MEET OUR
TEACHERS
ANGELA JOHNSON
Angela Johnson is the founder of Full-Blown Trombone and a trombonist and music educator based in Catonsville, Maryland. She performs regularly with the Summer Club Big Band around Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Angela has been featured as a soloist with the Ocean City Pops Orchestra and Jersey Shore Pops Orchestra. She has performed with the Capital Wind Symphony, the Trinity Chamber Orchestra, Bayside Brass Quintet, Monumental Brass Quintet, Category 5 Wind Ensemble, the Prince George's Philharmonic, BSO Academy, DC Strings and Heritage Trombones. As a Showband musician, she has entertained audiences aboard Carnival Cruise ships and at Busch Gardens Entertainment venues.
A highly sought-after teacher of trombone and euphonium, Angela manages a private studio and conducts low brass sectionals and masterclasses for area schools and youth orchestras. Her private students have won concerto competitions and seats in youth orchestras and regional honors bands. She has also taught as the substitute instructor of low brass and chamber music at the Peabody Preparatory of Johns Hopkins University.
Angela Johnson received a Bachelor of Music in Trombone Performance from Temple University's Boyer College of Music in Philadelphia under the instruction of Matthew Vaughn. Additional teachers include Richard Linn and Paul Bryan.
KIRSTEN LIES-WARFIELD
Kirsten Lies-Warfield hails from Fargo, North Dakota. While that may seem like the middle of nowhere to many, she received a high quality arts education from teachers who still influence her thinking today.
Kirsten found further inspiration at her undergraduate institution, Lawrence University, where she received a BM degree, magna cum laude, in 1994. Following graduation, she married Patrick Warfield and moved to Indiana where he began graduate school. Ms. Warfield began her studies at Indiana University in 1996, receiving a MM degree and then moving on to doctoral studies in brass pedagogy. She joined The United States Army Band in 1999, becoming the first woman trombonist ever hired by ‘Pershing’s Own.’
Ms. Warfield has also been principal trombone of the Washington Metropolitan Philharmonic and the Prince George's Philharmonic and is currently second trombone with the Arlington Philharmonic. She is a member of the contemporary music group, Great Noise Ensemble, the ethno-funk band, Black Masala and is currently serving on the board of advisors for the International Trombone Association. She has played with the Monarch Brass, Bohemian Caverns Jazz Orchestra, Chopteeth Afrofunk, Shannon Gunn and the Bullettes, McLean Orchestra and Pan-American Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Warfield also is an active composer-performer, writing works to suit her needs and tastes to perform for local and national audiences.
ASHLEIGH NAUDE
Ashleigh Naude is from Ramsey, NJ, and originally came to Maryland to study at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she earned her Bachelors of Music Education. While at the University of Maryland, she studied trombone with Matthew Guilford and was a member of the Honors College. Ashleigh performed in brass quintets as well as with the UMD Wind Ensemble, Wind Orchestra, and Jazz Lab Band—she also occasionally played clarinet with the University Band. As a Music Education major, Ashleigh’s favorite part of her degree program at the University of Maryland was having the opportunity to study all of the major wind and string instruments. In her last year she served as President of UMD’s chapter of the National Association for Music Education as well as serving as Horse Health Director for the Maryland Equestrian Club.
Since graduating, Ashleigh has been teaching elementary instrumental music for Prince George’s County Public Schools. In the summers, she works at various camps including the University of Maryland’s High School Music Academy and Summer Youth Music Camp, as well as marching band camps in her hometown. Ashleigh has stayed involved with the Eleanor Roosevelt High School band program where she student taught, and has traveled with the band to perform at the College Band Director’s National Association conference as well as the HBCU National Band Director’s Consortium, with an upcoming trip to perform at the Midwest Clinic in Chicago. Ashleigh’s favorite non-musical hobby is horseback riding, and she rides at a barn where she also helps take care of their 40 horses.
ABHINN MALHOTRA
Originally from Long Island, Abhinn began his undergraduate education at Hofstra University as a Euphonium Performance major studying with Michael Salzman. He was the recipient of the Stephen P. Saltzman Endowed Scholarship, an annual award for undergraduate Euphonium players demonstrating excellence in performance. During his time at Hofstra, he also began studying independently and performing as a soloist under the guidance of Aaron Vanderweele. Abhinn transferred to the Peabody Institute of Music to complete his undergraduate Euphonium studies with Dr. Steven Kellne. He has performed at Peabody as principal Euphonium of the Peabody Wind Ensemble, and Brass Band, and as a member of the Peabody Concert Orchestra, Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble, Brass Ensemble, and Trombone Ensemble. It was at the Peabody Institute that he also began formally studying Wind Conducting with Dr. Harlan D. Parker.
After graduating with his Bachelor’s Degree in Euphonium Performance, Abhinn returned to Peabody and began pursuing two Master’s degrees in Wind Conducting and Euphonium Performance, continuing his studies with Dr. Harlan D. Parker, and Dr. Steven Kellner respectively. After completing his Graduate degrees in 2018, Abhinn returned to the Peabody Institute as a Doctoral Candidate in Wind Conducting, and was awarded the Wind Conducting Graduate Assistantship. He teaches Beginner conducting courses, assists with intermediate and advanced conducting courses taught by Dr. Harlan Parker, and continues to give recitals and conducts the Peabody Wind Ensemble along with his duties as the music director for the Johns Hopkins Wind Ensemble. Outside of music, Abhinn enjoys cooking, road trips, and is an avid hockey and baseball fan.
