Band director biography

Dr.
Randy Sundell has received his bachelor's and master's degrees in music education from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. He has been the Director of Bands.
Mrs.

•

Biography

Randy Sundell has received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music education from Northwestern University, Evanston, IL. He has been the Director of Bands at Vernon Hills High School since its opening in 1999. Prior to that, Sundell held positions as the Associate Director of Bands at Libertyville High School, Libertyville, IL and Director of Bands at Oak Grove School District #68 in Green Oaks, IL.

Mr. Sundell directs 3 curricular bands, Jazz Band, Football Pep Band, and is the assistant director of the Symphony Orchestra. He has also taught AP Music Theory.

Under his direction at Vernon Hills High School, the Wind Ensemble has been recognized for numerous awards and honors. The ensemble has been selected to perform at the Illinois Superstate Festival hosted by the University of Illinois every year since 2003. They were named the Honor Band for the 2007, 2010, 2012, 2014, 2023 and 2025 festivals. The Wind Ensemble was featured on WFMT’s Innovations in 2010. The group was chosen as a National Winner for the Mark of Excellence National

•

Director Biography

Mrs. Allie Mitchell is a 2009 graduate of Science Hill High School and 2014 graduate of East Tennessee State University where she studied clarinet with Mr. Tom Crawford. Prior to attending ETSU, she studied Instrumental Music Education and Clarinet performance at Middle Tennessee State University with Dr. Tonya Lawson and Dr. Todd Waldecker. Her summers during college (2010, 2011, 2012) were spent marching Mellophone in Drum Corps International--the organization who supports event's for the world's most elite and exclusive marching ensembles. She received her Bachelor of Music degree in 2014 and began her teaching career in the fall of 2015 teaching K-8 general music in Greene County Schools. In 2017, she began her first band director position in Hawkins County Schools at Surgoinsville Middle School, Church Hill Middle School, and Assistant Director at Volunteer High School. She attended Kent State University (2016-2018) to obtain her Master's degree in Music Education.

This is Mrs. Mitchell's second year at LBMS and she couldn't be mo

•

matthew croft

FULL BIO

Matthew Croft is a music director, pianist, conductor, composer, arranger, and orchestrator. Born in Los Angeles, CA and raised in Waterford, MI, Matthew began his musical instruction at the age of 7 with piano lessons. He studied throughout middle & high school with Judith Wade, and expanded his studies to include composition, music technology, collaborative piano, conducting, and music theory. After high school, he studied Music Composition & Conducting at Wayne State University under professors Kypros Markou, Gerrie Ball, James Hartway, and Gerald Custer.

Since 2006, he has played, conducted, music directed, and been a part of the music staff for over 130 shows, and music directed his first show - a professional Equity production of "Hair!" - at the age of 16. Initially based in the Metro Detroit area, Matthew became highly in demand as a music director, keyboardist, and conductor. In 2014, he started working for Meadow Brook Theatre, Michigan’s largest professional theatre, as a keyboard player, associate music direct