STAFF
Jeffrey Haas, Director of Bands
Jazz Lab, Director
Saxophone Ensemble Director
Jeffrey G. Haas, has been Director of Bands at Ridgewood High School since 1988. He currently conducts the Wind Ensemble and co-conducts the Concert Band and Symphonic Band. He also directs the Jazz Lab Ensemble and Saxophone Ensemble, and coaches several chamber music ensembles. Between 1988 and 2001, he directed the RHS Marching Band, which won two USSBA circuit championships and two state championships under his direction. In 1997, the pit orchestra for the New Players production of "The Secret Garden" was recognized with the Paper Mill Playhouse "Rising Star" award for Outstanding Student Orchestra under his direction. He has also coached saxophone ensembles ranging from duos to quintets to six appearances at the Lincoln Center Chamber Music Society's Young Musicians Concert between 2002 through 2015.
During the course of his long career at Ridgewood, Mr. Haas has been consistently recognized with awards for excellence in music education. In June of 1998, Mr. Haas received the Disney American Teacher Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Performing Arts, and he was named "North Jersey Music Educator of the Year" by William Paterson University that same year. In June of 2004, he was named as the Ridgewood High School recipient of the Ridgewood Teacher Recognition Award. In 2011, Mr. Haas was the New Jersey recipient of the "Directors Who Make a Difference" Award presented by School Band & Orchestra Magazine, and in 2013 he was a semi-finalist nominee for the first ever Grammy Music Educator Award. In 2015, Mr. Haas received the NJAJE Jazz Education Achievement Award and in 2016, he was named an “Outstanding Educator” by The Record.
Mr. Haas holds degrees in music education from Syracuse University (B.M., Cum Laude, Performance Honors) and Columbia University (M.A., Magna Cum Laude), and has done considerable graduate study in the areas of conducting and educational leadership.
Mr. Haas has served on the executive board of the New Jersey Association for Jazz Education since 1990, as President from 1997-1999, and currently as Vice President of that organization, chairing the annual jazz educators conference at NJPAC, and the professional development committee. He is also a past executive board member for the New Jersey Music Educators Association. Mr. Haas has served as conductor of the 1990 Region I Junior Jazz Ensemble, the 1995 Rockland County (NY) All County Band, and the 1996 Bergen County Band, the 2015 Region I Senior Jazz Ensemble, and has been a guest conductor with the Ridgewood Concert Band.
As a professional saxophonist, Mr. Haas has appeared with New York Voices, Rob McConnell, Freddie Hubbard, Bob Hope, and Vanessa Williams, and he has been a featured soloist with the Ridgewood Symphony Orchestra and the Ridgewood Concert Band. He is the director of the Jazzmasters Big Band, a jazz ensemble consisting of music educators dedicated to promoting and preserving jazz music played in the big band tradition. He has presented several clinics and workshops on various aspects of music education at universities, conferences and conventions around the country. He is also an adjunct professor of jazz pedagogy at the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University.
Mr. Haas lives in Glen Rock, with his wife Cynthia, and their two daughters, Stefanie and Danielle.
John Luckenbill, Associate Director of Bands
RHS Marching Band Director
Director of Brass Ensembles
John W. Luckenbill III has been the Associate Director of Bands at Ridgewood High School since the fall of 2011. He currently is the director of the Marching Band and brass ensembles, co-conducts the Symphonic Band and Concert Band, teaches 21st Century Music Production at RHS, and runs the RHS Recording Studio and Club. He serves as the co-director of the Summer Music Academy at Ridgewood and is heavily involved with the pit orchestra of RHS New Players. He also taught 5th grade instrumental music at Hawes Elementary School during his first 2 years teaching in Ridgewood. Originally from Shrewsbury, NJ, Mr. Luckenbill received a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Michigan State University in the spring of 2011, and his Master of Music in Music Education from Kent State University in spring of 2016.
Since beginning at RHS, Mr. Luckenbill has brought the RHS Marching Band program to new heights; growing the membership from 81 to 116 students within the first 5 years. The RHSMB placed in the top 3 in 7 consecutive USBands National Championships (from 2014-2021). The band was also featured on CBS-WLNY TV’s morning show, “The Couch” during the fall of 2013. In 2016, Mr. Luckenbill was named a Positive Coaching Alliance “Double Goal Coach Award” winner (1 of only 50 in the United States) for his work with the marching band. The award is given to coaches who strive to win while also teaching life lessons through their activity.
