Faculty and Staff
Trever R. Famulare
Trever R. Famulare is Department Chair, Associate Professor of Music and Director of Bands at Shippensburg University. Mr. Famulare joined the faculty in the Fall of 2001 and is integrally involved with the instrumental music program at the university. He is the director of the Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Brass Chamber Ensemble, and teaches various academic courses within the Department of Music and Theatre Arts. Beginning in 2020, he assumed the responsibilities as the Artistic Director of the Shippensburg Summer Music Festival. Mr. Famulare also serves as the advisor for Shippensburg's chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi, a national band service fraternity.
Mr. Famulare has been distinguished as an honorary member of the Syracuse University's Eta Alpha chapter of Tau Beta Sigma, a national band service sorority and Shippensburg University's Lambda Delta chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi. He also has professional membership in several organizations including the Music Educators National Conference, the New York State School Music Association, and is a member and current Vice-President for the Pennsylvania Collegiate Bandmasters Association.
A New York native, Mr. Famulare received his Bachelor's degree from the College of St. Rose (New York), and earned his Graduate degree from Syracuse University (New York). Prior to his appointment at Shippensburg University, he successfully served as a public high school band director for 13 years in central New York. Mr. Famulare also served as a special consultant to the "Pride of the Orange" Syracuse University Marching Band for several years. He continues to actively serve as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator at festivals across the eastern region.
Office: Performing Arts Center 222
Phone: 717-477-1238
Fax: 717-477-4033
Dr. Elizabeth Lins Aragunde
Dr. Elizabeth Lins Aragunde, Coloratura Soprano, graduated magna cum laude from Messiah College with a degree in music education and has divided her energy between teaching, performing, and choral conducting since that time. She received her master’s degree in vocal performance and pedagogy from the Pennsylvania State University and completed her doctoral studies in vocal performance at the Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Virginia, with a research focus on microtonal singing in the music of Norwegian contemporary composer Lasse Thoresen. Dr. Shoenfelt Aragunde is in demand as a soloist, voice teacher, guest conductor, and choral clinician. Currently she serves assistant professor of music at Shippensburg University, where she also directs the choirs, and is contributing faculty in voice at Dickinson College. Additionally, she has taught at Bloomsburg University, Wilson College, and Messiah College.
In addition to teaching at Shippensburg University and Dickinson College, Dr. Shoenfelt Aragunde maintains a private voice studio and is a recurring choral adjudicator and clinician. Dr. Shoenfelt Aragunde has served on the executive board of the American Choral Directors Association of Pennsylvania as the repertoire and standards chair for women’s choirs and directed the Susquehanna Young Women’s Chorale from 2009-2015 Ms. Shoenfelt Aragunde is a frequent recitalist throughout central Pennsylvania and Virginia and has sung principal roles with opera companies in Harrisburg and Philadelphia.
She made her professional debut at the age of twenty with the Harrisburg Opera Company singing the role of Juliet Brooks in the Pennsylvania premiere of Benjamin Britten’s The Little Sweep. Since 2008 she has been featured several times as the soprano soloist in the Summer Festival Series at the Luhrs Center. Beginning in 2010, she appeared multiple times as a guest artist with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra in performances of Schubert, Mahler, Mozart, and programs of arias, and she is the recurring soprano soloist in Handel’s Messiah with the Pennsylvania Consort. Ms. Shoenfelt Aragunde has also had the privilege of repeat performances as a guest artist with the Shippensburg University Community Orchestra as well as the West Shore Symphony Orchestra.
Dr. Shoenfelt Aragunde has completed young artist programs in Siena, Italy, and Songfest in Malibu where she worked with composers such as Lori Laitman, Jake Heggie, and John Musto as well as acclaimed pianists and coaches Martin Katz and Graham Johnson. She has sung in a variety of venues throughout the United States and Europe, including performances for the former governor of Pennsylvania, several Miss Americas, and a concert appearance with Kenny Rogers.
Office: Performing Arts Center 221
Phone: 717-477-1760
Fax: 717-477-4033
Fred Dade
Fred Dade is Assistant Professor of Music at Shippensburg University where he teaches Introduction to Music, Fundamental Music Skills, Class Piano, and American Music. A native of Chicago, Mr. Dade is currently pursuing completion of the Ph.D. Degree from the University of Michigan, Anne Arbor. Prior to relocating to Pennsylvania, Mr. Dade served as a Teaching Assistant in the School of Music at the University of Michigan, and served as the Minister of Music at Amistad Community Church - United Church of Christ in Ann Arbor. Mr. Dade directed college gospel choirs at Aurora University (IL) and Concordia University (IL), and founded, accompanied, and directed the Gospel Choir at Wheaton College (IL). Additionally, Mr. Dade worked with the church choirs in the Chicago area, including the First Progressive Church of Christ, and he taught elementary general music in the Chicago public schools for seven years. Mr. Dade has extensive experience accompanying many different types of choirs and soloists, including the opportunity to accompany mezzo-soprano Marietta Simpson for a recital in February 2002, as well as accompanying George Shirley, Professor of Voice at the University of Michigan. He studied piano with Lynn Bartholomew and Louis Nagel, and he holds the Master of Music Degree in Music Education from Roosevelt University and the Bachelor of Science Degree from Wheaton College.
Office: Performing Arts Center 223
Phone: 717-477-1643
Fax: 717-477-4033
Ryan Kozak
Ryan Kozak began playing violin at the age 4 following his family’s return from Stuttgart, Germany. Just five years later, he was accepted into the York Junior Symphony Orchestra. Since then, he has played in orchestras across the United States, Bulgaria and Hungary. In October of 2010, he made his debut at Zankel Hall at Carnegie.
