CFW Members

Dr. David T. Borst is our principal Bassoonist who is originally from Hempstead, New York.  While he was a senior at Hempstead High School, Dave studied bassoon with the famous Simon Kovar, who performed with the New York Philharmonic, taught at Julliard, and published many bassoon étude books.  Mr. Kovar awarded Dave a summer session scholarship to the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California.  After graduating from Fredonia State University of N.Y., Dave won the audition for the Buffalo Philharmonic and performed there three years as a full-time player. After taking a teaching position and being the Director of Music for an area school district, he continued to perform with the Buffalo Philharmonic during the summers and as needed during the regular season.

In 1965, Dave was invited to take a music professorship at Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP), where he taught for 33 years before retiring.  While teaching there, he and his violinist wife, Ingrid, performed with the Johnstown Area Symphony Orchestra for over 35 years. While at IUP, he continued to study bassoon with K. David Van Hoesen at Eastman School of Music and earned a DMA degree at Eastman in 1974. Over the course of several summers, Dave performed concerts with the IUP Keystone Winds and recorded commercial CDs of major wind composers under the direction of Jack Stamp.

In 1979—1980 Dave was awarded a full-year sabbatical from IUP, during which he, his wife, and their young son traveled through Europe.  He also had the privilege of living nine months in Israel. While living in Jerusalem, he started an instrumental program at the Anglican School, and was appointed as the conductor of the Jerusalem Youth Orchestra. In the summer of 1980, he conducted the orchestra on a goodwill tour of Germany and Austria.

After retiring in 1998 from IUP, Dave and his wife traveled with their motorhome across the United States. They  were snowbirds in Florida for seven months a year until several years ago, when they became full-time residents at the ORA Resort in Melbourne Beach, Fl.  While in Florida, he has performed with the Miami Symphony, Land of Lakes Symphony, Brevard Symphony, Space Coast Pops, Central Florida Winds, the Central Florida Chamber Winds, other professional ensembles, and the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, where he was a charter member and principal bassoonist for 10 years.

Dave and Ingrid were married for 65 years before she passed away last Easter morning.  All throughout their years together they enjoyed performing in many churches. They are blessed with 3 wonderful children, 11 grandchildren, and 7 great-grandchildren.  With a grateful heart, Dave gives thanks to his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the strength and ability to continue to perform with the Central Florida Winds and Chamber Winds, which he has greatly enjoyed for 19 years.

 Andrew Cleaver is our principal saxophonist and frequent soloist with CFW.  Andrew is originally from Baltimore, Maryland but grew up in Lakeland, Florida.  He now lives in Melbourne. 

Andrew enlisted in the Air Force in 1988 and joined The Heritage of America Band at Langley Air Force Base (AFB) as a saxophonist.  In 1992, he transferred to The United States Air Forces in Europe Band as 1st alto in the Concert Band and lead alto for the Glenn Miller Band, all while serving as Drum Major for the Ceremonial Band.  He moved from Germany to the Band of Mid-America at Scott AFB in 1996.  Following a two-year assignment with Air Force Public Affairs at the Pentagon in September of 2001, he joined the United States Air Force Band at Bolling AFB, Washington D.C. in 2003.  He later played baritone sax as a member of the Air Force's premier jazz ensemble, The Airmen of Note until his retirement in 2009.  Here is a link to his performance with The Airmen of Note:

https://youtu.be/IRX0JXSDCsM 

He has performed with Louise Mandrell, Kevin Eubanks, The Beverly Sisters, Karrin Allyson, Paquito D'Rivera, Eugene Rousseau, and Bill Clinton.  Andrew currently works for the Department of Treasury, and spends his free time performing with Melbourne's Space Coast Big Band and the Adagio Sax Quartet when he's not teaching saxophone lessons. 

Rick Collins is our French Horn Section leader. He hails from Decatur, Indiana and is a graduate of Ball State University. While he spent his professional career in Indiana, he currently resides in the retirement community of Genesis Pointe just south of Lake Wales. 

