Archives: Profiles

Nathan Mohnke is a local trombonist and educator in the Nashville/Franklin area. He is a graduate of Belmont University where he received his Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Trombone Performance. While at Belmont, he performed in the wind ensemble, orchestra, and top jazz band and had the opportunity to perform with renowned artists such as Cece Winans and Michael W Smith. He also has been involved in the marching arts and marched lead baritone with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps in 2017. In the summer of 2019 he marched euphonium and bass trombone with the Bluecoats Drum and Bugle Corps, a season where they earned the silver medal at DCI finals. Currently, Nathan teaches Music Theory at Nashville School of the Arts and teaches his private brass studio at Shuff's Music Store in Franklin. Students in his studio have gone on to earn placements in both mid-state and all-state bands. He also performs regularly as a member of Bone Therapy, a local trombone ensemble, and as a founding member of the Lakes Brass Quintet. He is excited to be working with Ravenwood to help them get ready for a great season.

Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Nupur Thakkar is currently a freelance percussionist and educator in Nashville, Tennessee. In addition to working with the Front Ensemble at Ravenwood, she teaches percussion lessons and chamber music at Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School. This past summer she was also given the opportunity to be a teaching assistant at the Interlochen Arts Camp, where she worked with highschool aged students through masterclasses, clinics, and chamber music. Nupur also teaches private lessons through her own studio.

Nupur received a Bachelor's degree in Percussion Performance from Vanderbilt University under the instruction of Ji hye Jung and Lee Vinson. Nupur has performed with the Contemporary Music Ensemble, Vanderbilt Percussion Group, and Roy Wooten's New Village Orchestra. She has also had the opportunity to premiere pieces by Forrest Pierce and Keeghan Fountain alongside Ji Hye Jung. During her time at Vanderbilt, Nupur also formed a strings and percussion ensemble, The Timbr(e) Ensemble. They have collaborated with the multimedia company, Continuous Motion Productions, to put out many recordings of their work.

Before Vanderbilt, Nupur attended the Interlochen Arts Academy and studied with Kieth Aleo. Over the past few years she has attended the Yellowbarn Young artist program, Cortona Sessions for New Music, Sandbox percussion Seminar, So Percussion Collaborative Workshop, Northwestern Percussion Symposium, and spent a few months in India studying tabla with Guruji Narendra Gangani.

Carson Shipley is originally from Mount Juliet, Tennessee and is a senior Music Industry major at Middle Tennessee State University.

Before transferring to MTSU for his senior year of undergraduate studies, Carson studied at the University of Tennessee at Martin. While there, he performed in their concert band, wind ensemble, percussion ensemble, and steel band. He is also a member of the Percussive Arts Society.

Carson has marched both WGI and DCI as a member of the front ensemble. Throughout high school, he marched with the Mount Juliet High School Winter Drumline. After high school, Carson marched with Carolina Crown (2021-2022) and currently marches with Music City Mystique (2020-Present).

Carson is excited to be on the Ravenwood team!

Lindsay Furbee, a Ravenwood alum, is excited to join us for her first season teaching with the marching band. Lindsay was part of the marching band and winter guard throughout her four years at Ravenwood and was named color guard captain her sophomore through senior years. When she wasn’t spinning with the guard, she played flute in the wind ensemble during all four years at RHS. Lindsay is now in her sophomore year at Belmont University studying Interior Design.

A native of Nashville, TN, Michael Rosson is in his 12th year of teaching public education. Currently, he is the Director for both the Wind Band and Orchestral Conservatories for The Nashville School of the Arts; an arts focused magnet school in the Metropolitan-Nashville area. He is excited to be joining the Red Team at Ravenwood aiding in both music and visual education. He has a decorated marching arts resume' with groups performing in WGI A and Open Class Regional Finals, BOA Grand Nationals Prelims and Semi-Finals, and BOA Regional Finals. Rosson was also honored with a Certificate of Merit for Marching Excellence from the National Band Association. Wind Bands under his direction have received Superior Ratings in Concert Performance Assessment and Sightreading, named Tennessee Bandmasters Sweepstakes ensembles, and awarded the American School Band Directors Association Band of Distinction Award. In his spare time, he enjoys playing tennis, racquetball, golf, and experiencing new restaurants.

