Sounds of Summer

Jason Dimiceli is the Executive Director of the Sounds of Summer program for Educational Travel Adventures, and the Tour Director of the 2027 Sound of Houston European Tour. He served on the staff and as Tour Director for several Texas-based European performance tours for high school students, and is bringing these life-changing experiences to ETA. These trips include tours through England, France, Switzerland, and Italy.

Jason served as a high school band director in Texas for 23 years, mostly at McNeil High School in Round Rock ISD. His marching bands were finalists in numerous Bands of America Regionals, the 2024 St. Louis and San Antonio Super Regionals, and they consistently earned UIL First Division ratings. His concert bands were TMEA 6A State Honor Band Finalists, Mark of Excellence National Winners, and consistent UIL Sweepstakes award winners. His Wind Ensemble was featured at the 2023 Music For All National Concert Band Festival, and the McNeil Saxophone Quartet performed at the 2024 Midwest Clinic. These groups commissioned several new band and chamber works that premiered on these national stages. In addition to his band director duties, he served as the TMEA Band Division Chair for Region 26.

Since leaving the classroom, Jason has joined the Music For All event staff, working several Bands of America competitions and the National Concert Band Festival. He is excited to work as a field supervisor for student teachers for the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music, observing and mentoring future band directors. Jason is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout Texas, and has presented at the Midwest Clinic, Texas Music Educators Association Convention, and the Center for Educator Development in Fine Arts (CEDFA) Summit. These presentations discuss the importance of creating a culture of positivity in music programs to achieve student success.

Gabe Musella serves as UIL Assistant Music Director in Austin, Texas. Prior to his current position he taught for 30 years in Texas where his bands earned UIL Sweepstakes Awards in 8 different Varsity and Non-Varsity categories, performed at The Midwest Clinic and MFA National Concert Festival, and placed as finalists in TMEA Honor Band and at the UIL State Marching Contest. While at Spring HS, the band program was designated a Grammy Signature School, a Houston Symphony Orchestra Residency School, and was featured in THE INSTRUMENTALIST. Spring Band ensembles earned five invitations to perform at The Midwest Clinic between 2008 and 2016, and Spring chamber groups received awards at the prestigious Fischoff, Coltman, and other chamber music competitions.

Mr. Musella is an active composer and arranger whose works for band, choir, jazz ensemble, orchestra, percussion, and chamber ensembles have been performed at The Midwest Clinic, PASIC, WIBC, the Music For All National Festival, TMEA, TBA, and other conferences throughout the country and abroad. The Texas Tech Goin’ Band from Raiderland performed “Wreck ‘Em Fanfare” at the 2023 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, and his works have been premiered by The United States Air Force Band, the TMEA All State Jazz Ensemble, the ATSSB All State Band, and ensembles at the University of Texas-El Paso, Texas Tech University, and the University of Houston. His publishers include RBC, C. Alan, Boosey & Hawkes, Carl Fischer, Kjos, Row-Loff, TRN, ALRY, Wingert-Jones, and MKT Music Publications. Mr. Musella has appeared as a guest conductor with university, community, and high school region bands throughout Texas. He is a co-conductor of the Spring ISD Alumni Band in Houston.

Gabe received the Meritorious Achievement Award from The Texas Bandmasters Association and the Specs Excellence in Music Education Award from The Houston Symphony Orchestra. He holds a BM in Composition and a MM in Conducting, both from Texas Tech University where he studied with James Sudduth, Keith Bearden, and Mary Jeane van Appledorn. He is grateful to mentors Tom Bennett, Eddie Green, Philip Geiger, Rodney Klett, Joe Dixon, Rick Lambrecht, Kenny Capshaw, Richard Crain, James Edwards, Randy Vaughn, Rick Ghinelli, Mike Warny, and Scott McAdow. His memberships include ASCAP, ABA, TMEA, TBA, TMAA, Phi Beta Mu, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and he serves as Chamber Coordinator for the Music For All National Concert Festival. He is currently President of the Foundation for Music Education, and he has been on the staff of the Texas Tech Band and Orchestra Camp since 1985. Gabe and his wife, Alice, are very proud of their son Alex, who has earned degrees from Texas A & M – Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State University.

Denise R. (Eaton) Glaw is a music educator of over forty years, twenty-nine at the high school level, seven as an adjunct professor at the collegiate level and as a choral consultant to numerous secondary choirs over the span of her career.

Choirs under her direction have performed at four TMEA conventions and one SWACDA convention. Chamber choirs under her direction have won the prestigious American Classic Madrigal Festival an unprecedented six times.

An active clinician and conductor, Ms. (Eaton) Glaw spends time in choir rooms throughout the state of Texas as a clinician and has conducted over forty Texas Region Choirs. On the national level she has conducted regional or All-State choirs in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Known for her innovative teaching styles, she has presented numerous workshops in Texas, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Oklahoma, Missouri and Iowa. An avid proponent of music education, Denise is proud to have served TMEA in several capacities including Vocal Vice-President and President.

Co-author of six sight-reading books, Ms. (Eaton) Glaw served as the Choral editor for Carl Fischer & BriLee Music publications for thirteen years. She is very excited to be a part of the ETA team serving as the Choral Coordinator for the Sound of Houston. Her favorite and most important role, however, is that of DeeDee to her grandchildren Sophie, Peter and Charlotte.

MEET THE STAFF

JASON DIMICELI

GABE MUSELLA

DENISE EATON

Proud members of: