had ever had in 1948. The band grew. He attended the University of Pittsburgh in Mechanical Engineering and played in various small and large groups from 1953 until he was picked up in 1967 by Roy Liberto, a Mew Orleans headline trumpet player and by Benny Benack, who at the time was the most famous and popular band leader in the Pittsburgh area. He worked with Roy Liberto on and off during his 22 years with Benny Benack, where he played lead trombone on the big band and sole trombone with the six piece Benack group. Benny has worked at the Palmer House in Chicago, in New York, and many shows at at the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia, and in Puerto Rico, Mexico, Colorado and Alaska. The band backed up notables such as Perry Como, Jack Jones, Pat Boone, Lynn Roberts (Tommy Dorsey's girl singer), working along side the original Glenn Miller Band, as well as the Tommy Dorsey Band, headed by Moe Zudicoff. He worked with numerous Pittsburgh area groups such as groups under the leadership of Hershey Cohen, Jeanie Baxter, and many others. He founded his own engineering corporation in 1964, where he has worked continuously until recently. We are happy to have Howard as part of The Dancemasters now. |
 |
JONATHAN BLOEMKER Having received a BA from California University of PA, Jonathan successfully completed all requirements and was granted a Masters Degree from Duquesne University. Several years later, Jonathan entered the University of Pittsburgh and received his BS Degree. He is not only an outstanding trombone player, having studied under several instructors, but is also an accomplished violinist and a dynamite guitarist. He has headed up his own Latin band, been a member of several country and dixieland groups, and spent several years with other big bands before coming with our organization. Jonathanplayed with the California University of PA Symphony Orchestra for several years, the Washington Swing Orchestra, and the Pittsburgh Swing Orchestra. His background in music is extensive and braod. His personality and demeanor fit right in with the guys and gals of The Dancemasters. |
______________________________________________________________| THE RHYTHM SECTION |
 |
MILLARD NEAL Millard has a Masters in arranging, and when something comes up that these talents are needed, Millard handles them for the band. He is a former high school band director, and a former band leader. He now has a music school where he teaches piano and organ. Millard does a lot of solo work with his Clavinova, as well as playing with our group. We had four different keyboard players until we found Millard. He has been a steady fixture since we found him. I think that says it all. He works well with the rest of the rhythm section, and he can improvise when asked; or you just name it, give him a key, and he'll serve it up for you. |
 |
RICHARD BROWN Our bass player, Dr. Richard Brown is in the music department at West Liberty State College. Dr. Brown is an excellent bassist. and he plays the upright string bass. Nothing says swing music like an upright string bass. We are pleased to have him, as he fits right in both musically and in personality. Dr. Brown and his family live in Wheeling, WV. |
 |
KEITH LEE Our drummer has been with us for about three years. We went on the hunt for a solo drummer, and one that could fill all the needs that the term "solo drummer" implies. We found him in Morgantown, W. Va. and his name is Keith Lee. He is a band director, family man, quiet except when he has a pair of sticks in his hands, and fits with our group like a glove. |
______________________________________________________________________| THE LEADER |
 |
OPHIR "Buddy 0" VELLENOWETH Ophir played clarinet and was drum major at Triadelphia High School in Wheeling, West Virginia as well as oboist in the school orchestra. He was the oboist in the Wheeling Junior Symphony Orchestra, played in the band at West Liberty State College and was playing alto sax and clarinet in a dance band during those years. When Ophir went to the Navy during the Korean War, he sold his instruments. He was out of music for well over thirty years until he moved to the Kanawha Valley where an old high school chum got him into one of the top Shrine bands in the country in Charleston, West Virginia. Ophir was soon playing lead alto in their dance band, one of the top dance bands in Southern West Virginia also picked him up for their sax section. Ophir holds ten West Virginia State titles in bowling; was a charter member of the Professional Bowlers Association; was drafted by the Detroit Thunderbirds for the National Bowling League in 1960; and was voted one of West Virginia's Centennial Sports Greats in 1963 during the State's Centennial Celebration. He was ranked among the top fifty bowlers in the country for several years and is a member of several Hall of Fames in that sport, although none in his hometown or state. Ophir also played semi pro fast pitch softball and semi pro baseball in his younger days. He retired from the big chemical plant at Institute West Virginia where he was Supervisor of the Power Distribution and Refrigeration crews. |