Staff

Scott Simon - Curricular Percussion Instructor

Scott Simon grew up in northern Illinois, and began playing percussion at the age of ten. While actively involved in his middle/high school band programs, Scott was exposed early on to the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps. He marched four years with the Phantom Regiment Cadets/Phantom Legion drum corps, where they won two Division Three Drum Corps Midwest Championships (1997-98) and one Division Three Drum Corps International Fred Sanford Percussion Award (1999). His competitive marching experience continued with the Phantom Regiment in the summers of 2000, 2002, and 2003. In the 2002 season, he was awarded first place in the Drum Corps International Solo Competition in Madison, WI. After aging out, Scott then joined the percussion staff for Regiment for the 2009 and 2010 seasons and the Santa Clara Vanguard staff for the 2011 season. He is now on percussion staff with The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont, IL.

Scott received his BM at Illinois State University, and his MM at Central Michigan University, both with an emphasis in percussion. At both institutions, he was involved with the concert bands, jazz ensembles, and percussion ensembles. While completing his masters at CMU, the percussion ensemble was among the three groups selected to play at the 2006 Percussive Arts Society International Convention in Austin Texas.

Currently, Scott lives in Chicago, Illinois where he maintains a career in music education and performance In addition to ETHS, Scott also spends his fall season working with the Northwestern University Marching Band, where he serves as instructor and arranger. As a performer, Scott can be found playing in pits for numerous musical theater productions throughout the Chicagoland area.

Brian Gephart - Jazz Saxophone

Email: brian@briangephart.com
Phone: (847) 212-3872

Brian Gephart is a jazz tenor player and composer in the Chicago area. He has been a member of the ETHS Jazz combo faculty since 2010 and teaches several of our jazz saxophonists.

Peter Roothaan - Jazz Saxophone

Email: proothaan@gmail.com
Phone: (847) 644-3449

Jazz saxophonist Peter Roothaan is equally comfortable on tenor and alto saxophones.

He has performed alongside (and learned from) many of the greats of jazz saxophone, including James Moody, David “Fathead” Newman, Bennie Golson, Jimmy Heath, Hank Crawford, Von Freeman, Bobby Watson, and Donald Harrison.

He has performed with legendary jazz singers such as Nancy Wilson and Freddie Cole, guitarist Henry Johnson, organist Chris Foreman, drummer Greg Rockingham, and many others.

Appearances include Ravinia, the Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago’s Symphony Center, Millenium Park, the Ocho Rios Jazz Fest in Jamaica, The Jazz Cruise, and at nationally recognized jazz clubs.

In addition to his duties at ETHS as Assistant Jazz Band Director, Mr. Roothaan is the Jazz Band Director at Rochelle Zell Jewish High School in Deerfield Illinois.

Mr. Roothaan maintains a private teaching studio in Evanston Illinois. He teaches jazz saxophone, jazz theory and performance, and methods of improvisation. His understanding of teaching and performing jazz is enhanced by his jazz piano skills, allowing him to effectively accompany students when working on musical ideas and skills, and to demonstrate various aspects of the jazz language. He also plays flute, clarinet, drum set, and guitar.