CARTER JACKSON
Carter Jackson is a versatile performer and educator, playing music and building relationships across the country. Originally from Connecticut, he spent a few years out in New Mexico before moving to the Baltimore/Washington area to continue his career as a bass and tenor trombonist.
Carter held the position of Principal Bass Trombone of the Amarillo Symphony in Amarillo, TX for the 2015-2016 season, and has performed with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, New Mexico Philharmonic, New World Symphony, Santa Fe Symphony, and the Hartford Opera Company. He has his Master’s of Music from the University of New Mexico, his Bachelor’s of Music from the University of Hartford, and finished his performing education at the Peabody Institute in 2019. His principal teachers include John Rojak of the American Brass
Quintet, Randy Campora of the Baltimore Symphony, and Dr. Christopher Buchholz of the Army Jazz Ambassadors.
Carter has presented solo recitals at the Hartt School of Music, the University of New Mexico, Peabody Institute, the St. John’s Methodist Church of Albuquerque, and the Broadmead Retirement Community. He has performed as soloist with the UNM Jazz Band and the Peabody Trombone Ensemble, and has also found success in competition, winning the Big 12 Trombone Conference’s Bass Trombone Competition in 2017, as well as being a finalist in the same competition in 2016, and the Texas State Trombone Conference’s Bass Trombone Competition in 2017. He has participated in the Aspen Music Festival and School, the National Music Festival, the National Orchestral Institute and Festival, the Eastern Music Festival, and the Sewanee Summer Music Festival, with highlights such as performing with Leslie Odom Jr., and Walt Disney Animation Studios: A Decade in Concert in Aspen, CO. Carter enjoys teaching private low brass lessons with studios that have ranged from elementary level students to college music majors. In addition to music, his other passions include cooking and mountain biking.
AUSTIN FAIRLEY
Austin is a low brass specialist based out of Stafford, Virginia. He is currently pursuing a Masters of Music in Bass Trombone Performance at the University of Maryland. He has performed in the top ensembles at Shenandoah Conservatory including the Symphony Orchestra, Wind Ensemble and Big Band, where he had many opportunities to perform in many different venues, from soloing with the the Shenandoah University Trombone Collective on Millennium Stage to Performing to sold out crowds in the largest concert halls in South America. Austin has acquired many skills over his time at Shenandoah such as arranging, teaching and conducting in all genres. He has a love for teaching and inspiring the next generation in whatever they’re most passionate about in music.
JOHN McCAHEY
Starting from an early discovery of John Coltrane, John was hooked on music quick. It was Coltrane and other jazz artists that helped John choose trombone as an instrument. While early studies and performances focused on classical music, John quickly transitioned to study jazz with Jim McFalls and Dave Ballou at Towson University. Towson's unique curriculum combined with his experiences in bands like 9 Mile Roots, Screaming Art Large Ensemble and Joe Keyes and Late Bloomer Band expanded John's view of music. He also worked as a cruise ship musician.
John was invited to join the first class of the graduate school of music at the Hartt School of Music - University of Hartford. There John studied with renowned jazz trombone artist Steve Davis and Javon Jackson. This narrowed his focus to learn the Jazz tradition, while he also taught himself to compose and to play trumpet and piano. Currently John enjoys teaching trombone and trumpet, composing, studying, and performing as much as possible!
WILL GAMACHE
William Gamache currently resides in Sterling, Virginia. He has taught middle school band in Colorado and Oregon for the last 10 years, and has taught trombone, bass trombone, euphonium and tuba lessons since 2006. Mr. Gamache holds his MM in trombone performance from Colorado State University and 2 bachelor's degrees in euphonium performance and music education from Colorado State University.
Mr. Gamache's performance resume includes seasons with the Pikes Peak British Brass Band on Bb tuba and euphonium, the Western State College Brass Band on Eb tuba, 2 years with the Pranksters Big Band in Portland, Oregon on trombone and bass trombone, and pit orchestra perforomances on trombone and bass trombone for productions of Sweeney Todd, The Mikado, Sound of Music, Mary Poppins, The Music Man, Die Fledermaus, A Little Night Music, and alto trombone for Mozart's Die Zauberflote. In commercial music, Mr. Gamache has been lead trombone with funk and ska bands Melodious Thunk, the Swashbuckling Doctors, and the Fort Funk Brass Band, and performed as the tuba player for the seasonal polka-pop fusion band Neue Polka Colorado for many years. Mr. Gamache is extremely excited to live and work in the DC area, and enjoys working with students of all ages and experience levels on trombone, bass tormbone, euphonium, and tuba.
MATTHEW MORAN
Matthew earned his Bachelor's degree in Trombone Performance in 2017 from the Eastman School of Music and his Master's degree from Northwestern University in 2021. He has been selected to participate in summer festivals & workshops including the Eastern Music Festival, Southeastern Trombone Symposium and as faculty of the Washington DC Trombone Workshop. Matthew has extensive orchestral experience, having played with the National Repertory Orchestra, Northwestern University Symphony Orchestra, Syracuse Symphony & Chautauqua Student Symphony Orchestra. He has found a passion in teaching, striving not only to help students become better musicians, but to help them apply the skills they learn in music to the business of growing up.