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    Dan Augustine (Eb tuba) is a retired computer-programmer for the University of Texas at Austin. After getting his bachelor's degree in mathematics and master's in music theory, he played in an Air Force band in Riverside, California. He came to Austin in 1970 for a Ph.D. in music theory at UT, which he received in 1979, but when no college jobs for that degree appeared, became a programmer for the Office of Admissions at UT .
    He has played tuba with bands backing Peggy Lee and David Clayton-Thomas in Nevada, and has recorded CDs with Robert Earl Keen and Rory McLeod. His publications include "Duets and Trios for Tubas" (Southern Music Co.) and "Canzon Trigesimaquinta" for four antiphonal brass choirs (G. Schirmer). Bands he has played in include The Wurst Band at Scholz Bier Garten (since 1979), the Austin Symphonic Band, the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, and the Chaparral Dixielanders. "I felt it best not to brag about my high-jump medal in high school (5'8")."

    James Barnard (He's in a Witness Protection Program and is prohibited from disclosing personal information).

    Robert Laguna is an accomplished performer, arranger, conductor, and practitioner weaving elements of the body-mind-spirit connection into his music and life.
    Laguna was born in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico and completed his bachelor's at Southwest Texas State University where he studied music education and went on to teach band in the Texas public school systems for 8 years. He then completed his master's at the Academy of Oriental Medicine at Austin where he studied Asian medicine thereafter going into private practice as an acupuncturist. In 1999, he became the dean of students at his alma mater, AOMA.
    He joined the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble in 1997. Later that year, he became the semi-conductor for the group, assisting Rick Glascock from 1997-2003 and Paul Crockett from 2003-2005. In 2005, he was selected as Conductor of the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble.
    While a member of ACWE, he joined other civic music groups including the Austin Philharmonic Orchestra and Cori Spezzatti. He also joined and formed performing ensembles like the Frontier Brass, Austin Wonder Brass, and the Brandished Brass.

    Jason Moore (cornet) shares his birthday (except for the year) with the French-Algerian Truce. He started playing the trumpet at the age of ten and spent the rest of his pre-college years moving around the Land of Lincoln.
    After receiving his BS and MS in Electrical Engineering, Jason relocated to Austin in 2000 after accepting a position with IBM. Jason joined the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble in 2000 and is currently a member of the board. Since then Jason has performed with several other groups and was a co-founder of Cori Spezzati and the Austin Wonder Brass.

    David "limey" Pearce (Flugelhorn/Cornet) was born in Harlow, England (about 20 miles North-East of London).
Following gaining his B.Sc. and Ph.D at the University of Manchester, in 2005 he decided to relocate temporarily to Texas. His reasons for this were twofold: To take a job as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, and to bring the joys of brass banding to the Yanks.
    David has played in a wide and dubious selection of ensembles over the past few years. Such ensembles include the Harlow Concert Band, The Harlow Brass Band, Manchester University Wind Orchestra, Sale Brass, Musikverein Veitshoechheim, Austin Civic Wind Ensemble and of course, the venerable Wurst Band.

    Ted Rachofsky

    Jim Schwobel began playing tuba in junior high school in 1960 and continued through college, playing in the University of Texas Longhorn Band in 1965-66. He last played in Toulouse, France in the "Old Time Jazz Band" in 1975-76. In 2000, after a 25-year "intermission" he picked up (ugh!) the tuba again and currently plays in several ensembles in Austin, Texas including Chaparral Dixielanders, Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, New Austin Polka Band,  and The Wurst Band at Scholz Garten.
    He retired in 2002 from two opposite careers: Systems analyst for a Texas state agency and as CEO of the Corpus Christi Sailing Center, Inc., a sailboat charter/sailing school on the Texas gulf coast. He is a licensed US Coast Guard Captain with a Master 50-ton license. He has sailed in the Sea of Cortez, Mediterranean and has crossed the Gulf of Mexico, sailing on extended trips to the Bahamas, Mexico, Belize and Guatemala. He earned a BBA degree in International Business from the University of Texas at Austin in 1977. His motto is "If you've got an itch, scratch it."

    Kent Stuiber began playing trumpet at the tender age of 9 gaining his first playing experience in a youth marching band in Milwaukee Wisconsin. After playing in various public school bands, and earning the distinguished "Musician of the Year" award at Lowell P. Goodrich High School, he entered the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh as a trumpet major. Grasping the importance of having a viable career when graduating from college, he also began to study computer science and (eventually) graduated with degrees in both.
    After accepting a position with IBM in 2000 and moving to Austin, he again took to the mouthpiece after a long rest of some 11 years. Making his presence known (with sometimes loud and unpleasant sounds...) in local music circles, he has performed with the Austin Civic Wind Ensemble, The IBM Jazz Band, The Blue Diamonds Jazz Orchestra, The Blue Diamonds Brass Quartet, The Frontier Brass, The Austin Philharmonic, The Wimberley Starlight Orchestra, and last but not least, The Wurst Band and New Austin Polka Band.