Alexander Spycher

I have been playing the Alto Saxophone for about ten years now. I play on a 1973 Selmer Mark VI Alto Saxophone, which for me is an absolutely beautiful saxophone. At Clackamas High School I was involved in the top ensembles. The best alto saxophonist of the school was Ryan Carlson and myself, we have been competing against each other for years and I would have no other alto saxophonist at my side when playing in the Portland Metro Area. In my Senior year in high school I received the highest mark for soloing in the OMEA District XIII Solo Festival. I started taking lessons my sophomore year at CHS, Joe Wimmer was and still is my saxophone professor, I have never known such a man so passionate about music and the need he sees for it in this world. He has encouraged me greatly and helped me to accomplish my dreams. I am at Mt. Hood Community College getting my required courses out of the way, after those are complete I plan on attending George Fox University to be an international lawyer. I teach private lessons to students in the area and go to the local elementary schools to help the students with band class, it is fantastic to see such young kids start to explore the power and beauty of music If I have any words of advice, I would tell you to trust yourself and your dreams, never let any person take your dreams away, for at points in your life, dreams are the only thing you will have left.
~Alexander David Francois Spycher
Alto Saxophone

R.I.P. Alexander David Francois Spycher

Ryan Carlson

Through my life I have been a devoted student of music. I love the emotional effect that a great song can have on an individual. Greatly inspired by my grandfather, Don Wolfe, I have pursued a life completely surrounded by music. I first started playing the alto saxophone in 1999, and have never stopped since. I began my studies of jazz in the Clackamas High School Jazz Ensemble, which I was lead alto of for two years. By the end of my high school career, I became the student leader in every band there, and received the Outstanding Jazz Musician Award. I first started performing with my own band in 2003 with the Shades of Blue Jazz Band. Then in the Summer of 2005, Alexander Spycher and I created a new band that would later be called the Green Machine. It has given me much joy to perform with these individuals. The love we have for the music comes together in rehearsals and performances to create a fantastic feeling of musical achievement. Most of us have been performing together since middle school; I know there will be many more years to come. I am now the lead alto saxophone in the Mount Hood Community College Jazz Band One, and have toured to Taiwan with that band twice. Music has always been my love, hobby and career. Being lead saxophonist of every band I've been in has fueled that love, and I'm excited for a life filled with musical experiences.
~Ryan Carlson
Alto Saxophone


Ian Westerlund

I played alto saxophone in 6th and 7th grade and then switched to bari sax in 8th grade. I love to play both saxophones but will continue to increase my skills with the baritone sax. I was part of the Clackamas High School Jazz Ensemble for 3 years, during that time I took private lessons with Bryan Dickerson himself. I joined the Green Machine during my senior year of high school and have been playing with them and no other bands since! I've gone to school and been playing with the members for quite sometime now, so I know all the members in the band very well. I took 1 year at MHCC (Mt. Hood Community College) mainly taking music classes. I took a year off of school this year, so know I'm currently working at the airport and playing in the Green Machine. I love Jazz and Blues music and I do not think I will ever stop listening to music or playing the bari as long as I'm alive.
~Ian Westerlund
Baritone Saxophone


Kenny MacDaniels

I've been playing the drums since I could reach the pedals. Before then I was a bongo master. 15 years of drumming has brought much excitement into my life. I have performed with many groups over the years ranging from top school bands, to pro jazz combos downtown. The main reason for my success comes from my rudimental skills. I have placed top 3 in state solo contest my Junior and Senior year of high school. But of course I would be nothing without acknowledging that my gift comes from Yahweh my God.
~Kenneth MacDaniels
Percussion


Alex Domres

Since I was a little kid I have always loved music, infact my mom still keeps pictures of me with my singalong tape-player, but I only picked up the guitar when I was about nine... In the fourth grade I think. I started out playing solely classical music, then I moved to mostly rock in middle school, and then jazz when I got into high school. I got into the school jazz band my sophomore year, and have been playing with them in competition ever since. This will be my last year in the school band, as I will be graduating this summer, but I intend to continue with guitar well after I leave Clackamas. I first started playing for the green machine late in 2006 when our original guitarist, James, couldn't make it to an important gig. Alexander looked for someone to fill the gap, and that's when he came up with my name. And the rest is history!
~Alex Domres
Guitar


Dan Gonzales

I began playing guitar four years ago and have sinced picked various instruments including piano, bass, drums and voice. Being so new to performance, I was fortunate to be able to start playing with the Green Machine. I began by filling in when other members were unavailable for performances. I had my first gig with the GMJE in early 2009 and officially joined the group later that summer. I now play piano and guitar for the band full time and have also composed some songs for the group. I'm currently playing guitar in the Mt. Hood Community College Jazz Band as well.
~Dan Gonzales
Guitar and Piano


