conductor & music director

​Major (Retired) William Garlette
 
Major Bill Garlette retired to the Hampton Roads area in 2002 after serving over 25 years as an Army Band musician and officer. In his final tour from 1998-2002, he served as Deputy Commander and Associate Conductor at the United States Military Academy Band at West Point, NY. Since 2002 he has been involved as a guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator throughout Virginia. Originally from Caldwell, New Jersey, Major Garlette holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from William Patterson College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in trumpet performance from the State University of New York. He also holds a master’s degree in conducting from Northwestern University.

Major Garlette joined the United States Army as a trumpet player in 1977. His first assignment brought him to the U.S. Army Element School of Music, in Norfolk, Virginia, as a trumpet instructor and rehearsal conductor. He also served as a trumpet player with the 26th Army Band, at Fort Hamilton, New York; and the U.S. Continental Army Band, at Fort Monroe, Virginia. As an honors graduate of both the Enlisted Bandleaders’ course and the Warrant Officer/Bandmasters course, he returned, as a warrant officer, to the School of Music as the deputy director of advanced courses. In March of 1985, he received a direct commission. He subsequently served as staff bands officer, 4th Army Headquarters at Fort Sheridan, Illinois; executive officer and commander of the United States Continental Army Band at Fort Monroe, Virginia; and at the Armed Forces School of Music, as assistant commandant, commander of the staff and faculty company, and director of the Army band officer course.

Major Garlette has studied conducting with John Paynter, William Revelli, Donald Hunsberger, and Eugene Corporon; and trumpet with Ron Anderson, associate principal trumpet player for the New York City Ballet. He has taught graduate classes at Old Dominion University, in Virginia, and at the Catholic University of America, in Washington, D.C.

Assistant Conductor

Kim A. Williams Melby

Kim A. Williams Melby originally hails from Forest Grove, Oregon.  She is currently serving in the United States Navy in Norfolk, Virginia as a network security instructor.

Before joining the Navy, Mrs. Melby served as an adjunct professor with the Wind Ensemble and Orchestra at Pacific University alongside Dr. Michael Burch-Pesses (ret. US Navy Commander) and Dr. Bryce Seliger until (2010-2012). She completed her Masters in Music in Conducting under the superb tutelage of renown composer Mark Camphouse, Anthony Maiello, and Dr. Dennis Layendecker (ret. Air
Force Colonel) from George Mason University as well as her Masters of Arts in Teaching and Bachelors in Music Education from Pacific University. Certified as a music teacher in Oregon, she has taught
students in elementary through college while in the NOVA area and Bethesda, MD as part of the Virginia Music Adventures team, Oregon (Forest Grove School District and Yamhill-Carlton School District) in
both classroom ensembles and private instruction on clarinet, saxophone, flute, and recorder.
​
While serving in the Navy she has been heavily involved in creating, sustaining, and leading music ensembles to support command religious ceremonies and ceremonial events on board the USS Carl
Vinson (CVN70) in San Diego, California and Corry Station Pensacola, Florida.