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Brian played piano in the Roseville Big Band at the Carleton College Mid-Winter Dance, February 3, 2001. |
| Brian played second alto sax in the Roseville Big Band at the 1985 North Suburban Ball. |  |
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Brian played an alto sax solo at the Carleton College Mid-Winter Dance, February 5, 2011. |
| Former Role in Roseville Big Band: |
Alto and tenor sax and piano |
| Member during: |
1985 through 1992 |
| Occupation: |
Mechanical engineer |
Brian joined the Roseville Big Band as the second alto sax player, then switched to lead tenor sax in June of 1987 when Glen Peterson dropped out. He was the lead tenor player on the band's trip to Acapulco, Mexico, in 1989 and continued in that position until the middle of 1991 when the band found itself in need of a pianist. By then Glen Peterson was ready to rejoin the band on tenor, so Brian switched to piano.
From 1966 through 1969, while a student at Macalester College, Brian played piano and alto sax in the Bagdad on the Subway Municipal Swing Band with John Curlee who, like Brian, would later join the Roseville Big Band.
From 1972 through 1976, Brian was the keyboardist in a keyboard/drums/horns lounge act, ThreeForAll, that performed occasionally in the upper midwest.
Brian played sax, multi-keyboards, and (for a brief time) trumpet in the rock group Skyline from 1976 through 1979, touring in the upper midwest.
He is currenly a member of the Golden Valley Orchestra, playing principle oboe; he's also played bassoon in the orchestra. He was principle bassoonist of the St. Anthony Civic Orchestra in the 1980's and still subs on oboe and bassoon. Brian also plays principal bassoon in the Northeast Orchestra, the same musical organization in which former Roseville Big Band member Larry Perry plays principal trombone.
Brian also subs on oboe in the St. Paul Jewish Community Center Orchestra. He sometimes plays in other orchestral groups, such as serving as bassoonist in the orchestra that accompanied the combined choirs of three churches in the Dinkytown area who performed "The Seven Last Words of Christ".
At Camp Snoopy in the Mall of America, he has played piano for employee shows in the Great Lakes Ball Room. Brian also occasionally ran the sound board for Camp Snoopy's Wilderness Theater.
Brian also plays lead alto sax in the Waconia-based Jazz Hounds Big Band.
To start an interesting conversation with Brian, ask him about playing an aluminum string bass while on a piano scholarship to the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan. What do you suppose happened to the basses and cellos during their semi-authentic performance of Handel's Water Music?