Who We Are
The Narrows Music Society is an umbrella organization for several performing groups including The Harbor Winds Concert Band, the Dixie Dusters Dixieland Band, jazz combos and chamber groups. The purpose of NMS is to enrich the greater Gig Harbor area through the performance of music and to promote music through young artists’ educational programs. NMS offers wind and percussion musicians an opportunity for artistic expression and provides the community with quality performances.
The members represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds including attorneys, accountants, executives, educators, homemakers, students, senior citizens and professional musicians. NMS is a U.S. Tax Code Section 501(c)(3) non-profit volunteer organization performing concerts and private engagements in the Gig Harbor area.
Meet Our Board
Narrows Music Society is a non-profit organization governed by a Board of up to nine members whose duty is to ensure the success of the organization through day to day activities and to promote the ideals espoused in the mission statement.
The Board meets throughout the year, beginning July 1st and ending June 30th. Board members are nominated and elected from the local community to serve three-year terms, not to exceed two consecutive terms. Board Members serve without salary or compensation.
COREY BERMAN
Corey Berman graduated with a Music Education degree from Northwestern University and received his Juris Doctor from Indiana University – Bloomington. After teaching music and then practicing law for 30 years in the Chicago area, Corey moved to Gig Harbor in 2015. He plays and/or sings in various local groups, including Harbor Winds, Gig Harbor Peninsula Civic Orchestra, Tacoma Concert Band, and the Bremerton Symphony Orchestra and Chorale. When not playing, Corey motorcycles and gardens.
EUGENE MELSON
Gene Melson was born and raised in Iowa. He played tuba in junior high and high school, enlisted in the US Navy in 1972, and returned to civilian life after five years active duty. He then settled in Port Orchard and worked at various jobs for the Bremerton naval shipyard, retiring after thirty years. In addition to the Harbor Winds, he plays with South Puget Sound New Horizons Band and is a first alternate for Tacoma Concert Band. He makes his home in Southworth, WA.
LORA DUNCAN
Lora remembers always singing and doing music since she was small. Now, she works with tiny musicians as an elementary music teacher to help develop their love and appreciation of music. Being a part of and enjoying grown-up musical groups is a highlight of her busy schedule.
SUE GUMPERT
STEPHANIE McCARTHY
Stephanie McCarthy has been playing the clarinet since 4th grade. She has moved multiple times in her adult life and one of her great joys is playing in community bands wherever she goes. She is so glad to be a part of the Narrows Music Society and be a part of bringing people together with music!
Sheryl Clark
Sheryl Clark is a professional music educator, graduating from Western Washington University with a Saxophone Performance Degree and an Education Certificate from Pacific Lutheran University. Sheryl has taught band and choir for more than 20 years in the Peninsula School District. She also performed professionally with music greats like Tony Bennett, David Brubeck and others, and most recently in local groups.
Randall Wood
Randall Wood is an accomplished music educator and euphonium player who earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Arkansas Tech University and his Master of Music Education from Central Washington University. With over 15 years of experience teaching music, Randall has revitalized music programs in both Louisiana and Washington. He currently serves as a Music Specialist at Suquamish Elementary.
Becky Sharrett
Becky Sharrett grew up in Bellingham, WA in a large musical family and played trombone in her family Dixieland band, led by her father, Robert Storms. Becky served in the Army and Army National Guard bands, attending the US Army School of Music, where she met her trombone-playing husband. She served 8 years as the First Sergeant and acting Commander of the 133d Army Band stationed at Camp Murray, Tacoma, WA, and is now a retired Army veteran with 30 years of service. She has resided in Gig Harbor for over 20 years, she has taught band at Lighthouse Christian School since 2006, and continues to play trombone with her husband in the Harbor Winds. Becky also helped start a band at a junior HS in the small community of Coatzingo, Mexico in 2014.
Jason Ball
Jason Ball is a transplant from Texas and the owner/chief storyteller at GW Creative, a design agency specializing in branding and website creation. He has a B.A in Music Composition from Centre College and hangs out in the clarinet section of the Harbor Winds. Jason loves great food, dark beer, and backpacking around the Olympic Peninsula with his wife and daughter.
Our Conductor
Mel Brazley
Mel Brazley (she/they) is a Tacoma based musician, conductor, and educator. For the last 10 years, they have enjoyed teaching middle school band and are currently the Director of Bands and Percussion at First Creek Middle School. They are originally from Roseburg, OR and moved to Tacoma to complete their BA in Music and subsequently MAT from University of Puget Sound. There she studied saxophone under Fred Winkler and conducting under Dr. Gerard Morris.
Mel has performed with South Sound Symphonic Band since 2017 and Formation Wind Band since its debut performance. They have both conducted and performed on saxophone with Formation on the final concert of the season this last May. Mel currently lives in Tacoma with her wife, two dogs, and black cat. When they aren’t teaching the youths, Mel enjoys playing video games, reading, and drinking way too much coffee.”
Conductor Emeritus
Eric Swanson
Eric Swanson proudly served 12 years as Conductor and Creative Director of the Harbor Winds Wind Ensemble.
Eric is also in his fourteenth year as the Director of Bands at Gig Harbor High School. The band program at Gig Harbor HS consists of three concert bands, three jazz bands, two percussion ensembles, two athletic bands and numerous chamber music ensembles. Eric previously taught in the Beaverton and Tumwater School Districts where the bands received numerous awards and accolades.
Mr. Swanson received his Bachelors of Arts in Music and Teacher Certification from Central Washington University. He has performed at Music Educators National Conference, American Choral Directors Association, Percussive Arts Society, and Washington Music Educators Association conferences. He has also performed with Columbia Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Olympia Symphony Orchestra, Rose City Chamber Orchestra, and the Fear No Music New Music Ensemble. Eric received his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance from Portland State University.
Eric enjoys spending time with his wife and three children, performing professionally, adjudicating music festivals and the marching arts as well as composing and arranging music for various ensembles across the country.
Our Musicians
The Narrows Music Society includes a diverse set of small ensembles to larger performance groups. NMS encourages our musicians to find new and expressive ways to share music with the community.