Nick Mason is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and has been involved extensively with the marching arts since 2012.

Nick’s marching career includes 6 seasons of WGI and 2 seasons of DCI. He spent three years at Chattanooga Independent Percussion Ensemble (Cleveland, TN) on snare drum from 2014-2016. His next three years were at 8-time WGI World Champions, Music City Mystique (Nashville, TN) from 2017-2019 on snare drum where he won the PIW Gold Medal in 2017 and the PIW Bronze Medal in 2019. Additionally, Nick has marched 2 years of drum corps at 7 time DCI World Champion, The Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL) from 2018-2019 on snare drum. Nick has also been a member of the MTSU Band of Blue Drumline (Murfreesboro, TN) from 2017-2018, where he served as the section leader for the 2018 season.

Nick holds a B.S. in Audio Production and Music Industry from Middle Tennessee State University. He actively serves as the Battery Technician at Ravenwood High School (Brentwood, TN), assists with the MTSU Band of Blue Drumline, and offers audio solutions to the greater Nashville area and other parts of the country.
Nick Mason is a native of Nashville, Tennessee and has been involved extensively with the marching arts since 2012.

Nick’s marching career includes 6 seasons of WGI and 2 seasons of DCI. He spent three years at Chattanooga Independent Percussion Ensemble (Cleveland, TN) on snare drum from 2014-2016. His next three years were at 8-time WGI World Champions, Music City Mystique (Nashville, TN) from 2017-2019 on snare drum where he won the PIW Gold Medal in 2017 and the PIW Bronze Medal in 2019. Additionally, Nick has marched 2 years of drum corps at 7 time DCI World Champion, The Cavaliers (Rosemont, IL) from 2018-2019 on snare drum. Nick has also been a member of the MTSU Band of Blue Drumline (Murfreesboro, TN) from 2017-2018, where he served as the section leader for the 2018 season.

Nick holds a B.S. in Audio Production and Music Industry from Middle Tennessee State University. He actively serves as the Battery Technician at Ravenwood High School (Brentwood, TN), assists with the MTSU Band of Blue Drumline, and offers audio solutions to the greater Nashville area and other parts of the country.

With a decorated marching career that began at Ravenwood High School in 2013, Mitchell Kiriazes is grateful to be back where it all began. Prior to graduating RHS, he was a lead trumpet for the United States All-American Marching Band and marched with Music City Drum and Bugle Corps during the 2016 season. Immediately following his graduation in 2017, he spent his summer on mellophone with the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps and then moved to Memphis, Tennessee for university. After a few years of marching in The Mighty Sound of the South at the University of Memphis, there was one last marching achievement for him to complete. Fulfilling a lifelong dream, Mitchell marched mellophone with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps for their 2019 production. Having taught multiple band camps in the Memphis area and being on staff for an undefeated 2019 season in the Visual Caption with Houston High School, Kiriazes was eager to return to the marching field after the unpredictable 2020 season.

Griffin Cantrell is originally from Antioch, Tennessee and has spent a majority of his life around the marching arts, especially in Middle Tennessee. After graduating from Antioch High School, Griffin attended MTSU and was in the Band of Blue marching band for 4 years. He also spent time in both DCI and WGI. He marched his age out summer with the Madison Scouts Drum Corps, as well as Elysian, Eklipse, and Paramount independent Winterguards. Along with his competitive experience, Griffin also spent time as a performer and dancer at Busch Gardens Williamsburg in Virginia.

Griffin has assisted and instructed various groups around Middle Tennessee both as a marching/visual instructor and as a colorguard instructor.

Being a part of the Ravenwood band family and organization is a huge highlight for Griffin’s career, and he loves the program very much!

A Ravenwood alum, Taylor Winkler is excited to be joining RHS for his 3rd season with the Marching Band. In previous years, he has marched with the Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps. In addition to Ravenwood, he has taught at Hillwood High School, Hixson High School, and has done various individual work with local middle and high school brass sections. As an instrumentalist, Winkler has been a finalist at the Derryberry Concerto Competition, and has given various recitals and master classes throughout the state. Winkler is currently studying Music Education at Tennessee Technological University where he studies Euphonium and Trombone.