A native of Murfreesboro, TN, Tyler Bouttavong is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and studied Trumpet Performance under Dr. Michael Arndt.
Tyler currently teaches at several schools in the Rutherford County School System, Davidson County Metro Public School System, Maury County School System, as well as his own private studio. He strives to provide the highest level of instruction. A majority of his students place at the top of their school band programs and many have also made it into various honor ensembles such as the MTSBOA All Mid-State Honor Ensembles; TMEA All-State Ensembles; MTSU Honors Orchestra; Vanderbilt Philharmonic Youth Orchestra; Vanderbilt Curb Youth Symphony; Nashville Summer Orchestral Institute; Drum Corps International; as well as the prestigious Tennessee Governor’s School for the Arts. Some students have received music scholarships to attend university.
Tyler is also an active performing musician. He has performed with various symphony orchestras around the area such as the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and Nashville Collegiate Orchestra. Tyler has also given performances overseas with the Hollywood Film Music Orchestra in Nanjing, China.
Jonathan Fowler hails from Swannanoa, North Carolina. He holds a Bachelors degree in History from The University of Oklahoma and a Certificate in Accountancy from Lipscomb University in Nashville, Tennessee. Jonathan currently works as a corporate staff accountant in the Nashville, Tennessee area. Outside of accounting, he is an avid trumpeter and actively performs with the Brentwood Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra in addition to the Music City Brass Ensemble. While living in the Dallas, Texas area, he also had the distinct privilege of performing with the renowned Prestonwood Baptist Church Choir and Orchestra.
Ryan Lambright is a relative newcomer to the Nashville area after spending the early part of his teaching career in Florida. He holds the degrees of Master of Music in Euphonium Performance from Mercer University and Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of South Alabama. Lambright currently serves as Director of Bands for Perry County Schools in Linden, Tennessee. Outside of teaching, he actively performs with the Hendersonville Performing Arts Company on trumpet, the Brass Band of Nashville on tuba, and First Baptist Church of Hendersonville orchestra on various brass instruments alongside his wife, hornist Megan Cargin.
Alan Suska, a graduate of Duquesne University, moved to Nashville in 1980. Alan has continued an extensive career as a freelance musician and teacher. Currently, Alan is principal trumpet with the Murfreesboro Symphony and the Nashville Praise Symphony along with being the first-call trumpet player for several contractors in the area.
As an educator, Alan is currently teaching beginning band at Overbrook School in addition to individual private brass lessons at several schools in the Middle Tennessee area. Recently, Alan was the Director of Instrumental Music at Pope John Paul II High School. Alan’s resume also includes teaching stints at many of middle Tennessee’s universities as an adjunct professor. This includes the University of the South, where he both teaches and plays in the Sewanee Symphony.
Alan continues to perform extensively throughout the southeast U.S. and has recently traveled to Europe and South America for orchestral and big band performances.
Jim Williamson is the music director and band leader of the Nashville Jazz Orchestra, NJO Sextet, and NJO Quartet. He also performs professionally as a trumpet player in several local bands. Williamson studied with well-known educators John McNeal and Carmine Caruso. He taught at UT (part-time) during the 70's and was a member of the faculty brass quintet.
As a trumpet and flugelhorn player, Jim's credits include performances with the Nashville, Knoxville & Chattanooga symphonies. He's worked with well-known jazz artists like Slide Hampton, Randy Brecker, Bob Mintzer, Marvin Stamm, Tim Hagans, Dick Oats, Jim McNeely, Dave Liebman, Dave Pietro, Ed Shaughnessy, Bobby Shew, Buddy Morrow, Donald Brown, and Benny Wallace.