Illinois Bands Staff

Joy McClaugherty serves the Illinois band program as communications specialist, event coordinator, and office manager. Joining the Illinois Bands staff in 2015, Ms. McClaugherty handles the logistics for the Illinois SuperState Concert Band Festival, the Illinois Band Conductors Symposium, and other Illinois band events. She also oversees the editing, layout, and production of all performance and event programs and marketing materials, and assists with the Illinois Bands website and content development. Prior to joining the University of Illinois, McClaugherty served as area manager of the meetings and exhibits department of the American Oil Chemists Society. She also has a strong background in marketing and communications, having worked as an associate creative director, director of creative services, and senior copywriter for FCB Healthcare West, Penta Corporation, and Campbell Mithun advertising agencies, respectively.

Aaron Kavelman is a percussion educator, clinician, performer and composer who grew up listening and performing jazz alongside his father, an accomplished jazz pianist. Growing up in a musical family, Aaron watched his four older sisters in the high school band program. Inspired by the local marching bands, Aaron would tape a set of bongos onto a chair and choreograph drill in the backyard, thus the beginning for his love with the marching arts.

With twenty-two years’ experience teaching private lessons and twenty years teaching drumlines throughout Illinois, Aaron brings a wealth of experience and passion to whomever he teaches. Regardless if it is on a competitive field or in support of athletics, he demands top effort from each group. Aaron also has numerous compositional and arranging credits throughout the Midwest from a variety of percussion programs.

Aaron has a bachelor of music and a master of music in percussion performance from Illinois State University where he studied with Dr. Tom Marko, director of jazz, and served as the teaching assistant to Dr. David Collier, head of percussion. Aaron is currently working on his doctor of musical arts in jazz performance with professor Joel Spencer, along with a cognate in North Indian classical music under Dr. Christopher Macklin at the University of Illinois. He currently serves as the drumline instructor for the Marching Illini and continues an active writing, playing and independent clinician schedule.

Graduate Conducting Assistants

Alex Mondragon, a doctoral candidate in instrumental conducting at the University of Illinois, grew up in the Denver metro area in Colorado and earned his Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Colorado in Boulder. Alex served as the Assistant Director of Bands at Fairview High School in Boulder, Colorado, taught beginning band at various Boulder elementary schools, and assisted with several Boulder middle school bands. In addition to teaching in the public schools, Alex maintained a private studio of trombone and euphonium students ranging from grades 5-12.

Alex earned his Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from The Ohio State University where he served as a Graduate Teaching Associate and assisted in all facets of the band program. While at Ohio State, Alex served as a guest conductor with all bands and worked extensively with The Ohio State University Marching Band. He wrote drill for both the Athletic Band and the Marching Band that was performed as part of both pregame and halftime.

Alex’s primary conducting teachers include Dr. Russel Mikkelson, Dr. Donald McKinney, Dr. Matthew Roeder, and Dr. Matthew Dockendorf. He studied euphonium with J. Michael Dunn. Alex’s professional affiliations include the Colorado Bandmaster’s Association, the Colorado Music Educator’s Association, and the National Band Association.

Rebecca Mulligan is currently a graduate student and teaching assistant at the University of Illinois pursuing a Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting with Dr. Kevin Geraldi. Rebecca received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2018.

Prior to moving to Illinois, Rebecca served in the United States Army as a Bandsman. After joining the Army in 2019, she served as a clarinetist, librarian, and conductor in the 3rd Infantry Division based out of coastal Georgia. During her time with the 3ID, she performed in the Concert Band, Drill Band, and Woodwind Quintet. She also performed two tours with the United States Army Field Band, performing concerts throughout the Southwestern United States, and in New York City. She now serves with the 208th Army Reserve Band based out of Concord, NC. Rebecca has played, and guest conducted, the Piedmont Wind Symphony, the Savannah Wind Symphony, and the Wingate Wind Ensemble.

JaQuan O. Wiley is a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a Master of Music degree in Wind Band Conducting. He earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental Music Education (K-12 Certification) from Appalachian State University. 

Previously, JaQuan taught in the public schools of North Carolina, most recently as Assistant Director of Bands at Asheville High School where his responsibilities included conducting the Symphonic Band, directing two Jazz Ensembles, co-directing the Marching Cougars, co-teaching instrumental classes at the feeder middle schools, and frequently guest conducting the Asheville High School Wind Symphony. Under his direction, the Asheville High School Symphonic Band achieved great success, including consistent Superior ratings at District Music Performance Adjudication, performances at concert band invitationals, and a combined band performance in March 2024 with the Asheville High School Wind Symphony for the National Band and Orchestra Festival at Carnegie Hall. He also served as conductor of the Western Piedmont Youth Symphony.

JaQuan had the honor of guest conducting the Appalachian Wind Ensemble and Appalachian Concert Band numerous times. In 2023, he received the Ed Rooker Encore Award from the North Carolina chapter of the American School Band Directors Association, “presented to young bandmasters of distinction” within their first seven years of teaching. In July 2024, he was one of five conductors selected to participate in the annual United States Army Band Conducting Workshop.

In addition to his work at the public school level, JaQuan has served as a counselor for Cannon Music Camp (Appalachian State University) and a conductor at the Lenoir-Rhyne University Summer Band Camp. He has been active as a clinician and adjudicator in North Carolina, presented at the North Carolina Music Educators Conference and the Maryland Music Educators Fall In-Service Conference, and served as panelist for the College Music Society’s summer 2020 webinar, “A National Conversation on Music Education in Higher Ed: At the Crossroads of Change?” He also served as Chair of the North Carolina Western Jazz Region.

Athletic Bands Graduate Teaching Assistants