This past Thursday, it was announced that the University would be bringing on Professor Drew Kilpela full-time as the new Assistant Professor of Bands.
For the past two years, Kilpela has been teaching as an adjunct professor, assisting MTU’s current Director of Jazz, Adam Meckler. Kilpela’s duties have been to lead the R&D Big Band, coach two of the four jazz combos, teach music appreciation and history of jazz, and advise the Huskies pep band. He has also been involved in the Workshop Brass Band and teaches private trombone lessons. Moving forward, Kilpela will continue his previous duties, as well as cover Meckler’s role while he is on sabbatical next semester. As an educator, Kilpela’s philosophy is to help students “learn by doing.”
Kilpela’s family has roots in the UP, with his family owning and operating the Isle Royale Ferry service for nearly the past 50 years. He is a trombone player and got his undergraduate degree at Michigan State where he studied under trombone player Michael Dease before attending the University of North Texas and studying with jazz trombonist Nick Finzer. Kilpela played as the third trombone in the Glenn Miller Orchestra, before meeting Meckler at a jam session and ending up here.
