Mailing Address:
The Boston College Bands
Conte Forum 213 N
140 Commonwealth Avenue
Chestnut Hill, MA 02467
Email Address:
bands@bc.edu
Phone Numbers:
617-552-3018 (Bands Office)
617-552-3965 (Bands Office fax)
617-552-8000 (University Info)
800-360-2522
(University Admissions)
Directions to Campus:
Note: we are located at the north entrance of
Conte Forum.
We invite you to contact us by mail, telephone, e-mail, or in person. We want to hear all about you and your plans for college so that we can convince you to come to Boston College and join the Bands Program!
The Bands Program office is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 A.M. until 5:00 P.M. during the academic year, and 10:00AM until 5:00 PM in the summer. The office is also open many nights during the academic year when there are rehearsals. If no one answers the phone, please feel free to leave a voice mail.
Director of Bands: Sebastian Bonaiuto
Sebastian Bonaiuto is the first full time Director of Bands at Boston College. Appointed in 1989 to create performing opportunities for both accomplished student musicians and developing players, Mr. Bonaiuto designed and implemented a comprehensive Bands Program. Over 200 student performers currently participate in wind ensembles, jazz ensembles, chamber ensembles, athletic ensembles, and classes. In addition to serving as the principal administrator of the Boston College Bands Program, Mr. Bonaiuto conducts the Concert Band and BC bOp!.
Under Mr. Bonaiuto's leadership, BC bOp! has developed into an elite, award winning, nationally recognized ensemble. During his tenure as Marching Band Director, the "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band gained national recognition in the 1995 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and through various nationally televised football games. The success of the Bands Program at Boston College is the result of a program-wide philosophy of setting high musical standards, programming high quality literature, a focus on individual student growth and improvement, a commitment to nurturing strong student leadership, and maintaining organizational efficiency.
Mr. Bonaiuto received his Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University, where he studied trumpet performance with Roger Voisin, Andre Come, and Peter Chapman and wind conducting with Robert A. Winslow. He later studied Music Theory at the graduate level at the New England Conservatory of Music. Since then, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Boston College. Most recently Mr. Bonaiuto has studied wind conducting with Frank Battisti.
Prior to his appointment at Boston College, Mr. Bonaiuto taught music in the Westwood, MA public schools.
Assistant Director of Bands: David Healey
David Healey. During his undergraduate years at Boston College, David served as president of both BC bOp! and the "Screaming Eagles" Marching Band. He received his Bachelors degree in Chemistry from Boston College in 1990. Upon graduation, he worked as an applications chemist for Orion Research before earning a Master's degree in Music from the New England Conservatory. David has been active as an adjudicator and clinician in Illinois, New York, and Texas. Prior to returning to BC, David served as Director of Bands and Assistant Professor of Music at Saint Xavier University in Chicago. He has bicycled across the United States and completed the Boston, New York, and Chicago Marathons. David and his wife, Joy (BC '92), reside in Hull, MA with their four children.
Vocal Coach: JoJo David
JoJo David has made his impression on BC bOp! through his direction, writing, and singing, for the past eleven years. Under JoJo's direction, the BC bOp! vocal section has achieved top honors at the Reno Jazz Festival and recently took first place at the 2007 Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival.
JoJo's debut CD, "Small Hours," was released in the fall of 2004 to critical acclaim and steady exposure. Recorded with pianist and bOp! alumnus Adam Birnbaum ('01), the vocal ballad album was hailed as "exquisite" by Ron Della Chiesa, host of WGBH radio's "Jazz Songbook." A former member of the a cappella group Five O'Clock Shadow, JoJo gained national recognition in 1997 for his song "Tribute," which earned "Best Original Song" at the National Harmony Sweepstakes Competition. It has since become a graduation anthem for college and high schools across the country. JoJo also composes liturgical music, recording and publishing through GIA Music, Augsburg Fortress Publications, and his own company, Arrhae Press Music.
JoJo earned his Masters in Music with Honors from the New England Conservatory with a concentration in Jazz Studies. He is also an alumnus of Berklee College of Music in Boston. Originally from Colorado, JoJo holds a BA in Music from the University of Colorado at Boulder.
In addition to his work with BC bOp!, JoJo is also an Associate Campus Minister for Liturgical Arts at BC, and he serves as Music Director at Sacred Heart Church in Newton Centre. A cancer survivor and Natick resident, JoJo and his wife Anne Marie celebrate their inspired, blessed life together with their daughter Madeline.