Faculty

Gordy Knudtson
gknudtson@mcnallysmith.edu
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Gordy has played hundreds of sessions for jingles, radio and television station logos, industrial film scores, record albums, and compact discs.  He has toured extensively, including with the Roy Buchanan Band in 1981 and the Ben Sidran Trio from 1982-1989. In 1987, Gordy joined the Steve Miller Band and has been touring and recording with the band ever since.  Freelance performance credits include: Jack MacDuff, Eddie Harris, Ernie Watts, Dave Brubeck, Richie Cole, Kevin Mahogany, Othello Molineaux, James Williams, Manfredo Fest, Chuck Berry, Bob Hope, Don Rickles, Dick Van Dyke, Bob Newhart, the Smothers Brothers, Garrison Keilor, and many others.

Aaron Barnell
Primary Department: Ensemble
Secondary Department: Percussion
Formal Education: BS Music Performance, University of Wisconsin, River Falls

Professional Experience: Dan Wilson (Semisonic), Peter Ostrusko, A Prairie Home Companion Radio Show, Bill T. Jones/Arne Zane Dance Company (NYC), Dance in the Dark (Southern Theater Mpls), Liz Lerman Dance Exchange (Washington DC), Composed original score for the feature film Strange As Angels and Theater Production The House That Crack Built, Trans World Aire Media Installation with film maker Craig Baldwin (Walker Art Center, Mpls). Other teaching experience: Concordia College (St Paul, MN), Jazz Camp West (San Francisco), World Cultures Magnet (St Paul, MN), Seward Montessori (Mpls), Cottage Grove Junior High (MN), Crestview Elementary, Guest Artist Teaching: Walker Art Center, Carlton College, Breck High School. Other training: Private study with : Afro-Caribbean Drumming Scholar and Master Drummer John Amira, Cuban Master Drummer John Santos, Frame Drum Master Glen Valez, Brazilian Master Drummer Nana, Ghanaian Master Drummer Sowah Mensah, MacPhail School for the Arts (Mpls), Eastern Music Festival (Greensboro, NC).

Marv Dahlgren
mdahlgren@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1989
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Marv Dahlgren is a nationally known figure in the drumming world, having authored and co-authored many influential books on drumming including 4-Way Coordination, Accent on Accents, and Drumset Control. Marv was the former principal percussionist and assistant timpanist for the Minnesota Orchestra, now retired. In addition to the albums he has made with the orchestra, Marv has also recorded with Cat Stevens and Leo Kottke and has performed on many jingles. Marv is also known as an excellent mallet player and performs on vibes with his own jazz group in venues around the Twin Cities. As a part of the percussion department at McNally Smith College of Music, Marv conducts frequent master classes. Other teaching experience: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities.

Dave Hanzel
dhanzel@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1998
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Dave Hanzel is known for his versatility and is one of the busiest drummers in the Twin Cities. As the drummer for Rupert’s Orchestra for nine years, Dave played club dates and corporate shows backing such national recording artists as Céline Dion, Michael Bolton, Huey Lewis, and Chuck Mangione. As an experienced studio musician, Dave has performed on many jingles as well as various album projects. Dave is also known for his great skill in repairing, refinishing, and customizing drums at his own shop Boom Alley Drums.

Michael Pilhofer
mpilhofer@mcnallysmith.edu
Department Head, Ensembles
Primary Department: Ensemble
Secondary Department: Music Theory
Tertiary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:M.M. (Education) Eastman School of Music, B.M. (Jazz Studies) University of Miami, Florida

Professional Experience: Professional Musician and Recording Artist for over 18 Yrs, worked with national artists such as: Joe Lovano, Marian McPartland, Kenny Wheeler, Dave Holland, Bill Holman, Wycliffe Gordon, Peter Erskine and Gene Bertoncini in addition to some of finest musicians in the Twin Cities. Other teaching experience: Private Studio Instructor; Mid-West area Clinician & Educator; Adjunct Director of Jazz Southwest High School, Minneapolis Public Schools; Director of Contemporary Music, Maple Grove High School, Osseo MN;  (’00-‘02). Awards and Honors: Jazz Drumset and Jazz Ensemble Teaching Assistantships Eastman School of Music; Downbeat Magazine Award “Best Instrumental Jazz Small Group” (’99), Memberships:  AFM Local 30-73. Other Training: Certifications: K-12 Instrumental Music.

David Schmalenberger
dschmalenberger@mcnallysmith.edu
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Dave has performed in concert and at gigs with artists such as John Scofield, Marvin Stamm, Larry Grenadier, Richard Davis, Steve Turre, the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, Cab Calloway, the Fifth Dimension, and Ernie Krivda. He has recorded with the Garth Alper Trio, the Bigtime Jazz Orchestra, the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Equilibrium, and SCHAG. David was the principal timpanist with the DSSO for ten years. David has also toured with the Summit Brass Ensemble and the Intergalatic Contemporary Ensemble (“I.C.E.”).

David Stanoch
dstanoch@mcnallysmith.edu
Primary Department: Percussion

Professional Experience: Nationally David has performed with a highly eclectic array of talent including Sheryl Crow, Richard Davis, Herb Ellis, Robert Goulet, Col. Bruce Hampton, Scott Henderson, Shirley Jones, Keb'Mo', Jack McDuff, New Kids On The Block, Bernard Purdie, Bonnie Raitt, Don Rickles, Martin Short, Ben Sidran, Clyde Stubblefield, Timbuk3, Butch Vig, and Mary Wilson, among others. Locally he juggles live and studio freelance work with regular duties for several bands including the progressive trio TRIPLICATE, described by DRUM! magazine as being "so good that it's intimidating." Since 1999, David has co-produced several critically acclaimed CD's on his own Rhythmelodic Records label. David studied with master drummers Max Roach, Alan Dawson, Jeff Hamilton, Ignacio Berroa, and Chad Wackerman, and has been a McNally Smith faculty member and co-author of the curriculum for the percussion school since 1990. David is a clinician for the Paiste Cymbal Company and a contributing author to MODERN DRUMMER, DRUMMER (UK) and Percussive Arts Society magazines.

Paul Steuber
psteuber@mcnallysmith.edu
Faculty Member Since: 1990
Primary Department: Percussion
Formal Education:Milwaukee Area Technical School (studied ear training and music theory); Performance Certificate from the Percussion Institute of Technology.

Professional Experience: Paul is a respected musician in the Twin Cities area. He has performed with many local artists, playing a wide variety of styles. Paul has performed with Kanda Bongo Man (International Soukous Recording Artist), Samba Mapangala, Ragga Dee, Halima and Roy Kapale (African recording artists), Lorraine Klaasen (Canadian Recording Artist), Phyllis Diller, and Synergy.   He has traveled throughout the United States and Puerto Rico performing for major corporate events (Toyota, Mobil Oil, All State Insurance, Motorola, and American Express).  Paul also played for the productions "Ain't Misbehavin'" and "Do Black Patent Leather Shoes Really Reflect Up?"   He performed as a studio musician for Hal Leonard Publishing, Jensen Publishing, Milwaukee Public Television, Tri City National Banks, Super Valu, Imperial Eastman, United Way, and many local artists.

Additional Experience: Paul has studied with Joe Porcaro, Chuck Flores, Gary Hess, Steve Houghton, Ralph Humphrey, Ed Roscetti, and Effrian Toro. Paul was also an instructor for four years at Musician's Institute (Hollywood, CA), where he also earned the Drummer of the Year Award.