Dodworth Managers

       Mark B. Felder has been musical director for “The Dodworth Saxhorn Band” since 2014. He has also been band director at Monroe County Community College for thirty-one years. Before and during that time he was the band director of the award-winning Jefferson High School Bands for twenty-nine years. Mark served twelve years in local and state offices of the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, including President of District 12. He was named Band Director of the Year for District 12 of MSBOA. He also was named Music Alumnus Guest Conductor of the Year in 1988 for Eastern Michigan University.

       Mark has been musical director for over 150 musicals including 12 years as a musical director at Croswell Opera House in Adrian, MI. He received the prestigious JEFF nomination in Chicago for Best Musical Direction for the second national tour of “Into the Woods” by Stephen Sondheim. He has been a guest lecturer at The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University, University of Toledo, and Adrian College. An active guest conductor, one of Mark’s favorites was conducting an encore with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in 2018.

       Mark is owner of Vivo Productions, a local recording studio and is currently the music director for the Tecumseh Center for the Arts big band. He performed for 28 years with the Johnny Knorr Orchestra of Toledo, Ohio and has toured with Stars of the Lawrence Welk, Manhattan Transfer, and the Shrine Circus. As a performer he has toured China twice with the South Shore Orchestra. He is currently performing with the “Monroe Big Band”. Mark and his wife, Ann, have three children and live in Monroe, Michigan.

        Joseph DeMarsh joined the Dodworth Saxhorn Band in 2013 where he plays the bass saxhorn. He has served as performance manager for the Band since 2017. He holds degrees in music education and tuba performance from the University of Michigan and taught instrumental music in the Ann Arbor Public Schools for many years. He has served as principal tuba of the Flint Symphony Orchestra since 1987 and is a founding member of Today’s Brass Quintet which has performed throughout Michigan since 1983. 

       Raymond E. Oset received his Bachelor of Music Education Degree and a minor in Jazz Studies in 1978 from Central Michigan University and his Masters of Education Degree in Educational Leadership from Saginaw Valley State University.  Raymond started playing the trumpet at the age of 9 in the East Detroit Public Schools.  He began studying privately at the age of 10 with several instructors.  Larry Skinner, William Beger, David Bartlett, Gordon Stump, Roger Ingram, Dennis Horton and Dr. Paul Willworth.

       Raymond started playing professionally at the age of 12 with various bands.  At the age of 19 he became a member of the Austin-Moro Band.  Ray has continued playing for many professional shows including, Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Wayne Newton, Jerry Lewis, Johnny Mathis, the Four Tops, and the Temptations.  Ray has played both in the United States and Europe.  He has traveled with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, Martha Reeves, the Royal Hannaford Circus, Doc Severnsen and the Tonight Show Band, and Maynard Ferguson and his Big Band Big Bop Nouveau.  

       As a music educator, Ray started as a High School Band director with the South Lake Public Schools, Cousino High School in the Warren Consolidated Schools and Great Oaks Charter School in Warren Michigan.  Most recently Ray taught Instrumental Music Methods Class for elementary and middle school music at Eastern Michigan University.     Ray was teaching beginning band in four elementary schools in the Anchor Bay public Schools and an adjunct professor at Rochester College.  Ray provides private lessons for brass students and is a consultant with many high school, middle school and elementary bands in Wayne, Oakland, St. Clair, and Macomb Counties.   

       He is currently an Artist/Clinician for Jupiter Musical Instruments.  He has been a judge for the bands at the Americas’ Thanksgiving Day Parade in Detroit for the past 25 years.  Ray Oset is an active adjudicator with the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association. He has judged in the areas of Concert Band, Orchestra, Marching Band, Jazz Bands, and Solo and Ensemble across the state of Michigan. 

       Marie Mehler has been a member of the Dodworth Saxhorn Band since 1998.  She performs on Bb soprano cornet and also serves on the Board of Directors.  She joined the Onsted MI High School Band as a 7th grader.  After graduation, she was a member of the MSU Marching Band and later the EMU Marching Band.  She was also a member of concert bands at both universities and the EMU Orchestra. Ms. Mehler has also performed with several community bands.   She is a retired educator from Wayne Westland Community Schools where she taught music and 7th grade math.  Ms. Mehler has also served as a church musician (organist, trumpeter, and director of vocal and handbell choirs).  

       Marie resides in Saline, MI where she enjoys traveling, horseback riding, gardening, needlework and reading books in addition to music.

       David Jenvey is a lifelong resident of Ypsilanti, Michigan where he resides with his two cats Simon and Rocky. Performing since the age of 10, David has played for numerous churches and organizations throughout south east Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois including St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran in Livonia, Saints Peter and Paul in downtown Detroit, St. Francis Cabrini in Allen Park, and many many more. He has spent several years performing with Dr. Michal Burkhardt (artistic organ professor at EMU) at Michael’s church premiering numerous compositions of Michael’s on trumpet, percussion, and baroque recorder, in addition to compositions of his own.

       David studied trumpet under Kiri Tollaksen (a world renowned specialist in early music and former Dodworth member), Carter Eggers of EMU, and Dr. Ross Turner (Principal trumpet of the Windsor Symphony). During his time at EMU, David performed with the EMU Wind Symphony under Dr. Mary Schneider, and the EMU Symphony Orchestra under Dr. Kevin Miller.

       David has been a member of the Dodworth Saxhorn Band since 2016. He is also a cornetist with the University of Michigan Gilbert and Sullivan Society in Ann Arbor, and a founding member of the Chicago Road Brass Quintet out of Saline, Michigan. David has also performed with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as an auxiliary trumpet, taught private lessons at the Rudolf Steiner School of Ann Arbor under Janice Sanders as well as the composer in residence for the school making custom arrangements for the orchestra, maintained a private studio and has had multiple students receive high marks at Solo and Ensemble Festival every year.

       David has had numerous small and large ensemble compositions premiered including several band and orchestra compositions at the Michigan Music Conference in Grand Rapids, a Trumpet choir composition in Domersleben, Germany, multiple brass quintet works, and some works performed by middle school and high school bands and orchestras in the area.

       Current work includes managing the Dodworth Saxhorn Band’s website, is a current member of various committees with the band, and is writing a method book for trumpet that is designed to be used with students form their first lesson in 5th grade through graduation from High School.