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| Moonlighters Members |
| Sax Section |
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Lance Taylor
Alto Sax | Lance began playing as a sub with the Moonlighters in 1999 and became a regular member in 2001. He started playing the alto saxophone in the fourth grade and enjoyed it so much that he played through high school and college. Lance has lived in Lititz, PA since 1998. He lives with his wife, Aimee, son, Nicholas, and two daughters, Courtney & Lucy. He works as a food safety compliance specialist at the Hershey Company 19 East factory in Hershey, PA. Lance had the awesome experience of going to the Rose Bowl in 1995 as the member of the Penn State Blue Band. Both he and his wife are Penn State graduates and avid fans of the Nittany Lions. Go Penn State!
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John Blanck
Alto Sax, Clarinet | In 1988 John, a native son & current resident of Manheim, PA, started playing in the "Out-Of-Towners" band, the predecessor to the "Moonlighters" and has been playing with the band ever since. He has been involved in instrumental music since he began taking clarinet lessons in 1949. During the mid to late 1950's he helped form & play in an 11 piece band, "The Polka Dots", which played big band music, primarily in the Manheim area. After graduating from the Manheim Central High School he went on to receive an engineering degree from Penn State University & an MBA degree from The George Washington University. Recently retired as General Manager, Graybill's Tool & Die, Inc., Manheim, PA, John currently plays in the Lititz Community Band & the Manheim German Band as well as the Moonlighters. |
Kim LaSala
Tenor and Alto Saxes, Clarinet
Band Secretary | Kim started playing with the Moonlighters in the mid-80's. She also has been a member of the Lititz Community Band since 1982. Kim is an organist and also plays piano. She lives in Lititz, PA and works at Durex Coverings in Brownstown,
PA. Other than music, she enjoys walking, riding bike and cross-country
skiing.
Kim also is a MaryKay Beauty Consultant since 2003. Her website is www.marykay.com/klasala. |
Doug LaSala
Tenor, Alto, and Soprano Saxes, Clarinet, EWI
Band Leader | Doug's first job with the Moonlighters was in 1998, subbing on tenor sax. Over time, he became a regular member, and started leading the band in early 2001. He also performs with Ben Mauger's Vintage Jazz Band as well as occasional stints with Bob Troxell's Big Big Jazz Band, the Sound of Roses big band, the Jazz Ministers, and other various dixieland & jazz groups. You can also find Doug playing his 'solo act' weekly at La Piazza in Lititz, as well as various venues in the area.
Doug lives in Lititz with his wife Kim and son Joe. His day job consists of programming computers for Siemens Health Services in Malvern, PA. In his spare time, he enjoys cross-country skiing with Kim, hanging out with his son Joe, being HersheyPark happy, bunjee jumping, hang gliding, skateboarding, jumping motorcycles, and wrestling alligators.
His lifelong dream involves making a living doing something with music (what, he's not sure, yet!). Someday, when he grows up, he might actually do it (if he ever makes the time to practice!).
To hear some of Doug's recent recordings, and to see where he'll be playing in the area, click here.
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Jason Roach
Bari Sax, Clarinet | Jason Roach is a 2008 Graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pa. Jason currently lives in Dover, PA, where he graduated from Dover Area High School. He began playing the saxophone at the age of 9, then picked up clarinet, flute, trumpet, drum set and bass guitar in his high school years. Jason’s passion is collecting and playing as many different instruments as possible in various groups. His collection now contains over 30 instruments which includes 8 saxophones which include a C melody sax, and a bass sax.
While attending LVC, he participated in HIS (He Is Savior) which is a student lead praise band. He also was the Drill Writer for the 2005-2006 marching band show. His junior year he became the tuba section leader, playing sousaphone. While an avid jazz enthusiast he performed in both the small jazz (combo) ensemble and the Jazz Ensemble, and toured for 3 years with this group performing, alto, tenor, bari, flute and clarinet. He was the featured soloist his senior year.
Jason has played for legends such as Cyrus Chestnut, John Fedchock, Tierney Sutton, and Chubby Checker. He has studied with local jazz saxophone greats such as, Steve Fieldhouse, Curt Sipe and Tom Strohman. He has performed in many groups and recorded with local musicians. His favorite performing experience was playing at Hersheypark from 2007-2010.
Jason currently performs with the Messiah College Wind Ensemble in Grantham, PA on Bass sax, contra-bass clarinet and contra-alto clarinet and also with the Columbia VFW Community Band. He is a music teacher in the Dauphin County and teaches private lessons in the York area. |
| Trombone Section |
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Jim Metzger
Trombone | Jim Metzger is currently the Director of Bands at Manheim Central Middle
School. He has been actively promoting band music in public schools for over 33 years. Originally from Lewistown, PA, Jim earned his Music degree from Mansfield University and also holds a Masters of Music Education and Performance from West Chester University. He has continued to study music at Villanova, Bucknell and Penn State Universities. Jim has studied conducting with masters Frederick Fennell and Jerry Nowak.
Jim has been an active guest conductor and musician. He has conducted honors bands such as the Lancaster-Lebanon County Bands and the Adams All-County Band. Jim continues to perform as a free-lance trombonist in churches, bands and orchestras throughout both Lancaster and Pittsburgh.
Jim enjoys life in Mount Joy with his wife and talented trombonist Terri Donnelly Metzger.
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Terri Metzger
Trombone | Terri Donnelly Metzger has been playing trombone ever since she was in 4th grade. A graduate of Indiana University of PA, Terri had the opportunity to play with many musical groups in the Pittsburgh area. She was Principal Trombonist with the Pittsburgh Philharmonic, first trombonist with the Allegheny Brass Band, and a founding member and former director of the Brass Staff, a Dixieland brass and percussion group. Terri was fortunate to study with Dr. Christian Dickinson at IUP and was awarded a scholarship to attend The Rocky Ridge Music Center in Estes Park, Colorado.
Terri had the pleasure of meeting trombonist, Jim Metzger, in a graduate music class at Villanova University. Terri got Jim’s attention when she pointed out that his “D” was sharp. Ever since, they’ve been inseparable. Terri and Jim married in 2007 and live in Mount Joy with their amazing cats Trixie and Spartacus. She thanks God for Jim and all the opportunities she has been afforded teaching and performing music.
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Al Rothacker
Trombone | Al originally hails from Minersville, in Schyukill County, PA, the second of of three sons. His Dad had a huge impact on the boys and their music, having always played in dance bands, community bands, brass ensembles, and the like. So when Al was of age, or close, he was taught to make a 'bumble bee'. That's when a brass player buzzes into a mouthpiece with his lips, which in turn produces musical tones (or close). Soon after, on faith, he was taken to the high school band room to find a marching band uniform that fit (or close). And so, in the 5th grade, Al became a member of the Minersville High School Marching Band.
Upon high school graduation, Al joined the Marine Corps. After ten years each of active and reserve service, he retired from the USMC at the rate of E-7, or Gunnery Sergeant. During those 20 years he had the good fortune to meet and marry his Marine buddy's sister, Kate. He and Kate have been married 36 years (or close). They have been blessed with two sons and two daughters, and a grandson.
During their USMC years in Southern California, He and Kate were charter members of Saddleback Church. Naturally, he also was a charter member in the church's praise band, as well as its Saddleback Brass ensemble. Al concluded his college work by spending the last six semesters with the Saddleback College Big Band, which did wonders for his suffering GPA. Other associations included the Max Bishop Big Band.
Al started with the Moonlighters in 1996 or so, soon after moving the family back to Pennsylvania. He now lives in Lititz, where he is also a member of the Lititz Community Band. From a player's point of view, it really warms the cockles of his heart to see the people 'of the era' dancing and enjoying the music the Moonlighters make.
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Jerry Rothacker
Trombone | |
Woody Hann
Trombone
Band Manager | Woody was an original member of the Moonlighters and took over when Howard Hemmerly retired. For several years he was chief cook and bottle washer for the band except for directing. Today he remains as business agent (the one job no one else was willing to take).
He started playing the trombone at age ten and almost sixty years later is still trying. Currently he also plays with the Lititz Community Band and the Lititz Moravian Trombone Choir. In the past he has played with the Lititz High band under the direction of Henry Stiener (who now lives in Luther Acres), the Roherstown Band for 25 years and was an original member of the Bone-fide Brass which was a trombone quartet.
He retired in 1995 from RCA/GE/BURLE after 37 years at hard labor. He had held various positions in the financial department. Fancy way of saying he was a "beancounter". Following graduation from the old Lititz High he attended Moravian College where he received a BS in economics. He also earned graduate credits from Temple University towards an MBA.
Today in retirement his main job is to stay out of his wife's way. This has forced him into many volunteer pursuits. He currently volunteers two days a week at Landis Valley Farm Museum in the gun shop. Also helps with the VITA program which provides income tax assistance to the elderly. He also serves on the board of EARS which is a rehab unit for the handicapped and on the board of Lancaster Red Rose Credit Union. To fill in his spare time he enjoys fishing (better known as drowning worms) and working with his stamp collecting. |
| Trumpet Section |
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Joe Gagliardi
Trumpet | Joe has been playing big band jazz charts for 30 years, beginning when he was a middle school student in his hometown of Shelton, Connecticut. He graduated from the Hartt School of Music with a degree in Music Management. Joe performed with the After Hours Big Band in Billerica, Massachusetts, for several years while he was a staff member of the New Hampshire Symphony Orchestra.
Joe married his wife, Karen, in 1991 and moved to Tuxedo Park, New York. She believes one of the reasons he did was to be 45 minutes away from Hawthorne, New Jersey. After the wedding, Joe immediately joined the Hawthorne Caballeros Senior Drum and Bugle Corps (which meant rehearsals every Friday night – imagine how well that conversation went). He is extremely proud to have marched with the Cabs in their field presentation of ‘West Side Story’ in 1993 and honored to have been a featured soloist for the Corps that year. Joe was awarded the Caballeros’ 1993 Horn Player of the Year Award. During their time in New York, Joe worked in sales and catalog production with National Educational Music Company (NEMC), a musical instrument catalog retailer.
