Instrumental Music Faculty
Brett Martinez
Chair of Instrumental Music
316.322.3117, [email protected], Office BOE 724
Brett Martinez is the Director of Bands and Chair of the Instrumental Music Department at Butler Community College. In this capacity, he directs the Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble, Show Band, and chamber ensembles and supervises all aspects of the Butler Instrumental Music program. Mr. Martinez also serves as the advisor for the Butler chapter of the Collegiate National Association for Music Education (C-NAfME).
Prior to coming to Butler, Mr. Martinez spent fourteen years as a school band director, including twelve years as the Director of Bands for Douglass Public Schools. He was responsible for all aspects of the band program from grades five through twelve. Under the direction of Mr. Martinez, the Douglass Bands consistently earned superior ratings at marching band and concert band competitions.
A native of Kansas, Mr. Martinez earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree in 1999 from Wichita State University and his Master of Music Education degree in 2008, also from Wichita State University. Mr. Martinez maintains memberships in the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Kansas Music Educators Association (KMEA), and Kansas Bandmasters Association (KBA). Mr. Martinez served on the KBA board for over ten years and is a Past-President of KBA. He is currently serving on the KMEA board as the co-advisor for Kansas C-NAfME, as well as the Southwest Division representative for the NAfME Collegiate Advisory Council. He is an elected member of the Phi Beta Mu International Bandmaster Fraternity. Mr. Martinez often serves as a clinician and adjudicator throughout Kansas. He is also a director for the El Dorado Municipal Band.
Brett Martinez and his wife Sharlet reside in Douglass with their cats, Piccolo and Leia.
Cally Bitterlin
Instructor of Instrumental Music and Director of Athletic Bands
[email protected]
Cally Bitterlin is the Director of Athletic Bands at Butler Community College in El Dorado, KS. She received her bachelor's degree in Music Education and her master's degree in Music from Kansas State University in 2008 and 2011 respectively. While continuing her education, Cally was a graduate assistant with the K-State bands. During her teaching career, she taught at all grade levels in three different states.
During Cally’s time with K-State Bands, she was able to teach Concert Band, assist with marching and basketball band, coordinate Volleyball band, and teach and assist with Conducting at the undergraduate level as well as History of the Wind Band for the summer master’s program. She also wrote marching drills for the 360-piece marching band.
Cally was Director of Bands at Thomas Jefferson High School in Council Bluffs, Iowa starting in 2016. She took the marching band and jazz band to several competitions a year in and out of state. She also assisted in fundraising to purchase new equipment trailers for the band.
Before her time in Iowa, Cally taught for 6 years in Waco, Texas at University High School where she designed and implemented a group piano class, sponsored and taught the color guard, and taught bands that included concert, marching, mariachi, and jazz. Cally was also fortunate to have the wind ensemble collaborate with Baylor University Bands and the band program at McLennan Community College.
At the beginning of her career, Cally taught elementary general music in Wamego, Kansas. This included teaching 15 classes daily with a focus on singing, music reading, movement, and Orff instruments.
Cally grew up on a farm outside of Junction City, KS where her parents still live. She has a brother and sister-in-law who have two boys. Her nephews are her favorite young people. Cally currently lives in El Dorado, KS with her cat, Trixie.
Roberto Bernardinello
Adjunct Instructor of Instrumental Music (Bass and Guitar)
[email protected]
Roberto began to play in 1991, under the guide of Piero Orsini (Gipsy Kings - Lisa Hunt). In 1992, he began his first experiences, performing in top 40 and rhythm & blues bands. In 1993, he joined a jazz quartet, playing around the Milan (Italy) area in clubs and venues. From 1993 to 1995, he played in various fusion and funk band projects.
In 1996, Roberto joined "Diatriba," a flamenco-jazz band lead by virtuoso guitarist Marco Porcu. With the same band, he played the following three years on TV channel (Mediaset-Odeon TV), as well as, major clubs in all of Italy. In 2003, he moved to London to study at the prestigious Trinity College of Music.
Currently, Roberto is based in Wichita, Kansas. He leads many ensembles and is a staple of its night scene. Recent collaborations include artists: , Harry James Big Band, The Fabulous Flippers, Gary Foster, Earl Dumler, Christian Howes, Jay Daversa, Denny Jiosa, Jerry Hahn, Philippe Bertaud, Joseph Vincelli, Mike Longo, Tom Fowler, Bill Caldwell, Roger Lewis, Scott Strecker & Richard Johnson.
Daniel Colwell
Adjunct Instructor of Strings
[email protected]
Daniel Colwell began his violin studies at an early age as part of the Ottawa (Kan.) Suzuki Strings program under the direction of Alice Joy Lewis. As part of that program, he gained numerous performing opportunities, including concert tours of England, Ireland, Australia, and Puerto Rico. After high school, he continued his musical studies receiving a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baker University (Baldwin City, Kan.) and a Master of Music Education degree from Wichita State University (Wichita, Kan.) where he had the privilege to study under the amazing string orchestra pedagogue, Jacquelyn Dillon. After graduation, he began his career as the elementary general music teacher at Bethel Life School, and currently directs the string orchestra and drumline programs at Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) In addition to his position at Sunrise, he also teaches private lessons for the Bethel College Academy of Performing Arts (Newton, Kan.) and serves as the director for the Butler Community College (El Dorado, Kan.) string ensemble. In his spare time, he enjoys performing, frequently playing in the pit orchestras for local high school musicals and has performed as a local musician for many performing artists including Jim Brickman, Tracy Silverman, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.
