Meet Halkins Brass
Meet Halkins Brass
The Musicians
Jay Shuler
Trumpets, Cornet and Flugelhorn
Jay grew up in the Detroit area. He began studying piano after 3rd grade with Elmer Mundt, then trumpet in 7th grade with Arnold Berndt. Jay spent 3 summers at Interlochen, where he was first chair cornet in both the Intermediate and High School All-State Bands.
After high school, Jay attended the University of Michigan School of Music, where he received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees in Trumpet Performance, studied with Clifford Lillya and Armando Ghitalla, and played Principal Trumpet in both the UM Symphony Orchestra and Wind Ensemble..
In addition to holding the position of Principal Trumpet in the Lansing (MI) Symphony Orchestra for 11 years, Jay has performed with the Detroit Symphony, Colorado Philharmonic, North Carolina Symphony, Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra, Today's Brass Quintet, in the backup band for the Temptations and Four Tops, and many other groups.
After getting a Michigan MBA and working in the Tech industry for 30 years, Jay returned to Music in 2020, and has since performed with the Santa Cruz Symphony, Redwood Symphony, Cambrian Symphony, South Bay Musical Theater, San Francisco Brass Band, and many other Bay Area groups. In addition to Halkins Brass, Jay is currently a member of both Menlo Brass and Symphony Parnassus in San Francisco.
Jay coaches brass as a Specialist Instructor at Leigh and Branham high schools, and teaches private students in grades 6-12.
Jay is an avid road cyclist, native California gardener, and reader of history, politics, speculative fiction and fantasy. He has been married for 44 years and has two grown children.
Chris Wilhite
Trumpets, Cornet, and Flugelhorn
A Bay Area native, Chris Wilhite studied trumpet and composition at U.C. Santa Barbara. Comfortable in all genres, he has spent the last 25 years as a freelance trumpeter in orchestras, bands, big bands, opera and musical theaters, chamber and choral groups, and churches.
Chris can often be found performing with many local ensembles including
West Bay Opera, Santa Cruz and Stockton Symphonies, Pacific Chamber Orchestra, Monterey County Pops, Golden Gate Park Band, and the San Francisco Brass Band. In addition to Halkins Brass, he is also principal trumpet of
Symphony Parnassus and Livermore Valley Opera, and a member of Brassissimo! and Brassworks’ Gabriel’s Trumpets.
Aside from musical activities, Chris enjoys photography, traveling, playing with his nieces and nephews, and volunteering at the San Francisco Maritime National Park.
Chris Nalls
Horn
Chris Nalls is Director of Instrumental Music at Branham High School. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Horn performance from San Jose State University and has worked with musicians at Saratoga, Lynbrook, Homestead, Branham, Independence, Oak Grove, and San Jose State University (among others). He has studied conducting with Vernon Read, Michael Haithcock, and Mallory Thompson.
As a performer, Chris plays in the Golden Gate Park Band, Awesome Orchestra, Cambrian Symphony, Halkins Brass, and Aeolus Woodwind Quintet. He has been a member of the Ohlone Bands for over 20 years.
In a past life, Chris Nalls was part of the rise of Silicon Valley, working at iconic companies like Apple Computer, Netscape Communications, America Online, and Symantec.
Joseph Yang
Trombone
Joseph Yang is a trombonist and low brass instructor in the San Francisco Bay Area. Joseph previously lived in Los Angeles where he attended the University of Southern California as a Jazz Studies major. He has performed with Shakira (Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour), The Bob Mintzer Big Band, The Jon Hatamiya Big Band, Ricky Peterson, Will Kennedy, Paul Jackson, The Kyle Athayde Dance Party, and The USC Thornton Jazz Orchestra. In 2019, Joseph performed at the International Trombone Festival as one of three finalists for the Carl Fontana Jazz Trombone Competition.
Joseph has studied with Andy Martin, Scott Whitfield, Paul Radke, Russell Ferrante, Jason Goldman, and Alex Iles. His repertoire includes jazz, musical theatre, pop, classical and more.
In addition to performing, Joseph has a passion for teaching. He has taught private lessons and led full band rehearsals at all age levels. He works as a music coach at many local schools and for the world-class program at the Stanford Jazz Workshop.
Joel White
Tuba
Joel White was born an reared in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He holds a B.S. in Music and an Outside Field from Indiana University-Bloomington, and M.M. and D.M.A. in Tuba Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His primary teachers are Harvey Phillips, Dan Perantoni, Mark Moore, and Ron Romm (chamber music).
He has performed with the Symphony Silicon Valley, Kankakee Symphony, Champaign-Urbana Symphony, Chicago Brass Band, Mountain Peak Brass Band, Ohlone Wind Orchestra, and Redwood Symphony. He has performed with the University of Illinois Graduate Brass Quintet and the Champaign Brass. He is a member of ITEA (International Tuba Euphonium Association).
Joel's diverse experiences include teaching middle school and high school band in Falfurrias, Texas, and working with children with special needs in the public schools. Also, he maintained a private tuba/euphonium studio in Chicago.
Currently, Joal is a stay-at-home dad with his young identical twin daughters and happily employed wife,
In addition to the Halkins Brass, Joel is a member of the Menlo Brass and the Redwood Symphony.
When he finds the time, Joel enjoys detective/crime fiction, learning new things about current technology, and practicing his scales.