CFW Members

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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.

 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. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.