Elsabet Fisseha (Administrative Assistant) graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2002 with degrees in Music and Psychology. She started working for the UNC Bands as a student in August, 2000 and joined the full-time staff at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in April, 2004.

She currently serves as the Administrative Assistant for the UNC Bands, working closely with all aspects of the band program and the Department of Music Scholarship Committee. Fisseha is an honorary member of the Mu chapter of Mu Beta Psi.

 
Matt Savage (Marching Percussion Instructor) graduate of the Crane School of Music in Potsdam, NY and The University of Southern California, has taught at every level of public education from elementary to the college level. Matt also has twenty-five years of playing and teaching experience in the marching percussion field.
His marching percussion experience includes playing snare drum with the legendary Bayonne Bridgemen and serving as percussion director and arranger for drum and bugle corps such as the Anaheim Velvet Knights, The Dutchboy of Kitchener, Ontario and the Canton Bluecoats. At the collegiate level, Matt has served as percussion instructor for the USC Trojan Marching Band and is currently director of marching percussion at The University of North Carolina where he has also in the past, served as Assistant Director of University Bands. He is heavily involved with the indoor percussion activity as an adjudicator for WGI.

Matt has recently delved into the art of drumstick and mallet design for the Pro-Mark drumstick company creating a signature line of sticks. His most recent publication is “Savage Rudimental Workshop”, a state of the art rudiment development book with 2 CD accompaniment published by Warner Bros. Music. Along with being a marching percussion specialist, Matt is a Remo hand drum artist and drum circle facilitator leading drum circles for a variety of both local and national events. He is a clinician for Pro-Mark Drumsticks, Yamaha Percussion, Sabian Cymbals, and Remo Inc.
Dwayne Barnes (Guard Instructor) graduated from Atlantic Christian College with a BS in Communications. He started drum corps at the age of 9 in a Cadet corps on Long Island, NY. Aging out after 11 summers in drum corps, the list of corps that he marched include, LI Kingsmen, 27th Lancers and the Sky Ryders. He also spent one season with the Pride of Cincinnati. The experience of winter guard motivated him to start his own group and for the past 22 years, he has been the Founder and Executive Director of Carolina Visual Productions. He is also the current Executive Director of Carolina Gold, an all age drum and bugle corps, where he has expanded his experiences by not only marching guard, but marched 2 season playing soprano, served as a backfield conductor and has filled other various positions (including baritone, timpani, color guard, and contra) as needed. He is currently working with another UNC system school with the University Honors Program. Outside of work, he enjoys teaching marching and visuals and for the past 14 years he has worked with East Wake HS and has assisted many other programs in North Carolina.
   
Stuart Benkert (Drill Designer) Dr. Stuart Benkert is an Associate Professor of Music and The Director of Bands for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Before coming to UTC he was Director of Bands at St. Xavier University in Chicago, Illinois. Dr. Benkert also teaches, or has taught, several classes of various disciplines including Marching Band, Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Chamber Winds, Jazz Band I. Jazz Band II, Band Materials Practicum, Survey of Jazz, Woodwind Techniques, Brass Techniques, Instrumental Techniques for Vocal Music Educators, Arranging for Band, Marching Band Techniques, Advanced and Graduate Conducting, and Music in Society for the UTC Honors Program.

Dr. Benkert enjoys a wide reputation as a conductor of scholastic and educational programs in Japan and The United States. He has conducted school and community groups in Sasebo and Nagasaki and programmed a concert with the UTC Symphonic Band comprised entirely of music by Japanese composers. This concert contained Japanese folk music, modern compositions and two U.S. Premiers. Dr. Benkert also established ties with composers of Central and South America resulting in a concert program containing only one selection that had previously been played in the United States. Until 2007 Dr. Benkert conducted band and Chamber clinics for Above and Beyond Music Travel in California, Europe and Asia.

Dr. Benkert has conducted bands in Alabama, California, Virginia, Florida, South Carolina, Texas, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma. Stuart studied with several prominent conductors including Jerry Junkin, Robert Foster, Frederick Fennell (Grainger) and John Bourgeois (Sousa). An avid clinician, Dr. Benkert not only provides services for honor bands and clinics but visits high schools and middle schools on a weekly basis helping prepare students for concert festivals.

Dr. Benkert taught all facets (general, vocal, and instrumental) and levels (K-12) of music education in public schools. He built the Bassett Marching Band (Bassett, VA) from 47 to 117 members in four years while initiating a high school beginning band program and in-school jazz band. Total enrollment (marching band, beginning band, and jazz band) was 153 at a school with an enrolment of 399 students. Stuart also led Bassett to its first VBODA "Superior" rated district concert festival performance in 22 years.

Dr. Benkert has a reputation for excellence in pageantry. He has designed over 300 shows for programs around the world that have been viewed on ESPN, NBC, CBS, ABC, CCS, and MTV. His winter guards and drum lines have been in finals at Winter Guard International several times and he has served as a staff member for DCI and BOA finalists. Known more for marching band than drum corps, Dr. Benkert travels the country designing half time shows for high schools and universities while providing solid clinical instruction for camps. Stuart has judged Marching Band Competitions in 37 states and currently judges Regional and National Championships for the United States Scholastic Band Association.