During his time at Michigan State University, Mr. Luckenbill was in many performing ensembles offered through the University. He was a part of the Spartan Marching Band trumpet section where his peers selected him as trumpet section and squad leader for 3 years during his 5 years in the band. He also participated in the MSU Spartan Brass, the men’s and women’s basketball and hockey band, where he was section leader for 4 of his 5 years. Marching Band and Spartan Brass led him to travel with each team across the nation to 2 Final Fours and 4 bowl games. Mr. Luckenbill was principal trumpet of the MSU Symphony Band and performed with the MSU Wind Symphony. He performed with a scholarship brass quintet throughout his years at MSU, where they performed outreach concerts and recitals.
Besides his work at RHS, Mr. Luckenbill also plays trumpet with many ensembles throughout New Jersey and can be found working as the substitute bugler at Monmouth Park Racetrack during the summer months. He most recently played for the 2015 Triple Crown winner’s, American Pharoah, winning race at the Haskell Invitational.
Mr. Luckenbill lives in Waldwick with his wife, Lisa, their two sons, William and Andrew, their daughter, Lainey, and their dog, Ruby.
Gary Fink, Director of Jazz and Percussion
Marching Band Sideline Percussion
Conductor of Pit Orchestra
Gary Fink is the director of Jazz and Percussion at Ridgewood High School. He founded the
RHS Percussion Ensemble in 1986, which has become recognized as a superior group by
nationally known clinicians and educators. The ensemble was chosen to be a part of the
Chamber Society of Lincoln Center's Young Musicians Program eighteen times from 1998 to 2024, the first and only percussion ensemble to receive that honor in the program's
history. In 2001, the ensemble was selected to perform Minoru Miki's Marimba Spiritual on
the nationally broadcast radio program "From The Top."
Mr. Fink has also directed the Percussion Ensemble at New Jersey City University from
2003-2005, the USSBA All-Star Percussion Ensemble, NJ Region I High School Jazz
Ensemble, has toured China as director of HYPE, the 2011 North Jersey Region Percussion
Ensemble, the 2013 Central NJ High School Percussion Ensemble and since 1992 has
toured Europe as a director of the American Music Abroad Red Tour. Mr. Fink was the
Principal Percussionist for the Ridgewood Concert Band from 1984-2001. He was a
founding member of the Ethos Percussion Group and has performed and conducted in the
pit orchestra of over 165 musical productions. He has performed as a member of the
Hunter Symphony, the New Jersey Percussion Ensemble, and for the Pope at Giants
Stadium. He studied music at Eastman School of Music and William Paterson College.
In 1998 and 2007, Mr. Fink was awarded a Teacher Recognition Certificate from the
National Foundation for the Advancement in the Arts. He was directly involved with the
revamping of percussion auditions for both the NJ All-State Band and All-State Jazz
Ensembles and the Music Educators of Bergen County (Bergen County Band), and the
North Jersey School Music Association (Region I Band and Orchestra). Mr. Fink is a Yamaha
Clinician for symphonic percussion and he also gives clinics and workshops on drum set.
He has worked with students in the Region I Jazz Ensemble, the Bergen County Band, and
the Region I Symphonic Band. He teaches Music Theory at RHS, Acoustics at William
Paterson University, and is also the director of the Encore Music Studio, the Ridgewood
Community School's after-school private music lesson program.
He is married to Deborah Gregory-Fink, the instrumental music teacher at Hawes School,
and has two grown children, Griffin and Desiree.
Will Ebbels, Assistant Marching Band Director
Will Ebbels is currently the middle school band director in Garfield, New Jersey. Will grew up in Ridgewood and graduated from RHS in 2007. He was a four year member of the marching band and served as Field Captain and Drum Major in his final two years. After graduating, Will had a brief stint at Marist College where he studied French. Ultimately, he decided to pursue a degree in Music Education and transferred to Montclair State University. As a tuba player, he was a member of many ensembles at MSU including the Wind Symphony, Tuba Euphonium Ensemble, and pit orchestra. Will developed a passion for conducting from his esteemed professors Dr. Thomas McCauley and Dr. Shelley Axelson. He graduated in 2015 with his Bachelor of Music.
From 2008 through 2010, Will was a member of the ten time DCI World Champion Cadets drum and bugle corps. He used that experience to come back to RHS and help with marching band as a visual technician. He has now been on staff in some capacity since 2008, and in the past ten years has increased his responsibilities to include not just visual aspects, but music, show planning, and the organization/coordination of the marching band program. He currently fills the role of the marching band's Assistant Director. He also works with the Garfield and Kittatinny High School marching bands.
