Williamstown, New Jersey
Faculty & Staff
Val Kuntz
Director of Bands
As the Director of Bands at Williamstown High School, Mr. Kuntz has directed the Wind Ensemble, Concert Band, Marching Band, and Jazz Ensemble since 2019. Before coming to Williamstown High School, he was the Assistant Band Director and Tri-M Music Honor Society Advisor at Edison High School from 2015–2019 and taught 4th - 5th grade band, strings, and general music at two Edison, NJ elementary schools throughout the 2014–2015 school year. Mr. Kuntz earned his Bachelor of Music Education degree from The College of New Jersey in 2014 and has an extensive background in teaching Marching Band, Brass Ensemble, Woodwind Quintet, and private lessons at Hillsborough High School and J.P. Stevens High School, since 2012.
In 2018, Mr. Kuntz became more involved with other education organizations including the NJ Music Educators Association by serving as the NJ All-State Band Committee Procedures Chair from 2018-2020, continues to serve on the New Jersey All-State Band Procedures Committee as a committee member, and presented a session on Chamber Music in the Band Classroom at the 2018 NJMEA State Conference. He was also the Eastern Wind Symphony Youth Band assistant conductor for 2 seasons in 2018 and 2019.
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When he's not teaching, Mr. Kuntz performs with a number of wind bands, orchestras, chamber groups, and pit orchestras all throughout New Jersey. He has also performed in New York City, Philadelphia, and Chicago, specifically at the 2015 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic and 2017 NAfME All Eastern Convention.
Bill Graff
Marching Braves, Assistant Director
Alan Kinsey
Marching Braves, Percussion Instructor
Indoor Percussion, Director
Alan Kinsey has established himself as a teacher/educator of all styles of percussion, and is demand as a clinician, teacher, and adjudicator. He has an in-depth and varied career in Jazz performance as demonstrated by his engagements with Bob Brookmeyer, Gene Bertocini, Phil Woods, Lee Konitz, Gary Foster, and Frank Mantooth. Alan has also worked in concert with Tori Amos, Joel Grey, Maureen McGovern, Aretha Franklin, Tony Bennett, and Harry Connick Jr, to name a few. He has also performed with road productions of 42nd St, Chicago, and Cats. His other performance experience includes, the Atlantic Brass Band, the South Jersey Wind Ensemble, the Atlantic Pops and the New York Brass ensemble.
Mr Kinsey has directed many ensemble appearances and has presented clinics at Music Educator’s Conventions in Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, and Kansas. Jazz ensembles (both high school and college/university groups) under his direction, have performed at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival, the Wichita Jazz Festival, University of the Arts College Festival, North Texas Jazz Festival, and the University of Northern Colorado Jazz Festival. He was also the director of the Great Plains Jazz Camp for 6 years, at Emporia State University, in Kansas.
A native of Souderton PA, Alan completed Undergraduate, and Master’s Degree, both in Percussion Performance (a double degree program, based in Classical and Jazz) at Temple University, in Philadelphia PA. Mr Kinsey holds a DA in Percussion Performance, and Jazz Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He also holds a K-12 Music teaching certification in New Jersey. Although semi retired from education, he has taught elementary instrumental music in the Gloucester Township (NJ) and is a faculty music advisor to several school districts for concert percussion, marching percussion, and Jazz ensembles, in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Kansas, Colorado, and Maryland.
Alan is active, as an adjudicator, for the Cavalcade of Bands, WGI, BOA, USSBA, and the Music in the Parks associations. He is also active in the Percussive Arts Society, Jazz Educator’s Network, New Jersey Music Educator’s Association, and the Technology Institute for Music Edcuator’s.
Shawn Dessaigne
Marching Braves, Instructional Staff/ Electronics
Indoor Percussion, Electronics
Mr. Dessaigne has been a member of the Marching Braves and Indoor Percussion staff since 2019. He began his career as a teacher at Washington Township High School, where he taught Music Technology I and II, AP Music Theory, assisted with the marching band, and advised the Tri-M Music Honor Society chapter. He also spent time working for Apple, training music industry professionals in Logic Pro, and working with hundreds of business and educational clients as a consulting IT engineer.
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As a horn player, most recently Mr. Dessaigne has performed with two Sudler Silver Scroll-winning community bands (the South Jersey Area Wind Ensemble and Montgomery County Concert Band), has been a community volunteer with the Drexel University Symphony Orchestra, and actively freelances with pit orchestras and other local ensembles. These and other performances have taken him to the United States, Canada, Austria, France, and the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Dessaigne is a 1997 alumnus of Williamstown High School, and earned his Bachelor of Music from The College of New Jersey. He is happy to be back at his alma mater teaching music, and will also help you with your Mac or iPad if you ask nicely.
Gia Baratta
Marching Braves, Color Guard Instructor
Indoor Color Guard, Director
Bridget Ferreira
Marching Braves, Color Guard Instructor
Indoor Color Guard, Instructor