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

Beau Bujol is a graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Wind Band Conducting. He was born and raised in the New Orleans area in Louisiana. Beau earned his Bachelor of Music Education from Louisiana State University, where he served as the Drum Major for the Louisiana State University “Golden Band from Tigerland.” After graduation, Beau served as an Associate Director of Bands at John Paul Stevens High School (Northside ISD) in San Antonio, Texas.

Beau earned his Master of Music degree in Band Conducting at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. While at Baylor, he served as a Graduate Associate, assisting with all aspects of the band program and undergraduate conducting curriculum. Beau served as a guest conductor for all concert ensembles, and as a graduate staff member for the Baylor University Golden Wave Band and all other athletic band related activities. Most recently, Beau performed as a flutist with the Baylor Symphony Orchestra at the 2025 American Choral Directors Association National Conference, and with the Baylor Wind Ensemble at the 2024 Texas Music Educators Association Clinic and Convention, and the 2025 College Band Directors National Association Conference.

Beau’s primary conducting teachers include Dr. Eric Wilson, Dr. Isaiah Odajima, Dr. Stuart Ivey, Dr. Dennis Llinás, and Dr. Kelvin Jones. He studied flute with Dr. Katherine Kemler and Dr. Charlotte Daniel. Beau is a member of the Texas Music Educators Association, Texas Bandmasters Association, Pi Kappa Lambda – National Music Honor Society, as well as an alumni member of Kappa Kappa Psi – National Honorary Band Fraternity.

Pablo Elias-Rodriguez is graduate teaching assistant at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, pursuing a Master of Music in Wind Band Conducting. A Florida native, he taught high school music in the public schools of Osceola and Brevard Counties for eleven years prior to pursuing graduate studies. Most recently, he spent seven years as the Director of Bands and Orchestras at Bayside High School in Palm Bay, FL, where he taught three concert bands, two jazz bands, two string orchestras, marching band, and AP Music Theory. The Bayside IMP achieved numerous milestones over this period, including increased student participation in All State Band, All County Band, and Solo and Ensemble Festival, and consistently earning Superior ratings at Music Performance Assessments in marching band, jazz band, concert band, and orchestra. The Band program was awarded the Otto J. Kraushaar award for the first time in school history for earning Straight Superior ratings from all adjudicators at all District and State MPAs in the 2021-22 school year, and the Wind Ensemble performed twice at the Music for All UCF-Orlando Invitational Festival. Pablo’s focus was creating a family-centered culture in the program based on servant leadership, where students prioritized supporting each other and their fellow musicians from other programs around the school district and state.

While in Florida, Pablo was active as a tuba player with the Southern Winds, Central Florida Winds, and Brevard Brass. He also served as an adjudicator and band clinician across the state. He served the Florida Bandmasters Association as the All-State High School Honor Band Coordinator and the District 10 Secretary and Mentor Liaison, and was a supervising teacher for university student interns and a mentor to new teachers while at Bayside.

Pablo graduated Summa Cum Laude with his Bachelor’s Degree in Instrumental Music Education from Florida State University, where he also fulfilled the requirements for a Performance Certificate in tuba. He studied conducting with Richard Clary and Dr. Patrick Dunnigan and tuba with Paul Ebbers, and was a member of the Florida State University Marching Chiefs and Symphonic Band. His primary mentors in FBA are PL Malcolm, Ian Schwindt, Jim Matthews, Jennifer Zahn, and Charles Watford. Pablo is passionate about inspiring students to become the best versions of themselves through experiences with music making.

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.

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