Liz Dreisbach, Director
Besides her obsession with John Philip Sousa, Liz plays Yiddish and Sephardic Jewish music with The Kosher Red Hots. She is an expert gardener with special interest in dry land plants and her nine chickens.

Bernice Maslan
Unlike many of my bandmates, somehow I didn't play in the band during high school and college. In January 2001, I started playing and studying clarinet and have been making up for lost time. I enjoy the band camaraderie and am working to increase my batting average of correct notes. I also play with Doc Sprinsock and the SANCApators, and the multigenerational KlezKids. I facilitate a monthly klezmer jam as well. I've been described as a shy extrovert, which fits pretty well.

Kathy Carr
Also toots with the Sammamish Symphony and the Phoni Ventorum wind quartet. Marches (yes, marches) in the FIDO (First In Dog Obedience) Drill Team with her basset/maybe corgi/maybe Aussie best friend, Bodie. Rumored to be a librarian at the University of Washington.

Randy Howard
Actually a clarinet impersonator, Randy joined the clarinet section in 2005 by adding his shiny soprano sax to the ebony mix. As Randy says "I always wanted to do something, so now I am doing it!". Well said, Randy. Randy also plays upright bass and flute and enjoys playing traditional fiddle music for Scandinavian events as well as the occasional Klezmer, Belly Dance, and Jazz performance. Restoring old motorcycles and working on his two tractors sates his craving for grease. By day Randy is a production engineer.

James Grennan
The youngest member of the band, I enjoy being a switch hitter for the BSSB, playing clarinet or saxophone when needed. I am also in the Highline Community Symphonic Band, where I play bari sax.

Gary Pedersen
Musically speaking, I relive the wondrous high school years every week, playing lead alto in two local big bands. When enjoying the present, I play saxophone in a jazz trio and lead a clarinet choir, Capricious Clarinets. Last, and not least, every band season I live my grandfather's youth, in ways he could have never imagined, as a chairbound member of the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band. Non-musically speaking... well... seems it turns out there is not time for anything else.

Eben Sprinsock
Eben has been playing clarinet since he joined the school band in sixth grade, and one of the first pieces he learned was the Washington Post March, surely a sign of things to come. He played clarinet and bass clarinet in his high school and college marching and concert bands, and was also a member of a recorder quintet for over ten years. He has played clarinet in performance with the great and the near-great, including the Flying Karamazov Brothers, the Reverend Chumleigh, and the Royal Famille Du Caniveaux. Besides his day job of programming computers, Eben is currently active in three bands, two of which he leads, one of which is the house band for the Seattle circus school SANCA: "Doc Sprinsock and the SANCApators". Eben has recently taken up the alto sax as well (or nearly as well).

Todd Yoshino
Clarinetist by night, dentist by day. I also play in the Greenwood Concert Band and enjoy performing chamber music. I currently study clarinet privately with William Blayney. When not practicing (dentistry or clarinet) I enjoy cooking, running and traveling.

Laura Girardot
Founding member BSSB, 1985 People's Republic of Port Townsend Band on occasion and The Univ. Of Iowa Hawkeye Marching band. I make windsocks and custom banners in my non-practice time. More information at info@windstreamers.com "We Make Your Ideas Fly"

Gerrie Kawabata
Also plays Oaxacan traditional music with La Banda Gozona. The rest of the time she's a teacher, or acting in commercials and music videos.

Marni Rachmiel
When she's not trying to keep her eyes off the baton twirling and on the music, Marni can be found playing flute and saxophone for contra dances locally and beyond. She also produces folk music concerts for the Seattle Folklore Society. A certified Gilbert & Sullivan nut (and former performer with the University of Michigan Gilbert & Sullivan Society), if you hear someone in the band singing along to the Mikado March, it's her. Marni also has a MA degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, and a preternatural fascination with all things purple.

Julie Gerrard
At the urging of her son, Ian (see French Horn section), Julie Gerrard retrieved her flute from the back of the closet a couple of years ago, and ventured to a Sousa Band rehearsal. One thing led to another - she now has a new flute and plays 16th notes a bit faster. Four of her poems appear in a new anthology, Limbs of the Pine, Peaks of the Range (Rose Alley Press, Seattle), and a couple of others rode Metro buses in past years. She also appears in Uncapped, the Seattle Writergrrls zine, from time to time.

Donna Wise
Alto sax. I also play in Capricious Clarinets. A flute player during my youth in Cleveland, I abandoned both 20 years ago and now play alto sax or clarinet whenever and wherever I can.

Mary Whisner
Alto sax. Also play in a small sax ensemble (quartet or quintet) with other people from the Sousa band. Day job: librarian at the UW.

Jan Rogers
Tenor sax. Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band member since about 1990. Formerly piccolo.

Frank Robertson
Utility saxophonist; 62; 175 lbs; bats, right; throws, right; 2005 wrong-note average: .269. After minor-league seasoning in the Federal Way Philharmonic, Robertson was brought up by the parent club as a French hornist. Injuries, however, soon forced him into the woodwind section, where he has played flute and saxophone. By filling in occasionally on bass drum, Robertson has gratified his small but indifferent fan club by becoming the first band member to hit for the cycle, performing in the brass, woodwind, and percussion sections. His off-field interests include playing with his grandchildren and trying to duplicate White Castle hamburgers.

