Faculty

Pete Whitman
pwhitman@mcnallysmith.edu
Department Head, Brass & Woodwinds
Faculty Member Since: 1998
Primary Department: Brass and Woodwinds
Secondary Department: Ensemble
Formal Education:MM in Jazz Studies University of North Texas; BM in Jazz Studies (UNT).

Professional Experience: Pete has spent over 25 years teaching and playing professionally as a saxophonist, flutist, and clarinetist. He has toured the U.S., Japan, and Brazil with the Glenn Miller Orchestra and has also performed with such distinguished ensembles and musicians as the Minnesota Orchestra, Jack McDuff, Curtis Fuller, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Jazz MN Big Band, JAZZAX saxophone quartet, Andres Prado and Laura Caviani. Whitman has also recorded extensively as a sideman and has three CD’s out under his name: “Departure Point” (Igmod Records) “The Sound of  Water”(Artegra) and "Where’s When" (Artegra). His latest CD, “Where’s When” features the X-tet, a ten-piece ensemble led by Whitman received a four star rating by Downbeat Magazine (Feb.04).

Dave Jensen
djensen@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1999
Primary Department: Brass and Woodwinds
Secondary Department: Ensemble
Formal Education: Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music

Professional Experience: Dave Jensen is a member of Hornheads, a Billboard magazine award-winning a capella jazz group. As a group they have released two solo albums, as a horn section, they have recorded over fifty albums for artists in the U.S., Argentina, Portugal, and the U.K. From 1991 through 2001, the Hornheads recorded nine albums with Prince and the New Power Generation. During this time, they toured and performed with Prince throughout the U.S., Europe, Japan and Australia. Dave spent three years touring with the Artie Shaw Orchestra. His trumpet and flugelhorn can be heard on the albums of Chaka Khan, Babyface, Phil Upchurch, Larry Graham, Tevin Campbell, Mavis Staples, Ben Sidran, Pete Whitman, Dave Graf, Ricky Peterson and the JazzMN Big Band. He is a pit musician for theatrical and musical productions at the Ordway Center, Guthrie Theater, Orchestra Hall and other venues. Dave also is a busy session player, working with Asche & Spencer, Absolute Music and Wow & Flutter. In the Twin Cities, Dave has played with Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, Natalie Cole, Frank Sinatra Jr. and the late Rosemary Clooney.

James Marentic
jmarentic@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2005
Primary Department: Brass and Woodwinds
Formal Education: Master of Arts, Music Composition, California State University, Los Angeles / Composition, Harmony, Counterpoint, Orchestration, University of MN

Professional Experience: Big Bands: Don Ellis, Jimmy Dorsey, Mel Lewis, Lionel Hampton, Ed Shaughnessy, Harry James, Charlie Persip, Combos: Frank Strazzeri, Bill Perkins, Frank Butler, Freddie Redd, Music director and European tour: Anita O’Day. Producer: composer, arranger, sax, flute album James Marentic, “Nimbus” Other teaching experience: Private teaching studio for all levels since 1985. Awards and Honors: National Endowment for the Arts-composition grants, 1978, 1986, 1993. Outstanding Musicianship Award-IAJE, 1995. Grants for film scoring study-ASCAP 1977-BMI-1989. Memberships: BMI 1982-Present. BMI Jazz Composers Workshop 1996-2005. Other training: Private studies Saxophone: George Coleman, Steve Grossman, David Leibman, Bob Berg, Clifford Jordan, Phil Sobel, Dr. Jeffery Benedict. Piano/Arranging: Jackie Byard, David Berkman. Clarinet: Eddie Daniels. Flute: Emil Niosi, Harold Bennett.

Bill Olson
bolson@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 2005
Primary Department: Brass and Woodwinds
Formal Education: MM (Performance) Eastman School of Music, BM (Performance) University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Professional Experience: Five By Design, Gap Mangione Big Band, Maria Schneider, Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Chanhassen Dinner Theatre, Children’s Theatre Company, Princess and Holland America Cruise Lines. Other teaching experience: MacPhail Center for Music, Madison Conservatory of Music. Other training: Henry Mancini Institute, Los Angeles, CA. Awards and Honors: Saxophone Methods Teaching Assistantship, Eastman School of Music; Downbeat Magazine Award Best Classical Instrumental Soloist (02); UWEC Concerto Competition Winner (01). Memberships: Twin Cities’ Musicians Union.

Janis Weller
jweller@mcnallysmith.edu
Chair, Liberal Arts
Faculty Member Since: 2007
Primary Department: General Education
Secondary Department: Brass and Woodwinds
Formal Education:Ed.D in Educational Leadership from University of St. Thomas (in progress); M.A. in Human Development (focus on musician career development); B.A. in music, Luther College; completed masters coursework in musicology and flute performance, University of Minnesota

Professional Experience: As a flutist, Janis is particularly devoted to working with living composers and new music. She has premiered over 100 new works and been part of over 30 commissions. A founding member and co-artistic director of the Sylmar Chamber Ensemble, Janis has also performed with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Intergalactic Contemporary Ensemble, Minnesota Composers Forum, and many other ensembles. She freelances in the Twin Cities area.

She developed and taught innovative courses in career development and music business at the University of Minnesota, Augsburg College, and University of St. Thomas, and flute at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls and MacPhail Center for Music.

Janis serves on the Commission for the Education of the Professional Musician of the International Society for Music Education (ISME). She has presented workshops, papers, and poster sessions on a variety of musician career issues nationally and internationally at conferences of ISME in Hanoi, Vietnam and Barcelona, Spain, and in Bologna, Italy in 2008, in addition to the College Music Society, Suzuki Association of the Americas, Minnesota Music Teachers Association, Minnesota Music Educators Association, National Careers Conference 2005, Minnesota Career Development Association, and National Flute Association.