Kristian Bailes
Sophomore, Music Performance
Kristian was born and raised in Glendale, Arizona, and has played in several ensembles recognized at the Region, State, and National levels throughout his performance career. He is a Phoenix Youth Symphony Orchestra Alumnus, and a graduate of the Mountain Ridge High School’s award-winning Wind Ensemble and Marching Band. He hopes to play trombone professionally in the orchestral and contemporary spheres, and also hopes to publish his own compositions. Kristian loves listening to all kinds of music, ranging from experimental, avant-garde tracks from artists such as Arca and SOPHIE, to iconic mainstream artists such as Nicki Minaj and Beyoncé, to orchestral classics. In his free time, he enjoys indulging in his favorite video games and spending time with his friends.
Jonah Brabant
Master’s, Performance, Teaching Assistant
Jonah Brabant is a Teaching Assistant and 2nd year master’s student in the trombone studio at ASU. His undergraduate degree is from Wheaton College (IL) where he studied with Douglas Yeo and Chris Davis. He has freelanced with various groups throughout the Phoenix valley and regularly conducts the ASU trombone choir. Outside of the trombone world he enjoys cooking, playing pickleball, and going to baseball games.
Hugh Findley
Master’s, Performance
Hugh joins us from California where he received his Bachelor’s degree and Cal-State Long Beach, studying with Steve Trapani.
Alyson Johnson
Master’s, Performance, Teaching Assistant
Alyson Johnson is a trombonist and music educator from Madison, South Dakota. She graduated from Western Michigan University with Bachelor degrees in Music Education and Trombone Performance. As a trombonist, Alyson was a finalist in the 2024 ITA Larry Wiehe Tenor Trombone competition, the 2020 ATW Division I Tenor Trombone Competition, and won the South Dakota Symphony’s Young Musician Concerto Competition in 2018. As a teacher, Alyson built a private studio of 15 low brass students, with her students receiving recognition in Michigan All-State and District Bands. Alyson works as the bookkeeper for the International Trombone Festival, and has held this position since 2021. In her free time, Alyson enjoys playing rugby, hiking, camping, reading, and spending time with her cat, Owen.
Keagan Larsen
Freshman, Music Performance and Jazz Performance
Keagan Larsen joins us from Litchfield Park, Arizona. He is pursuing a bachelors degree in both orchestral and jazz trombone performance He attended Millennium High School and performed with their marching, symphonic, and jazz band. He also performed multiple ensembles such as The Young Sounds of Arizona Big Band, AMEA West Region Concert Band, and AFUSD Honor Band, along with the indoor winds group Foreword. He enjoys playing video games with friends, listening to doo-wop and 50s rock and roll, and scrolling through Facebook marketplace for things he can’t afford.
Ashley Rands
Master’s Performance
Ashley is pursuing her Master’s Degree in trombone performance after graduating from Brigham Young University. She is originally from Clarksville, TN and loves reading and going to concerts. In 2024, she won that tenor trombone solo competition at the Southwest Trombone Conference.
Wendy Ostaszewski
Sophomore, Music Learning and Teaching
(they/he)
Wendy is from North Orange County, California and is currently working toward an undergrad degree in Music Learning and Teaching. They have performed with the Golden West Pops, Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association’s (SCSBOA) All-Southern Honor Ensembles, the California Band Director’s Association’s (CBDA) All-State Honor Ensembles, the Claremont’s Young Musician’s Orchestra, and the Pacific Symphony Youth Orchestra. In the future Wendy hopes to continue performing while teaching the next generation about the power of music. In his free time Wendy enjoys learning new skills, and has done woodworking, small-scale taxidermy, sewing, analyzing court cases, and decorating Rose Parade Floats.
Garrett Parnaby
Freshman, Music Performance
Garrett joins us from Sierra Vista, Arizona.
Robby Pawloski
Masters-level, Non-major
Robby joins us from the Tucson area, and is currently pursuing a Master’s in Mathematics. Robby played at Catalina Foothills High School in the Wind Ensemble and the marching band, performing with the latter in the 2019 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Robby spends his free time with his friends and family, and is passionate about listening to classical music, watching movies, and drinking milk.
Michael Thompson
Master’s, performance
Michael joins us from Flagstaff, Arizona. He earned his Bachelor’s at Northern Arizona University, studying with David Vining.
Vincent Quintana
Freshman, Music Learning and Teaching
Vincent joins us from Rio Rancho, New Mexico. In high school he was in the New Mexico All-State Concert Band and Jazz Band. He is majoring in Music Learning and Teaching. His hobbies include going down rabbit holes with YouTube.
Alex Skelton
Sophomore, Performance/Composition
Alex is from Flagstaff, Arizona and is pursuing a degree in Music Composition. He has performed in various groups including the Arizona Music Educators Association (AMEA) All-State Orchestra, AMEA Regional Honor Band, and the Flagstaff Community Band (FCB); as a young composer, Alex has collaborated with the FCB to premiere a fanfare celebrating their 30th anniversary. Currently, Alex is an active performer in the ASU Wind Symphony and ASU Barrett Choir. In his free time, Alex loves to compose music, play video games, and spend time with his friends.
RJ Sudduth
Master’s, Performance
RJ is currently pursuing a Masters in Music Performance Bass Trombone.
He’s been playing for 27 years and started playing trombone Sophomore year high school.
RJ graduated from Cal State Fullerton 2015 with a Bachelor of Arts Music Degree.
Some of the notable highlights in RJ’s trombone career include performing at the Grammy Awards alongside Outkast and Radiohead, as well as recording an album with the Urban Renewal Project.
RJ fell in love with the sound of the trombone while watching Bugs Bunny and Tom & Jerry cartoons, but he didn’t know what it looked like physically until high school. Hahaha.
He likes to cook all kinds of food. Especially Key Lime pie. Making his band nickname “Chef” a perfect fit. He loves playing trombone anytime and anywhere.
RJ works a full time job as Field Technician for KindredAI.
He is married to the most beautiful Wife in the world Alexandra Kiss (Assistant Coach for ASU Women’s Water Polo) with their dog Zeno and 2 cats Cooper and Helios.
Matias Teillet
Senior, Music Learning and Teaching
Matias is from South Orange County, California. He is working towards his Bachelors in Music Learning and Teaching. He plans to become a band director in his home state. He is also a tuba rank leader in the Sun Devil marching band. Outside of music, he competes for the ASU Taekwondo team, and teaches martial arts classes during the summer. He also enjoys a good hike, as well as most outdoor activities.
Carson Webster
Sophomore, Music Learning and Teaching
Carson Webster is a music learning and teaching major from Mesa, Arizona. He held multiple leadership positions as well as earned several awards at Desert Ridge High School, where he earned his art seal. He marched tuba in the 2023 DCI season, and marches tuba in the Sun Devil Marching Band. He hopes to one day run his own band program.
Holden Welch
Master’s, Performance
Originally from Arkansas, Holden earned his Bachelor’s degree in performance from Northwestern University.
Maya Willis
Non-major
Maya is a 4th year microbiology major, an English minor and a member of Barrett! She greatly enjoys playing with the ASU Trombone Choir as a creative pairing to her intensive studies. She had been playing trombone for 13 years. She attended District honor bands each year in grade and high school, travelled abroad with the Arizona Ambassadors of Music, earned an alternate spot in the AMEA Regional Band in 2020, and participated in YOLA National At Home with the LA Philharmonic Youth Orchestra in 2020. Outside of music, Maya is a competing member of the Swim Devils and Life Time Arizona swim clubs and coaches the age group swim program for the Life Time Tempe location! She also enjoys reading, writing and cooking!