Dr. Benkert is a clinician for the drill design software company Pygraphics, the publishers of "Pyware". Stuart provides clinics across the Southeastern United States and for 2008 will be presenting drill sessions at the Tennessee Music Educator's Association Convention as well as the National Convention of the American School Band Directors Association. In addition Dr. Benkert provides private and "for credit" instruction to band directors at his Summer Drill Institute on campus at the university of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Dr. Benkert is active in University service as a second term Faculty Senator and member of several University committees. Dr. Benkert belongs to many professional organizations including Tennessee Music Educator's National Association, Tennessee Bandmaster's Association, National Band Association, World Association of Symphonic Bands and Ensembles, College Band Director's National Association, College Music Society, Music Educators National Conference, East Tennessee state Band and Orchestra Association, and the Middle Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association. Stuart served as the college representative for the ETSBOA and served on the Marching Band Subcommittee for NBA. He was also the principal organizer and first elected President of the Southern Conference Athletic Band Directors Association. Dr. Benkert also hosts the lower state concert festival for the East Tennessee State Band and Orchestra Association every year as well as the Tri-State Honor Band event where he is the organizer and principal clinician.

Dr. Benkert changed the face of the UTC Marching Mocs and pep bands by modernizing the shows and increasing the level of crowd appeal. The Marching Mocs and the Basketball band have been seen on have been seen on MTV and ESPN. The Marching Mocs perform exhibitions at contests and are crowd favorites with most recent shows based on the Red Hot Chili Peppers, No Doubt, Metallica, Barry White, Stevie Wonder, and euro band sensation System of a Down. Stuart increased minority enrolment in the UTC Band Activies from 7% to 34% in four years. Dr. Benkert also organized the first ever "Band Day" in 2002 by inviting high school band program to join the marching band in the stands and on the field for performances. The 2008 year was the most successful to date with students from 16 regional schools participating. Dr. Benkert also expanded the role of the pep band to include all women's basketball games as well as a few soccer, volleyball, wrestling and softball events.

Dr. Benkert is extremely active in the community as an organizer of events and performer. Under his direction the UTC Marching Mocs have performed for the grand openings of the Ronald McDonald House, The Chestnut Street Bridge, The Siskin Children's Institute, and the second phase of the Tennessee Aquarium. Dr. Benkert is President of "QSBevents" a corporation that brings concerts and conventions to the Chattanooga Area. In addition the company sponsors, plans, and runs the Southern States Marching Band Championship in coordination with Youth Education in the Arts (Yea.org), The United States Marines Corps, and Yamaha. Additional projects planned are, a Bagpipe Festival and St. Patrick's Day Parade for the city of Chattanooga. Both of which will be organized and run by QSBevents in conjunction with the Chattanooga Visitor's Bureau and the City of Chattanooga "Downtown Partnership". QSBevents also sponsors educational teamwork clinics utilizing Dr. Benkert as the primary instructor for non ropes course related activities.

Dr. Benkert is a volunteer at the siskin Children's Institute where his four year old daughter Lillian receives special education for Autism. Dr. Benkert is the Drum Major for the City of Chattanooga Pipe and Drum Band and frequently leads parades and retreats for Bagpipe Festivals and Highland Games.  Dr. Benkert enjoys many interests ranging from weight lifting and martial arts, to chess, motivational behaviors/techniques and gardening. Dr. Benkert is the proud father of two lovely girls Genevieve (8 years old) and Lillian (4 years old). He enjoys reading, gardening and hiking with them whenever possible.
   
Mark Manring (Staff Photographer) has been a photographer since age 15 when he developed black and white prints in his basement. As a high school photo editor and through college photography coursework, he has maintained a love for image making that eventually led to his creation of a full time business, Mark Manring Recording, Inc. (www.manring.net).
Combining his skills as a recording engineer with photography, he records and photographs performing groups to produce music CDs that include photo slide shows. As a freelance photographer he has served symphonies, bands, community choirs, churches, high schools, universities, as well as individual portraiture. He specializes in event photography covering things as varied as athletic events, church services, concerts, community outreach, political campaigns and weddings.

Mark is very happily married and has two daughters (one of which is a 2001 Carolina graduate). When not recording or shooting photos, he enjoys singing, all things computer related and meeting new people.
Chuck Williams (Videographer) graduated from UNC in 1972 with a degree in Industrial Relations. He was a french horn player for the marching and concert bands and was held leadership positions. Chuck's father and his son, Charles, both graduated from UNC and were involved in the marching and concert bands while at Carolina.
Chuck has been the videographer for the UNC Marching Band for the past 23 years. He has recently retired after 34 years in the criminal justice field; the last 26 years he served with the federal court system in the Easten District of North Carolina. Chuck now resides in the picturesque Asheville area with his wife, Jo Anne, a UNC graduate who was also involved in the band program and was the bell tower ringer. Chuck enjoys hiking, working out at the gym, and participating in many church and cultural arts events.
Evan Carroll (Webmaster) is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Information Science from the UNC-Chapel Hill where he graduated in 2008 with a Bachelor's degree in Information Science and a minor in Music. As an undergraduate, Evan participated in the Marching Tar Heels, University and Symphony Bands.

While in the Marching Tar Heels, Evan served three years as Online Producer, two as Section Captain (Trumpet) and one as Pep Band Conductor.  During the day, Evan is a User Experience Designer at Capstrat, a strategic communications firm in Raleigh.  There he puts his analytical and diagnostic skills to work developing web strategies, architectures and interfaces as well as performing user research and usability testing.  He is a member of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia (Alpha Rho) and the Triangle Usability Professionals Association.