Rick enlisted in the Indiana National Guard as a trumpet player while still in high school. He remained in the Band during his time as a student at Ball State and continued to be a member until his retirement 42 years later. During his enlistment he became played Trumpet, Euphonium, and French Horn. Rick served in the Officer Corps in several personnel roles, wrote Equal Opportunity policies while working at the Pentagon, and retired as the Commander and Director of the 38th Division Band.

Rick enjoyed a parallel career in public education as a Band Director, worked as a clinician in several settings, and judged marching bands, concert bands, and instrumental solo contests. He also served as a public school administrator and building level principal.

He retired from teaching and the military in the same year. Shortly afterwards, Rick’s wife of 30 years, Annie, fell victim to cancer in 2004. They had six children. Ten years later Rick married Joyce, who was also widowed and already living in Florida. They were “Snowbirds” until deciding to move to Florida permanently in the fall of 2017.

While Rick played in many community bands in Indiana, he saw a greater opportunity for performing in Florida. Since coming to Florida, Rick has played with:

Central Florida Winds, Central Florida Chamber Winds, Central Florida Brass Choir, Orlando Concert Band, Orlando Brass Sextet, Peacock Wind Ensemble, All Saints Episcopal Church Woodwind Quintet, Heartland Pops, Bartow Adult Community Band, Lakeland Imperial Symphony Orchestra, Tampa Bay Symphony Orchestra, Winter Haven Symphony Orchestra, Heatherwood Concert Band, and guest soloist with Central Florida area Churches and Universities.

Dr. Earle-Imre plays oboe and English horn with CFW and acts as Board Secretary for the group. She has also played locally with Melbourne Community Orchestra (2005-present, principal oboe), Community Band of Brevard (1995-2007), BCC/EFSC Wind Ensemble and Orchestra (as needed), and in pit orchestras at Cocoa Village Playhouse, Henegar Center for the Performing Arts, and Titusville Playhouse (1995-2005). She also acts as a Board member for Melbourne Community Orchestra.

Laura graduated from the University of Florida with a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine (1989) and was in clinical practice locally (Coastal Animal Hospital, Rockledge) until 2005. Since then, she has been on faculty at Eastern Florida State College (formerly Brevard Community College) as a full-time professor in Veterinary Nursing and Biomedical Sciences and acts as Department Chair of Community Based Health Sciences Programs and the Bachelor’s in Applied Allied Health. She is also president of the Brevard Chapter of the United Faculty of Florida faculty union.

She continued her education and received a Master’s in Public Health and a Master’s in Pharmacy/Clinical Toxicology. She is board certified in Public Health through the National Board of Public Health Examiners and is a Diplomat of the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine. She is also certified in Animal Chiropractic through the American Veterinary Chiropractic Association.

Laura lives in Cocoa with her husband, Bill Imre (a retired engineer and trombonist), her Bully dog Toby, her Cornish Rex cats Freki and Nadia, and her Senegal parrot Satchmo. 

David A Ewing, principal trumpet and cornet of Central Florida Winds, is originally from Pompton Plains New Jersey where he studied from Nellie Clark of The Eastman College of music. David got a full five-year scholarship from the Philadelphia college of Performing Arts currently known as the University of the Arts. While there, he studied privately with Anthony Marchione who was chairman of brass. He graduated cum laude with both a Bachelor of Music and Bachelor of Music Education degrees.
After college, David taught in the Passaic County New Jersey school systems. He then studied trumpet with Gerard Schwartz of the New York Philharmonic Orchestra. David also went on six tours with the International Symphonic Winds Orchestra as soloist and section leader. He toured throughout Scandinavian, Iceland, and Europe. One of his musical highlights was playing the Haydn trumpet concerto for the king of Denmark.
David has played for the Utica Symphony, Catskill Symphony, Colgate University Orchestra, Garden State Sinfonia, New Jersey Wind Orchestra, North Jersey Operetta Guild, Eastern Philharmonic Orchestra, and the East Coast Brass Quintet. Locally, David plays(ed) with the Space Coast Pops, Space Coast Symphony Orchestra, Swingtime Jazz Band, Oh Golly Dixieland Band, Melbourne Municipal Band, NASA Holiday Band, Sunshine Brass Quintet, Melbourne Brass Quintet, the Coastal Brass, Central Lyric Opera, Space Coast Winds, Cocoa Village Playhouse, Henegar Pit Band, and also freelances.
David enjoys teaching trumpet as well as band and chorus at the Holy Name of Jesus Catholic School, Rockledge High School, Cocoa High School, Melbourne Youth Band, Burnished Brass, Camerata Winds, New Horizons Jazz Band Of Melbourne, and the New Horizons Jazz Band Of Rockledge, as well as the Stake Choir of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Until COVID-19 appeared, he taught at Sebastian River High School and Melbourne High School as a trumpet tutor. He currently teaches privately from his home in Rockledge and through Zoom.

