Steve Keene Music Director & Principal Conductor
After years of frustration, owning and operating a music store and instrument repair shop while dreaming of someday making it big as a performer, Steve Keene lay awake at night mulling over the possibilities of getting the right people together to form the perfect band. One day, he met with his friend Denny over a couple of cold ones, reminisced about old times, and they sang the blues together over what might have been. Finally, the perfect idea struck them like a bolt of lightening as they walked down the street. - We could start a Brass Band! Certain they were on a mission, they headed for the nearby church and started to gather their friends together.

Denny Schreffler
Principal Solo Bb Cornet and Section Leader
Denny has blended a music career with other professions for more than thirty years. He can play piano with his nose, hit double high Cs on his cornet while smoking a cigar and blow a mean harmonica.

George Steward
Soprano Eb Cornet and Bb Cornet
George, featured soloist on BBNW's next set of concerts, performs the Belstedt arrangement of Napolli with a truly stunning display of musical acrobatics! He is an amazing performer, oft referred to as the third best cornetist in the country. Of course we all know that when you're not number one, you just have to try harder.

Dr. Ron "Ronnie C" Cole
Solo Bb Cornet
Ronnie C is an accomplished trumpeter who also performs on the Electronic Valve Instrument (EVI). Ronnie is a most valued member of our cornet section. He has the uncanny ability to provide just about any tonal colour we need with either his cor net, EVI or his hair. We are amazed how long he can hold any note and how good he can sound with such an unusual embouchure, playing out the side of his mouth.

His only drawbacks are his constant wet cough and propensity to eat smoked sardines during rehearsals. He was a close friend of Dennis Hopper around the time of the filming of Easy Rider and we attribute both to possibly inhaling too much motorcycle exhaust while riding throughtout the South on tour with his rock band.

Rocky Meredith
Solo Bb Cornet
A Seattle native, Rocky has played trumpet most of his life. Joining the band has fulfilled a lifelong dream for him. At one time, Rocky wanted to be a one-man band, and has nearly all the horns to prove it. However, he's much happier now that he only has to play one horn at a time. As a former accountant, Rocky is madly reviewing I.R.S. code manuals to find a loophole allowing him to claim his still growing horn collection as dependants.

Lyle Burns
Bb Cornet
Lyle began playing trumpet as a teenager and continued playing into his 20's. He set his horn down for a number of years and picked it back up in the mid 90's (we're not sure if that was his age or the years when he started playing again), and has played with community bands, local big bands, and on street corners for nickels and dimes.

Lyle is currently the sales manager for Bellevue Kawasaki (likes the way they go vroom vroom) and enjoys vacationing in the Lake Chelan area, playing his cornet, bicycling and golf. Sometimes he even does all three at once!

Libby Dunkin Bb Cornet Libby's formal music education consists of high school band; marching band, youth orchestra and concert band. However, as the young niece of Elwood and Jake, Libby has found it hard to shake her roots in the blues. Today, she's on a mission to preserve that gutsy sound with her horn and has found a home with Brass Band Northwest.	"Cirocco"
Cirocco is Libby's faithful running companion, music critic and seeing eye dog. She doesn't play the cornet very well yet, but she's been workin' on howlin' the blues so he can get a cool pair of sunglasses of her own soon.

Mike Hopkins
Bb Cornet
Mike is a retired appraiser of commercial real estate who lives in Bellevue. Although he has always loved music, he lacked formal training except for the years in the Army when he was taught how to charm the snakes away from the barracks.

One night back in 1989, an impulse struck him: "I could learn to play the trumpet!"

He now admits that it's taken him twice as long to advance half as far as he first expected. "But that's beside the point," he said. "It's a labor of love."

Jon Matson
Bb Cornet
Jon is another of the "taking cornet up again after years of neglect" crowd. After playing cornet from 5th grade through high school in Selah Washington, he set it aside for many years until 1998, when he too saw the light.

In this picture we can't tell if he's whistling for the dog, picking his teeth or alternating an ice cube on his chops between sips of a lovely white wine.

Terry Paananen
Bb Euphonium
Terry has performed on euphonium and trombone with several area musical groups. Now, if he could only remember which ones. He has studied with many great performers, had lunch with Paul Droste, Dinner with John Giffiths, several meals with Heather Oesting, and lemon aid with Steve Keene.

Dick Counsell
Bb Trombone
Dick's trombone career began in the 5th grade when he showed up to join the All-City Beginning Band in Spokane, WA and was told there were already too many drummers and that his large lips were well suited for low brass.

When he read on the Brass Band Northwest web site that trombones "provide punch" to the band, Dick felt qualified to try out for the position. He now enjoys playing with the brass band, especially since he has found that he doesn't need to provide the drinks at every rehearsal.

Kind of gives new meaning to the term "slush pump," doesn't it. Dick, it's the drinks after the rehearsals we want you to provide, and it's not that kind of punch!

Kevin Pih
Eb Tuba
A perpetual student with "No Worries," Kevin is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Tuba Performance and a Master of Arts degree in Music History at the University of Washington. He previously earned an MA (tuba performance) and two bachelor degrees (in music and chemistry) from San Jose State University.

Kevin lives in Kirkland, WA, with his huge calico cat, P. K., who helps him put on his hat every morning.

Tyler Benedict
Eb Tuba
Tyler is currently a senior at the University of Washington, pursuing a BA/BM in Music Education. Tyler originally started his musical study on piano, then picked up the trumpet and discovered the tuba in middle school. He currently studies tuba with Edgar Phillips and social activities with Kevin Pih.

(Is that a promise or a threat?)