Meet the Musicians

Joseph Jamerson came to Gainesville in 1978 after studying in the Chicago area, and is a founding member of the Gainesville Brass Quintet. Mr. Jamerson currently serves as Principal Trumpet of The Gainesville Orchestra. He has also performed with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra and the Florida West Coast Orchestra, and has been featured as a soloist with the Central Florida Symphony.  

 Cliff Newton is probably the greatest professional musician to come from St. Cloud, Florida.  In fact, he is probably the only professional musician to come from St. Cloud, Florida.  Like many professional musicians, Cliff began his musical study in a public school band.  Growing up in tiny St. Cloud, where few people could aspire toward a musical career, his early motivation was simply the enjoyment of music and the participation in a musical group.  Besides playing in the St. Cloud High School Band, Cliff was a member of the United States Air Force and played in several bands, including the NORAD Band.  Cliff also served as the Principal Trumpet for the Jacksonville Symphony for 32 seasons.

Miranda Sims is originally from Rentz, GA. She holds an M.M. from the University of Florida and a B.M. from Valdosta State University. Ms. Sims has performed with various ensembles in North Florida and Georgia, including The Gainesville Orchestra, the Ocmulgee Symphony Orchestra, and the Valdosta Symphony Orchestra.  

Charles Propper, a retired U.S. Navy Senior Chief Musician, has represented our country as a musical ambassador in over thirty countries on five different continents, performed for three U.S. Presidents, sailed on the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and transited the Panama Canal. Mr. Propper has also performed as a freelance trombonist with groups such as the Jacksonville Symphony, Gainesville Chamber Orchestra, Honolulu Symphony, Honolulu Opera Theater, Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Maryland Theater Orchestra, Virginia Beach Symphony, St. John's River City Band, and the Rick Kirkland Orchestra. Mr. Propper is currently the Director of the Blue Devil Brigade at Clay High School. 

Robin Sisk is originally from Pittsburgh, PA and has come to be one of the most active and versatile freelance tubists in Sunshine State. In addition to serving as Principal Tuba of the Gainesville Orchestra, she is a tubist for Walt Disney World in Epcot's Candlelight Processional Orchestra and a substitute for the Magic Kingdom's Main Street Philharmonic. She has performed with an array of groups, most notably the Florida Orchestra, Jacksonville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Naples Philharmonic, Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, Ocala Symphony, Brass Band of Central Florida, Band Bajha Brass, the Athena Brass Band (America's All-Star female brass band), major theme parks and entertainment venues, and is a proud founding member of Fleur de Beat - the country's first professional stilt-walking band. Robin earned a BM in Music Education from West Virginia University, MM in Tuba Performance from the University of South Florida, and a Doctor of Musical Arts from The Hartt School. Her primary teachers include Scott Mendoker, Jay Hunsberger, David McCollum, and Les Dean, Sr.