PCCWE Musicians
Meet the Musicians of Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble
The musicians of the Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble come from a wide variety of backgrounds. We are students, busy professionals, retirees, teachers, professional musicians, and passionate amateurs. We come from all over the Atlanta metropolitan area. The wind ensemble is under the direction of Slava Michael Prudchenko (read more about Slava here). We invite you to attend our next concert.
Scroll down and click the red dot after each name to learn more about the musician. More photos and biographies will be added as they become available.
If you’re a musician and you’d like to join us, follow this link and fill out a simple form. (Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble member information form)
Woodwind Section
Paul Thurner, oboe (principal)
Paul Thurner played oboe in high school, then after a 25 year break restarted in 2006. Most of his life he worked at the State of Georgia Environmental Lab where he analyzed drinking water samples for metals. Maro Cooper, oboe & English horn
Maro started playing music with her sisters in her early school years. Oldest sister played flute, middle sister saxophone and piano, Maro on saxophone, then oboe. The two sisters loved playing. Maro found practicing such a chore. After school years, she put her instrument down with no intention of returning. Started a career in healthcare and really did not think about music except for the pleasure of listening. About 10 years ago, was hungry to play music again and started piano. That was way too much, having to coordinate all those notes. Picked up the oboe again and, truth be told, has loved practicing since then. Most enjoyable are the opportunities to make music with other people and the relationships that grow from that. Since backing off full-time work, has tried to learn more about music itself, and plays around with some other instruments, creating her own “music school” curriculum. A real joy.
Corey Greenlaw-Mayfield, flute & piccolo (principal)
Corey Greenlaw-Mayfield is a native of Gary, Indiana. He began his flute studies in Middle School (1988). He holds an undergraduate degree in Respiratory Therapy from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). During his college years, he served as principal flute with the UAB Marching Blazers, Wind Symphony and Flute Choir. When he’s not practicing and performing with his GPC Wind Ensemble family, he enjoys traveling, Florida Beaches and Amusement Parks.
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Derrick Jones, flute
Derrick Jones is a native of Cleveland, Ohio but has spent most of his life in Georgia. While in elementary school in Ohio he started playing Cello. After moving to Georgia in 1970 he started playing the Flute and played with the Gordon High School concert and marching bands in which he was also Drum Major and student conductor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN. where he played in the Concordia College Symphonic Band and Concordia College Orchestra. After graduating from Concordia in 1980 he played with the Dekalb Wind Ensemble under the direction of Tommy Joe Anderson and rejoined the ensemble in its current incarnation after 33 years. He is employed as an Address Management Systems Specialist for the United States Postal Service.
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Joel Gilbert, bassoon (principal)
Joel stopped playing bassoon when he graduated from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after playing in their orchestra for four years as an undergraduate and then another four years as he got his masters in Chemical Engineering and then a masters in management. After 38 years of not playing, he decided to start again and joined the Wind Ensemble about ten years ago. Joel also doubles occasionally on the English horn.
As is typical of bassoonists, Joel is the ensemble’s comedian, either by playing typically silly bassoon passages or by his funny quips as we play some music that just lends itself so well to that lighthearted kind of comment. He also plays at his home church (Smokerise Baptist) when they do seasonal concerts and he plays weekly with Briarlake Baptist in their orchestra.
Carla Memmelaar, clarinet (principal)
A band teacher in DeKalb County for 29 years, Carla Memmelaar joined the music staff at Chamblee Middle School in 2007. She is a woodwind expert specializing in clarinet, flute, alto saxophone, and soprano saxophone. She attended Georgia State University where she received a Music Education Degree with Honors. Mrs. Memmelaar has played clarinet in Band of America and the Atlanta Wind Symphony. She was the featured soloist playing Weber’s Clarinet Concertino with the DeKalb Youth Symphony in their Winter Concert 2010. Mrs. Memmelaar currently plays clarinet in the Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble under the direction of Mr. Slava M. Prudchenko. She also plays with Gwinnett Wind Symphony. Carla also enjoys playing the alto and soprano saxophone as a part of the worship team at Faith Cornerstone Church. When asked what her philosophy of teaching is she says, “Teaching is a very important part of my life. It is my calling. Learning an instrument can be such a rewarding experience. I look at each child as an important part of the band and work to help each one reach his or her potential. The thing I like most about being in band is that nobody sits on the bench! Everyone has a unique part in contributing to the overall sound of the band.”
Linda Fountain, clarinet
Linda Fountain lives in the Northlake area of DeKalb County and is a mother of three, a wife since 1975, and a retired pediatrician since 2009. Linda has done a variety of volunteering since retirement including giving tours at The Fox Theatre, the Margaret Mitchell House, and Piedmont Park. Linda played clarinet with the Dixie Redcoat Band at UGA 1966-68, with the Bob Barr Community Band in Columbus, GA 1990-93, with the Callanwolde Concert Band 2004-2012, and with the Georgia Perimeter College Wind Ensemble from 1997 to 2004 and again since 2012.
