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President - Tracie Thomas, (saxophone) recently retired as Vice President of Marketing for Boon Edam Inc. Like many community band players, she played in high school and college (Music Major at JMU) and took a multi-decade hiatus, returning to music and the study of jazz improvisation and singing with newfound enthusiasm. Tracie volunteers at the Sharp 9 jazz club in Durham, and also plays saxophone with the The Overtones saxophone quartet.
Founder - David McGowan, (trumpet and MC) is one of the founders of the Neuse River Big Band—not a pro trumpeter, just grateful to have this wonderful group together. He currently serves as the Band's MC during shows and enjoys writing scripts as well as donning a costume!
He is a former Baltimore City Police Detective, US Army aviator and member of the Wilson's Mills Town Council. He was also the Public Address Announcer for the Baltimore Orioles baseball club for 14 years.
Treasurer - Lee Roach, (trumpet) has worked for 30 years in various organizations as an accountant. He currently works for the Department of Information Technology – Transportation as a Budget Officer. Lee started playing publicly in 8th grade in his dad’s 9-piece dance band and continues to play in numerous churches and groups.
Not only will you see him in The Neuse River Big Band, but you may see him donning lederhosen performing at Octoberfest events across the state in The Bavarian Brass band. If you ask him to play trumpet for an event, he probably will not say "no!"
Librarian - Evan Blount (bari sax) hails from Colorado Springs and has been playing saxophones since 1995. He played with the Colorado Springs Contemporary Big Band before attending Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. Evan has also played with the Colorado Jazz Workshop under the direction of Hugh Ragin. While constantly studying jazz improvisation Evan also has been trained in instrument repair through CIOMIT (Colorado Institute of Music Instrument Technology) working on woodwinds, brass, and strings. Evan moved to the Triangle in 2022 and is elated to join the Neuse River Big Band as a permanent member.
Meet Vocalist Meredith Calton
Meet Vocalist Meredith Calton
Meredith Calton is a proud wife and mother of two. She is a resident vocalist of NRBB and the Around Town Singers as well as a songwriter. Meredith is a current member of the First Baptist Church of Clayton Choir. She has performed with the American Music Jubilee in Selma NC, The Campbell University Choir and The Campbell University Wind Ensemble. She has studied music at Campbell University and Music Business at Middle Tennessee State University.
Meet Vocalist Karen Pahl
Meet Vocalist Karen Pahl
Karen Pahl is a Raleigh native known in the area through her involvement with the Johnston County Chorus and the Around Town Singers. She has performed in the Triangle area for over 25 years, including her seasons as the full time anthem singer for the Carolina Hurricanes. Karen has her mother and aunts to thank for her vocal talent and is excited to sing with the Neuse River Big Band!
Photos of Meredith Calton and Karen Pahl courtesy of Diane Schafer Photography, Wilmington, NC. Professional photographer of family portraits, business headshots, Wilmington NC. (dianeschafer.com).
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