Doug Bauer

Donn Cave

Laura Houston
Instrument: E-flat alto horn (nee French horn) Other Bands: Orkestar Zirconium, Anti-Fascist Marching Band. When I'm not playing music: run in 5K to 55K races, kayak, swim, ride my bike, work in medical research, teach ChiRunning and ChiWalking, and help Donn aggravate our cat.

Ian Gerrard
When not playing with the band, he's often seen acting around the Seattle area and has also been known to produce radio shows.

Jan Robertson
I picked the French Horn to play in third grade simply because of its look. I didn't know about those after beats at the time but fortunately I have grown to appreciate their importance in the beautiful marches we play.

Jerry Allen
I started playing a musical instrument in the 3rd grade and I can still remember the logic I used in choosing which instrument to play. My older brother played the violin and because he was older I usually followed.in his footsteps. But not this time. He was bigger, stronger, and smarter but no way was he going to be louder! So, I played the trumpet (as loud as I could) in grade school, high school, and a little in college. After college, I put my trumpet in the closet. When I retrieved it, about 20 years later, the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band was just getting started and I have been there ever since. I am also a member of the Washington Natural Brass Quintet.

Terry Wergeland
Born on the same day of the year as Scott Joplin, started organ lessons at age 5, trumpet at 11, began composing as a teenager, music major at U.C. Berkeley, one season with the Cal marching band. Moved to Seattle in 1987, organist and choir director of Woodland Park Presbyterian Church for 5 years. Performed with various bands on various instruments for a variety of functions. Directed a reading orchestra. Went back to school in 2004 to study math and physics. Plays jazz accordion with Bar Tabac, studies classical piano with Judith Cohen, teaches a handful of private music students and tutors mathematics and physics at Shoreline Community College. The works of Olivier Messiaen have made a profound impression.

Andy Highfill

Jerry Cohn

David McCarty

Roy Pollack

Holly Tuttle

Meg Wilkerson
I've played flute since fourth grade, played clarinet in high school, but what I really always wanted to play was trumpet. It was "off limits" because I was a girl, then I thought I was too old to learn, but now I've decided to rewrite the rules and do it anyway. You can read more about this, if you would like. Along the way, I've cooked for a dude ranch, fished for commercial salmon on a 24-foot open dory, taught mathematics at a university, developed software, written articles for an encyclopedia, and a bunch of other things in between. When not practicing trumpet, I am currently working towards fulfilling my other lifetime dream of becoming a published novelist. My husband and dog have shown remarkable forbearance.

Kim Waggie

Bill Eckel
I picked up the trombone in 4th grade and played in school bands, orchestras, pit orchestras and even a Tijuana Brass band through high school. In college I played a couple of years in the touring concert band and got to see about a third of the country from a bus. I put the trombone away for a dozen years, all the while not realizing what the hole was in my life. When the Sousa band formed in my neighborhood, I joined and have been there ever since. Playing a trombone has taught me three important life lessons: 1) the best music is played when everyone is working as a team, 2) not having frets, valves or keys, one can play a trombone in tune only by listening to others and constantly making fine adjustments, and 3) good lubrication is very, very important.

Rod Gleysteen

PJ Graziani

salamandir
Over the years, salamandir has played a bewildering variety of brass, woodwind and keyboard instruments (some at the same time) in symphony orchestras, theatre orchestras, marching bands, community orchestras, recording studios, rehearsal bands, pick-up groups and on the street. His primary musical influences are Frank Zappa, Morton Subotnik, Philip Glass, The Holy Modal Rounders, Popeye, Donald Duck, various roots and herbs, and everything else. He also plays with The Fremont Philharmonic, The Cirque De Flambe, The Fremont Players and The Banda Gozona, as well as being the web master for this site.

Alice Senter

Tom Williams
Tromb Williams, '62-'66 Madison(IN) Marching Cubs,'67-'69 Vincennes Univ. Band and Jazz Band, WORX, WJCD, WAOV '70-'72 ISU Marching Sycamores, drama and passion, '81-'82 Eugene: Agripac, '82-'83 U. of NB - KImball Hall, '83-'84 U of MT: KGVO, '85 KMPS, more drama, NoEx, '99-'07 Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band. Here on out-more drama and passion with martial music.

Walter Barke
Wife: Christa. Born in North Dakota in 1926. Live in Fremont. Nice backyard for pizza and beer parties.

Edwin Pund

Stacy St. John

Clayton Murray
When not playing tuba with the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, La Banda Gozona, the Sanca Circus band or the NW Accordionaires, Clayton is a professional pianist, performing mostly jazz, but also classically trained. He plays solo piano for weddings, banquets, private events, and at the Marlai Thai restaurant on the weekends. He also performs in combos, works as music director, accompanies vocalists and dancers, and teaches private piano lessons. In his spare time (is there such a thing?) he is also learning accordion. "The important thing is... it's all music, and music is fun!"

Andrew Nelson

Paul Beck
Paul got his musical start by tapping tuned water glasses in Mrs. Ristad's preschool music class. He eventually parlayed that into a music degree from the University of Colorado, where he studied making sounds by hitting things. Along with drumming for the Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band, Paul hits the cimbalom in Ensemble Sub Masa.

Edith Farrar
Percussion, Sedentary Baton Twirler and Drill Team Leader. A bassoonist by training, in high school I was drafted into the percussion section during marching band season. I created the Sedentary Twirler in 1987 and have now fulfilled a childhood dream -- having a pair of real Majorette Boots of my very own! Outside BSSB I work as a children's librarian with Sno-Isle Libraries.