Music Instructors

Rick Cook
Director of Music

Rick Cook was appointed full time music lecturer at Southern New Hampshire University in the fall of 2008.  During his short time at SNHU, the performing music program has grown from one ensemble to nine and academic offerings have increased from one music appreciation course to a music minor.  Rick has taught music history, music theory, jazz combo, concert band, orchestra, brass choir, rock band, concert chorus and chamber choir at SNHU. 

Rick is ABD from a Ph.D. in Instrumental Conducting/Music Education at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst where he studied with Dr. Frank Battisti, one of the world’s leading experts in the field of wind conducting.  As a doctoral assistant, Rick served as an assistant conductor for the UMass Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, Concert Band and Marching Band, and observed student teachers.  In 2005, Rick completed a Master’s Degree in Wind Conducting/Music Education at the University of New Hampshire, studying conducting/composition primarily with Dr. Andrew Boysen, Jr.  He did undergraduate work at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota where he studied conducting/composition with Dr. Timothy Mahr.  Rick grew up off North Union Street, just up the road from SNHU, and attended Manchester Central High School where he studied music with David Bresnahan.

Rick has written original compositions performed by various performing ensembles throughout New England, including the UMass Symphony Band, the Manchester Central High School Wind Ensemble, the Manchester Memorial High School Orchestra, the Winnecunnet High School Band, various ensembles at the University of New Hampshire and the Never’s Second Regiment Band.  

As a trumpet player, Rick has performed with Clark Terry, Ingrid Jensen, Paquito D’Rivera, Dave Ballou and Dan Nolan.  He currently serves as the trumpet section leader for the Air National Guard Band of the Northeast.

Prior to graduate school, Rick taught band, orchestra, chorus and general music to students (grades 3-12) in the New Hampshire public schools.  Rick now lives in Sandown, NH with his wife Kim, a music teacher in the Timberlane school district, and his two cats.

 

David Bresnahan
Southern New Hampshire Community Band

David  Bresnahan is a native of Manchester, New Hampshire.  He is a graduate of Plymouth State College and recently retired from public school teaching after thirty five years. Mr. Bresnahan has teaching experience at the elementary, junior high and high school levels.  His subject areas have included: general music, choral music and instrumental music. He is past president and a founding member of the New Hampshire Band Directors Association and a former Director on the Executive Board of the New Hampshire Music Educators Association.

Mr. Bresnahan received the 1995 NH Governor’s Award for Arts in Education, the 1999 NHBDA Outstanding Band Director Award and was chosen “One of the Fifty Most Influential Music Educators In America Award” by School Band and Orchestra Magazine. He was a recipient of the City of Manchester’s “ Excellence in Education” award in 2000. In 2002, he received the ”John R. McLane, Jr. Arts Award” for leadership in the performing arts.  Mr. Bresnahan was chosen as the “Distinguished Music Educator of the Year- 2003” by the New Hampshire Music Educators Association and he received the 2003 NH Excellence in Education Award ( Edie).

Mr. B’s bands have consistently received “A” ratings in the NHMEA Large Group Festival and “Superior” ratings in national competition. However, his greatest sense of accomplishment comes from watching the progress of his past students, many of whom are currently teaching music in New England.

 

Adam Boroskas
SNHU Concert Chorus
SNHU Chamber Choir

Adam Boroskas, a graduate of Plymouth State University Class of 2000, where he received a Talent Grant and a Choral Fellowship, comes from Manchester, NH where he currently serves as Choral Director for Manchester Memorial High School. Before taking on that position, Adam spent 6 years teaching choir at the Middle School level. His choirs have consistently received high marks at various festivals and have been exposed to a variety of styles of music.

Not only does Adam work within the Public School setting, he also serves as Music Director for KAT (Kearsarge Arts Theater Company) where he has toured and performed in places such as the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., to places far off such as New Zealand and South Africa. Adam has Musically Directed for many theatrical productions through New England and has served as accompanist for several choral festivals in New Hampshire. Adam also currently serves as Director of Music Ministry at St. Catherine of Siena parish in Manchester, NH.

 

David Brien
Southern New Hampshire Community Orchestra

David Brien is in his eleventh year teaching in the Manchester School District and is currently Director of Band and Orchestra at Manchester Memorial High School in Manchester, NH, a position he has held since 2003. In addition to his duties in Manchester, David is NHMEA All-State Orchestra Chairperson and serves on the faculty at the Summer Youth Music School directing the Junior Session Orchestra as well as various other brass and string classes.

David is a native of Manchester and 1999 graduate of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He is the 2007 recipient of the NHBDA Outstanding Young Band Director Award.

David resides in Hillsborough, NH with his wife Dana and their two children, Barbara and Marshall.

 

John Zevos
SNHU Rock Bands

John Zevos has been teaching since 1981 when he started my own private lesson studio.  In 1983 he began teaching guitar, bass, mandolin, banjo, dobro and lap steel at Belisle Music in Manchester, NH.  He remained there for 9 years and then taught at Daddy’s Junky Music in Manchester for 1 year before moving to the Guitar Gallery of New England in Londonderry, NH for 5 years.  While at the Guitar Gallery he enrolled at Plymouth State College as a music education major graduating summa cum laude in May of 1998.

In the fall of 1998 John was hired as the Middle School Orchestra director for Timberlane Regional Middle School, a position he held for 9 years.  Currently he is teaching music theory and guitar at Timberlane Regional High School.  Some of his other activities are:

Timberlane Summer String Camp – director from 2000-2007
Timberlane Summer Guitar and Bass Camp – director 2001- present
Timberlane Guitar Ensemble – director 2001- present
Junior SYMS faculty – 2001- present
Senior SYMS faculty – 2001- present
Presenter of workshops for NHMEA – 2008, 2009
Manchester Community Music School – 2009-present

Mr. Zevos also keeps a very busy performing schedule with the award winning family music band Ben Rudnick and Friends and the rock band Lichen among others. 

Ben Rudnick and Friends, while based in New England, has performed in Washington D.C., Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Boston’s Hatch Shell, Boston Common, The Hynes Auditorium, Bayside Expo Center, The Regatta Bar, The Heritage Museum, The Atrium at Lincoln Center, The Jewish Museum in Manhattan, The Long Island Children’s Museum, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Manhattan Children’s Museum, and the Harry Chapin Rainbow Stage in Huntington Long Island. 

Lichen has opened shows for Crosby, Stills and Nash, Bruce Hornsby, Bob Weir and Rat Dog, NRBQ, Maria Muldaur, Brewer and Shipley, and The Outlaws.  They were also the backing band for Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Bo Diddley.  You can find out more about John at johnzevos.com.