The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University

2006 - 2007 Students

Captain Michelle Rakers, DMA yr 1

Michelle A. Rakers, Captain USMC, is currently an Assistant Director with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band in Washington D.C. She joined the band in May 1998 as a trumpeter/cornetist and was appointed Assistant Director and commissioned a first lieutenant in July 2004. She was promoted to her current rank by the Commandant of the Marine Corps General Michael W. Hagee on Jan. 1, 2006. She is both the first female Assistant Director and first female commissioned officer in the history of "The President's Own."

With the Marine Band, Capt. Rakers has performed at the White House, in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, and across the country during the band's annual concert tour. She has served as a conductor and coordinator for the fall and winter Chamber Music Series, and was nominated for her current position in 2003. On June 13, 2004, she conducted her first band concert, at the U.S. Capitol.

Capt. Rakers, a 1986 graduate of the Marian Heights Academy in Ferdinand, Ind., received a bachelor's degree in music management from the University of Evansville in Indiana in 1990. She continued her studies at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., where she earned a master's degree in music performance in 1991. Her trumpet instructors include James Bursen of the University of Evansville, Vincent Cichowicz of Northwestern University, and Chris Gekker from the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado. Her conducting instructors include Mallory Thompson of Northwestern University and Kate Tamarkin of The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. In 2005, she received the University of Evansville's Distinguished Alumni Award, and she was granted an honorary induction into Tau Beta Sigma, a national music sorority. She has started work towards a DMA in wind conducting at the Peabody Conservatory.

Prior to joining "The President's Own," Capt. Rakers performed with the Kalamazoo Symphony in Michigan, and the Evansville Philharmonic in Indiana.

 

Dustin Doyle, MM yr 1

Dustin M. Doyle is in his first year of his Master's Degree in Wind Conducting under Dr. Harlan Parker. A graduate of the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Music degree (2002), Dustin has since been the Instrumental Music Director at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, Maryland. Earning top honors in performance with his Jazz, Orchestra, Pit Orchestra, and Band programs, Dustin has gained recognition across state and national competitions. His groups have performed at venues in Chicago and New York as well as numerous competitions in the state of Maryland.

His students have gone on to major in music at institutions such as Peabody Conservatory, Northwestern University, Berklee College of Music, University of Maryland, and the University of Miami. Dustin also has professional affiliation with the National Association for Music Education (MENC), Maryland Music Educators Association (MMEA), Maryland Band Directors Association (MBDA), International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE), and the National Judges Association (NJA). Throughout the two year program in Wind Conducting at the Peabody Conservatory, Dustin will continue his roll as Instrumental Music Director at Montgomery Blair High School. Dustin and his wife, Justine, reside in Columbia, Maryland.