The Musicians
Ron Ledbetter, trumpet
Originally from Cuero, Texas, Ron got an early start in music by singing in church and community children’s choirs. In the fifth grade, he was introduced to the trumpet by his father, a former musician. From that point forward, he was involved in the public school band program. Upon deciding to pursue a music career, he began his collegiate studies at Victoria College, where he studied trumpet with James McCrury. During both years at Victoria College, he was selected as a member of the Texas Junior College All-State Honor Band. He continued his education at Southwest Texas State University, where he studied trumpet with Dr. Keith Winking and Jack Laumer. While a student at Southwest Texas State University, he held positions as principal trumpet in the university’s orchestra and wind ensemble. In 1995, he was a featured soloist during the orchestra’s European tour. In the same year, he was the winner of the Southwest Texas Orchestra Concerto Competition. He graduated in 1996 with a Bachelor of Music degree.
Ron holds positions as principal trumpet in the Corpus Christi Symphony and Corpus Christi Ballet Orchestra, as well as co-principal trumpet in the Victoria Symphony. In addition, he plays lead trumpet in the Sound of Swing Big Band of Victoria and the Lexington Big Band in Corpus Christi. He has been a member of the Hill Country Brass Quintet of San Marcos since 1993. Other groups he has performed with include the Corpus Christi Symphony Brass Quintet, Corpus Christi Wind Symphony, Dallas Wind Symphony, and Victoria Bach Festival Orchestra. Ron works as head band director at Crain Middle School. He lives in Victoria with his wife Christine and dogs Maggie and Wendy.
Randy Heaton, trumpet and leader
Randy started playing trumpet in the fourth grade in Porter, Texas and has had difficulty kicking the habit ever since. His love of performing took him to McLennan Community College in Waco where he studied under the direction of David Hibbard and many other accomplished musicians from the commercial music world. He then attended Southwest Texas State University under the direction of Jack Laumer. Randy performed as principal trumpet for every major ensemble at the university and received a Bachelor of Music in 1996.
While a student, he organized the SWT Student Brass Quintet in 1990, which later became Hill Country Brass.
Mr. Heaton has performed with a variety of organizations including the Victoria Symphony, the Corpus Christi Symphony and Ballet, the Houston Youth Symphony, the Victoria Bach Festival and the Waco Civic Theater. In addition to his freelance trumpet work, Randy, along with his wife Fran, own and operate Frandy Oaks Pet Resort in San Marcos, where they reside with their sons Samuel and Ryan.
Paul Dixon, French horn
Born in Austin, Texas, Paul joined band at an early age and fell in love with music. Throughout his secondary education, Paul enjoyed success in music competitions, winning many district and area auditions. In addition to these successes, he was selected to the Texas All State Orchestra all four years in high school. In pursuit of a music career, Paul studied at Southwest Texas State University. During this time he played principal horn in the orchestra, wind ensemble, and chamber winds. Paul graduated in 1996 with a degree in Music Education. From 1996 to the present, Paul has taught as a band director in Comal County. He has played with various organizations throughout the central Texas area and continues in the pursuit of music excellence.
Brenda Sansig, trombone
With much encouragement from her junior high band director and algebra teacher, Brenda Sansig started taking trombone seriously at age twelve. By the time she was just fourteen, she was already playing professionally in Southwestern Pennsylvania as a freelance musician. As a senior in high school, she attended the Pennsylvania Governor’s School for the Arts.
Upon graduation from high school, Ms. Sansig enlisted in the United States Army band program. She was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and Fort Clayton, Panama. While in the service, she performed for such dignitaries as Ronald Reagan and Colin Powell, among others.
After receiving her honorable discharge, she attended the University of Texas at Austin, earning both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. While at UT, her primary teachers were Donald Knaub, Allen Barnhill, and Wayne Barrington.
While living in Austin, Brenda has become very busy freelancing in the area. She plays principal trombone in the Austin Symphony, Austin Lyric Opera Orchestra, and the San Antonio Opera Orchestra. She has performed with the Mid-Texas Symphony for a number of years. She has also been a regular member of the Victoria Symphony, and has appeared with the Houston Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony on numerous occasions, as well as local back-up bands.
Generally during the week it is business as usual, serving on the faculty of Texas Lutheran University, where she teaches low brass lessons and masterclasses. In addition to her university duties, she participates in the private lesson program at Austin High Schools.
Keith Robinson, tuba
Keith J. Robinson juggles, reads, runs, composes, sings in the shower, smiles and laughs a lot in Seguin, Texas. Since 2000, he has loved his wife Nelwyn very much. And since 2003, they have loved their daughter Jillian very much; a beautiful busy gift from God, brought to them from India as a toddler.
Born in Michigan, transplanted to the Lone Star State, Keith attended High School and College in Kingsville, Texas, graduating from Texas A&I University in 1985. He teaches all levels of music, ranging for pre-kinder to college, teaching general music and directing choirs and bands. He currently teaches in the Seguin Independent School District at Jefferson Avenue Elementary School, and at Texas Lutheran University, also in Seguin.
Keith was introduced to his first tuba by Roger Lund in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the 7th grade Cadet Band. From his public school band beginnings, he has gone on to become an active professional tubist, educator, and motivational clinician, performing in Texas, Mexico, Oklahoma, Louisiana, New Mexico, Michigan, the Pacific Northwest, and the Azore Islands. He has performed with the Air Force Band of the West, the San Antonio Symphony, the San Antonio Brass, the San Antonio Festival Orchestra, the 49th Armored Division Band, the Laredo Philharmonic, the Laredo Brass Quintet, the Blue Lake Fine Arts Band, and the Corpus Christi Wind Symphony, (Charter Member). Currently, Keith performs freelance work and holds the position of tubist with Hill Country Brass.
His teachers include Joseph Blaha, Paul M. Hageman, Michael Sanders, Lee Hipp, and Steven Bryant. He has also studied with Sam Pilafian, Warren Deck, and Pat Sheridan.
In the Summer of 2008, Keith designed and launched www.tuba4u.com, a new web site providing creative, challenging, engaging, free tuba music for tubists around the world. He has also had some of his work published through the Tuba Euphonium Press, found at www.tubaeuphoniumpress.com. Two of his compositions and a story of his own creating can be heard on tubist Deanna Swoboda’s recording entitled Deanna’s Wonderland, available at www.summitrecords.com.