Julie Guier
Conductor, Clarinet, Drums
Julie Guier grew up in Tuscaloosa, in a family of amateur musicians. Having studied clarinet throughout junior high and high school, she then attended the University of Alabama as a Music Education major, and participated in the Million Dollar Band, the University Wind Ensemble, Clarinet Choir, and the University Chorus. She especially enjoyed studying music theory, arranging, and conducting. After completing her Bachelor's degree and gaining teaching certification, she worked briefly as a high school band director in south Alabama, and later directed a children's choir at a Birmingham church.
Since her teenage years, Julie has participated in community musical groups, including the Tuscaloosa Chorus, the Tuscaloosa Area Community Orchestra, the Birmingham Community Concert Band, Celebration Winds, the Magic City Choral Society, and Alabama Voices.
Throughout her professional career as a legal secretary and paralegal, community groups like these have fed her continuing love for music and enjoyment of the company of fellow adult musicians. Julie mainly plays clarinet, but also enjoys exploring other instruments, including flute and guitar. She is married to Bill Guier, and they have two adult daughters.
Howard Beckner
Conductor, Trumpet, Clarinet
Coming Soon
Justin Schwartz
Conductor, French Horn
Coming Soon
Chris Culpepper
Conductor, Trumpet
Chris Culpepper has a BS in Education from the University of Alabama and began his working career as a band director in the Jefferson County School System in 1980. He later began a sales career at Nuncie’s Music in Birmingham and has enjoyed a successful career as an Insurance Broker with the Rookis Agency over the past 30 years.
Chris continued to enjoy his love of music, singing with the Birmingham Choral Guild, playing trumpet at weddings and with the Celebration Winds Community Band and leading music during church services. He later joined the Birmingham Wind Ensemble (2017) and the Crestwood Community Band (2018) playing trumpet and guest conducting. In 2019 Chris accepted the invitation to become a conductor with the CCB.
Chris enjoys cooking, entertaining, traveling, attending car shows and spending quality time at his home on Lewis Smith Lake.