As a conductor, Ryan has covered various genres including opera, musicals, chamber and symphonic works. His interpretations have been described as “sensitive” and as having “expert direction.” Beginning with the 2023-24 season, Ryan began his tenure as the Music Director of the Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra. He was recently appointed to serve as the Conductor for the Dickinson College Orchestra from the fall 2024 academic semester through the spring 2026 academic semester. He also serves as the Director of Orchestra and String Ensemble at Shippensburg University. Since 2019, he has been the Music Director and Conductor for the Concert Strings program with the Frederick Regional Youth Orchestra. He has had the opportunity to study and participate in workshops in many countries including Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, Italy and the United States, which has included masterclasses with conductors from the Israel Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Baltimore Chamber Orchestra, Austrian-Turkmenistan Symphony and the Sophia Philharmonic. Ryan served as the Assistant Conductor of the Gettysburg College Symphony Orchestra for 6 seasons. During the Fall of 2012, he worked with members of Harmonius Blacksmith in preparation for the first ever student-run opera performance at the Sunderman Conservatory in his role as Music Director.
An active violinist and violist, Ryan currently plays with ensembles across the Mid-Atlantic area, as well as having a private studio of students. He is also a member of both Cormorant’s Fancy and Dearest Home as their fiddle player, performing traditional Irish and Appalachian/Civil War era music. Ryan attended the Sunderman Conservatory at Gettysburg College where he received a Bachelor of Music in Performance degree as well as a Minor in Political Science from the Eisenhower Institute. He has also received his Master of Music degree in Conducting at the Lamont School of Music.
Office: Performing Arts Center 240
Phone: 717-477-1682
Tom Meyer
Tom Meyer is a professional musician that recently relocated to Lancaster, PA. His primary instrument is saxophone, and he also doubles on flute, clarinet and tuba. After graduating high school in 2001, Tom perused his Bachelors in Music and his Masters in Music Performance at West Chester University in West Chester PA. His most notable accomplishments while attending were playing lead alto in the Criterions jazz ensemble, serving as student director for the Golden Rams Marching Band in 2005, and serving as a teaching assistant in 2010.
During his undergraduate studies, Tom also was a member of the Crossmen Drum and Bugle Corps where he played tuba, served as section leader in 2004, and received the Crossmen Distinguished Service Award in 2004. In 2005 Tom began doing contract work in music for several different production companies. From 2005-2007 he was a musician with Hershey Entertainment and Resorts in Hershey PA, from 2008-2016 he performed for the Emmy Award winning RWS Entertainment Group out of New York, NY, and from 2009-2017 he was a showband musician with Carnival Cruise Lines based out of Miami, FL.
In addition to his positions of woodwind ensemble director and marching band instructor at Shippensburg University, Tom is also a freelance musician in the Tri State area, performs with the Legacy wedding band as saxophone player and music arranger, and is a musical director for the RWS entertainment group. He is also finishing his Doctoral studies in Jazz Performance with a minor in Classical Saxophone Performance at the University of Illinois in Urbana IL. During his time at Illinois, Tom performed in several jazz combos, played lead alto in both the Concert Jazz Band and the Latin Jazz Ensembles, and also served as a teaching assistant for several years.
Suzanne Thierry
Suzanne Thierry directs the Flute Choir at Shippensburg University. She has appeared as a soloist or chamber musician on a variety of venues, including National Public Radio, and has worked with composers from around the United States as a performer of contemporary music. A former faculty member of Bowling Green State University, she served as an administrator for the University’s New Music & Art Festival and MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music, and as an instructor of flute. Thierry has also worked on several projects with the National Flute Association including competition coordinator, newly-published music judge, and convention program book designer, and has served as a reader for the AP National Music Theory Exams. As an active freelance musician, she has performed with the Shippensburg Summer Festival Orchestra, the Celtic Women troupe, Chambersburg Ballet Orchestra, Mercersburg Chorus Orchestra, Maryland Symphony, Camp Hill Light Opera Experience Orchestra, and the Hagerstown Band. She has also taught at Wilson and Dickinson Colleges. Currently, she works full time as a music teacher in the Chambersburg Area School District and does adjudication for area music competitions. Thierry earned a bachelor’s degree in performance from the University of Alabama, and masters’ degrees in performance and music history from Bowling Green State University, with additional course work in Nice, France, at the International Summer Academy. Her teachers include Sheryl Cohen and Judith Bentley, and master class experience with Jean-Pierre Rampal, Alain Marion, and Samuel Baron.
Tyler Wales
Dr. Tyler Wales is the Assistant Director of Bands at Shippensburg University. Dr. Wales joined the faculty in the Fall of 2023 and is most heavily involved with the percussion students at Ship. In addition to working with the Marching Band, he is the director of the percussion ensemble and pep band. Dr. Wales is also involved with a variety of other marching arts programs such as the Reading Buccaneers and the George Mason University indoor drumline. Originally from Pennsylvania, Tyler received his bachelor’s degree in music from Kutztown University and his master’s degree in music performance from West Chester University. Dr. Wales then traveled to Arizona to complete a doctorate in percussion performance from Arizona State University. Afterwards, he moved to Texas to teach at some of the largest high school band programs in the country including Aledo High School and Keller High School. Dr. Wales frequently freelances including both writing and playing around the country. He has performed consistently with major orchestras and wind ensembles. Tyler is also a respected marching band arranger and educator, writing for and giving masterclasses at various schools throughout Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Texas. As a composer, he has had multiple works premiered at Percussive Arts Society events and faculty recitals through a multitude of universities.
Dallas Brown
Department Secretary
Office: Performing Arts Center 220
Phone: 717-477-1638
Fax: 717-477-4033