David is married to his best friend Donna and they have one son, daughter-in-law, and is blessed with four grandchildren. He currently has three chickens and two Moodles, which are a Maltese-Poodle mix. He is an active member of the Latter Day Saints Church. 

David Free loves to play the oboe, especially the rare members of the oboe family. He has played the oboe for 35 years in Canada and the United States. After college, David originally had a full-time career as principal oboe and English horn (the tenor member of the oboe family) in Canada’s premiere Naval Band, the Stadacona Band, while also playing with Symphony Nova Scotia.

David went back to school and transitioned to a career in hospice, palliative, and pain medicine over 20 years ago but has continued to study and perform professionally. He has played with orchestras, wind ensembles, and in Toronto and New York musical pit orchestras. In the past several years, Dr. Free has been invited to perform multiple times with the Buffalo Philharmonic in New York, the Virginia Symphony, the Baltimore Symphony in Maryland, the Esprit New Music Orchestra in Toronto, Canada, the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, and recently with the Space Coast Orchestra. Often he is called upon to perform on the rarer members of the oboe family like the oboe d’amore (the alto member of the family), or the bass oboe. As a result, David has performed with some of America’s leading conductors: Marin Alsop, JoAnn Falletta, John Morris Russell, and Rossen Milanov, as well as two performances for Queen Elizabeth while on tour in the U.K.

David’s lifelong love of and passion for music began at a young age when his parents would play classical music records in their home to spark his imagination. When he was 12 years old, the soon-to-be renown and now late Cynthia Steljes (Quartetto Gelato) was playing with her university orchestra for a local event. David heard the sound of the oboe live for the first time and said “that’s what I want to play”.

David started formal musical training at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto Canada studying with Anne Tammisaar, the principal oboist of the National Ballet of Canada. David completed requirements for a Bachelor of Music degree at McMaster University in Canada studying with Nancy Nelson, and continued with performance studies at Louisiana State University with Mark Ostoich. Further private musical studies were undertaken Cary Ebli of the Toronto Symphony. 

David’s career in palliative care brought him to Florida in mid-January this year. Since arriving, he has performed with the Orlando Concert Band, and has joined the Central Florida Winds and will perform with the Space Coast Orchestra for the remaining concerts this season.

A native Hoosier, Ruth Ann grew up in Sheridan, Indiana, and after graduating from Butler University with a degree in music, moved to the Mystic, Connecticut area where she worked for many years, both performing and teaching. After receiving an MA from Connecticut College, she continued her education, studying clarinet with Charles Russo, principal clarinetist of the New York City Opera Orchestra, bass clarinet with Cris Inguanti of the Vancouver Symphony (a former student), and conducting with Stanley DeRusha, Director of Winds at the University of Hartford. 

Ruth Ann’s professional music career spanned over forty years, primarily as a clarinetist and bass clarinetist with the Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra and the Salt Marsh Opera Orchestra, while enjoying many opportunities to perform with other Connecticut orchestras, chamber music groups throughout New England, and several wind bands.

During her thirty year teaching career she taught all levels of instrumental music, directed the Rockville & Lyme-Old Lyme High School bands, and chaired the Regional District #18 K-12 music and art departments. As an adjunct teacher, she taught the woodwind class and supervised student teachers at the University of Connecticut. She also guest conducted the University of Connecticut Band, many Connecticut Middle and High School Regional Bands, and the Rhode Island All-State Middle School Band. 