James Pham

James is a student of Portland State University's Music Education Program. Following Joe Wimmer's advice to "Keep many Aces in his hand," James has performance experience in Clarinet, Jazz & Classical Guitar and Jazz Bass. He has played in Musical Theater Orchestras for shows including My Fair Lady, Beauty and the Beast, Seussical the Musical and Les Miserables. As a Conductor, James has taken coursework with Dr. Edward Higgins & Dr. Duane Cottrell, and participated in the 2010 Rose City International Conductor's Workshop. James currently serves as Music Director/Conductor for the Musical, "Stop the World, I Want to Get Off!," a joint production of PSU's Theater Arts Student Organization and Music Committee, playing November 2010. For the 2010-2011 school year, James will volunteer at Clackamas High School, teaching Class Guitar and conducting the Freshman and Chamber Orchestras, under CHS Faculty member Lisa Hanson. James plans to pursue Graduate studies in music and earn a position teaching in a University, or conducting a professional symphony orchestra.
~James Pham
Guitar and Bass

Retired Members

James Larson

I've played bass for six years. I've honed my skills on upright in traditional music groups and electric "slap" bass in Jazz groups. I've been involved with a Jazz Ensemble over four years.
~James Larson
Bass


Scott Bradner

I've played the piano since the beginning of first grade, and played in the CHS jazz ensemble as a freshman, and played the keyboard (harp voicing) in My Fair Lady this year. I've played the clarinet since 6th grade, and was in the Wind Ensemble at clackamas this last year. I've played the tenor sax since the end of 7th grade, and am yet to play it for the high school. I've also played the bass for 1 year.
~Scott Bradner
Piano

Zoe Wells

I first started singing because of my love for musical theater. I have been in three musical productions and hope to be in many more in my life. I didn't really start singing until my sophomore year of high school when I started voice lessons from the lovely Mrs. Carole Stewart, to whom I owe much of my technique. Junior year I joined choir and regret not joining it sooner. My senior year I've been in the A-Choir at Clackamas High and I still take voice lessons. I started singing with the Green Machine at the beginning of 2009 which was my first time really trying jazz music. I've always loved the genre but really never had the opportunity to sing it. I've found it's a lot harder than I wanted it to be, but I love it just the same; the challenge, the new skills and the revival of music that seems lost on most of my generation.
~Zoe Wells
Vocals

Andrew Dummer

Andrew Dummer has been playing piano since kindergarten, guitar since eighth grade, and the bass since high school. He was born in Portland and grew up in Vancouver, WA. He has been active in ensembles ranging from jazz to classical to rock to choral. He studies music as well as accounting at the University of Portland, and studies bass from Michael McCabe.
~Andrew Dummer
Bass

Behind the Scenes

David Brown

My name is David Brown and I am a MIS major at Oregon State University. I have been working in the technical field for quite some time. I do website work as well as server back-end work. I do work for the Sabin-Schellenberg Technical Center of the North Clackamas School District, keeping the labs and some servers running. I have taken Cisco training courses as well as RedHat academy classes. I am an advocate of Open Source software and use GNU/Linux. I am also a member of the OSU Linux Users Group. I was also an apprentice at IBM's Linux Technology Center. Along with computer work I do live sound reinforcement for green machine, Goose Creek and some OSU student events.
~David Brown
Technology

Amee Taylor

My name is Amee Taylor and I currently attend Mt. Hood College as a student of Film Making specializing in Producing. I am co-founder of GreenLeaves Productions, which is a Promotional production company. We specialize in producing promotional materials for our clients ranging from music videos to international documentaries. We are both pleased and excited to work with The Green Machine Jazz Ensemble. They are very talented musicians with an incomparable love for all music. As their personal promotional manager I enjoy taking this opportunity to introduce myself personally. First, and most important, I love creativity an practice art daily. I find music an books my personal inspiration as well as foreign cultures. I got my start in theater, moving on to work with live TV and finally deciding that being behind the camera was where I wanted to be. I thrive on producing large scale events and films and have been fortunate to work with very talented and generous people. As I mentioned above, on behalf of GreenLeaves Productions, we look forward to producing truly great work with The Green Machine Jazz Ensemble.
~Amee Taylor
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Devan Gray

I am currently in the Chamber Orchestra of Clackamas High School as well as a smaller, audition only group called "Super C's." I have been playing the violin through school since 2002, and have been taking lessons from Laurie Cassella since 2006. I also am co-founder and member of a relatively new string quartet of students from our school. We have played at a number of weddings and gatherings. "A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence." –Leopold Stokowski
~Devan Gray

Promotional Model

 

 

Briel Spycher

I am a student attending Clackamas High School. I'm studying Arts & Communications. I am also in Clackamas High School’s Wind Ensemble under the direction of Jeffery Betts. I have been playing the bass clarinet for four years and before that I have played the clarinet for two years. Just this year I have placed 2nd in the solo competitions in the district. Aside from the bass clarinet I have also been playing the piano for about nine years. I have been composing most of my music for the piano. I started out on piano at Harmony Road, and then received private lessons from Sheryl Sonk. I am now on my own, and writing new songs.
~Briel Spycher
Promotional Model

 

 

 

Shay Law

My name is Shay Law, I'm 20 and I currently attend East West College. I'm studying massage which I have been doing for the last 2 years. I should be done with school in two more terms and get my massage license. I then plan on continuing on with school studying acupuncture. Before school I was riding horses and going around doing horse shows for the last 10 years. Sadly since I've had to concentrate on school I haven't had as much time to ride horses. I've lived in Oregon my whole life and don't plan on leaving anytime soon because it is such a beautiful place.
~Shay Law
Promotional Model