Former Conductor Randy Masselink
Randy Masselink has been an avid director and french horn player since his high school days in the mid 1960’s. As a student he played with the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo (MI) Symphony Orchestras, and was very involved with chamber music and musical theater.
After graduating from Calvin College with a music education degree he began teaching and continued playing the horn, studying with Neil Saunders, former principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra. While teaching school music in the Chicago area he studied for 5 years with Dale Clevenger, principal hornist of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, playing in the Chicago Civic Orchestra and on occasion with the CSO itself. In 1981 he moved to Italy to play in the Orchestra Regionale Toscana (in Florence) where he soon met his wife Donatella and started a family.
After playing in several orchestras in Italy and Switzerland the Masselinks came to Healdsburg in 1997 where Randy has directed bands in the local schools ever since. He continues to play the horn in many local orchestras and theater productions, and has remained actively involved with the Healdsburg Community Band both as performer and director.
After many years at the helm, Randy stepped down in 2021. He is missed but never forgotten. He will even join us on occasion as a French Horn!
Current Conductors
Jon Saler
Jon began his musical training as a clarinetist in elementary school and began conducting in High School. He received his most advanced training in performance and conducting when he pursued a Masters Degree in Music at USC.
Most of his career in music has been in education, where he has taught and led instrumental groups from a Kindergarten to College level for thirty-eight years.
matthew wallace
Matthew Wallace has been an active music educator and horn player in the central valley and Sacramento areas for many years. Matt's mother, an organist/church choir director, made sure all her sons played piano and at least one other instrument. Matt chose the French Horn, and has played with community bands, orchestras, musical theater and brass quintets ever since. His horn teachers over the years have included Dr. Gene Wisler of Cal State Stanislaus, Dr. George Nemeth of University of the Pacific, and Fred Fox of Cal State Long Beach.
Matt attended Cal State Stanislaus and began his teaching career in Modesto. In 1994 he took an elementary teaching position in Woodland where he remained until his retirement in 2016. During this time he was an active horn performer with the Sacramento Symphonic Winds, California Wind Orchestra, and choir director at Bethany Lutheran Church, Vacaville. Matt and his wife Margie settled in Cloverdale in the fall of 2017 to be near kids and grandkids in Sonoma County, and joined the Healdsburg Community Band in spring of 2018.
Ken Collins
Ken Collins attended San Jose State University and graduated with a degree in music education, then began a 37 year teaching career, 31 of which were in Cloverdale teaching instrumental music, classroom music, chorus, and PE. He joined the Healdsburg Community Band in January 2019 and is also a member and founder of the Cottage Trio and Quartet which performs free concerts in the Cloverdale area. Ken's main instrument is clarinet, but he likes to double on whatever is needed the most. In addition to arranging music and performing, he is an avid hiker.
Erica Dori
Erica Dori has been teaching and performing music in Sonoma County for 15 years. After earning her bachelor's degree in Music Education at Sonoma State University in 2008, she spent ten years teaching Band, Orchestra, Choir, Music Theory, Guitar and much more at Windsor High School. She performs often with various vocal groups and plays drums and percussion for musical theater productions throughout Sonoma County. She loves the Healdsburg Community Band for its accepting and fun culture and what the musicians add to the community. Erica currently teaches private music lessons at Music To My Ears and is a proud student of the Sonoma State University Nursing Program.
Tim Ellis
Tim Ellis holds a Bachelor Degree in Music Education and a Master Degree in Music from Central Missouri State University. He has taught music at the public school, college, and university levels in Missouri, Texas, and California. Mr. Ellis, a professional performer, is co-owner of the “Moonlighters”, a swing era big band, and was a member of the Ukiah Symphony and the Sonoma County Philharmonic for many years. He has also been an adjudicator and clinician for public schools throughout Sonoma County.