James Garde, Jazz Assistant
Marching Band Music/Visual Tech
James Garde was a member of the Ridgewood High School Marching Band from 1989 to 1992, and graduated from RHS in the spring of 1993. He graduated Magna cum Laude with a degree in Music Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 1998. Since then, James returned to RHS to work with the Marching Band as a woodwind specialist, a marching and maneuvering instructor, assistant band director, and spent five years as the marching band director, from 2006-2010. James is also the staff music arranger and consultant for both the Midland Park High School and Indian Hills High School Marching Bands.
He is also looking forward to being involved with the Jazz Program at RHS again this year working with the sax sections, and can be seen in the area appearing with several rock groups, the New Jersey Saxophone Ensemble, the pit orchestras for several high school musical productions, and as a musician and volunteer with the Youth Ministry Program at Church of the Presentation in Upper Saddle River. James directs the band program in grades 4 through 8, and teaches the video production classes in the Carlstadt Public School in Carlstadt, NJ.
Henry Heyzer, Jazz Assistant
Marching Band Music/Visual Tech
Henry Heyzer joined the RHS faculty in 2005 as instructor and conductor of the Symphonic Band. Originally from Waldwick, NJ, Mr. Heyzer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education West Chester University in Pennsylvania, and a Master of Music degree in trombone performance from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
After receiving his B.S. degree, he moved to Washington DC, where he was a member of the United States Navy Concert Band, performing at the White House and on national tours. While still in Washington, he performed at the Kennedy Center and the National Theatre. During 1979 through 1980 he was an original member of the Singapore Symphony Orchestra in the Republic of Singapore.
Henry has been doing a large amount of private instruction and performing with many local ensembles including the Bergen Philharmonic and Rockland Symphony Orchestra. Over his playing career, Mr. Heyzer has studied with John Marcellus of the Eastman School of Music, Donald S. Reinhart, author of "The Pivot System for Brass Playing," and with many other major performers from the New York Philharmonic, the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the Chicago Symphony. Mr. Heyzer has been working with the RHS Marching Band and Jazz Ensembles since 1994.
Joe Bergen, Drumline Instructor & Arranger
Joe Bergen is a musician, educator (pre K - college), composer and arts administrator whose work focuses on creating and developing diverse and equitable music communities. Joe is best known as founding member and Co-Artistic Director of Mantra Percussion, Inc., a future-focused arts organization dedicated to a lasting influence on percussion performance and percussion education. Joe is also Director of Percussion Studies, adjunct music education professor, and marching band instructor and arranger at Caldwell University, as well as the NJ Chapter President of the Percussive Arts Society and professional member with the Network for Diversity in Concert Percussion. Joe has taught and arranged for the Ridgewood HS Marching Band drumline since 2012
Joe has performed for film, tv, radio and video game soundtracks, has toured North America, Asia, and Europe, and appeared in over 20 albums. He has presented educational workshops for Carnegie Hall, NJMEA and the Percussive Arts Society and his compositions have been performed by student and professional ensembles around the country.
Ben Saportio, Drumline Instructor
Since graduating with honors from the Berklee College of Music, and completing his graduate studies in music education at Montclair State University, Benjamin Saporito has enjoyed a musically diverse career as a performing percussionist and music educator in the New York City metropolitan area.
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Mr. Saporito has performed and/or recorded with, The New York Pops, The American Composers Orchestra, The Newburgh Symphony, The New York Jazz-Harmonic Trio, Vanessa Racci, Danny Bacher, Chris Pinnella, David Shenton, Vin Mott’s Rhythm and Blues Band, and Vintage Ego to name a few. Additionally, he has played regional productions of Spelling Bee, The Addams Family, Songs for a New World, Footloose, Annie, Hairspray, Mama Mia, 13, A Chorus Line, Ragtime, Pippin, and Rent. Most recently, he is enjoying subbing on Broadway in New York City.
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As a proud alumnus of the Ridgewood High School class of 2011, Benjamin is thrilled to continue his work as an adjunct music instructor for Ridgewood Public Schools.
Max Dabby, Marching Band Visual/Music Tech
Maxwell Dabby is a middle school music educator at George Washington and Benjamin Franklin Middle Schools. After graduating from Ridgewood High School in 2011, he graduated Magna cum Laude from the University of Delaware with a degree in Instrumental Music Education, concentration in Horn, and a Music Composition minor. Following graduation, he led as the Band/Choir Director at POLYTECH High School in central Delaware for five years where he led the Concert Band, Marching Band, Choirs, Jazz Band, Music Technology Program and Pit Orchestras.
