Don Bennett completed a BMus degree as a trombonist at the University of British Columbia and a MEd degree at the University of Victoria with a major in instrumental pedagogy and conducting. Don has been a music educator for over 35 years, mostly at the high school level. His concert bands, jazz bands and choirs have performed frequently in provincial and national music festivals and his students have regularly been selected for Provincial and National Honour Bands and Choirs. Several have also won spots in American High School Honors Performance Series ensembles, performing in Carnegie Hall. A member of numerous music and education organizations, Don has served on the executive of the BC Music Educators Association and the Pacific Coast Music Festivals Association and has presented workshops on teaching and learning theory, master music teaching, brass pedagogy, and conducting. Recently, he has been active as an instrumental adjudicator in festivals from Fort St. John to Whistler, a guest band director, and he is currently sharing the conductor duties for the Kamloops Community Band as well as for this fine orchestra. As a trombonist, Don was principal trombonist of the Kamloops Symphony Orchestra for 26 years, and has also played with the Vancouver Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra Viva, the Okanagan Symphony and Prince George Symphony Orchestras. He performed as a soloist with the Kamloops Baroque Orchestra this past September.
John Franks is a veteran public school music teacher and holds a B.A. in Music and a M.A. in Communication Disorders from Washington State University as well as an M. Ed. from the Department of Arts in Education at the University of Victoria. Since arriving in Kamloops in 2000, John has been a music contributor to the Kamloops community having worked with numerous ensembles as a vocalist, trumpet player and conductor. He has been a church choir director for over 25 years and has been performing with the TVO for over 15 years as well as being one of its music directors for the last 2 seasons. He feels it a great privilege and joy to work with this wonderful, fun group of musicians.
Steve Powrie has been an educator in Kamloops for many years in School District #73 and at Thompson Rivers University. He has pursued his passion for music through teaching band, playing in a variety of musical organizations, and as a former musical director of KISSM. Steve is an author of social studies textbooks, writing for publishers such as Oxford University Press, Pearson Press, and Nelson Publishing, with a focus on global and media education. He considers it a great privilege to be one of the TVO musical directors, and loves the sense of community and the enthusiasm for building musicianship.