Band Directors
Mr. Justin W. Love
Director of Bands
Justin Love is pleased to join the Blue Valley West faculty as Director of Bands beginning in the fall of 2020. Previously Mr. Love served as Director of Bands at the Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaiʻi for 2 years. In addition to providing overall guidance for the 5-12 band program at Punahou, Mr. Love conducted the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band I, Punahou Marching Band, co-taught 5th and 6th Grade Band, and ran brass sectional rehearsals. At Punahou Mr. Love arranged frequent collaborations with professional artists including a joint concert with the Boston Brass in 2019.
Prior to his arrival at Punahou, Mr. Love taught band for twenty years in the Olathe, De Soto, and Ulysses public schooldistricts in Kansas. Mr. Love’s concert, jazz, and marching bands have consistently earned top ratings and placements. Under Mr. Love’s direction, the Olathe North Wind Ensemble performed at Carnegie Hall, the 2015 Music for All NationalConcert Festival, and at the 2018 and 2016 Kansas Music Educators Association In-Service Workshop. The Olathe North Jazz Ensemble I also performed at the KMEA In Service Workshop in 2016. The Olathe North Screamin’ Eagle Marching Band earned numerous awards and was a three-time finalist at the Blue Springs Golden Regiment Invitational; 2-time Heart of America Marching Festival Grand-Champion; and was Class Champion from 2015-2017 at the Kansas Bandmasters Association Championships. Olathe North was the inaugural Kansas Bandmasters Association Co-Champion in 2015 and finished no lower than 3rd place through 2017.
Mr. Love received both his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the University of Kansas. In 2005, he was recognized as the
KBA / Phi Beta Mu Outstanding Young Band Director. He was also named the De Soto High School Teacher of the Year in
2002 and 2004. Mr. Love has served as a guest conductor and adjudicator for music festivals around Kansas and Hawai’i. He
was co-conductor of the Shawnee Concert Band for fifteen years.
Mr. Love has served in leadership positions at the district and state level within the Kansas Music Educators Association,
Kansas Bandmasters Association, and the O’ahu Band Directors Association. He maintains active memberships in the
National Association for Music Education, Hawaii Music Educators Association, Kansas Music Educators Association,
National Band Association, O’ahu Band Directors Association, and Phi Beta Mu. He is also a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Mr. Ryan Ramsey
Assistant Director of Bands
Ryan Ramsey is excited to join the Blue Valley West Bands as Assistant Band Director for the 2020-2021 school year. He previously taught at Beech High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee for two years. At Beech High School he taught Concert Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, and Marching Band, as well as courses in Music Theory and guitar. Before his high school teaching, Mr. Ramsey worked as a middle school band director for one year in Cheatham County, TN, where he also assisted with the high school band's after school activities. Bands under Mr. Ramsey's direction have received superior ratings at concert festivals, marching festivals, and were invited to perform at the Tennessee State Concert Festival. The Beech marching band frequently won their class and overall trophies in competition. The concert and jazz programs expanded their repertoire and increased performance ability.
During his short stay at Beech HS, the band was awarded the Tennessee Bandmasters Association Sweepstakes Award in recognition of the program's success in concert and marching performance, a first time in many years for the school.
Born and raised near Nashville, TN, Mr. Ramsey has been passionate about music since high school, being accepted to the U.S. Army All-American Marching Band and the Music for All Honor Band of America his senior year. He then attended Tennessee Tech University where he received his Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. There he was a part of a competitive saxophone quartet which won state and regional level MTNA competitions and were quarter-finalists in the Fischoff National Chamber Music Competition.
Ryan then attended Central Michigan University, where he earned two Master's Degrees in music: one in Saxophone Performance, and the second in Instrumental Conducting. As part of his duties as a graduate teaching assistant at CMU, he taught the 3rd and 4th level concert bands, assisted in teaching the top concert ensembles, saxophone lessons, saxophone quartets, woodwinds methods courses, conducting courses, and the Marching Chips. Also while at CMU, he formed his saxophone/flute duo called Centerline Duo, which has performed at national conferences and commissioned several new works.
Mr. Ramsey has been an active member of regional and state organizations in Tennessee, and looks forward to doing the same in Kansas. He is also a member of the National Association for Music Educators, Phi Kappa Phi National Honors Fraternity, Pi Kappa Lambda, and is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi.
