directors and staff
Dr. Kathryn D. Spangler
Director of Bands
Dr. Kathryn Spangler currently serves as the Director of Bands at Mt. Vernon Community Schools. Dr. Spangler holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Master of Music in Saxophone Performance and Music Education from Butler University. Additionally, she earned her Doctor of Arts in Music Education and Educational Psychology f
Director of Bands
Dr. Kathryn Spangler currently serves as the Director of Bands at Mt. Vernon Community Schools. Dr. Spangler holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and Master of Music in Saxophone Performance and Music Education from Butler University. Additionally, she earned her Doctor of Arts in Music Education and Educational Psychology from Ball State University. Dr. Spangler is a 2025 recipient of the CMA Foundation Music Teacher's of Excellence and was also named a 2026 Grammy Music Educator Award Quarterfinalist.
Dr. Spangler has spent 27 years teaching music in Indiana and has performed professionally across the country with the Indianapolis Saxophone Quartet. Prior to joining the staff at Mt. Vernon in 2023, she served as the Director of Athletic Bands and Associate Director of Bands at Indiana State University. In this role she led the Marching Sycamores, the Basketball Band, supervised student teachers, and taught music education courses.
During her twenty one years as a middle and high school band director, she spent nearly half of those teaching in the inner city. Under her direction she was able to grow the highly successful Shortridge Magnet High School band program. She is a sought-after clinician and guest conductor and served as the Visual Caption Head for the Indianapolis Ignition, the Music Design Caption Head for Asteria Winds, and the Program Coordinator for the Eclipse Drum & Bugle Corps in Indianapolis. Previously Dr. Spangler served as the Director of Bands and Chair of the Performing Arts Department at Marian University.
Dr. Spangler’s research interests focus on social and emotional development (SEL) in urban school band programs and developing a culture of SEL in diverse classrooms. She is currently working on developing a practical guide to creating a culture of SEL in the classroom to be published in the spring of 2024 and has previously published articles and presented workshops on developing independent musicians, the history of the school band, and overcoming challenges in urban school band programs.
Dr. Spangler is a member of the Excalibur Brass Band, Indiana Wind Symphony, Indianapolis Saxophone Quartet, Pi Kappa Lambda, Indiana Bandmasters Association,, IMEA, and NAfME. Dr. Spangler performs regularly as a freelance musician and recently performed on stage with Darius Rucker.
D.A. Ball State University
M.M and B.A. Butler University.
Michael Ahearn
Assistant Director of Bands
Michael Ahearn joined Mt. Vernon as the Assistant Director of Bands in 2022. He is a proud graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he received a Bachelors of Music Education with Distinction. While at Indiana University he studied with Kevin Bobo, John Tafoya, Steve Houghton, and Michael
Assistant Director of Bands
Michael Ahearn joined Mt. Vernon as the Assistant Director of Bands in 2022. He is a proud graduate of the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music where he received a Bachelors of Music Education with Distinction. While at Indiana University he studied with Kevin Bobo, John Tafoya, Steve Houghton, and Michael Spiro.
Prior to Mt. Vernon, Michael was the Director of Bands for the Linton-Stockton School Corporation and Director of Bands at Tri-North Middle School in Bloomington, IN. While at Tri-North, the program consistently received the All-Music Award and students were consistently selected for Jr. All-State Jazz and Jr. All-State Ensembles. In 2023, Michael Co-Conducted the Mt. Vernon Wind Ensemble at the IMEA Convention.
In his free time, Michael enjoys spending time and traveling with his wife Autumn, watching the Indianapolis Colts/IU Basketball, and spending time with their pets Cece, Percy, and Lucy.
Mt. Vernon Bands Staff
Josiah Williams
Josiah Williams
Josiah Williams
Color Guard Director
Visual Design
Bio coming soon
Dr. Josh Davis
Josiah Williams
Josiah Williams
Visual Coordinator
Low Brass
Dr. Josh Davis enjoys a busy and varied schedule as a freelance musician and educator. Dr. Davis was a featured soloist in the 2016 and 2017 Japanese tour of the Emmy and Tony award winning show BLAST! and is a highly sought-after marching band instructor. He has worked with the Kent State Marching Golden Flashe
Visual Coordinator
Low Brass
Dr. Josh Davis enjoys a busy and varied schedule as a freelance musician and educator. Dr. Davis was a featured soloist in the 2016 and 2017 Japanese tour of the Emmy and Tony award winning show BLAST! and is a highly sought-after marching band instructor. He has worked with the Kent State Marching Golden Flashes, the 2013 Blue Stars Drum and Bugle Corps, and many high school marching band programs. As well as working with marching ensembles, Dr. Davis is also the low brass instructor at IUPUI, Avon Community Schools and Brownsburg Community Schools. Josh is an active freelance tuba, euphonium, and trombone player, performing with ensembles like the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, Orchestra Indiana, and the Anderson Symphony. Josh holds has a Doctorate in Tuba and Trombone Performance from Ball State University, as well as a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wright State University and performance degrees from Kent State University, Bowling Green State University.
Karen Cole
Josiah Williams
Karen Cole
Percussion Director
Audio Engineer
Karen Cole has a bachelor’s in music education with a percussion emphasis from Illinois State University and has spent nearly 30 years educating youth in Illinois and Indiana.
Karen has instructed and written for many groups throughout the Midwest including the Illinois State University drumline, the Cinci
Percussion Director
Audio Engineer
Karen Cole has a bachelor’s in music education with a percussion emphasis from Illinois State University and has spent nearly 30 years educating youth in Illinois and Indiana.
Karen has instructed and written for many groups throughout the Midwest including the Illinois State University drumline, the Cincinnati Glory drum & bugle corps (Cincinnati, OH), and the Kilties drum & bugle corps (Racine, WI) as caption head and front ensemble instructor for both corps. Now, residing in Indiana, she has worked with such groups as NorthWood HS, Lawrence North HS, Hamilton Southeastern HS, and Bloomington HS North helping them to achieve concert gold ratings, ISSMA marching band finals, Indiana Percussion Association medalists, Mid-States Band Association runner-up, and Bands of America Semi-Finals.
Karen has worked with educators and artists such as David Collier, Kevin Lepper, James Campbell, Bret Kuhn, Toby Orgeron, Joe Kurzi, John Bixby, Bruce McConnell, David Schurger, Ben Phelps, Ben Handel, Danny Walsh, and Mike Ahearn.
Karen has performed with the White River Wind Symphony, the Indiana Wind Symphony, and the Indianapolis Symphonic Band. She adjudicates for the Indiana State School Music Association and is a member of the Percussive Arts Society. Karen recently completed her Master’s in Music Technology at IUPUI and currently is percussion director for the Mt. Vernon HS Bands.