Drakie Jordan, E flat & B flat clarinet
Drakie’s musical interests started at the age of 12, first as a saxophonist. During his high school
years he served as section leader and took great interest in clarinet. While in college as a psychology major, he continued his music studies in marching and concert bands on saxophone as section leader, clarinet and flute in jazz band. Post college years in Atlanta, he has performed with community bands including Callanwolde, Band of America, and Gwinnett Band. Drakie currently plays with Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble and The Seed & Feed Marching Abominable, as well as the Atlanta Freedom Band on occasion.
Robert Stevens, alto saxophone (principal)
Robert began playing saxophone in the 5th grade and continued through high school and college. He attended Morehead State University in Kentucky, studying music education and Saxophone performance. Later he attended Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, SC and Providence, RI, where he received a degree in Culinary Arts. A successful career in the hospitality industry followed.
As you can imagine, the long hours required of a working chef do not leave much time for saxophone playing. Robert did not play for more than 25 years. A change of occupations brought him to Atlanta 12 years ago. A saxophone was acquired for recreation. For three years he took private lessons with Jan Baker at Georgia State University. He works as an independent publisher and arranger of saxophone and woodwind music.
Robert has played with PCCWE since 2007. He served on the advisory board of Perimeter College Community Wind Ensemble for several years. He designs the concert posters for the band and maintains this website.
Cole Smith, alto saxophone
Cole Smith, alto saxophone. Growing up in Conyers, Georgia, Cole Smith has been frequently involved in various musical activities in the metro Atlanta area. Such activities include performing with Georgia Perimeter College Jazz Ensemble and marching with the Georgia State University Marching Band in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. Specializing in woodwinds, he has played saxophone, flute, and clarinet in musical theatre productions such as Music Man, Hairspray and George Gershwin’s Crazy for You alongside the Heritage High School Patriot Players.
Cole continues to play with the Georgia Perimeter College Wind Ensemble, the Clayton State University Big Band, the Georgia State University Wind Orchestra, and Georgia State University
Marching Band, and he also sings with the Georgia State University Choral Union.
Cole has studied the saxophone with Georgia Perimeter College professor Stacy Houghton and Dr. Jan Baker at Georgia State University. This year he graduated GSU with Bachelor’s Degree in Music.
Zenas Dyer, tenor saxophone
A native of Denver, Colorado- Zenas Dyer started his affair with music at age 8 on alto saxophone. He continued studying saxophone through high school graduation; where he became section leader and participated in various city and state level music festivals. Following a 9 year sabbatical from ensemble playing, Zenas has returned to the stage with a renewed passion for music performance. He joined Georgia Perimeter Winds in 2016, but also creates music with Atlanta Freedom Band’s Concert and Marching bands. You can normally spot him playing a variety of saxophones or studying flute. Zenas studied Journalism at Georgia State University and currently works as a Technical Writer.
Brass Section
David Stoutamire, trumpet (principal)
Mr. Stoutamire began playing the trumpet in middle school, and continued to play through high school and college. After college, Mr. Stoutamire spent 10 years in the US Army, during which time his various assignments and deployments prevented him from playing. After leaving military service in 1987, Mr. Stoutamire picked up his horn again and has played ever since with amateur community wind ensemble groups in Maryland and Georgia. In addition to the GPC Community Wind Ensemble, he currently performs with the Atlanta Wind Symphony and the Atlanta Concert Band. He also is a member the Dunwoody Baptist Church orchestra. Although Mr. Stoutamire never had formal musical training and education, he was greatly influenced by his paternal grandmother, who was a classically trained pianist who attended Julliard in New York and eventually graduated from Northwestern University near Chicago with a PhD in piano performance. As a young child, he remembers listening for hours while his grandmother would practice virtuoso pieces by Beethoven, Chopin, and Schubert. Professionally, Mr. Stoutamire has advanced degrees in engineering, management, and business. His expertise is managing and leading large complex design and construction programs. As a military officer, he developed a military base and training center in Saudi Arabia for 80,000 soldiers and their families which later was used as the central command and control headquarters for operation Desert Storm. After leaving military service and prior to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Mr. Stoutamire helped Georgia Tech manage the extensive new construction and renovation program necessary to host the Olympic Village. He is currently helping the College of Engineering at GA Tech manage large and complex research laboratory fit ups.
Terry Bates, trumpet
Terry Bates, retired after working 37 years with the US Government in the Employee Plans and Exempt Organizations Division of the Internal Revenue Service. He has played trumpet since elementary school and continued through high school and college. He also plays piano and guitar. He spent two years (1970-1971) in the Army at Ft. Bliss, Texas and Vietnam. After returning to Atlanta, he continued playing trumpet with the Smoke Rise Baptist Church orchestra. He has played with the GPC Wind Ensemble since the 1990’s.