Staff Members
Johnathon Westcott is currently completing a Master of Music degree with emphases in Music Theory and Percussion Performance at the University of Kansas. At KU, he has studied classical percussion with Dr. Michael Compitello, Ji Hye Jung, and Lee Vinson, drumset with Brandon Draper, and West African Drumming with Dylan Bassett. His thesis adviser is Dr. Brad Osborn, and his research focuses on pitch-rhythm isomorphisms and the music and writings of composer Steve Reich. Prior to studying at KU, he earned Bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Percussion Performance from the University of Kentucky. His primary teacher at UK was James Campbell, and he also studied drumset with Paul Deatherage and Korean percussion with Donna Kwon.
At KU, Johnathon had the privilege to serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Compitello and Dr. Paul Popiel, teaching a Percussion Methods course and private lessons, coaching chamber ensembles, and coordinating percussion equipment and facilities.
Johnathon currently performs with Fofo Jackson as part of the percussion duo FOJO. He has also been a member of the Blue Steel Caribbean Ensemble in Lexington, and the Heights Concert Band in Harker Heights, TX. He has performed both with school ensembles and individually at two Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, two College Band Director’s National Association National Conferences, an International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, multiple PAS Days of Percussion, multiple Music Educators Association In-Service Conferences, and an opening ceremony to the FEI World Equestrian Games, as well as at the Kauffman Center for the Arts and Carnegie Hall in NYC.
His professional affiliations include the American Musicological Society, the Percussive Arts Society, and the Society for Music Theory.
At KU, Johnathon had the privilege to serve as a Graduate Teaching Assistant under the supervision of Dr. Compitello and Dr. Paul Popiel, teaching a Percussion Methods course and private lessons, coaching chamber ensembles, and coordinating percussion equipment and facilities.
Johnathon currently performs with Fofo Jackson as part of the percussion duo FOJO. He has also been a member of the Blue Steel Caribbean Ensemble in Lexington, and the Heights Concert Band in Harker Heights, TX. He has performed both with school ensembles and individually at two Percussive Arts Society International Conventions, two College Band Director’s National Association National Conferences, an International Clarinet Association ClarinetFest, multiple PAS Days of Percussion, multiple Music Educators Association In-Service Conferences, and an opening ceremony to the FEI World Equestrian Games, as well as at the Kauffman Center for the Arts and Carnegie Hall in NYC.
His professional affiliations include the American Musicological Society, the Percussive Arts Society, and the Society for Music Theory.
Percussion Staff
Matt Arnet has been involved in rudimental percussion as a performer, arranger and clinician for over 20 years. Matt spent 4 seasons (1997-2000) performing with Carolina Crown from Fort Mill, SC, where he studied with Paul Rennick, Joe Fant and Jeff Queen, among many others. In 2001, Matt became the percussion director at Blue Valley West, contributing to the tradition of excellence that continues to the present. In 2009, Matt was approached by the Kansas City Chiefs to found the Chiefs "Rumble" Drumline, where he currently serves as director and arranger/performer. Matt proudly endorses Innovative Percussion sticks and mallets, and is an Innovative Percussion Educational Artist.
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Visual/Music Staff
Eric Banks is a music teacher in Olathe elementary schools and at Mission Trail Middle School. He has been a music director at Farmington High School in Michigan, Lee’s Summit North High School, and Olathe Northwest High School. A graduate of the University of Michigan and UMKC Conservatory, he holds a master's degree in Conducting (with Steven D. Davis), and undergraduate degrees in Music Education, and Tuba Performance (with Fritz Kaenzig). While at UMKC, Eric served as coordinator for the Wind Band Teaching Symposium and the Midwest Honor Band Festival where he interacted with conductors: Craig Kirchhoff, H. Robert Reynolds, Michael Haithcock, Eugene Migliaro Corporon, Rodney Winther, Ray Cramer, and composers: Michael Colgrass, Michael Daugherty, Chen Yi, Paul Rudy, Frank Ticheli and Jim Mobberley. He has performed with the Fountain City Brass Band, the University of Michigan Symphony Band, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, and Euphonium/Tuba Ensemble, and the UMKC Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble. Working with the Blue Valley West Bands since Summer 2010, he is excited to continue with this great program.
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