Joe, Karen, and their 1st daughter Jill moved to Lancaster County in 1996, with their 2nd daughter Rachel on the way. Joe is now a Senior Customer Service Representative with RR Donnelley. In addition to substituting with the Moonlighters, Joe plays with the Flipside Big Band in West Lampeter and substitutes with the Sound of Roses Big Band. Joe is also a member of the Lampeter-Strasburg Community Band. When not playing, Joe can be found either driving the family’s 1956 Continental Mark II, helping Jill to play Benny Goodman’s clarinet solos, or working (stepping) around the horses at Rachel’s youth rodeos. |
Ron Tweed
Trumpet | Ron started playing trumpet in fifth grade at the Thomas Mifflin School in Lancaster, where his first performance was a duet of "My Bonnie Lies Over The Ocean" with another trumpet player whose name has been lost in the mists
of time. After this triumph, his musical career retreated into relative
obscurity until he was turned on to big band music by Mr. Hastings, director
of the Penn Manor concert band and "dance band" as they were known in those
days. Two older sisters, one a Stan Kenton fan, the other a drummer with the Penn Manor band, were major influences.
Following graduation, and a brief stint with the Franklin and Marshall
College Marching Band (John Pyfer, martinet), he played with Malta and
Rohrerstown Bands for a number of years, and was a charter member of Bob
Troxell's Big Big Jazz Band, which was organized (if one can apply that
term) in the mid '60's.
Ron retired from Armstrong World Industries in 1993 where he toiled as a lab
technician and computer programmer, and in addition to the The Moonlighters,
plays with The Sound of Roses of Lancaster, and still hasn't been ejected
for bad behavior from the Troxell Big Big Jazz Band.
When grown-up, he hopes to be either Maynard Ferguson or Doc Severinsen
and/or a big-band arranger, preferably Billy May.
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| Rhythm Section |
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Phil Capp
Guitar | Originally from New York City Phil moved to Lancaster in the summer of 1971 and has been here pretty much ever since.
A graduate of Southern Connecticut State University he began playing guitar in 1972. He joined the Moonlighters in 2009. He also plays with the Sound of Roses Big Band and occasionally sits in with Bob Troxell's Big, Big Jazz Band.
Musical influences include George and Ira Gershwin, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Kenny Rankin, Django Reinhardt, Steve Goodman and the country swing band - Asleep at the Wheel.
He loves to run and has completed 7 marathons and a handful of half marathons.
Phil is a free lance Stage Manager and Stage Hand. He has held membership in the Actors' Equity Association as a Stage Manager and is currently a member of the Stagehands Union Local 98 based in Hershey,PA.
In addition, he can sometimes be found at various local open mic sessions as a solo acoustic performer.
More information is available at www.philcapp.com.
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Neil Crone
Tuba | Neil is a Penn State Capitol Campus graduate who migrated to Lancaster County in the late 70's with his wife, Eileen. They settled here just in time to experience the TMI accident. Nevertheless, they have raised their two children here and have made many friends in the Lititz Moravian Church and in the community.
Neil's tuba playing "career" began very typically. The high school band director said, "Come back here boy, will you please? You're big enough to march with this horn, from now on you're on tuba." That was how he, and many others got started with the "heavy metal".
Today, Neil particularly enjoys playing music with his son, Nelson, who is "coming up" with the trombone. Most of Neil's playing is right here in Lititz with the Moravian Trombone Choir and with the Moonlighters. |
Keith Reifsnyder
Piano | Keith Reifsnyder is a 2006 graduate of Lebanon Valley College in Annville. Keith currently lives in Ephrata after a year in Abingdon, MD, and a childhood in Lititz, PA, where he graduated from Warwick High School. He is also an avid sports fan. As a student, Keith was an avid musician, participating in jazz bands and small jazz ensembles at both the high school and collegiate level, including the 7-piece band "#13." He is also a composer and arranger.
While his primary instrument in college was trumpet, which consumed 10 years of his life in various marching bands (Lititz Community Band, WHS and LVC's "Pride of the Valley"), he serves as the piano player for the Moonlighters and loves every minute of it. Keith is currently a customer service representative for Cliffside Industries, where he answers phones and helps to maintain the company's website. He is also the director of music for St. Paul's United Church of Christ in Schaefferstown, PA.
In addition to playing with the Moonlighters, Keith is also a member of the Bel Air Community Band Jazz Ensemble, where he plays trumpet and fluegelhorn, and of a six-piece jazz combo comprised of members of that group. He enjoys making music and hopes to continue with the Moonlighters for many years.
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Jim Sheckler
Drums | All his friends call him 'Shecky". He was a drummer for Royaltones (Joe Galie) in Lancaster after moving here with his family in 1962.
Shecky was asked to play drums for Bob Troxell Big Band in 1982.
Unfortunately, he had to quit in 1993 after having five back surgeries in four years.
He started playing again in 1998. Retired in 1999 after 33yrs working for local company.
Shecky had his first couple of rehearsals and engagements with the Moonlighters in the fall of 2001. Hobbies include: Listening to Big Band music, Sun and Fun at the Beach, and, watching his five grandchildren grow up. |
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