Mr. Dabby is happy to return to Ridgewood where he has the opportunity to work with teachers that made him the musician, educator and person that he is today. Besides directing the 6th grade bands and teaching the middle school music technology course, Mr. Dabby helps out as a staff member for the marching band and is looking forward to making music in years to come. Mr. Dabby's primary instruments are Horn and Flute and he teaches privately.
Brooke Maskin, Marching Band Visual/Music Tech
Clarinet Ensemble Director
Brooke Maskin is an RHS alumna Class of '16. Her passion for music from an early age, coupled with participating in a wide variety of performances, have shaped her into the musician she is today. When Brooke was four years old, she learned the piano with her grandmother and took private lessons for over ten years. Brooke picked up the clarinet at the end of 4th Grade and has been playing ever since. During her time in the Ridgewood K-12 Schools, Brooke participated in curricular bands, jazz bands, marching band (Drum Major '15), small ensembles, chamber groups, pit orchestras, and more. From marching at MetLife Stadium, to traveling in Europe with American Music Abroad, music has brought Brooke incredible experiences that she will always cherish.
Brooke is a Gettysburg College Class of '20 graduate with a Bachelor of Music Education and Spanish Minor from the Sunderman Conservatory of Music. During her time at Gettysburg, Brooke performed in many ensembles, including: Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, the Bullets Marching Band, Gamelan Gita Semara (Balinese Percussion Ensemble), Clarinet Ensemble, and various chamber groups. She served as a section leader in the Wind Symphony and Symphony Orchestra, Drum Major for the Bullets Marching Band, and assistant conductor of the Clarinet Ensemble. Brooke also participated in Audeamus (upper-voice choir), Percussion Ensemble, and the Gettysburg College Jazz Band.
After graduating from Gettysburg College, Brooke accepted a job at Woodcliff Middle School in Woodcliff Lake, NJ. For three years, she taught Chorus, Music Appreciation, various music electives, directed the Spring musical, and led after school ensembles. Brooke is overjoyed to now be teaching in the Ridgewood Public School District. She teaches 6th Grade Band and 7th/8th Grade Soundology at both Benjamin Franklin and George Washington Middle Schools. Brooke began working as a visual/music tech staff member for the RHS Marching Band in 2022. She is also the Clarinet Ensemble Director at RHS. Brooke is so grateful to be back where it all started and is looking forward to this year.
Michael Klesch, Marching Band Music Arranger
Michael Klesch is an arranger and clinician for numerous marching bands across the country. In addition to arranging for Ridgewood High School he is the staff arranger for both the University of Alabama Million Dollar Band and the University of Massachusetts Minuteman Marching Band. His degrees come from West Chester University, a B.S. in Music Education, and from, the University of Massachusetts, a Masters in Music.
Mr. Klesch was a performer with the Garfield Cadets and finished out his career there as drum major of the 1983 DCI World Champions. After aging-out of drum corps in 1983, Mr. Klesch then serve on the Cadets brass staff in 1984 and as the brass arranger for the Cadets from 1985-1992 (World Champions in 1985, 1987, and 1990). He has served as brass arranger for the Phantom Regiment and Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps and currently serves as the brass arranger and musical director for the World Champion Carolina Crown Drum and Bugle Corps.
Patricia Lazzara, Flute Ensemble
Patricia Lazzara, flutist, has distinguished herself as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician. She is a three time winner of the Artists International competition in New York City and gave her critically acclaimed New York recital debut at Cami Hall. Patricia Lazzara has performed as soloist for the National Flute Association Professional Flute Choir and won first prize in the North Jersey Philharmonic Concerto Competition. Ms. Lazzara is a Miyazawa Flute Artist, (www.miyazawa.com), is the 2007 Winner of the Florida Flute Association Performers Grant for Advanced Study, presently studying with Keith Underwood and currently is a Twinz Records Recording Artist. She is a 2004 Winner of the National Flute Association Convention Performers Competition.
Ms. Lazzara has released two CDs for flute and harp entitled "Enchanted Love" and "Celestial Sounds of Christmas". Ms. Lazzara is a founding member of "UpTown Flutes", an innovative flute ensemble in residence at Drew University, Madison, NJ. Their sold out performance at Carnegie's Weill Hall in 2002 received a rave review from the New York Concert Review and they were invited to perform at The 2003 National Flute Association Convention in Washington, DC.
The "UpTown Flutes" debut CD is entitled ''A Flute Renaissance'' followed by their holiday CD, "An UpTown Christmas" both edited by Patricia. UpTown Flutes' third CD "21st Century Gems" has recently been released.
