Mr. Brent Rose – Kelly Walsh High School – Director of Bands

Brent Rose is in his 22nd year as a public school music director.  Currently, he is the instrumental music instructor at Kelly Walsh High School.  At Kelly Walsh HS he teaches Symphonic Band, “Trojan Marching Band”, Jazz Band I, Jazz Band III, Pep Band, Advanced Percussion Ensemble and Music Theory.  Mr. Rose has spent previous years in Casper teaching Middle School Vocal Music at Centennial Junior High School and at the Casper Classical Academy.  Outside of his duties at KW, Brent is also the Managing Director of the Wyoming All-State Marching Band.  The Wyoming All-State Marching Band has performed in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, the Rose Bowl Parade, the St. Patricks Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, the Thanksgiving Day Parade in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the U.S. Presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington D.C.

Brent spent the first 11 years of his career as director of Instrumental and Vocal Music at Buffalo High School in Buffalo, Wyoming.   In 2005 the Buffalo High School Music Department was selected as a finalist to represent the nation as a Grammy Signature School and in 2006 they made the list of the “Best 100 Communities for Music Education in America”.  In 2006 Brent received the “40 Under 40” award from the Casper Star Tribune and was selected as Educator of the Year for Johnson County School District #1 in 2007.  In 2017, Brent was honored to receive the Ellbogen Meritorious Teaching Award from the Natrona County School District as well as the Wyoming Chapter of Phi Beta Mu Bandmaster of the Year Award. In 2019 Mr. Rose was selected as the Wyoming Music Educators Association “Music Educator of the Year” as well as the Natrona County School District “Educator of the Year”.  In 2020 Mr. Rose was selected at a Quarter-Finalist for the Grammy Educator of the Year Award by the Grammy Foundation.

Mr. Rose is a Past-President for the Wyoming Music Educators Association and has sat on the National Board for NAfME (the National Association for Music Education).  Brent sits on the board of directors for the Wyoming Worlds of Music Council and has served numerous board positions with both the WMEA and the Wyoming Jazz Educators including President of WJE, Band Vice President of WJE, WMEA Northeast District President, WMEA Jazz Education Chair, and WMEA President.  Brent graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Wyoming in 2001, a Masters Degree in Teaching from Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ in 2005, and is currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Educational Leadership Program at the University of Wyoming.   Brent recently received his Principal Endorsement from the University of Wyoming.  Mr. Rose is a member of the Wyoming Jazz Educators, the Phi Beta Mu Bandmasters Fraternity,  and the Wyoming Music Educators Association.

Outside of his responsibilities in Casper, Brent is in demand around the state as a music clinician including directing bands at the Yellowstone Summer Music Camp in Powell and at the University of Wyoming Summer Music Camp in Laramie.  Mr. Rose is a proud member of Worship Team at Highland Park Community Church on the electric bass.  Brent enjoys spending his free time with his wife Amy as well as his three children Leah, Ryan, and Raegan.

Sarah Hanson – Kelly Walsh High School – Assistant Director of Bands

Sarah Hanson is in her 13th year as a public school music teacher.  She is currently the Assistant Band Director and Collaborative Pianist at Kelly Walsh High School in Casper, Wyoming, where she assists with Concert Band, “Trojan Marching Band,” Percussion Ensemble, and is the instructor for Jazz Band II.  Mrs. Hanson is also the accompanist for the Kelly Walsh choir program. Prior to teaching at Kelly Walsh, Mrs. Hanson was the director of bands at Centennial Junior High in Casper, Wyoming for ten years. From 2009 to 2013, she was also the orchestra instructor at Centennial.  Prior to teaching at Centennial, she taught elementary music at Glacier Hills Elementary School in Eagan, Minnesota.

Sarah received her Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Northwestern College (Now the University of Northwestern) in St. Paul Minnesota, where she studied conducting and trombone with Mr. Monte Mumford, piano with Dr. Richard Lange and Dr. Paul Wirth. She also studied music for a year at Concordia College (Moorhead, MN), where she studied piano under Dr. David Worth.  Mrs. Hanson received her Masters of Music Education from the University of Wyoming in 2019, where her final project included researching the factors affecting retention in middle school band. In 2016, Mrs. Hanson was named the North Platte District and Wyoming Music Educators Association Outstanding Young Music Educator Award. She has also participated in numerous conducting symposiums at the University of Minnesota where she has studied conducting with Craig Kirchoff, Jack Stamp, Frank Ticheli, Dr. Amy Rosium-Foley, Jerry Luckhardt, and Elizabeth Jackson. In 2014, Sarah participated in the first University of Wyoming Wind Conducting Symposium, where she had a chance to work with Maestro Gerard Schwartz and Dr. Robert Belser. In 2012, Mrs. Hanson was given the Natrona County School District Medallion of Excellence for Preparing Graduates and Students for a higher level of learning.  In 2016, she attended the Ron Clark Academy Educator Training in Atlanta, Georgia, where she learned about alternative instructional methods and how to incorporate them into the classroom.

Mrs. Hanson holds professional memberships with The National Association for Music Educators (NafME), Wyoming Music Educators Association, and Minnesota Music Educators Association.  

Sarah currently resides in Casper, Wyoming with her husband, Dan, their four kids: Nina, Malachi, Melody, and Adam; and a dachshund named Keegan.  When not teaching music, she enjoys running, playing volleyball, gardening, and drinking coffee.

Michael Broyles – Kelly Walsh High School – Percussion Instructor & Assistant Band Director

Tori Misak – Kelly Walsh High School – Color Guard Choreographer

Tori Misak comes to us from Oklahoma but considers Wyoming to be home. She has been a part of the Casper community since 2013. Her first two years in Wyoming she worked at Journey Elementary. For the last 5 years, Tori has worked for Casper College and is currently the Admission Coordinator.  She received a Bachelor’s of Arts in English: Literary and Cultural Studies from The University of Oklahoma. While at The University of Oklahoma, she earned a spot in The Pride of Oklahoma Marching Band in the Color Guard with 2 of those years on the leadership team. Additional collegiate involvement includes being a student athlete on the 2013 Rowing Team which placed 1st in the Big 12 Conference, a campus tour guide for admissions, and a member in the Gamma Phi Beta sorority. In 2013 and from 2018 to 2020, Tori was The Pride’s Game Day Guest Liaison. She was inducted as an honorary member into the band service fraternity, Kappa Kappa Psi in 2019.

Morgan McNally – Kelly Walsh High School – Field Technician Assistant

Dr. William Woodworth – Drill Designer and Staff Show Consultant

Dr. William Woodworth is the KW Band Drill Designer and Show Consultant. Dr. Woodworth is the Director of Athletic Bands, Low Brass, and Electric Bass Instructor at Emporia State University. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree with an emphasis in wind conducting in 2009 from UNLV as well as a Masters of Music degree in 2005. He graduated with his Bachelors of Arts in music education from the University of Wyoming in 2001. Dr. Woodworth is a 1996 graduate of Kelly Walsh High School, former Drum Major of the University of Wyoming Western Thunder Marching Band,  and marched contra with the Casper Troopers Drum & Bugle Corp in 1995.  Learn more about Dr. Woodworth at https://www.emporia.edu/department-liberal-arts-sciences/department-music/about/faculty-staff/william-woodworth-iv/