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News, Events, Opinion

Dean Snavely, Trumpet

Dean Snavely

Category:
Author: stephen
Posted: January 20, 2026

Dr. Dean Snavely is a performer and conductor whose roots run deep in the pacific NW.  A product of the Oregon public school system, he found a deep passion for making music. Through years of practice and private study he continued to grow as a musician learning trombone, bass trombone, euphonium, trumpet and guitar.  This passion for making music took him to Los Angeles to study tuba with Roger Bobo, Loren Marsteller and Steven Ecklund. Dean continued his education at Central Washington University, completing a degree in tuba performance and music education in 1998.  Dean performed regularly around the NW on tuba and trombone in many ensembles including: Soundwave, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Exhoxo, The Jazz Police, Jim Cutler Jazz Orchestra, Bellevue Symphony and Brass Band NW.

Dr. Snavely moved to Las Vegas to pursue an advanced degree in performance and to perform on the Las Vegas Strip. During his time (8 years) as an AFM local 369 musician, he performed regularly in production shows, recording projects, ballets, and band/symphonies as a low brass specialist and conductor.
Dean has studied conducting under: Thomas Leslie,  Larry Gookin, Dr. Daniel Baldwin, Dr. Nikolas Caoile, Dr. Wayne Bennett, Allan MacMurray and Marlin Owen.

He has studied brass under:  Roger Bobo, Loren Marsteller, Steven Eklund, Dr. Jeffrey Snedeker, Dr. Curtis Peacock, Dr. John Neurohr,  Dr. Russel Schultz, Tom Gause, Stephen Fissel, Craig Gosnell, Jeff Uusitalo, Dick Shearer, and Charles Bolton.

He has had the pleasure of playing and singing with many great musicians, including:  Seth McFarlane, Dave Loeb, Ingrid Jensen, Wycliffe Gordon, Mike Longo, Sara Gazarek, John and Bucky Pizzarelli, Doc Severinsen, Dave Barduhn, Douglas Yeo, Toby Oft, Dan Helseth, Deanna Swoboda, and Menachem Pressler.

deansnavely@me.com

deansnavely.com

Charles DeMonnin, musician

Charles DeMonnin

Category:
Author: stephen
Posted: October 25, 2023

Chuck is a brass specialist, performing on trumpet, trombone, euphonium and tuba all around the Seattle area. Chuck also plays keys and organ as the music director at Live Life Church in Renton. Chuck performs all types of music with all types of ensembles ranging from classical, funk, even specializing in traditional New Orleans brass bands. When not playing music, Chuck teaches music to all ages and all subjects, from Orff-inspired elementary classes to private improvisation lessons.

Chuck has earned several awards in chamber groups, winning the NWRTEC chamber music competition in 2015 and 2017, and placing 3rd internationally with his chamber group at ITEC in 2016. Chuck earned his music education degree from University of Oregon, and his Masters in Curriculum and instruction from Eastern Washington University.

Stephen O'Bent

Stephen O’Bent (he/him)

Category:
Author: stephen
Posted: April 21, 2023

Stephen O’Bent is a trombonist, conductor, composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist with extensive experience in a variety of styles and ensembles, including choirs, orchestras, musical theater pits, and jazz/rock/samba bands. Stephen holds the position of Assistant Professor of Music at DigiPen Institute of Technology, where he conducts choirs and teaches courses in music history, conducting, low brass, and orchestration. He also serves as Minister of Music and the Arts at First Congregational Church, Bellevue, UCC, where he regularly composes new works for choir and has conducted works such as Fauré’s Requiem (2017), Street Requiem (2019), and Considering Matthew Shepard (2023). As a performing member and musical director of The Flying Karamazov Brothers, the critically acclaimed vaudeville troupe, Stephen has performed in major commercial theaters in London, Madrid, Chicago, and New York. He has played on five continents and appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman (twice), Good Morning America, and the BBC. Stephen is also half of the indie music duo PepperJill & Jack, where he acts as primary songwriter and performs on guitar, ukulele, piano, trombone, vocals, and percussion. He lives in Seattle with his wife Shannon, two small kiddos, dog Kaylee, and cat Rigby.

www.stephenobent.com

Marc Smason

Category:
Author: stephen
Posted: March 23, 2017

As a young child in Texas, trombonist/vocalist/composer, Marc Smason learned to sing from his mother and later studied classical and jazz trombone with Ken Cloud, Stu Dempster, Julian Priester & Slide Hampton. He studied voice with Jay Clayton (jazz), Yo Jin Chong (Korean) & Ki Wasitodipuro (Javanese), and composition with Michael Young. Marc has a BFA from CA Institute of the Arts and is a long-time member of the AFM. He has performed with Big Joe Turner, the Funk Brothers, Carlos Santana, Eddie Henderson, Type A, Mark Levine, Wilbur Morris, Sam Shepard, Julian Priester, Buel Neidlinger, Rick Mandyke, Sonny Simmons, Eyvind Kang, Marc Graham and Baby Gramps. His playing encompasses many styles including jazz, latin, Brazilian, collective improv, klezmer and R&B.

www.marcsmason.com