Charles Davis
Adjunct Instructor of Woodwinds, Music Appreciation, and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
[email protected]
Charles G. Davis was born in Dallas, Texas in 1851. He attended high school in Garland, Texas, graduating in 1969. Mr. Davis received a Bachelor of Music and Master of Music from Midwestern University in Wichita Falls, Texas between 1969 and 1975 and a Master of Liberal Arts (History) from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas in 1984. Charles has taught music and/or history at various Texas colleges including Coastal Bend College, Howard Paine University, Stephen F. Austin University and Lon Morris College. He worked as a field researcher at Texas Tech University for The Handbook of Texas, and published numerous articles for that publication. Mr. Davis has also been a historical music director for various motion pictures including Gone to Texas, North and South, The Rough Riders, Alamo, Price of Freedom, and Glory.
Charles moved to Kansas in 2014 and is a member of the Kansas Music Educators and Kansas Bandmasters associations. He is married to Joni Matthews Davis, his bride of 30 years, and resides in Augusta, Kansas.
Daniel Flores
Adjunct Instructor of Brass
[email protected]
Daniel Flores, an avid proponent of new and contemporary repertoire, has established himself as one of the nation's premiere trumpet voices for major composers of modern and new music. His performances have been hailed by Sequenza 21 Magazine, as a trumpeter performing with, "…vigor and grace...exemplary consistency...and prodigious stamina."
As a performer, Daniel can regularly be seen as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and Europe, performing in world-class organizations such as the Brightwork newMusic Group in Los Angeles, the LA Times acclaimed series for some of the finest classical soloists in Los Angeles, Tuesdays @ Monk Space, and the Dilijan Chamber Music Series. In 2022, Daniel was selected to perform as a soloist in collaboration with the Schoenberg Prize and Hindemith prize-winning composer, Helmut Oehring.
As an educator, Daniel has conducted masterclasses and provided individual instruction in cities such as Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Dallas, Milan, and Barcelona.
Daniel received a certificate under the Corso Speciale program at the I.S.S.M. Conservatorio "Guido Cantelli", in Novara, Italy, where he studied modern and baroque trumpet with the world-renowned trumpet soloist, Gabriele Cassone, and served as assistant instructor of trumpet at the conservatory. Daniel earned a Master’s Degree in trumpet performance from Wichita State University, where he studied with Dr. David Hunsicker. Daniel has studied with William Scarlett, the retired Associate Principal Trumpet of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Edward Carroll, former principal trumpet of the Rotterdam Symphony, as well as brief studies with Philip Smith, Tim Morrison, Arturo Sandoval, and Malcolm McNab. Daniel has played in masterclasss for Clement Saunier, Thomas Stevens, Marco Blaauw, Stephen Burns, Craig Morris, and Markus Stockhausen.
Daniel also receives coaching and mentoring from the famed trumpet soloist, Håkan Hardenberger, and regularly attends the Chosen Vale Center for Advanced Musical Studies, an international assembly of the world's finest concert soloists and students. Daniel performs exclusively on YAMAHA trumpets.
Matt Koehn
Adjunct Instructor of Woodwinds (Saxophone) and Music Appreciation
[email protected]
Matt Koehn is a Wichita-based saxophonist with a wide variety of performance experience. Jazz, rock, funk, and classical styles are all musical equals in his repertoire. While playing in the Wichita band Lotus continuously for 25 years, he performed with visiting national acts including the Funk Brothers and the Temptations. He received a Master of Music Performance degree from Wichita State University in 2002 and is currently the saxophone instructor at Butler County Community College and Friends University.
Kristin Shaffer
Adjunct Instructor of Woodwinds (Flute)
[email protected]
Kristin Shaffer, received her BM and MM in flute performance at Wichita State University, studying with Dr. Frances Shelly, and performing in master classes with Julius Baker and James Galway. She has been the principal flutist of the Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony since 1996 where she has performed as a soloist in 2008, 2010, 2011, and 2017. She has subbed with the Wichita Symphony Orchestra and plays in the newly formed Wichita Wind Symphony. Kristin has served as Adjunct faculty at Bethel College in North Newton since 1996 and Butler Community College in El Dorado since 2019. Kristin lives in Wichita with her husband Doug, and two sons, Sam and Ben.
Kim Trujillo
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion and Drum Line
[email protected]
A native of Kansas, Kim has been teaching and playing professionally for the past 20 years. An alum of Wichita State University, she graduated Summa Cum Laude with her double bachelor’s in Percussion and Music Composition, and her Masters in Music Composition. During her graduate studies, she served as GTA for the Jazz Department and directed the Steel Drum and Salsa Band ensembles. She has studied with such drum greats as John Riley, Matt Wilson, Steve Houghton, Michael Spiro, and Allison Miller.
After college, she moved to New York to play professionally and tour nationally with highlights including the JEN Festival, The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival, Lollapaloosa, South by Southwest, The Smithsonian Art Museum, Sweet Basil, Cleopatra’s Needle, and Cornelia St Café. The accompaniment of legendary jazz masters, such as Junior Mance and Don Braden, are some highlights of her time on the East Coast.
Kim currently teaches a full studio and is regularly performing in Wichita and beyond. Recent highlights include performing at the 2022 JEN Festival in Dallas, TX. Kim is excited to be teaching Drumline, Percussion Ensemble, and Private Lessons at Butler Community College!