Summer 2026 | Modern Band Faculty
Subject to change
Dr. Jill Reese, (Director) Professor of Music Education at SUNY Fredonia, has degrees from Temple University, University of Michigan, and Michigan State University. She is a Modern Band Fellow with MusicWill and presents workshops and publishes research on topics including ukulele, technology, and improvisation. She founded a community ukulele group called Fredonia Ukulele and is widely known for her YouTube channel that has over 25 million views and 72 thousand subscribers and provides play-along videos for ukulele. She’s started a number of faculty rock bands at SUNY Fredonia and can be seen performing at open mic nights in the community (but enjoys making music for herself even more). Some of her favorite artists include the Punch Brothers, Tori Amos, and whoever is on her current playlist.
Matt Estep, Music Technology
Trained in SUNY Fredonia's renowned Sound Recording Technology (Tönmeister) program, Matt had the privilege of studying under two GRAMMY Award-winning professionals: engineer Dr. Bernd Gottinger and engineer/producer Dave Fridmann. Shortly after graduation, he was hired as Fridmann's full-time assistant at Tarbox Road Studios, earning credits on records by artists including MGMT, Mogwai, The Lovely Eggs, and Solomon Grey. During this same period, he also worked directly with members of the band Alvvays to mix their acclaimed sophomore album Antisocialites for Polyvinyl Records, and co-mixed a track by The Rentals with Fridmann that was featured in WIRED. He has since collaborated with a diverse array of artists including Ra Ra Riot, Rostam, Ethan P. Flynn, and the Decho Ensemble.
He has taught multiple courses in the Sound Recording Technology department at SUNY Fredonia and serves as the Recording and Music Technology Instructor at SUNY Jamestown Community College. He continues to freelance as a recording, mixing, mastering, and production engineer, and provides live sound engineering services for theater productions.
Ed Croft, Bass
Ed Croft is a first-call bassist for both regional, national, and international artists. He has toured the US and Canada with Canadian Celtic Rock band The Town Pants and recorded and toured nationally with Bluegrass group The Jakobs Ferry Stragglers. His performance credits include jazz greats Tia Brazda, Greg Millar, Darryl Washington, Jimmy Heath, Mike Stern, Dave Samuels, Conrad Herwig, Gary Smulyan, Bruce Johnstone, among others. He has also performed with Country guitar legend John Jorgenson, Blues great Joe Beard, and Mary Ramsey of 10,000 Maniacs.
Amy Spears is Assistant Professor of Music Education at SUNY Fredonia where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in music education. She holds a Ph.D. in Music Education from Arizona State University. Her previous teaching experience includes secondary school instrumental and general music classes in Alabama and Arizona. Dr. Spears has been teaching rock band classes for the past seven years. She has worked with middle school through collegiate students to help them learn how to play rock band instruments, cover their favorite pop songs, write and perform their own original songs, and use technology to create and record their music. She is excited to join the SUNY Fredonia Summer Music Camp staff to bring rock band experiences to students in New York and beyond.
McLain Hinkler, Drums
McLain is a local music teacher, band director, and busy performer, oftentimes rolling right from the school day to the next rockin gig! After obtaining degrees in percussion performance and music education from SUNY Fredonia, McLain went right into the field joining the wonderful team of educators at Chautauqua Lake CSD. When McLain isn’t teaching band and lessons, gigging with The Swamp Yankees, or playing with the local musicians, he loves tinkering on engines, and creating instruments!
Chris Nathan, Songwriting and Guitar
Chris Nathan is a singer-songwriter, guitarist, and music educator whose career has moved through stages, studios, and long nights on the road. Originally from Buffalo, NY, he has toured nationally, sharing stages with artists like Edwin McCain, Kris Allen, Whiskey Myers, and Here Come The Mummies, and has opened for Van Morrison.
With over 1,500 live performances, more than a million miles traveled, and music featured in hundreds of film and television placements worldwide, his work reflects a deep, real-world understanding of life as a touring musician. His playing lives between precision and feel — rhythm-forward, expressive, and rooted in the kind of groove that can’t be taught from a diagram. Whether on stage or in the room, he approaches music as something to be experienced first and understood second.
His work has drawn major industry attention, including publishing and agency representation with WME, a signing with MTV, collaborations with Grammy-winning and top-selling writers and producers, and recognition as a Top 20 Songwriter by Nashville Magazine.
As an educator, Chris developed the So’Fully Yours – Complete Musician Training System, a rhythm-first approach focused on groove, phrasing, and real musical instinct across instruments. His goal is simple: help students stop thinking about music and start feeling it. Chris continues to write, perform, and teach, building musicians from the inside out.