From Earth To The Heavens Saturday, November 1st, 2025 | Prairie View High School

DR. JENNIFER L. GRICE | TCB CONDUCTOR

Dr. Jennifer L. Grice is the conductor of the Thornton Community Band. Jennifer serves as a clinician and adjudicator across the United States, including being a clinician along with Ray Cramer for the 2025 Conducting Symposium for the American School Band Directors Association. Jennifer has presented six different sessions at the Colorado Music Educators Association Conference and two sessions at the Kentucky Music Educators Association Conference. She was a visiting professor at Central Washington University as the Assistant Director of Bands and Music Education Coordinator. Prior to this position, Jennifer was the Director of Bands & Orchestras at Windsor High School. While at WHS the Jazz Band was chosen to perform at CMEA, the Marching Band placed 2nd in the State CBA 3A Marching Band Competition, and the Wind Symphony advanced to the CBA State Concert Band Festival.

Jennifer has been teaching music in the public schools and college for 25 plus years. Jennifer received her doctorate in Wind Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado, master’s degrees in Wind Conducting and Oboe Performance from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and a bachelor’s in Instrumental Music Education from Arizona State University. While at UNC she was a teaching assistant and the Assistant Director of the Pride of the Rockies Marching Band. Prior to UNC she was the Director of Education & Outreach at Conn-Selmer, Inc. working with Dr. Tim Lautzenheiser. Her previous orchestra from Lafayette High School (KY), performed at The Midwest Clinic in 2009, KMEA, and the Music for All National Orchestra Festival. Jennifer is the founder and director of Command the FieldDrum Major & Leadership Camp.

Jennifer loves spending time with her family. Her husband, Jeff Perry is currently the Director of Bands at Brighton High School. She has four daughters; Jasmine is currently a graduate teaching assistant at the University of North Texas majoring in Horn Performance; Jade is the band and choir director at McAuliffe Middle School in Greeley; Joy is double majoring in Music Education and Dance at CSU; and Joelle is a senior at Windsor High School and active in all of the arts.

Nicole Rubis | Assistant Conductor

Nicole Rubis is Director of Orchestras at Rocky Top Middle School, where she teaches 6th-8th grade ensembles. Nicole taught instrumental music for 20 years in Minnesota, as well as choir, pep band and jazz band. Outside of the school day, Nicole directed the high school pit orchestra and was music director for many years of middle and high school theater shows in the Columbia Heights school district.

Rubis holds a Bachelor of Music with emphasis on clarinet and vocal performance. She performed on clarinet for 17 years with the Bloomington Medalist Concert Band, as well as other ensembles around the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. She is currently a member of the Thornton Community Band, where she serves on the Board of Directors and is a substitute player for the TCB Chamber Winds.

In her free time, Nicole can be found outdoors running, hiking and biking and spending time traveling.

Chloe Wheeler | Soprano Soloist

Chloe Wheeler is from Aurora, CO, and graduated from the University of Northern Colorado with degrees in Music Composition and Music Education.

While attending UNC, Chloe performed in operas including the role of Galatea in Handel’s Acis and Galatea and was the director and arranger of UNC’s Northern Lights A Capella.

A lifelong lover of choral music, Chloe also sang in UNC’s Concert, Women’s, and Chamber choirs, and sang at Carnegie Hall with the latter choir.

As a composer, she is known for her various choral works such as Ribs and Amicus Curiae, which have been performed by UNC choirs as well as various high school choirs, and for her rock opera MEDUSA, which premiered in 2023.

When not singing classically, Chloe can often be found onstage in musical theatre productions, most recently as Leaf Coneybear in Vail Valley Theatre Company’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, or as the frontwoman of NoCo punk band Ankle Biters.