Staff

Stolarik

Dr. Justin R. Stolarik
Director of Athletic Bands
justin.stolarik@stonybrook.edu

Dr. Justin R. Stolarik serves as the Director of Athletic Bands at Stony Brook University, and is an active freelance conductor and musician in New York City. Previously, he served as the Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Oklahoma and Assistant Director of Bands at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Read more about Dr. Justin Stolarik

DR. JUSTIN R. STOLARIK serves as Director of Athletic Bands at Stony Brook University, where he oversees all aspects of the NCAA Division 1 FCS Athletic Bands Program. As an active freelance musician and conductor in New York City, he has served as Associate Conductor of the Manhattan Wind Ensemble, Resident Guest Conductor of the Kings County Concert Band, Artistic Director of the National Lesbian & Gay Marching Band, Assistant Director and Conductor of the Lesbian & Gay Big Apple Corps Symphonic Band, and as a percussionist with the Brooklyn Wind Symphony (BKWS). Recent performances with the BKWS took him to Carnegie Hall, and to the 2015 World Association for Symphonic Bands and Ensembles (WASBE) International Conference in San Jose, California. Before arriving at Stony Brook, Dr. Stolarik served approximately 700 real estate agents as Market Center Administrator of Operations (Chief Operating Officer) at Keller Williams New York City.

Prior to New York, Dr. Stolarik served as Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Oklahoma, and Assistant Director of Bands at both the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Henderson State University (Arkansas). His wind and percussion arrangements have been performed by athletic bands at football and basketball games around the country before audiences of over 80,000. In addition to athletic bands, he has arranged for the Dallas Winds and the University of Texas Wind Ensemble. Dr. Stolarik has worked with such notable performers as will.i.am (Black Eyed Peas), Everlast (House of Pain), Tom Wopat (Dukes of Hazzard), Ed Shaughnessy (Tonight Show with Johnny Carson), Carolyn Wonderland, Roky Erickson, Ray Benson (Asleep at the Wheel), Jerry Jeff Walker, and Ghostland Observatory.

Dr. Stolarik completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in Percussion Performance at the University of Texas at Austin, and his Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, with Highest Honors, at the University of Florida. While at UT, he performed with the UT Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in 2005 for the World Premiere of John Corigliano’s Symphony No. 3 “Circus Maximus,” and as part of a seventeen-day five-country European tour in 2008, featuring the same work. He served as timpanist on the World Premiere recording, available from Naxos Classical. During his years at UF, he was a three-year Front Line member of the Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps (2000-2002), and was two-time Drum Corps Midwest and Drum Corps International Timpani Solo Champion (2001 and 2002). He was featured in issues of Percussion News and Modern Drummer for his solo performances. He later served on the Madison Scouts staff as Front Line Instructor in 2003. Dr. Stolarik is an honorary member of Kappa Kappa Psi (Alpha Tau) and Tau Beta Sigma (Beta Gamma and Theta Theta) National Band Service Organizations.

Malafronte

Vincent Malafronte
Assistant Director of Athletic Bands
vincent.malafronte@stonybrook.edu

Mr. Malafronte is the Assistant Director of Athletic Bands for the Spirit of Stony Brook. Prior to that, he was the woodwind insructor and a field technician since 2012, and has also served as the Director and Coordinator of Stony Brook's Summer Band Camp Program. In addition to Stony Brook, Mr. Malafronte is the Assistant Director of Bands at Connetquot High School.

Read more about John Leddy

Mr. Leddy has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Crane School of Music at Potsdam College and a Master of Arts from Stony Brook University. He studied percussion with James Peterscak at the Crane School, timpani with Morris Lang of the New York Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra, and jazz drum set with Jim Chapin, Joe Morello, and Ed Shaughnessy. Mr. Leddy was the recipient of a Summer Fellowship for music educators from Northwestern University, where he studied conducting with Mallory Thompson and Don Owens. He also served as the Director of Jazz Studies at the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.

Since his arrival to the Stony Brook campus, Mr. Leddy has been the recipient of the following awards: 2008 Seawolves Award from the Department of Athletics in recognition of contributions to the Athletic Department, the university and student athletes; 2009 “Man of the Year” Award from The Spirit of Stony Brook Marching Band leadership; 2010 Distinguished Service Award presented by Stony Brook University Student Affairs for outstanding service.

Mr. Leddy is an active member of MENC, NYSSMA, SCMEA, NMEA, Percussive Arts Society, the International Society for Jazz Education, and the College Band Directors National Association.

Barnett

Jeffrey A. Barnett
Interim Associate Dean of Students
jeffrey.barnett@stonybrook.edu

Jeff Barnett is a longtime member and proud alum of the Stony Brook community. After having completed his B.S. in psychology from Stony Brook University, Jeff went on to hold several positions at the university in Student Affairs, Enrollment & Retention Management and the Undergraduate Colleges. Jeff earned his graduate degree in Higher & Post-Secondary Education from Teachers College, Columbia University.