More than 100 high school instrumentalists from EMHS and Dock Academy in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, will join for an evening (Thursday) and day (Friday) of rehearsal and a program at 6 p.m. Friday evening. EMS hosts.

Guest conductor is band instructor Richard Adams is a native of Danville, Virginia. He has lived in the Valley for 25 years. Richard holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music and Master’s Degree in Education from James Madison University.

After a few years of being a band director and school counselor in Augusta County, Richard embarked on a career as a freelance multi-instrumentalist, composer, playwright, teacher, recording and video-engineer, and producer.

Richard teaches brass, guitar, and bass at Bridgewater College, and group guitar and ukulele at Blue Ridge Community College. His group, the Boogie Kings, was recently selected to be on the Virginia Commission for the Arts touring roster.

Richard tours the Mid-Atlantic region performing interactive musical assemblies in elementary schools. Topics range from bully prevention to standardized test preparation.

Richard was commissioned to compose music and lyrics for Spirit of Augusta, Shenandoah Moon and Tuesday Mourning. He was award Augusta County History Educator of the Year for his musical, Woody, about Woodrow Wilson, and was a winner of the Dawbarn Award by the Community Foundation of the Blue Ridge for being an outstanding educator.

Guest strings instructor is Donald Brubaker of Charlottesville where he teaches is a longtime teacher, composer, and frequent guest clinician.

Don Brubaker, a native of Roanoke, VA, began musical studies on the violin at the age of six and on the piano and trumpet at the age of twelve. He holds a bachelors degree in music education from West Virginia University and a masters degree in music education from the University of Illinois. In addition to his music education studies, Mr. Brubaker holds a Master of Divinity degree from Regent University. In the 1980’s and 1990’s Mr. Brubaker taught orchestra in the public schools of Prince William County, VA and Manassas City, VA at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. In addition, he taught band at the elementary level and directed a private music teaching studio. He was conductor of the Northern Virginia Junior Youth Symphony for eight seasons.

In 1999, Mr. Brubaker moved to Charlottesville, VA to serve as Orchestra Director at Buford Middle School and Violin Instructor at two Charlottesville elementary schools. Under his direction the Buford Orchestra consistently received Superior ratings and First Place awards at assessments and competitions. He also established a successful guitar class curriculum at Buford Middle School.

Mr. Brubaker retired in June 2018 from his work in the Charlottesville City Schools, but he continues to conduct the Evans Youth Orchestra, a junior high full orchestra associated with the Youth Orchestras of Central Virginia. In addition to this, he teaches private violin and trumpet lessons and performs on the trumpet and violin in the Charlottesville area. Mr. Brubaker is a frequent guest conductor and adjudicator throughout the state of Virginia, and he is also a published composer of school orchestra music. He lives in Albemarle County with his wife, Gayle, a piano teacher, and enjoys playing with his grandson as often as possible!