Faculty
Erik Leung
Director of Bands
Dr. Erik Leung guides all aspects of the Oregon State University band program, including directing the internationally recognized OSU Wind Ensemble and coordinating the music program’s wind conducting area.
Leung is a native of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and holds a Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he studied with conductor Mallory Thompson. He also holds a Master of Music in wind conducting from the University of Toronto and undergraduate degrees in music and secondary education from the University of Calgary.
In his prior appointment at Fresno Pacific University, Leung directed the symphonic winds, chamber winds and brass ensemble, and taught undergraduate and graduate level conducting. Under his direction, the symphonic band was featured in performances at the Western International Band Clinic, the Percy Grainger Wind Festival and at the College Band Directors National Association small band program showcase.
In recent years Leung has given presentations at wind band conferences around the world, including the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic (Chicago); the College Band Directors National Association (Kansas City, Kansas); the Western International Band Clinic (Seattle); and the World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (Utrecht, Netherlands).
His recent publications include several articles for Canadian Winds: The Journal of the Canadian Band Association. He also served editor for an edition of Jan Meyerowitz’s “Three Comments on War for Concert Band” published by the E.B. Marks Music Company in New York.
Olin Hannum
Associate Director of Bands
Olin Hannum serves as Associate Director of Bands at Oregon State University. In that capacity he oversees and directs all aspects of the Athletic Bands program, including the Oregon State University Marching Band, Rhythm and Beavs travel band, Basketball Bands, and other ensembles. In addition to the Athletic Bands program, Hannum conducts and directs the OSU Wind Symphony, and teaches other courses in music. Outside of OSU, Hannum is the music director for the Oregon Brass Society, a semi professional brass ensemble based in Eugene, OR.
Hannum is an active composer, with works for Wind Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, and various solo instruments. His works have been performed around the country, including a premier at Carnegie Hall in New York City. In addition to his composition work, Hannum is a sought-after arranger for marching ensemble. His arrangements have been performed by competitive and non-competitive groups at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels across the west coast. His compositions are published through Murphy Music Press.
Hannum is a brass player, holding a degree in French horn performance. He has notably appeared with the Golden State Wind Orchestra, Berkeley Symphony Orchestra and the San Francisco Wind Ensemble. In addition to ensembles, he holds recording and live credits from a performing career in the Sacramento and Bay Area scenes.
Hannum is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi, and serves as the chapter sponsor for the Theta chapter. He is a member of CBDNA and NAFME.
Core Staff
Core staff are critical to the every-day operation of the band, and the experience of its members. This group is composed of professionals who are widely established and respected within their fields. They each bring specific skills and abilities to the table, and are essential for our every-day mission.
Justin Preece
Percussion Coordinator and Drumline Instructor
Justin Preece is in his tenth year of teaching and arranging for the marching percussion program at Oregon State University. Under his direction, the Oregon State Drumline has grown in size, scope, and performance capability, helping the OSUMB bring new levels of entertainment to Beaver Nation.
Justin studied and worked as a percussionist and educator in Dallas, Texas for twenty years before moving to Oregon in 2010. He holds both Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance from the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University, with an additional undergraduate degree in Music Education. Justin also spent a year of study at King’s College London and the Royal Academy of Music, and has performed at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic, the Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention.
Additionally, Justin was a three-year member of the Phantom Regiment Drum & Bugle Corps, culminating with their first DCI World Championship in 1996. He also won the DCI Individual Timpani Championship in 1995 and the Drum Corps Midwest solo marimba competition in 1996.
As an educator, Justin has worked with numerous competitive marching band and percussion programs in Texas and has since joined the staff of the Alan Keown Marching Percussion Camp here in Oregon. He has performed and recorded with the Dallas Winds, the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra, Imperial Brass, and numerous other chamber groups and theatres, and has enjoyed engagements with the Oregon Coast Music Festival, Newport Symphony Orchestra, Hilltop Big Band, Chintimini Chamber Music Festival, and the Sundays@3 Recital Series. Justin has also written on the topic of marching percussion for The Instrumentalist, composes for solo and chamber percussion with recent premieres of his music by the OSU Percussion Ensemble at the Northwest Percussion Festival, and is currently a state officer for the Oregon chapter of the Percussive Arts Society.
Dave Manela
Staff Assistant
A former tenor saxophone player in the OSUMB, Dave graduated from OSU with a degree in Computer Engineering. Dave is now an IT Consultant at the OSU Valley Library Where he maintains the student computers, classroom computers and scanning stations. He also maintains the Interlibrary loan system along with other library systems.
Dave helps with many facets of the OSU Marching Band program including setting drill, game day operations, directing, uniforms and instruments. We always say that if Dave wasn’t around there would be a hundred things that went undone and we wouldn’t know why.
In addition, Dave also serves as the Coordinator for Alumni Band Communications.
Kristin Heckers
Color Guard Instructor and Choreographer
Kristin Heckers is the longest-serving member of the OSUMB staff. She grew up in Grants Pass, Oregon, where she studied dance, theater, and music. She is a former member of Everybody Winterguard (WGI World Class, Portland, Oregon), Pioneer Drum & Bugle Corps (Milwaukee, Wisconsin), the Royalettes Dance Team (Grants Pass, Oregon) and proudly, the OSUMB.
Kristin works with leadership to choreograph all routines and dances for halftime and Pregame, maintains the traditional flag routines for our school songs, and manages recruitment for the OSUMB Color Guard.
Kathleen Smith
Staff Assistant
Kathleen Smith is returning to the OSUMB after a two year hiatus spent teaching band and orchestra in Southern California. Kathleen began working with the OSUMB in the fall of 2009 and returns to Corvallis as the Director of Bands at Linus Pauling Middle School.
Kathleen is entering her 22nd year of teaching band and orchestra at the secondary level. Her prior experiences include teaching within the Salem Keizer School District, Lebanon Community School District, Corvallis School District and most recently returning from Palm Springs Unified, she finds her home back in Corvallis, Oregon.
Kathleen is an active freelance cellist and trombonist. Having earned both her Bachelors and Master of Arts in Teaching Music Education from Oregon State University... she is a Beaver Believer.
Current active memberships include the National Association for Music Education, Oregon Music Educators Association, Mu Phi Epsilon (professional music fraternity), American String Teachers Association, Women in Band Directing, and an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Mrs. Smith is deeply committed to music education and considers herself extremely fortunate to have found a profession that offers opportunities for growth and also happens to be ridiculously fun.