John Martin - Director of Athletic Bands

Office Address: 1211 Haas Center for Performing Arts
Phone: (616) 331-2942
Email: [email protected]

D.M.A., University of Southern Mississippi
M.M., University of Tennessee, Knoxville
B.M.E, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

John Martin serves as Associate Professor/Director of Athletic Bands. His duties include teaching music education courses, conducting the Concert Band, University Band, Laker Marching Band and coordinating the athletic band program. Prior to his appointment at Grand Valley, Martin served as Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He assisted the nationally acclaimed “Pride of the Southland” Marching Band as instructor, drill designer, and arranger. Martin’s other responsibilities included conducting the University Concert Band, administering and conducting all pep band activities, and teaching undergraduate courses in brass methods and marching band techniques. He began his music education career at Vance Middle School in Memphis where he served as band director.

John Martin received his DMA degree in wind conducting from the University of Southern Mississippi where he studied conducting with Dr. Thomas V. Fraschillo and Dr. Steven R. Moser. He received his Bachelor of Music Education and Master of Music degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville where he studied conducting with Dr. Gary Sousa, Dr. WJ Julian, and Dr. Gary Schallert. Among Martin’s other conducting activities, he served as conductor of the Babahatchie Community Band in Harriman, Tennessee and guest conductor of the East Tennessee Concert Band in Knoxville. He has presented sessions at state and national conferences. Martin continues to actively serve as a clinician, adjudicator, and guest conductor throughout the nation. He has numerous tuba/euphonium arrangements published through TUBA Press.

He holds membership in many professional organizations including the College Band Directors National Association, National Band Association, and Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. In 2001, he was awarded Phi Mu Alpha’s Orpheus Award. His dissertation focused on the career of his college band director, Dr. WJ Julian that is titled, WJ Julian: His life and career with emphasis on his tenure as Director of Bands at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (1961-1993).

Loren Koella - Assistant Director

Office Address: 1300 Haas Center for Performing Arts
Email: 

B.M.E., Grand Valley State University
M.Ed., Grand Rapids Community College

Loren Koella serves as the Assistant Director of the Laker Marching Band. In addition, she is the band director at Riley Street Middle School in Hudsonville. Previously she has taught band and instrumental music in Grand Rapids, Cedar Springs and Denver, Colorado and assisted with numerous marching bands around West Michigan.

ANCHOR UP!

Will Gordillo - Drumline Coordinator

A.D. Davenport University
B. A. Western Michigan University

Will Gordillo has been a percussion educator since 1991. He is a Mapex/Majestic, Promark Sticks, Evans Drumheads, and Sabian Cymbal artist. Will’s marching experience was with both marching band and drum corps. He graduated from Wyoming Park high school in 1991 and then went on to march with Northern Aurora Drum and Bugle Corps in 1992-1994. He aged out his final year at Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps in 1995. After that, he went on to teach with the Phantom Legion (formerly the Phantom Regiment Cadets) from 1997-1999. He has also co-created several indoor percussion groups in western Michigan including Great Lakes Percussion (1999-2008) and Genesis and G2 (2009-2019). Will has also headed up various high school percussion programs such as Reeths-Puffer, Jenison, Hudsonville, Holland, Comstock Park, Sparta, Wyoming, East Grand Rapids, and many others.

Will is married to Alicia and live with their four children Aubri, Payton, Ainsley, and Aiden in Jenison, MI. He is currently the percussion director at Grandville high school, Holland high school, and writes for several other schools in the area.

Becky Sikkema - Color Guard Coordinator

Office Address: 1300 Haas Center for Performing Arts
Email:  [email protected]   

B.S., Grand Valley State University

Becky Sikkema serves as the Laker Marching Band Color Guard Instructor. She has been a color guard instructor in West Michigan for the past eight years.  She was the instructor at Martin High School from 2004-2011.  She has been the instructor at Wayland Union High School since 2007. In 2010 she founded the Wayland Winter Guard, which competes in the Michigan Color Guard Circuit. 

Becky is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and Wayland Union High School.  While at Grand Valley, she studied Classics and was a member of the Laker Marching Band.  She served as section leader in the color guard for four seasons.  She is very excited to be instructing at both her former high school and Alma Mater.

Darin Douglass - Announcer

B.S., Grand Valley State University

Darin Douglass graduated from Grand Valley State University in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science. While at Grand Valley, he was a dedicated member of the Laker Marching Band's trumpet line providing free pizza during road trips, enthusiasm and spunk during games, as well as the occasional high note or two. After graduating, he was a member of the Allendale Jazz Orchestra and regularly attended Homecoming as a member of the Laker Alumni Marching Band. He is thankful and proud of his time in the Laker Marching Band and is excited to continue to be a part of a group that has made such a large impact on his life."

Tom Yackish - Honorary Lifetime Member

Email: [email protected]

B.S., Purdue University

Retired announcer for the Marching Band is Professor Emeritus of Engineering, Tom Yackish. Prof. Yackish graduated from Purdue University and played in the “Purdue All-American Marching Band” his entire four years at Purdue. He also participated on the “Purdue band staff” as the marching and symphonic band librarian. Professor Yackish came to Grand Valley in the fall of 1985 after teaching engineering for sixteen years in the Purdue system to start the engineering program at Grand Valley. He quickly became associated with the Music Department by recording ensembles and playing trombone in the Grand Valley State University Jazz Band. With the arrival of Prof. Barry Martin as Director of Bands, Prof. Yackish shifted from recording to the band’s announcer. With the completion of the fall 2017 season, Prof. Yackish will have been the “Voice of the Laker Marching Band” for the past twenty three years. Prof. Yackish is an active supporter of Grand Valley’s band program and looks forward every year to meeting and participating with every band member.