September 25, 2008

Ron Ellis – Brass Arranger/Consultant

Ron Ellis currently serves as the Assistant Director of Bands and Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Central Florida where he is deeply involved in all aspects of the UCF band program. In addition to writing drill and music for the 250 member Marching Knights, he serves as the coordinator/director for the Jammin’ Knights Pep Bands, Assistant Conductor of the UCF Wind Ensemble and Concert Band, and Instructor of the Marching Band Techniques Courses. He is also currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Wind and Orchestral Conducting at the University of South Florida where he is a student of Dr. William Wiedrich. He also has served as a conductor, clinician, show designer, music composer/arranger and adjudicator throughout the United States.

As a professional musician and conductor, Ron currently holds the position of Music Director for the Walt Disney Company where his duties include rehearsing, producing, and performing with outstanding college musicians from universities all across the nation and national recording artists/clinicians. In addition, he serves as a show coordinator for the Disney Student Musician Program at the Magic Kingdom where he coordinates and rehearses all student parade bands and street performances of The Fanfares of Christmas, The Christmas Brass, the Riverboat Band, Clown Band, and the Toy Soldiers and Glock Girls. He was asked to be the Assistant Director of the “All American College Band” under Ron McCurdy in 1993, the choreographer/show designer for the Orlando and Paris bands in 1999 and served as the director for the summer 2000, 2004 and 2005 Disney Collegiate All-Star Bands. Ellis also serves as one of the conductors of the Disney Candle Light processional orchestra for the Pre and Post shows. He is also the director of the Orlando Magic Basketball team's pep-band 'Momentum' and their drum line 'Rhythm and Blue.'

As a professional composer and arranger, he presently serves as orchestrator for Dr. David Brunner’s choral pieces and has had works premiered and performed at Carnegie Hall in 2 separate concerts. Other opportunities have allowed him to serve as orchestrator for “Parable,” an original musical, live ensembles at the Walt Disney Resort, and film scoring for the UCF Department of Film and Digital Media. In the marching world, Ellis served as the music arranger and drill designer many outstanding high school music programs across the country and is presently the music arranger and drill designer for 8 high schools in Florida. He has also arranged and designed shows for Northwestern University, The University of Minnesota, the University of Southern Illinois, Stamford University, University of Alabama Birmingham, the University of South Florida and the Florida International University marching bands. He has served as the brass arranger for the Yokohama Inspires Drum and Bugle Corps since 2004 and served on the brass staff for the Magic of Orlando from 1996 through 1999. In his marching years, Ron was lead baritone for Suncoast Sound in 1982, 1983, and 1985 and taught marching in 1987 and 1988.