Las Vegas Youth Orchestra
After school music programs - grades 4 thru 12
Dr. Rachel Julian
DIRECTOR OF PERCUSSION
Rachel Julian received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2005. She also holds a Master of Music and a Bachelor of Arts in Music.
A freelance percussionist in Las Vegas, Rachel’s performance credits include the Las Vegas Philharmonic, Nevada Pops, Nevada Ballet Theatre, Vegas! The Show (Planet Hollywood), Latin Grammys, Andrea Bocelli, Don Rickles, Hugh Jackman, Luciano Pavarotti, David Perrico’s Pop Strings Orchestra, Celtic Woman, Lion King – Las Vegas, Hairspray, Opera Las Vegas, Newsies, Tracy Thornton's "Pan Rocks" Project Los Angeles (with Tracii Guns of Guns N’ Roses, Billy Sheehan of Steve Vai and Mr. Big, Stephen Perkins of Jane’s Addiction, and Matt Starr of Ace Frehley and Mr. Big), Nevada Opera Theatre, Killian’s Angels, Steel R & R Steel Drum Duo, the Tommy Rocker Band, and other freelance opportunities. Rachel appears on the DVD, Andrea Bocelli – Amore Under the Desert Sky, and has performed in Mexico, Canada, England, China, Austria, Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic.
As an educator, Rachel teaches percussion and keyboard at Becker Middle School, and also serves as Percussion Specialist with the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras and the Clark County School District. In addition, she instructs camps, adjudicates, gives clinics, and maintains a private studio.
Rachel is a member of the American Federation of Musicians, and the Vic Firth Education Team. She endorses Remo Drums & Percussion, SABIAN Cymbals, and Majestic/Mapex Percussion. She also served as Secretary of the Nevada Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society for ten years.
Tyler Pawl
DIRECTOR OF JAZZ
Tyler J. Pawl is currently the Director of Bands at Cadwallader Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he teaches two concert ensembles, beginning band, percussion, and two jazz ensembles. Prior to his appointment at Cadwallader, he was the Director of Bands at Findlay Middle School in North Las Vegas, Nevada and Hughes Middle School in Mesquite, Nevada. His ensembles at all three schools have consistently received “Superior” ratings at both district and regional festivals. In 2011, Pawl was recognized as the Veterans of Foreign Wars State of Nevada Citizenship "Teacher of the Year." He received an M.M. in Music Education from Boston University and a B.M. in Music Education from DePauw University. His professional memberships include the National Association for Music Education, Nevada Music Educators Association, and the North American Saxophone Alliance. He is currently the Vice President of the Southern Nevada Band Association. Pawl has also served as the chairperson of Clark County School District Middle School Jazz Festival since 2012.
Dr. Lindsey N. O'Connor
DIRECTOR OF WOODWINDS
Las Vegas musician Dr. Lindsey N. O’Connor is an Adjunct Professor of Music at the College of Southern Nevada, Woodwinds Paraprofessional for Clark County School District, Director of Woodwinds for the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras, and Artistic Director of the Las Vegas Youth Saxophone Ensembles. As a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM), she maintains a private woodwind and piano studio at Family Music Centers Academy, Nevada’s largest private music teaching institution.
As saxophonist for Joey Fatone and Friends and The AFTR PRTY featuring Joey Fatone (*NSYNC), AJ McLean (Backstreet Boys), Nick Carter (Backstreet Boys), and Wanya Morris (Boyz II Men), O’Connor has also performed with Bobby Brown, Ryan Cabrera, Harley Cameron, Coolio, Luis Fonsi, Ray Parker Jr., Dee Snider (Twisted Sister), and Shawn Stockman (Boyz II Men). She is an active solo artist, as well as principal clarinetist of the Nevada Chamber Orchestra and soprano saxophonist of the Red Rock Saxophone Quartet. O'Connor has also been a saxophonist with the Henderson Symphony Orchestra and has played in musical productions on the Las Vegas Strip including Jesus Christ Superstar at the Tropicana and Guys and Dolls at the Westgate. An advocate for new music, she has premiered solo and chamber works by Krista Abrahamson, Daniel Dorff, Garrett Hope, Jun Nagao, Kincaid Rabb, and David Von Kampen.
O'Connor is the President-Elect of the Nevada Music Teachers Association. As an educator, she frequently serves as an adjudicator and clinician for the Nevada Music Educators Association, Southern Nevada Band Association, and Las Vegas Music Teachers Association. O'Connor has given master classes, lectured, and performed in various solo and chamber settings at several North American Saxophone Alliance regional and biennial conferences. In 2022, she will serve as the conductor for the International Clarinet Association Junior High School Clarinet Choir. O’Connor was previously on faculty at Southern Utah University, Union College, and Faith Conservatory of the Fine Arts. She was also a Band Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
O'Connor's research is focused on the life and works of David C. Heath, British composer and flutist currently residing in Scotland. Her dissertation, "A Performer’s Guide to and Analysis of David Heath’s Out of the Cool, Rumania, and Coltrane," is the first and only academic document on Heath, making her the foremost scholar of both him and his music.
O’Connor received a Doctor of Musical Arts in Saxophone Performance cum laude from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance magna cum laude from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance cum laude from Michigan State University. Her primary teachers include John Bailey, Phillip Barham, Paul Haar, Joseph Lulloff, and Diego Rivera; she has also performed in solo master classes for Claude Delangle, Jean-Yves Fourmeau, Ellis Marsalis, Bennie Wallace, and Walt Weiskopf. O'Connor's professional memberships include the American Federation of Musicians, International Clarinet Association, Music Teachers National Association, North American Saxophone Alliance, Pi Kappa Lambda (ΠΚΛ) National Music Honor Society, and Sigma Alpha Iota (ΣΑΙ) International Music Fraternity. She is the President of the Sigma Alpha Iota Las Vegas Alumnae Chapter, founding director of both the Las Vegas Saxophone Day and Las Vegas Clarinet Day, and serves on the Nevada Chamber Orchestra Board of Directors Advisory Council and the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras Board of Directors.
O’Connor is a Vandoren Artist-Clinician and performs exclusively on Vandoren and Yamaha products. She is also an endorsing artist for Meridian Winds’ Center Brace Resonance Weights and Ergonomic Heavy Mass Saxophone Neck Screws.
Brad Bradley
DIRECTOR OF BRASS
Mr. Bradley is the Band Director at Tarkanian Middle School in Las Vegas, Nevada. Before teaching at Tarkanian, he was the band director at Cannon Junior High School for seven years. Under his direction, ensembles at both Tarkanian and Cannon have consistently earned “Superior” ratings at music festivals in Las Vegas. He currently serves as the brass coach for the Las Vegas Youth Orchestras Symphonic Band, Philharmonic, and Brass Choir. Mr. Bradley has served as a CCSD Middle School Honor Band chairperson since 2015 and also served as the Southern Nevada Band Association President from 2018-2020.
Mr. Bradley holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas where he studied euphonium with Stephen Kunzer and David Holben. He regularly performs in various venues throughout Las Vegas as a member of the Las Vegas Brass Band and Desert Winds.