Nicholas Barthen - Band Director / High School Instrumental Music Director/ K-12 MASD Music Coordinator

Nicholas Barthen - Graduated from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania in December of 2000 with a Bachelors of Science degree in music education.  Nick was hired by the Moon Area School District as a music teacher/marching band director in 2002-2003.  In the 2004-2005, he was appointed as the Director of Bands for Moon Area High School.  His duties include conducting the Marching Band, Concert Band, Percussion Ensemble, String Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Symphonic Band, and most recently, he has been named the K-12 Music Coordinator for the Moon Area School District.  Nick has also served as Music Coordinator for nationally competitive Blackhawk High School Marching Band from 1998 through 2003.

As a trumpet player, Nick has studied with Stephen Hawk of Slippery Rock University of PA, Chuck Lirette, Co-Principal Trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony, and Frank Eisenriech, former Principal Trumpet for the Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestra.  Nick continues to perform with several local chamber ensembles within the area and has performed with the Butler Symphony Orchestra.  He also was a member of the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corp from Canton Ohio.  Nick has performed with many jazz legends such as Slide Hampton, Jim Snidero and can be heard on Slippery Rock University’s Jazz ensemble CD entitled “Jazz at the Rock”, and on two recordings with the Pittsburgh Jazz Society’s Big Band

Affiliations and memberships include:

Pennsylvania State Educators Association

Pennsylvania Music Educators Association

Music Educators National Conference

International Trumpet Guild

International Association for Jazz Educators

Pittsburgh Jazz Society

National Council of Supervisors of Music Education

Mick Minamyer -  Assistant Band Director / Middle School / Elementary Orchestra Director

Mick Minamyer recently graduated from Slippery Rock University in December 2003 with a bachelor of science degree in music education. Since then he has been a long term substitute in the Moon Area School District and also a temporary substitute in the Blackhawk School District. Mick has also worked with the Blackhawk High School Marching Band and the Moon Area Marching Band as a brass instructor and drill technician. During college Mick served for two years as the Jazz Band President in which he toured Europe for two weeks and also has recorded two CD's with the band "Jazz At the Rock, back to the states", and an upcoming release due in the fall of 2004. Mick has studied with Steve Hawk of Slippery Rock University, and Frank Eisenriech, former principle trumpet for the Pittsburgh

Ballet and Opera Orchestra. He has also performed with notable jazz musicians Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Rufus Reid, Kim Nazarian, and Karolina Strassmayer of the female big band "Diva".

Throughout his career Mick was very active in many ensembles including the Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, Jazz Band, Marching Band, Concert Band, and Choir.   Mr. Minamyer is also an active member of the Pennsylvania Music Educator's Association, Music Educators National Conference, Pennsylvania State Education Association, and the International Association for Jazz Education.

Jen Minamyer - Color Guard Instructor

Jennifer Barthen Minamyer – Graduated from Community College of Beaver County with an Associates Degree in Applied Science in General Studies. Since then, she has been working part time and teaching several color guards. Jennifer’s color guard experiences include Moon Area High School Marching Band 2003- present, as the color guard sponsor, designer, and instructor, Blackhawk High School Marching Band 1999 - present, as the color guard designer and instructor. She has also designed and instructed the color guards for Slippery Rock University Marching Band, Freedom Area Marching Band, and Rochester Area Marching Band. As a color guard performer, Jenn marched with The Bluecoats Drum & Bugle Corps of Canton, Ohio for 4 years. She has performed and was trained in flag, rifle, saber and dance.

Alan Fear - Coordinator of Marching Percussion

Alan Fear - Alan began playing drums at the age of 6 with a small drum and baton corps out of Dale City VA, a suburb of Washington DC From those days as a child marching in a small parade corps, Mr. Fear moved onto Pittsburgh where he began his serious pursuit of music. Mr. Fear studied with numerous local drum set and percussion teachers and performed in a vast amount of both regional and national ensembles in a variety of setting, from rock bands and jazz combos to concert wind ensembles and orchestras, and even award winning drum and bugle corps. After high school, Alan started his collegiate career at Duquesne University where he studied percussion under Andrew Reamer, assistant principal percussionist of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Rolando Morales, solo percussionist and assistant conductor for the Lion King on Broadway, in addition to being a well sought after clinician world wide in the areas of Latin and ethnic percussion, Christopher Allen, percussionist for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Lenny Rogers, local drum set and percussion artist and clinician. Alan earned a BS in Music Therapy with an emphasis in percussion performance from Duquesne University.

Alan has performed with Duquesne University Percussion Ensemble, the Duquesne Wind Ensemble, nationally known through many performances at major music conventions, the Duquesne University Symphony Orchestra, and the Butler Symphony Orchestra. He also has played drum set and percussion for many scholastic and professional productions of musicals. His drum corps experiences include six years with the General Butler Vagabonds Drum and Bugle Corp form Butler, PA, and one year with Pioneer Drum and Bugle Corps from Milwaukee, WI. Alan has won numerous awards locally including the three time winner all categories of the YADCO Music Percussion Competition. Alan also won a top ten placement in the prestigious Drum Corps International snare drum and mixed ensemble solo and ensemble competition.

Alan has taught locally as percussion instructor at many award winning band programs including South Park High School, Avonworth High School, Blackhawk High School, Steel Valley High School, Fox Chapel High School, Beaver Area High School, Trinity High School, and most recently became the percussion coordinator for Moon Area High School. Alan has also taught and written for band programs nationally including the Sartell High School band and indoor percussion ensemble from St. Cloud, Minnesota and the Southern Garrett High School Band and indoor percussion ensemble from Oakland, Maryland. In addition to teaching private lessons and various ensembles at schools, Alan spent two years as a private music teacher at Noteworthy Music in Butler, PA.