Teaching honors included the UConn Excellence in High School Teaching award, CMEA High School Teacher of the Year, and Regional District #18 Teacher of the Year.  She served as President of the New England Music Festival Association, Director of the Hartt Summer Youth Music Program, and Chair of the CMEA Student Affairs Commission and All-State Festival. Ruth Ann was also a co-founder of the Thames Valley Music School in New London, Connecticut, now in its forty-second year.

After retiring from teaching, she was the administrator of the Salt Marsh Opera Company in Stonington, CT. She has served on several non-profit boards including the Connecticut Early Music Society, Eastern Connecticut Symphony Orchestra, Thames Valley and Calvary Music Schools, Orlando Concert Band, and a small eponymous foundation that gives scholarships to instrumental students in the Lyme-Old Lyme school system.

In 2012 she and her husband, Dr. Stephen Heller, and their two Portuguese water dogs, Isa and McCormack, left beautiful but frigid Connecticut for Orlando. In Florida she is happily playing with Central Florida Winds, Orlando Concert Band, and Southern Winds.

Ron began playing clarinet in 4th grade in Ohio.  He studied with Harry Joyce and Norman Kobal in Youngstown.  After graduating from Satellite High School he attended Brevard Junior College and Florida State University where he studied with Harry Schmidt, and received a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education.  After graduation he joined the Air Force and played in the 536 AF Band at Patrick AFB, and the Strategic Air Command Band at Offutt AFB, Nebraska.  After leaving the Air Force he taught in the parochial schools of Omaha, NE and Council Bluff, IA.  While teaching in the Stromsburg Public Schools, he earned a Master of Music from the University of Nebraska where he studied with Wesley Reist.  For six years he was the principal clarinetist in the 43rd Army Band in the Nebraska National Guard.

In 1983 he moved back to Florida and taught for 3 years at Satellite High School and played in the Brevard Symphony Orchestra.  He was invited to play in the Central Florida Winds and Chamber Winds in 2002 and has played in those organizations since then.  He also played clarinet and bass clarinet for 7 seasons with the Space Coast Symphony Orchestra.  

After 25 years with the U.S. Postal Service, he retired in 2011.  He and his wife Susette enjoy traveling in the summer and visiting their son and his family in Hawaii.

Judy is one of CFW's clarinetists/E-flat clarinetists.  Judy's life from the beginning has revolved around music. After completing a degree in Music Education from The Ohio State University, Judy served as Vice President of a full-line musical instrument retailer Colonial Music and later President of JET Music. She also served and retired from the US Army as a clarinetist with the 122nd Ohio Army National Guard Band and the 338th US Army Reserve Band. Judy also played her clarinet with several groups in Ohio, including on multiple international concert tours. Not being content with just selling horns, Judy taught hundreds of young clarinetists and started one of the earliest homeschool bands in the nation to ensure all kids had a chance to make music.

She has been privileged to perform under many of the modern giants of American band music, including Vaclav Nelhybel, Jack Stamp, Frederick Fennell, Francis McBeth, Colonel Arnold Gabriel, Craig Kirchhoff and Donald McGinnis.

Two years ago Judy moved to the sunny shores of Florida. She soon joined several bands and a clarinet quintet, and began teaching lessons to local clarinet students. She thought she had retired, but ever restless, soon found herself working at the marina on Patrick Air/Space Force Base. She also currently serves as the Treasurer of the Association of Military Musicians, after previously serving two terms as its Vice President.

Judy's enthusiastic about furniture refinishing, crafting and sewing, concocting unique adult beverages, Disney World, and traveling the world on Disney Cruise Line. She is an Acromegaly advocate and patient. Judy and her husband, Rob (a retired Army Bandmaster), have two adult children who, of course, are both military musicians.

