Clinician Detail

Middle School Band Rehearsal Lab

Clinic Synopsis:

This rehearsal clinic will provide practical information to band directors regarding: building ensemble sound, the establishment of daily fundamentals, developing a variety of articulation, appropriate use of dynamics, establishing melodic and vertical intonation and interpretative ideas.

Cooper Middle School Band - Biographical Information

Located in McLean, Virginia, the Cooper Middle School band program features over 200 students in three concert ensembles, a jazz band, and percussion ensemble. The bands have performed at the Virginia Music Educators Association Conference in 2017 & 2022, and were the first Virginia middle school band to perform at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2019. They received the 2019 National Band Association Blue Ribbon Program of Excellence Southern Division Award. In June of 2022, they were awarded the prestigious Sudler Silver Cup by the John Philip Sousa Foundation. The Cooper Bands have performed at the White House Easter “Egg Roll”, recorded for NASA’s Artemis 1 launch, and participated in clinics with the Boston Symphony Pops and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They actively commission and join consortiums with composers like Brian Balmages, Craig Fitzpatrick, Carl Holmquist, Brant Karrick, Katie LaBrie, Andrew David Perkins, Randall Standridge and Doug Wallace.

Matthew Baker - Biographical Information

Matthew Baker has been the Director of Bands at Cooper Middle School since 2013. He is responsible for overseeing and teaching all aspects of the band program, including three concert bands, percussion ensemble, and jazz band. Under his leadership, the bands have grown from 57 students to over 200 students. He is a product of Fairfax County Public Schools, where he attended Chantilly High School under the direction of Keith Taylor and Alan P. Johnson. He received both a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Master of Music in Music Performance from James Madison University, where he studied under Kevin Stees, Scott Rikkers, Dr. Pat Rooney, and Dr. Steve Bolstad. As the Band Director at River Bend Middle School in Loudoun County, Virginia, he was named the 2010 Teacher of the Year and built the program from 200 to over 450 students. Mr. Baker then became the Assistant Band Director at Fairfax High School in 2012, where the band performed at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival and Virginia Music Educators Association conference. During his time at Cooper Middle School, the bands have performed at Virginia Music Educators Association conference in 2017 and 2022, the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2019, as well as participating in clinics with the Boston Pops and Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. They recently performed at the White House, and recorded for the NASA Artemis I Launch. Matthew Baker was awarded the NBA Citation of Excellence three times and has been recognized for excellence by the Fairfax County School Board, Fairfax County Board of Directors, and Virginia State Senate. He is a member of NAfME, VMEA, VBODA, and NBA. He currently resides in Ashburn, Virginia with his wife Sarah, their son Everett, and their dogs Ella and Ellington. 

Alexandra Singer - Biographical Information

Alexandra Singer is in her tenth year as the Assistant Band Director at Cooper Middle School and second year as Director of Bands at Churchill Elementary School. She regularly assists with all aspects of the band program, and conducts the Wind Ensemble and co-conducts the Concert Band. While at Cooper, Mrs. Singer assisted with the Symphonic Band at the Virginia Music Educators Conference performance in 2017, the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in 2019,  the National Band Association Blue Ribbon Program of Excellence award, and received an NBA Citation of Excellence. Her bands have earned superior and excellent ratings at state assessment. She also regularly works with the Langley Marching Band, and maintains a private clarinet studio. Mrs. Singer earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music from George Mason University where she performed with various ensembles and assisted with guitar class.   She currently resides in Centreville, Virginia with her husband, Steve and their daughter Eliana.

Doug Wallace - Biographical Information

Doug Wallace is a vibrant and energetic performer, composer, and educator with diverse experience in all areas of percussion performance and pedagogy. A graduate of the Eastman School of Music and The Juilliard School, Mr. Wallace has performed with a variety of acclaimed ensembles including the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington National Opera, The Metropolitan Opera, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Theater Chamber Players, the Battery Four Percussion Group, Eclipse Chamber Orchestra, Post Classical Ensemble, Washington Symphonic Brass, and the Amadeus Orchestra. He has also participated in several honors ensembles and festival orchestras including Tanglewood Music Center, The National Repertory Orchestra, the National Orchestral Institute, Music Academy of the West, and the International Symphony Orchestra. With these groups and others, Mr. Wallace has worked under the baton of Lorin Maazel, Valery Gergiev, Pierre Boulez, James Levine, John Williams, Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Masur, Leonard Slatkin, and Placido Domingo.

With vast teaching experience at all levels, Mr. Wallace is in high demand as a music educator and clinician. Currently the Director of Percussion for the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestras in Annandale, Virginia, Mr. Wallace is an active percussion director, clinician and sectional instructor at several nationally recognized Fairfax County Public Schools. He is also proud to have been the first full time Professor of Percussion at Christopher Newport University, an up and coming music department located in Newport News, Virginia.   Mr. Wallace's private students have been accepted to continue studies at The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, the New England Conservatory, Boston University, the Peabody Conservatory, the Eastman School of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, The University of Miami, and DePaul University. His teaching techniques are highlighted in his method book, Percussion with Class, published by FJH Music, and his compositions and arrangements have been performed at The Juilliard School, the Eastman School of Music, New York University, George Mason University, Christopher Newport University, the Music Academy of the West, the Aspen Music Festival, Temple University, the Concert Chamber Series, the Music for All National Percussion Festival, the Virginia Music Educators Conference, and National's Park.