Tulane Bands Scores Big in the Staff “Transfer Portal”
Tulane Bands is delighted to welcome six new colleagues to its professional staff whose experience spans collegiate bands, professional performance, arts administration, and dance. Together, they bring a wide range of expertise to the university’s bands and Shockwave Dance Team.
Dr. Joe Scheivert joins Tulane as Assistant Director of Bands. He earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in wind conducting from the University of Iowa, where he served as a graduate teaching assistant, conducted concert ensembles, led the Iowa Pep Band, and worked with the Hawkeye Marching Band as a drill writer, arranger, and instructor. He later served as assistant director of bands at Kennesaw State University, Interim Director of Athletic Bands at UNC Charlotte, and as director of athletic bands at the University of Wisconsin–Oshkosh. At Oshkosh, he single handedly built the Titan Thunder Marching Band from the ground up and led the university’s pep band. Scheivert also serves on the College Band Directors National Association’s Athletic Bands Committee.
“I’m thrilled to welcome Joe to Tulane. He has led and developed programs in several impressive university settings, and his national leadership in athletic bands speaks to the respect he has earned among his colleagues. His experience will be a tremendous resource for our Tulane students, our university music program, and Tulane athletics,” said Director of Bands Dylan Parrilla-Koester.
Ben Atherholt joins Tulane Bands as Operations Manager after a career as a performer, educator, and arts administrator. He spent seventeen seasons as assistant principal bassoonist and contrabassoonist of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra and is contrabassoonist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra. He has also performed with the Chicago, Detroit, St. Louis, and National symphony orchestras and can be heard on the Grammy Award-winning recording of Berg’s Wozzeck with the Houston Symphony. In addition to serving as bassoon instructor at Tulane, he has taught at UNCSA, the University of Tennessee, and Loyola University and has given masterclasses nationwide.
A graduate of Oberlin Conservatory, Ben previously served as programming director of the New Orleans nonprofit Lyrica Baroque, where he grew NOLA Chamber Fest from a local event into a national competition and launched Creativity Day. He looks forward to bringing his experience in performance, education, and arts administration to Tulane Bands and supporting the students, staff, and alumni who make the band program a vital part of campus and city life. “I’m excited to join Tulane Bands and to work alongside such talented students and staff. My goal is to handle the behind-the-scenes details well, so the musicians can focus on making great music,” said Ben.
“Ben brings a professional musician’s understanding of what it takes to make performances happen, paired with unique experience in arts programming and administration. I’m excited for the care, organization, and perspective he’ll bring to the many moving parts of Tulane Bands,” Parrilla-Koester said.
Alyssa Bennefield joins Tulane as Shockwave Dance Team coach. Her professional dance career includes four years with the Atlanta Hawks’ NBA dance team and three seasons as a New Orleans Saints NFL cheerleader. She has performed with artists including Ciara, Migos, 21 Savage, and New Kids on the Block. Bennefield is also an active actor and musical theater performer, with recent credits including Jagged Little Pill and Come from Away. Her experience across professional dance, choreography, and theater gives her a broad foundation for coaching and mentoring Shockwave.
“Alyssa’s experience with the Saints, her professional dance career, and her acting portfolio give her a remarkable range of experiences to share with Shockwave. I’m thrilled she’s leading the team and helping our dancers grow as performers, teammates, and collaborators,” Parrilla-Koester said.
Percussion instructor Ty Ellender completed his Doctor of Musical Arts program in Percussion Performance at the LSU, with a minor in Jazz Studies. He spent several years as Drumline Instructor for LSU’s Golden Band from Tigerland, and he serves as a percussion instructor for numerous schools in the New Orleans metro area. He serves as director of the New Orleans Saints Drumline, and he has become increasingly involved in New Orleans’ music community, playing drum set with local groups and performing with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra.
“Ty brings deep experience in marching percussion, a strong background in live performance, and an active connection to New Orleans’ professional and educational music communities. We’re excited to welcome him to Tulane and to have his expertise in the percussion program,” Parrilla-Koester said.
Damien Cameron (SSE ‘26) joins the band program’s operations team as an operations assistant. In his time as a student in the band program, Damien performed as a talented multi-instrumentalist, performing on piccolo/flute and saxophone, and serving as section leaders of both sections in different years. Damien served in additional leadership across the organization, including uniform manager and President of Kappa Kappa Psi Rho. “Damien represents the best of our alumni: talented, driven, and detail-oriented, with an innate inclination to serve. Damien has proven crucial to our behind the scenes work as we put together an exciting year of programming for the Tulane community,” Parrilla-Koester said. Meredieth Lapré also joins the operations team. Meredith is a multifaceted Tulanian, serving in the Office of the Registrar in Gibson Hall. Meredith has performed in the marching band, concert band, the Tulane Orchestra, and has pursued graduate education at Tulane. Parrilla-Koester said, “Meredith is an insightful leader, a true team player, and she embodies the spirit of Tulane. She shows up in myriad ways across our Tulane community, and we are grateful to have her in our band family!”