Ian Schwindt teaches instrumental music at Titusville High School (THS) where he has served for the last 22 years. During his tenure, the program has doubled in size and significantly expanded its musical offerings to include a full orchestra, AP music theory, and an active chamber ensemble program.  Through these years THS has been named a Music Demonstration School twice and a Model Arts School by the State of Florida, and has earned multiple FMEA enrollment awards. Titusville ensembles consistently earn Superiors at MPAs and have performed at the FMEA President’s Concert and the Stetson Invitational.  

Ian has served as the conductor of the Brevard County Youth Orchestra Symphony and Symphony director for the Creative Young Artists. He also conducts Melodies and Masterpieces each year. Ian remains active as a clinician and adjudicator for both FBA and FOA across the state. He regularly conducts many select ensembles including the Florida State University Summer Music Camps, Honor Bands in Tennessee and All-County groups state wide. 

Ian serves in several school and district leadership positions including Department Chair, Brevard County Music Leadership Team and the Brevard County Music Advisory Board. He was elected to serve two terms as FBA District Chairman as well as being appointed as the All-State chair for six years and as a board member of the FSMA and FMEA state board for four years.  He is currently serving as the president of the Florida Bandmasters Association. 

As a trombonist, Ian stays active playing with multiple central Florida ensembles including Central Florida Winds, Central Florida Brass Band, Southern Winds, Hot Pink and multiple church orchestras. He also keeps an active trombone studio. Ian’s students have gained entry to multiple all-county and all-state groups as well as prestigious universities including Julliard, New England Conservatory of Music, San Francisco Conservatory, Curtis Institute of Music, Cleveland Institute of Music, Yale, Florida State University, University of South Florida and Stetson. 

Ian’s awards include being named the 2016-2017 Florida Music Education Association Secondary Music Educator of the year, 2020 Bandworld Legion of Honor Award Winner, National Band Association Citation for Excellence, the FBA Oliver Hobbs Award, the FBA Tom Bishop award, and Titusville High School Teacher of the Year. Ian’s professional affiliations include FMEA, FBA, FOA and Phi Beta Mu.

Marli Varnadoe-Kevelin is originally from Apopka, Florida and moved to Brevard County to teach at Odyssey Jr/Sr High School where she founded the Titan Band program in 2015. Since then, the band has grown to over 200 members under her direction. Marli holds a bachelor's degree in Instrumental Music Education from Stetson University. While at Stetson, Marli was a member of the Symphonic Band and studied conducting under Dr. Douglas Phillips (Stetson University Director of Bands) and Anthony Hose (Conductor of the Welsh Chamber Orchestra).  She holds memberships in the Florida Bandmasters Association (FBA), Florida Music Educators Association (FMEA),  and the National Association for Music Education (NAfME).

When she’s not teaching band, Marli enjoys spending time with her family and was recently married in January of this year. Marli and her husband Corey enjoy playing golf on the weekends and spending time with their 3 cats and dog, King.

Debbie Venezia is the piccolo player with Central Florida Winds. She is originally from Hanover Township New Jersey. She studied with Gerald Quinlan while in high school and as an undergraduate at Fairleigh Dickinson University where she received her Bachelor’s in Music Education. She taught in the Ridgewood Public Schools. During those years teaching, she achieved a Master of Music degree in Flute Performance from Mason Gross School of the Arts, Rutgers University. She has studied with Paige Brook of the New York Philharmonic, James, C. Scott, MaryAnn Archer and Michael Parloff, of Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. While in New Jersey, she performed with The Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Symphony, Tea for Three Trio as well as many solo performances in the NY Metropolitan area. 

In addition to Central Florida Winds, Debbie currently plays with Central Florida Sunshine Flutes, Ascension Sinfonia and Eclectique Flute Trio. She owns Eclectique Productions which provides music for weddings and events. Eclectique also has many educational programs for children and adults and performs throughout Florida. Debbie also teaches privately and through the Central Florida Community Arts Academy. 

Debbie is also an Episcopal Priest in the Diocese of Central Florida. She has an MDIV from Drew Theological Seminary. She was a facilitator with and was part of the creative team with the Walt Disney Company focusing on University level programs. 

She currently lives in Kissimmee with her husband Ralph, and Maggie a basset hound and Caddie, a Cardigan Welsh Corgi.