MBDA Northeast Region (NEMBDA)

1. Calendar
2. Documents
3. Board of Directors
4. Schools

Northeast Region Calendar of Events

Upcoming Events

Information coming soon.

Northeast Region Board of Directors

President - Randy Lee

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Mr. Randy Lee recently retired after 37 years of music teaching (32 years at Hermantown, 5 at McGregor, MN) which included instrumental performance groups, lessons, jazz, classroom music, and choirs. He is currently an adjunct music staff member for the Twin Ports three colleges/universities. He was named a Promethean Award winner (outstanding alum) by UMD in 2019 and one of the Music Educators of the Year by MMEA (MN Music Educators’ Assoc.) in 2018. He has conducted many honor band and honor jazz events in the state and region and has presented on instrumental music teaching topics at national and state conferences. He has served as section coach (saxophone/clar) for various honors events including the MN High School All-State Band and Jazz Band, adjudicated for the Eau Claire and UMD Jazz Festivals and Iowa High Sch Jazz Championships, and served as the Jazz Education Chair for the MN Music Educators’ Board of Directors. Mr. Lee is state chair  and Past National President of the American School Band Directors’ Association. He is also a member of Phi Beta Mu, NAFME, and the MN Band Directors Association (MBDA). Additionally, he sings in the Twin Ports Choral Project, a fine choir in the Twin Ports, and in his church choir.

Randy has a Bachelors of Music degree, Education, from UMD and a Masters of Science degree, Education-Instruction, from UWS.
He was a founding board member and officer of NoteWorthy Kids (NWK) - a regional non-profit, tax-exempt group seeking funds to provide music lessons to low-income, school aged kids. Randy is the founder (1990), conductor, Artistic Director, and featured woodwind soloist of the Big Time Jazz Orchestra, a 501(c)3 tax exempt organization, made up of the finest big band jazz musicians in the region, which performs concerts of music from the jazz masters, as well as new works, for charitable causes, for school jazz students, and for general audiences.
He is a busy woodwind performer in the region playing a wide variety of events, especially for various jazz related performances, from background events to Dixieland bands to Latin American music ensembles to wedding receptions to big band concerts. He and/or his bands have been hired to accompany the Guy Lombardo, Russ Morgan, Harry James, and Jimmy Dorsey orchestras, the Temptations, Bobby Vee, Four Tops, Mills Brothers, Wayne Newton, Drifters, Bobby Vinton, Johnny Mathis, Steve Lippia, and Marvin Hamlisch. He’s performed at nearly every location in the region (including six casinos from NW MN to Eastern WI and the Dells as well as with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Lake Superior Chamber Orchestra, Itasca Symphony Orchestra, Twin Ports Wind Orchestra, Lucius Woods Performing Arts Center (Solon Springs), Big Top Chautauqua (Bayfield) and as a guest performer with nearly all regional college and high school bands/jazz bands.

Secretary - Kevin Huseth

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Kevin teaches High School Band at Cloquet High School. Prior to 2020, he taught in Lewiston-Altura Public schools and Heron Lake-Okabena Public schools. Throughout his career, he has taught music to students aged 3rd grade through 12th grade. Kevin earned his Bachelor's Degree from St. Olaf College, and his Masters Degree from The American Band College of Sam Houston State University. Kevin is a trumpet player by nature, and enjoys making music in his own right in local churches and whatever community groups will take him. Kevin lives in Duluth where he thoroughly enjoys the outdoors. Over the weekend you will likely find him hiking, backpacking, or fly-fishing for some local trout.

Kyle Pagel - Honor Band Site Chair

Kyle Pagel teaches 6-8 band, jazz band & middle school general music at North Branch Middle School. Prior to teaching at North Branch Area Schools, he spent five years teaching beginning band in the Forest Lake Area Schools. Mr. Pagel graduated from Southwest Minnesota State University with a Bachelor’s Degree in music education and is currently completing his Master’s Degree in Music Education at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Mr. Pagel continues to be an active member of NAfME, MMEA, and MBDA, where he was the honor band chair and past President of the Northeast MBDA region. Mr. Pagel continues his love of performing and is a member of the Centennial Community Band in Circle Pines, MN. Mr. Pagel resides in Shoreview with his wife Hannah, and son Holden.

Membership Coordinator - Bryan Johnson, Braham Schools

Bryan Johnson's been working in the Braham School District since 2003. He's a 2001 graduate of the University of Minnesota - Duluth with a major in K-12 Instrumental Music, and a minor in Jazz Studies, and earned his Master's Degree in the area of Education in Teaching and Learning from Saint Mary's University in 2010.He teaches 4-6 classroom music, 5th grade band, 6th grade band, Jr. High band, 5th-8th grade band lessons, and High School Band. Extra-curricular responsibilities include Jazz Band, Fall Musical, Pep Band, JV Softball Coach, Spring Play Tech Director, and Senior Class Advisor.As a performer, Bryan plays trombone with the East Central Grad Band and trombone/euphonium/trumpet with the Meire Grove Band and has also played trombone/euphonium/bass guitar as a member of the pit band for many Play Inc. performances as well as  productions by the Cambridge-Isanti High School.    He is a  a member of NAFME and MMEA.

Schools

For logistical purposes, this roster contains high school, college, and university institutions. The regional assignment for elementary and middle schools is currently identified by the name of the HIGH SCHOOL that serves your student population.