Personnel
Steve Cook – Trumpet/Flugelhorn/Vocals/Announcer
Steve started playing with the Al Welsh Orchestra while he was in High School, and has played with the orchestra for over 45 years. While in middle school, Steve took trumpet lessons from Al Welsh, and started playing with the Al Welsh Orchestra in high school.
Steve is currently the auditorium manager for the Perry Performing Arts Center. Steve retired as Director of Bands at Perry High School in 2014, a position he had held since 1986. In addition, he was Fine Arts Department Head and was responsible for all aspects of the high school Instrumental Music program, including Concert Band, Marching Band, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Music Theory, and Music Technology courses. Steve was also the director of the Perry Area Community Band from 1986 to 2014. Prior to his position in Perry, Steve spent five years as Junior High and Elementary Band Director at North Fayette Community Schools in West Union, Iowa.
Steve was the recipient of the Otley Masonic Lodge Educator of the Year Award in 2014, and the Iowa Bandmasters Association Karl King Award – Active in 2008, and Retired in 2016. Ensembles under Steve’s direction consistently earned high ratings at local, district, and state contests. Steve and two Perry High School colleagues were the recipients of a nationwide U.S. West “Connecting Teachers with Technology” grant. Steve served on the Board of Directors as State Secretary for the Iowa Bandmasters Association from 1999-2023 . He is past president of the South Central Iowa Bandmasters Association, past president and past chief negotiator for the Perry Education Association, and is a member of the American School Band Directors Association, the Iowa Alliance for Arts Education, the Iowa Technology & Education Connection, and the Iowa Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.
In his spare time, Steve freelances as a computer consultant, designs web sites, performs regularly with local dance bands, enjoys his classic 1961 Thunderbird, and collecting and operating Lionel trains.
Contact Steve or Denny to book the Al Welsh Orchestra
Denny Anderson – Trombone/Vocals/Announcer
Denny has been playing with the Orchestra since the late 1970’s. Denny retired after teaching instrumental music with a total of 38 years in the Iowa towns of Goldfield, Rockwell City/Lytton, and Pomeroy/Palmer. He is a 46 year member of the Karl L. King Municipal Band of Fort Dodge, IA and plays in various other musical organizations.
He currently spends time arranging, along with handling activities and booking functions of the Al Welsh Orchestra.
Contact Denny or Steve to book the Al Welsh Orchestra.
Tom Cronin – Alto Saxophone/Clarinet
Originally from Marcus Iowa, Tom Cronin has been teaching band to students of all ages since 2005. He previously taught in the Westwood, South O’Brien, and Bishop Heelan school districts, all in Northwest Iowa. He also served as adjunct instructor of saxophone at Buena Vista University for several years. Since 2014, Tom has taught 5th Grade Band and 6th Grade Choir in Harlan, where he also directed the HS Jazz Ensemble after school for eight years.
Tom is a graduate of the University of South Dakota (go Yotes!) and earned his Master of Music Education degree from VanderCook College of Music in 2017 He has conducted several honor bands for beginning, middle school, and high school bands over the years. He is the Southwest Iowa district Elementary Affairs representative and state chairperson and tries to stay active as a clinician and adjudicator for bands and jazz bands around the state in addition to playing whenever he can!
Steve Neve – Alto Saxophone/Clarinet
Steve graduated from Bedford High School in 1972 and went to Northwest Missouri State University majoring in instrumental music education. Steve was band director at Prescott for two years, before running away to play sax and flute in the Strategic Air Command Band at Offutt Air Force Base. After 4 years with the band, he retrained as a jet engine mechanic and was stationed at Blytheville Air Force Base, Arkansas. After 3 years his elbows developed issues and he was medically retrained as a Flight Data Controller in Base Operations. On 15 April 1988 with the impending demise of the Soviet Union, he accepted an early Honorable Discharge and became part of the Major Force Reduction of 1988. Steve returned to Iowa and directed bands at Murray for 21 years. During his time at Murray and on into retirement he had many private woodwind students and played in bands at every opportunity. Steve was adjunct woodwind instructor at Southwestern Community College in Creston for a total of 8 years. He was replaced by Mike Giles. Mike was one of my students at SWCC during my first year. Mike is now on the music staff at Iowa State. Steve has played with numerous bands over the years and he continues to perform at every opportunity.
Steve Lawson – Keyboard/Sound Engineer
Steve plays keyboard and lives in Harlan, Iowa. He has taught instrumental music for 35 years with 33 years as the middle school band director and high school jazz program director.
Steve is past president of the Iowa Bandmasters Association and is a member of the Iowa Jazz Educators Hall of Fame. He has worked as a professional jazz musician for over 50 years playing piano, bass, drums, and trombone with many midwest dance bands as well as has his own band, “Together”
Tom Plummer – Bass Guitar
