Mickey
Ratliff is currently
Director of Bands at Warsaw
Community High School in Warsaw, IN, where he previously had been Assistant Director
of Bands. His current duties include directing the WCHS Marching Band, Wind Ensemble,
Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Pep Band. Other duties include assisting
with the Concert Band and four middle-school bands, teaching Music Theory, and serving as Department Head of Instrumental
Music. Mr. Ratliff has also taught private percussion lessons through Grace College and
Seminary in Winona Lake, IN. In the past twenty-five years, he has served
as an educator, clinician, adjudicator, private teacher, and performer in Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
Mr. Ratliff received his Bachelors of Music Education (’91)
and Masters of Music Performance (’98) from Morehead State University,
where he studied percussion with Frank Oddis and conducting with Dr. Richard Miles.
While at Morehead, Mr. Ratliff worked as a freelance writer/ arranger and instructor for several area drumlines and
was active as a performer, arranger, and instructor for the award-winning MSU Drumline and Percussion Ensembles – including
the 1992 Percussive Arts Society International
Convention Indoor Championship Drumline. Recently, he performed with
the MSU Alumni Percussion Ensemble at the 2003 PASIC in Louisville, KY.
Mr. Ratliff continues to perform with his rock band, “Joe’s
Garage”, with the Grace Community Wind Ensemble, local church ensembles and Praise Bands, musicals, and in a variety of other musical situations.
Mr. Ratliff endorses Vic Firth sticks and mallets, Evans Drumheads, and Dynasty USA drums. He currently resides in
Warsaw, IN with his wife
Dianne, their sons Dylan and Lennon, and their dachshund, “Tipper”.
Mr.
Ratliff’s favorite quotes:
“Success
is not the result of spontaneous combustion. You must set YOURSELF on fire.”
“If
you want to be good, practice until you get it right. If you want to be GREAT,
practice until you CAN’T get it WRONG.”
“If
you want to accomplish something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t,
you’ll find an excuse.”
“Babe
Ruth hit 714 homeruns in his career. He also struck out 1,330 times! If you are afraid of failure, you can never be a success. Swing for the fences every time you’re at bat!”
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Emily Mikel is currently Assistant Director of Bands
at Warsaw
Community High School in Warsaw, IN. Her
current duties include assisting with the WCHS Marching Band, Wind Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Jazz Band, and Pep Band
and four middle-school bands. Other duties include directing the Concert Band
and teaching General Music.
Ms. Mikel is a recent graduate of Ball State University
where she received her Bachelors of Science in Music
Education (’06). While there she studied Clarinet with Caroline Hartig and was the head Band Librarian. Ms. Mikel completed her student teaching experience at Penn High School in Mishawaka, Indiana. She remains active as a performer with the Elkhart Municipal Band and Grace Wind Ensemble
as well as other local musical groups.
Ms. Mikel is a 2002 graduate of NorthWood high
school, and is from Wakarusa, Indiana,
where her parents, Mark and Kathy, and sisters, Kelsey, Maddie, and McKenna still reside.
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