BREK MANGELSON - BOARD MEMBER

Brek Mangelson joins The Battalion Drum & Bugle Corps as a board member. Brek also serves as Director of Bands at Farmington High School. Raised in the Northern Cincinnati, Ohio area, Mr. Mangelson is a member of the first graduating class of Lakota West High School. He played trumpet and euphonium in the various bands at Lakota West under the direction of Greg Snyder. Beginning in 2000, the Lakota West Wind Symphony became a three-time performing ensemble at the Midwest International Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago.

 

After serving a two-year mission in Budapest, Hungary for the LDS church, Mr. Mangelson earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education from Brigham Young University in 2006. In 2015, he was also awarded a Master's Degree in Instrumental Conducting from the University of Utah. 

 

Mr. Mangelson was mentored by John Miller, Director of Bands at American Fork High School, for his student-teaching assignment. This experience helped prepare him for his first teaching position as Director of Bands at Lehi High School shortly after.  The Lehi band program experienced great success with Mangelson at the helm, as their concert band qualified for the state concert band festival for the first time in almost 20 years.

 

After two years at Lehi, the school split and Mr. Mangelson seized the opportunity to open up a brand new high school only a few miles down the road in Saratoga Springs- Westlake High School. Under Mr. Mangelson's leadership, the band program at Westlake has had tremendous growth. The concert and jazz programs continually receive superior ratings at the state festivals each year. The Marching Thunder were the Utah 4A State Champions in 2012 as well as 2013. They have also been Bands of America Regional Finalists continually for the past four seasons. Westlake is now considered to be one of the top three elite band programs in the State of Utah.

 

In January 2012, Mr. Mangelson was a guest conductor of the Utah All-State Band upon the request of Samuel Hazo, at Abravanel Hall in Salt Lake City. In May 2013, Mr. Mangelson also guest conducted Caleb Chapman’s Voodoo Orchestra in the prestigious Carnegie Hall in New York City. Mr. Mangelson, along with his wife, Brooke, are the proud parents of four beautiful children and currently reside in Farmington, UT.             

 

Mr. Mangelson would like to thank all of those who have influenced and educated him as he prepared to teach the students of today. In particular, Alan Nordyke, his Jr. High band director; his studio teacher and friend at BYU, Steve Call; Scott Hagen, Director of Bands at the University of Utah; and John Miller, Director of Bands at American Fork High School.