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Leslie W. Hicken taught on the faculty of Furman University from the fall of 1993 until his retirement in 2019. Within the music department, his responsibilities included the directorship of the Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble; professor of music education and instrumental conducting; and Assistant Director with the Marching Band. He was also the Director of the Furman Music by the Lake Concert Series and the Lakeside Concert Band. Dr. Hicken recently retired as the Artistic Director of the Carolina Youth Symphony, a position he held for 24 years. 

Prior to his appointment at Furman, Hicken was Director of Bands at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. In addition to his duties at Youngstown State, he was the director of the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra and a clarinetist in the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. Earlier in his career, Hicken was employed for five years as an instrumental music teacher in the Durham (NC) County School system. He began his musical career as a clarinetist in the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, NY.

Dr. Hicken received his Bachelor of Music degree from the Eastman School of Music, a Masters of Arts in Teaching from Teachers College, Columbia University, and a Doctorate in Music Education from Indiana University. He studied clarinet with D. Stanley Hasty, Leon Russianoff, and Bernard Portnoy; and conducting with J. Marion Magill, Robert Klotman, and Ray Cramer.

Sue Samuels returned to Furman University, her alma mater, in 2019 as Director of Bands and Coordinator of Music Education Studies. Since she arrived at Furman, the Furman Symphonic Band has received invitational performances at the South Carolina Music Educators Conference, the Grainger Festival in Chicago, and the Sousa Festival in Washington, DC, and the Paladin Regiment Marching Band performed in Dublin Ireland’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade.

Dr. Samuels’ teaching experience prior to her arrival at Furman includes 3 years as Director of Visual and Performing Arts at Randolph School in Huntsville, Alabama, 14 years as Director of Bands at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2 years as Director of Bands at WT Woodson High School in Fairfax, Virginia, 1 year as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Georgia, and 12 years as Assistant Director of Bands at Lassiter High School in Marietta Georgia. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Furman University, a Master’s Degree in Conducting from Georgia State University, and her PhD in Music Education from Auburn University.

In addition to her work as a band director, Dr. Samuels enjoys being a mom to her beautiful son, Andrew, whom she adopted from Ethiopia in 2010.

Cramer.

Dr. Scott Tobias is the Director of Bands and Associate Professor of Music at West Virginia University where his responsibilities include conducting the WVU Wind Symphony, teaching undergraduate and graduate courses in conducting, and providing administrative leadership for the WVU Bands program. Prior to his appointment at West Virginia University, Dr. Tobias served as Director of Bands at the University of Central Florida and as Associate Director of Bands at Appalachian State University. He also previously served as a high school band director in the public schools of Georgia and South Carolina. Additionally, Dr. Tobias has served as director of several community music organizations including the Youth Band of Orlando, the Macon Symphony Youth Orchestra, and the Appalachian Youth Wind Ensemble.

Bands under Dr. Tobias’ direction have performed nationally and internationally at events such as the College Band Directors National Association Southern Division Conference, the New York Wind Band Festival in Carnegie Hall, the Western International Band Clinic, the Cabalgata de Reyes (Madrid, Spain), the London New Year’s Day Parade, and the Bands of America National Concert Band Festival. He is a Past President of the National Band Association and the Big 12 Band Directors Association. He currently serves as Executive Secretary of the National Band Association.

Dr. Tobias has been recognized with election to membership in the prestigious American Bandmasters Association and was named West Virginia Bandmaster of the Year by Phi Beta Mu. A native of South Carolina, he earned the Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Furman University, the Master of Music Education degree from the University of Georgia, and the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Conducting from the University of Georgia. 

Tom Brantley has served on USF’s Music Faculty since 1999 as Professor of Trombone, where he emphasizes both Classical and Jazz Trombone in his applied lessons.  Brantley also leads the USF Trombone Octet, Trombone Choir, Trombone Bands I and II, and Trombone Quartets.  In 2024 he was named Director of Jazz Studies where his responsibilities include leading USF Jazz Ensemble I and setting the vision and direction for the whole Jazz program.
 
From 1995 to the present, Brantley toured, performed, and recorded with Rhythm and Brass, an internationally regarded chamber ensemble. As a soloist and with Rhythm and Brass, he has performed all over the world, including extensive tours of Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Australia. With Rhythm and Brass, he recorded three CDs and published a chamber music book for Universal Publications entitled Team Play.  Brantley’s solo recordings include Boneyard on the Summit Record Label. He has two additional recordings – collaborating with colleagues in small groups to create the CDs Confluences and Obsessed with Treasure. In addition, he created an etude book entitled Stylistic Etudes for Trombone, which has been published by Carl Fischer, Inc. (NYC). He made recordings of each etude, to assist students who work on them. His first etude collection for Carl Fischer, Essential Etudes for Trombone, was published in 2015 and was also warmly received by trombone teachers and students.
 
Brantley earned a Bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Master’s degree in Music from the University of North Texas. His teachers include: Marta Hofacre, Raoul Jerome, Tom Fraschillo, Robert Schmaltz, Christian Lindberg, Vern and Jan Kagarice, Royce Lumpkin, Neil Slater, Keith Johnson, and Joseph Alessi. Tom Brantley has been a Yamaha Performing Artist since 1995.