Thomas G. Cremer, Euphonium & Tuba
Thomas G. Cremer earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts (1983), a Masters of Music in Performance from the University of Kentucky (1989) and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting from the University of South Carolina (2004). He has done additional musical studies at the Hartt School of Music, George Mason University, and the Tanglewood Institute. As a performer and music educator Dr. Cremer has held positions in Peru, Colombia, and Bermuda as well as in United States. As a conductor he has been on the podium of the National Symphonic Band of Colombia, the Bermuda Philharmonic Orchestra, the USC-Aiken College / Community Band (SC) and the Augusta Concert Band (GA). Locally he has conducted the Westside Winds, West Georgia Wind Band and served as reading conductor with the Atlanta Wind Symphony. Dr. Cremer is a member of the music faculty of Georgia State University-Perimeter College. He has served in a number of roles in Wind Ensemble including performing as soloist on Tuba and Euphonium. Dr. Cremer moved to the Atlanta area in 2007 and is currently a Spanish Instructor and provides translation services at Alcovy High School in Newton County. As his schedule allows he is also working as a freelance musician and clinician. He and his wife, Eva, reside in Stockbridge, Georgia. Velma Alexander, French Horn
Velma played clarinet in 5th grade band. While she enjoyed being in the band, the clarinet did not “speak” to her. In high school, Velma fell in the love with the French horn. During her junior year, the entire horn section were seniors who would graduate that year. There would be no horn players left the following school year. One day after school, Velma made an off-hand comment to her band director about wanting the play French horn. He offered to give her a school instrument to take home over the summer. She took home the horn on the last day of school (also her birthday that year), and played it so much that her lips were swollen the next morning. The following school year, she sat first chair among three horn players — one being her twin sister who also converted from the clarinet, and the other a former trumpet player. Velma feels that the horn picked her — that it calls her with its beautiful sound.
Velma currently plays with her church ensemble and is always willing to fill in with community orchestras around the metro area. She is a former member of the Georgia State University (downtown campus) orchestra.
Michael Files, trombone (principal)
Michael Files received his degree of Master of Music Education from the University of Georgia and Bachelor of Music from Georgia State University. He studied trombone with Philip Jameson, David Mathie, and David MacKenzie. He also studied trombone with Michael Moore and in master class with Per Brevig. Michael Files performed with DeKalb Symphony Orchestra, DeKalb Wind Symphony, Emory Brass Ensemble, Callanwolde Concert Band, and numerous other freelance engagements. He also performed US premiere of Bert Appermont’s “Colors” for trombone and band in 2001. Larry Roberson, trombone
Larry Roberson, trombone. Larry is a student at Perimeter College-Georgia State University. He is pursuing an Associate of Science degree in music. Mr. Roberson is a member of several Georgia State University performance ensembles, including the Perimeter College Wind Ensemble, Perimeter College Jazz Ensemble, and Perimeter College Chorale. He is currently studying trombone with Georgia State University adjunct faculty member, Dr. Thomas Cremer. He is also a voice student of Dr. Brian Bonin.
Larry’s musical achievements include five successful auditions for membership with the Georgia Music Educators Association (GMEA) All-State Band. He is a two-time recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award. In addition to his current musical engagements, Mr. Roberson is slated to assume the duties of principal trombone with the Southern Crescent Symphony Orchestra. Following completion of his associate degree, he plans to transition to the Georgia State University School of Music to pursue the Bachelor of Music degree. His future goals include graduate school and engagement as a professional musician and educator.
Marcelino Medley, euphonium
Marcelino Medley, euphonium. Ever since picking up the strange new instrument in sixth grade called a euphonium, Marcelino Medley has performed with various prestigious ensembles throughout the Metro-Atlanta area. In those early years of his musical journey, he spent his time constantly analyzing scores fascinated with the way music sounded and looked on the page.
This led him to discover a love for music theory and composition that has only continued to grow.
Inspired by the unique sonority of Percy Grainger’s Lincolnshire Posy, Marcelino continues to pursue his own musical style and sound in the hopes of composing for film. He studies composition at Georgia State University and these studies have allowed him to learn from many musicians such as Justin Morell, Slava Prudchenko, Brent Milam, Nickitas Demos, and Benjamin Tingle.
Percussion Section
Janice Vernon, piano & percussion
Janice Vernon, piano and percussion
Thomas Woolfolk, percussion
Thomas Woolfolk, percussion. An eight-year member the GPC Wind Ensemble, was born in Mt. Holly, New Jersey, and grew up in Pensacola, Florida.
He began his musical career as a third grader, at Pensacola Christian Academy, under the direction of Mr. Ray Walker and Mr. Bobby Lyles. He played Percussion under the direction of Mr. Doug Harkness and Mr. Matt Tinnel at Dacula High School, and Mr. David Britton and Mr. Scott Daley at Rancocas Valley Regional High School in Mount Holly. Thomas recently earned his
Bachelor’s Degrees in Music Education (with a Percussion Focus) and Psychology.
He is a Percussion Arranger for several High School Marching Bands and Indoor Percussion Ensembles along the East Coast. Thomas is also in his eights year as a member of the Atlanta Falcons Drumline, which performs at all Falcons Home Games and does several other events around the State of Georgia.