HerStory

Tammy Ahmed | Assistant Conductor

Tammy Ahmed retired from high school music teaching, most recently from Bear Creek HS in Lakewood, CO where she was director of the band and orchestra programs for 22 years. Ms. Ahmed has a B.S. in Music Education from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana and a M.M. in Music Education from Northwestern University. Ms. Ahmed received the Jefferson Foundation “My Teacher, My Hero Award” and was selected as a “Denver Post/Starbucks Top Teacher”. She was selected as a Summer Music Fellow at Northwestern University, and was honored with the National Band Association's Citation of Excellence Award. In May of 2024, she was honored with a proclamation from the City of Lakewood.

Ms. Ahmed is an active member of NAfME, CMEA, CBA, ASBDA, and is a member of Phi Beta Mu. She has served on the boards for the Jefferson County Music Advisory Committee, the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts, the Colorado Bandmasters Association, the CBA State Marching Committee, and the All State Orchestra. When not engaged in music making, Tammy loves to ride mountain bikes, hike and enjoy the outdoors with her family. She is honored to be making music with the Thornton Community Band!

Karen Gregg | Lyons Middle Senior H.S.

Karen Gregg has served as the Director of Bands at Lyons Middle Senior High School for the  past 25 years. Her responsibilities include directing the five bands (two middle school concert  bands, Middle School Jazz Band, High School Concert Band, High School Jazz Band) in  addition to teaching The History of Rock and Roll and Beginning Guitar. Since her appointment  at Lyons Middle Senior High School, the band program has experienced 400% growth and now  includes nearly 50% of the school population.  Lyons ensembles under her direction have performed at the Colorado MEA convention 3  times: The High School Concert Band in 2010, the High School Jazz Band in 2016, and the  7th/8th Grade Middle School Band in 2023. She has co-presented a session on how to re-score  existing music for small bands with her mentor Kirk Vogel at the Midwest Band and Orchestra  Clinic, CMEA, OMEA (Ohio) and TMEA (Texas). This past December she presented a second  time at the Midwest Clinic, this time on the topic of achieving excellence at a small school. In  addition to her teaching responsibilities in Lyons, Karen has served on the Colorado All-State  Band Steering Committee, the CHSAA Music Advisory Board, and is currently the President of  the Colorado Bandmasters Association. She is also a member of Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Beta  Mu. 

Kate Flynn Margrave| Cheyenne Mountain H.S.

Kate Margrave is in her 22nd year of her teaching career. This is her first year at Cheyenne Mountain where she teaches Jazz Band, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band and assists at the junior high and elementary schools. Prior to her appointment at Cheyenne, she taught for 17 years at Pine Creek High School. Margrave received her Bachelors of Music in Music Education from Mansfield University in Mansfield, PA and her Masters of Music in Instrumental Conducting from the American Band College in Ashland, OR. Her passion is for conducting and literature, presenting multiple clinics on the subject throughout the United States. Margrave’s enthusiasm and love for teaching music shines in her students, who work to achieve excellence through their musicality and perseverance. In March of 2016, the PCHS Symphonic Band had the honor of performing at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival in Indianapolis, IN. In 2018, the Symphonic Band was selected to perform as a featured ensemble at the CMEA State Conference and in 2024 the Wind Ensemble was selected. She was a 2018 Semifinalist for the Grammy Foundation Music Educator Award and was a recipient of the 2017 Citation of Excellence from the National Band Association. In 2021 Margrave was selected as the National Society of High School Scholars Top Educator of the Year.   Margrave lives in Colorado Springs where she enjoys the outdoors, especially camping, with her husband, Brian, daughter, Eva, and labrador Piper.  She is an active member of Phi Beta Mu, the International Bandmasters Fraternity, serving as president, the Colorado Bandmasters Association, serving as 2nd Vice President, and the Colorado Music Educators Association.

Becky Paschke | Principal, Mt. Blue Sky Outdoor Lab

Becky Paschke is a Colorado native whose life and career have been shaped by a deep commitment to music education. She has been involved in music her entire life and spent five seasons as a member of the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps, where she developed a passion for excellence in performance and leadership. She was recently inducted into the Blue Knights Hall of Fame in recognition of her lasting contributions to the organization. Becky holds a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education and taught music for 15 years, serving as the Instrumental Music Director at D’Evelyn Jr./Sr. High School, where she led both band and orchestra. Under her leadership, the D’Evelyn marching band earned multiple state championships and was a finalist at the Bands of America Regional Championships. Becky was named a Top 40 Under 40 Music Educator in 2020, and in 2021 her band performed in the Presidential Inauguration Parade. She has served as President of the Colorado Bandmasters Association, was honored as an Honored Administrator by the Colorado Music Educators Association, and is an active adjudicator at music festivals across the country. Becky currently serves as Principal of Mt. Blue Sky Outdoor Lab School and is honored to conduct at this concert.

Nancy Slowik | Thornton Community Chorus

Nancy Slowik is currently a member of the Thornton Community Chorus where she is board president as well as serving as the Assistant Director. Nancy joined the Thornton Community Band after a short hiatus, returning because she loves making music with others. She taught K-12 Music for eleven years. Her degree is in Music Education from Baker University. Nancy retired from teaching to become a stay-at-home mom. Nancy loves to sing, play her French horn, and create music and share great music with the local community.

Hannah Perry

Hannah Perry began her training at the age of four in Parker, Colorado. She trained in ballet, contemporary, and jazz at Parker Dance Academy for 13 years, competing during that time. Post-graduation, Hannah continued her training at Colorado State University, focusing on authenticity in dance, and her love for human connection through movement.  Additionally, Hannah is very passionate about teaching younger communities technique, while fostering their love of dance. She has worked at studios teaching ballet technique and contemporary, while creating acceptance in her classrooms.

Capri

Using the TCB instrument has overall really helped my playing skills. It has given me a chance to play open-holed and advance my mastery with my instrument. It impacted my technique when playing, and helped my sound become more full while playing.

Ethan

Playing music with the Step-Up instrument has impacted me in many ways. Some big, some different but I like to go over the main differences. The first impact is that I can reach lower notes on pieces so now I can play bass parts. The second main impact is the difference in size. It’s larger than the other instrument I have. The third impact is the trigger in which now I can use the trigger instead of going all the way down. And the fourth one is that I need to still be accurate with my intonation.

Ella

Playing music with my TCB Step-Up instrument has positively impacted me in many ways. It's helped me feel confident in my playing, as well as motivate me to practice more. It was a massive upgrade from my last instrument and has changed the way I view playing music. It has been an amazing motivator for me to better myself as a musician.

Tristan

The TCB program and Step- Up instrument has made me a better musician by providing me with a high-quality instrument that sounds better and is easier to use than a school instrument. Also, I don't have to worry about having anyone else using it. Not having to pay to rent it is also really nice. Lastly, it gives me the freedom to practice with it whenever I want. Overall, having the instrument is very helpful.