Meet the Faculty for the
Savannah Trombone Workshop:

Dr. Jessica Butler

Dr. Jessica Butler is currently an Associate Professor of Practice at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies and the Brass Area Coordinator in addition to teaching applied lessons in trombone, euphonium, and tuba and courses in music history.

Dr. Butler has performed and presented her research at the International Trombone Festival, the International Women’s Brass Conference and the Midwest Trombone Euphonium Conference. She has had the honor of routinely performing with the Southeast Trombone Symposium’s Professors Choir as well as the esteemed Cramer Trombone Choir. Dr. Butler serves on the International Trombone Association Advisory Council on Literature.

As a performer, Dr. Butler is an active freelancer and enjoys chamber music. She performs with the Paducah Symphony Orchestra as well as the Southern Illinois Music Festival Orchestra. In 2010, Dr. Butler won the grand prize in the S.E. Shires Solo Competition at the Southeast Trombone Symposium. Dr. Butler achieved her D.M.A. and M.A. degrees with Dr. David Gier at the University of Iowa and her B.M. with Dr. Bradley Palmer at Columbus State University. Jessica enjoys spending time hiking in beautiful Southern Illinois with her husband Chris, two kids Clark and Jenny, and dog Canon.

Mark Spradley

Mark Spradley is currently the Second Trombone with the Atlanta Ballet Orchestra, Savannah Philharmonic, and the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra. He has performed with many other orchestras in the Southeast, including the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Waco Symphony, LaGrange Symphony, Albany Symphony, Beaufort Symphony, and the North Charleston POPS. Also an accomplished soloist, Mr. Spradley was a national finalist and placed as one of the top prize winners in the Young Artist Brass Competition hosted by the Music Teachers National Association, held in Anaheim, California.

He earned his bachelor's degree in music performance at Columbus State University's Schwob School of Music. While attending CSU, he was a member of the Columbus State University’s Trombone Choir and Octet, which released their Debut CD, “A Beautiful Noise” with Summit Records in 2013. “A Beautiful Noise” is a collaboration with some of the world’s top trombonists representing symphonies and other ensembles from Boston, Atlanta, Seattle, Chicago, New York and the Metropolitan Opera. His primary trombone teachers/mentors include Dr. Bradley Palmer and Nathan Zgonc.

In addition to maintaining a busy performance schedule, Mr. Spradley enjoys teaching private lessons and leading the Savannah Trombone Choir in rehearsals on a weekly basis. Mr. Spradley founded the Savannah Trombone Workshop and has served on faculty since the inaugural program in 2016.