JODY HANET – EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Oversees all departments and executive decision making for the organization.
As executive director since 2013, Jody Hanet has overseen the growth of Kids’ Orchestra from 65 elementary students to 800 elementary students, developing the program into the largest afterschool music and academic enrichment opportunity of its kind in the United States.
Jody has spent more than 25 years working as a music educator and grassroots music programming instigator in New Jersey, Arizona, and Louisiana. She has been a public and private school teacher and children’s choir conductor, including with the Phoenix Boys Choir and the East Baton Rouge Parish Junior Choir. Jody holds a Bachelor’s degree in vocal music education from LSU and a Master’s degree in Education Leadership from Bank Street College in New York City. She became a certified Kodaly specialist from the Kodaly Musical Training Institute in Hartford, Connecticut.
In addition to her work with Kids’ Orchestra, Jody serves on the Board of Directors for the Baton Rouge Area Chamber of Commerce and for the A. C. Lewis YMCA in Baton Rouge. Jody recently was selected to serve on the arts, culture, and leisure committee of the Mayor’s transition team.
Contact Jody at jhanet@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 102.
BRIAN GALLION – PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Directs administration for all Kids’ Orchestra program sites.
Dr. Brian Gallion holds the Doctor of Musical Arts degree in tuba performance from Louisiana State University, the Master of Music Degree in tuba performance from LSU, as well as the Bachelor of Music degree in music education from the University of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Prior to joining Kids’ Orchestra, Gallion held various teaching positions in secondary and higher education throughout Georgia and Louisiana. In addition to working with Kids’ Orchestra, Dr. Gallion currently holds the position of principal tuba with the Rapides Symphony Orchestra (Alexandria, LA), the Lake Charles (LA) Symphony Orchestra, and the Gulf Coast (MS) Symphony Orchestra. He is also an active chamber musician with the Chimes Street Brass Quintet and the Lautes Tuba Quartet.
He currently resides in Zachary, LA with his wife and their two children, Renée and Liam.
Contact Brian at bgallion@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 111.
SAMUEL TREVATHAN – EDUCATION DIRECTOR
Oversees the content, quality, and implementation of music curriculum for all sites.
Sam holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Murray State University and a Master of Music in Percussion from Louisiana State University. He has studied percussion with Tom Vanarsdel, John Hill, and Jim Corcoran. Sam is currently studying with Brett Dietz while finishing his Doctorate of Musical Arts in Percussion Performance at Louisiana State University.
Sam hails from Kentucky where he was active with the Kentucky Center for the Arts and the Governor’s School for the Arts as the Western Kentucky recruiter and as a teaching assistant. He currently performs as a freelance percussionist in the Baton Rouge and New Orleans areas, specializing in contemporary percussion, drum set, and chamber music. He also teaches privately throughout the region.
Contact Sam at strevathan@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 103.
PHIL SHAPIRO – OPERATIONS MANAGER
Manages Site Coordinators, student artist enrollment, correspondence with parents, and instrument and supply distribution; directs all technology.
Phil Shapiro earned his Master of Music degree from LSU and a Bachelor of Music degree from Tennessee Tech University. Outside of Kids’ Orchestra, Phil is a freelance trumpeter and a private instructor in the Baton Rouge area, including Parkview Baptist Fine Arts Academy, Denham Springs High School, and Juban Parc Junior High School.
Phil has performed with the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra, the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, the Bryan Symphony Orchestra, the Brass Arts Quintet, the Chimes Street Quintet, and the Swing Street Big Band. Phil has also freelanced as a sound designer and sound engineer on productions of Stephen Soundheim’s “Into the Woods” and “Sweeney Todd,” Heather Hach’s “Legally Blonde,” Ken Ludgwig’s “Lend Me a Tenor,” and David Mamet’s “Oleanna.” Phil has recorded every Kids’ Orchestra Honors performance since May 2015.
Contact Phil at pshapiro@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 104.
JAMIE HIPP, Ph.D. – PROFESSIONAL LEARNING SPECIALIST
Assists in the creation of curriculum and professional development opportunities; Observes/evaluates teaching artist pedagogy to recommend developmentally appropriate best practices.
Dr. Hipp is a learning specialist and national facilitator/trainer. Using her PreK-16 teaching experience, she presents frequently on arts-based pedagogy and creative learning at the national level. Recent workshops include those developed for the annual conferences/conventions of the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), the National Association for Gifted Children (NAESP), and the International Literacy Association (ILA) amongst others. Dr. Hipp’s recent publications have been featured in Principal Communicator, STEAMed Magazine, and Youth Theatre Journal. She also serves as a fellow for Louisiana A+ Schools, a whole school arts-integration reform network.
Contact Jamie at jhipp@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 109.
BRIAN DUNBAR – DEVELOPMENT OFFICER
Handles corporate and individual giving.
Dr. Brian Dunbar, a native of St. Augustine, FL, performs as a soloist, orchestral performer, and chamber musician, in addition to his activities as a music educator. He earned a Doctorate in Musical Arts from Louisiana State University, a Master’s degree from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor’s degree from Stetson University. From 2014-2017, he was Adjunct Professor of Woodwinds at Southern University and A&M College.
Prioritizing engagement in the broader community, Brian is a member of several dynamic organizations, including The National Flute Association, Baton Rouge Music Club Auxiliary, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Music Teacher’s National Association, Forum 35, Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, and of the globally recognized Sphinx Organization, which aims to promote inclusion and diversity in the arts.
Contact Brian at bdunbar@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656, ext. 101.
AMBER BROUSSARD – MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Responsible for all marketing and communications outreach for the organization; including but not limited to content creation, traditional and digital marketing processes, media relations, public relations, and brand identity.
As Marketing and Communications Manager, Amber brings a fresh wealth of talent to the Kids’ Orchestra team. A 2011 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Amber received her Bachelors of Fine Arts with a concentration in graphic design.
Amber has nine years of experience in an agency setting, in-house setting, as well as in corporate communications, giving her a well-rounded view of all things marketing and design. She has managed multiple social media accounts, coordinated a multitude of statewide workshops and created a horde of presentations, brochures, workbooks and collateral materials containing issue-specific content development. Amber specializes in becoming a subject matter expert in everything she writes and designs, taking that complex information and breaking it down into an easy-to-understand format.
Contact Amber at abroussard@kidsorchestra.org or 225.922.4656 ext. 107.
PUJA THAPA – OFFICE MANAGER
