John Neal
Director
Wind Ensemble
& Choir
John Neal holds a bachelors degree in music education from The Ohio State University and a Masters Degree in conducting performance from the University of Connecticut. A piano student from the age of eight, his teachers include Hildred Curtis Fowler, Natasha Chances, Rosemary Platt, Neal Larrabee and Chiharu Naruse.
His career in music education began in 1978 and includes teaching positions at Van Buren District Secondary School, Edward Little High School in Auburn, the University of Southern Maine, Bates College and Oak Hill High School in Sabattus; the first Music Director at the Maine Arts Academy, Neal retired from teaching in 2022. His students have won numerous awards including First Place in the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, DC with the ELHS Band in 1988, and a Carnegie Hall performance in New York City with the Oak Hill HS Voices of Color in 2003 among many others; several of his students have gone on to careers in music education and performance. Neal was recognized by the Maine Music Educators Association in 1994 as the Maine Music Educator of the Year, and by WCSH6 and the Maine Education Association as an “Inspiring Educator” in 2016; he directed the Maine Bicentennial Marching Band in 2021-21.
Neal has performed as pianist and music director with the Theater at Monmouth, Lewiston-Auburn Community Little Theater, Monmouth Community Players and at numerous other local venues and high school productions since the 1980s. His first CD of original electronic music "Fox Island Afternoon" was released in 1997; his original electronic ballet "Vasalisa", based upon the Russian legend of the same name, was released in 2008. Both CDs are available on iTunes and at www.cdbaby.com .
Russell Caverly
Director
KPAC Jazz Band
Russell Caverly is the Band Director at Cony High School and the K-12 Music Coordinator for the Augusta School Department. He is also the director of the Lawrence High School Marching Bulldogs. He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Maine Orono and his masters degree from Kent State University. Since 2015, he has been a dedicated educator in the Augusta Schools Music Department, inspiring students through concert band, jazz band, marching band, and pep band. In addition to his work in education, Russell has played trombone with the KPAC Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble for over ten years and is a member of the Augusta Symphony Orchestra. When not teaching, Russell welcomes quiet time with his wife, daughter, and their pets.
Kalyn Simpson will serve as the associate conductor for the 2026/27 season. She has been teaching music for 14 years in Maine and Oregon and currently teaches band, choir, and general music at Maranacook Community Middle School.. She holds an associates degree in Irish Folk Music from University of Limerick; a Bachelor’s in Music Education from Pacific University where she also received the Outstanding Instrumentalist award for the class of 2011, and a Master of Arts in Teaching with an emphasis in Inquiry Based Learning from Willamette University.
A lifelong learner, Kalyn is one of five music educators who became the first cohort in the state of Maine to earn their Level 3 certificate in the Orff Schulwerk this summer.
Kalyn plays trombone with the KPAC Jazz Band and Wind Ensemble and has worked with various community bands and orchestras including the Augusta Symphony Orchestra and the R.B. Hall Memorial Band.
Kalyn serves as the MMEA District 3 Secretary, is a KPAC board member, She is also a member of the American Orff Schulwerk Association, Women Rising to the Podium, Decolonizing the Music Room, Women Band Director’s International, and the National Association for Music Education.
When she isn’t making music, Kalyn enjoys gardening, canoeing, and knitting. She is also the mom to a boistrous 6 year old who loves making music, often sharing her practice space to provide his own interpretation of the repertoire.
Kalyn Simpson
Associate Conductor
Wind Ensemble