Ms. Lazzara had the distinct honor of being the flute soloist for the Papal Visit to Giants Stadium in 1995 and is the Events coordinator of the New Jersey Flute Society. She is principal flutist with the Gateway Classical Music Society and the NJ State Opera and she also performs with the Garden State Philharmonic. She attended Carnegie Mellon University and received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Hartt School of Music where she studied with John Wion, has appeared in master classes with Jean Pierre Rampal, Thomas Nyfenger, Robert Stallman, Trevor Wye and has coached with Jeanne Baxtresser, Michael Parloff and Bart Feller. She also studied with Paige Brook and David Williams. Ms. Lazzara is the Executive Director of “Music for Life”, a successful musical instruction program in parochial schools, is on the faculty of the the Encore Music Studio, Rockland Conservatory of Music and Ackerman's Music Center in addition to full studio of private students.
Ben Hankle, Jazz Assistant
Ben Hankle has been a freelance trumpeter in the NYC area since the late 90’s. As a youth he was principal trumpet of the NY Youth Symphony and the NJ All-State Wind Ensemble and Orchestra. His career has included Broadway, jazz, and orchestral performances, as he currently subs in the orchestra of the hit Broadway show Chicago, leads his own jazz quintet, and performs with many of the best bands including, the Joe Elefante Big Band, the Mike Lee Big Band, and the George Gee Big Band.
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Ben has had the opportunity to perform and/ or record with such artists as Arturo Sandoval, Louie Bellson, Gladys Knight, Phil Smith, Tierney Sutton, Rufus Reid, Wynton Marsalis, and Buddy DeFranco. Ben is a graduate of the Mason Gross School of the Arts (Rutgers) having received his MM in Jazz Performance in 2011. He teaches trumpet through the Encore Music Studio.
Color Guard/Winter Guard/Twirlers
Jake Montanaro
Jake Montanaro (Long Island, NY) is so excited for his 6th season with the RHS Color Guard and cannot wait to see where this year takes them! In 2020 Jake earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Dance Performance from Montclair State University. While at MSU he performed works by Martha Graham, Ohad Naharin, Bill T. Jones, Alwin Nikolais, Kathleen Kelley, Lori Katterhenry and Fredrick Earl Mosley. Jake marched in the color guard at the Cadets2 in 2014 where he was the rookie of the year, and The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from 2015-2019 where he served as captain for two years and received the “Distinguished Service” and “Cadet of the Year'' awards. As a teacher he has worked with Floral Park Memorial High School (NY), Mineola High School (NY), Immaculata High School (NJ), Arthur L. Johnson High School (NJ) and teaches movement for The Cadets (PA), and choreographs both movement and equipment at The Black Watch Winterguard (NJ). In Winter 2019 he performed on Broadway in Ajijaak on Turtle Island at The New Victory Theater (NY). He is also a co-founder of the Sakan Dance Company (NJ).
Remember : Good technique ALWAYS works, you’re better when you count, and nobody likes boring color guard! Here we grow!
Patti Wojtowicz
Patti Wojtowicz has been a proud member of the RHS Marching Band staff since 1978. She has a masters degree in educational psychology and is a career development specialist with the Bergen County Special Services / Technical School District. Patti is a member of the visual staff and specializes in baton twirling. She instructs the RHS indoor twirling program.
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Patti is the president of the NJ Twirling Council of the United State Twirling Association and is a certified level 2 judge. She is the director of the Illumination Twirlers. Her students hold individual and team championships at the state, regional and national level and have gone on to excel as feature twirlers in college. Patti lives in Ho-Ho-Kus with her husband Sam and daughter Catherine.
Guest Artists
The RHS Band Program has a long history of bringing some of the nation's finest solo musicians into the classroom and onto the performance stage with the students. Since 1989, the bands have performed with dozens of renowned artists, teachers and clinicians both in Ridgewood and on tour. Past guest artists have included Shelly Berg, Paul Cohen, Murray Colosimo, David Demsey, Karen Demsey, Denis DiBlasio, Andy Fusco, Conrad Herwig, Jeff Jarvis, Ingrid Jensen, Kristin Korb, Darmon Meader, Scott Mendoker, Marvin Stamm, Byron Stripling, Phil Wilson, Alison Crossley, David Stryker, David Stevens, Wayne Bergeron, Donald Batchelder, Tom "Bones" Malone, Anthony Mazzocchi, SSgt Rachel Hertzberg, RJ Kelly, Mark Friedman, Andy Martin, and Vincent Gardner among others. This year, the RHS Band is happy to welcome __________ as our guest artist for Jazz in the Wood.