LAKEWOOD RANCH WIND ENSEMBLE
About
Mission Statement
The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble is a premiere ensemble dedicated to serving the community by providing exposure to the finest wind ensemble literature performed at a professional level. We offer concerts to share the enjoyment of high-quality music-making, to support the preservation of band literature, and to inspire young musicians to pursue lifelong engagement with music.
Humble Beginnings
The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble had a humble beginning in 2019. Founder Joe Miller, with help from others, met with 33 musicians for a two-hour reading session at Manatee High School band room. The session was exciting! The musicians were excited and a schedule was developed that reflected the availability of the musicians. Currently, the musicians in the LWRWE perform in no less than 14 other performing groups throughout the concert season.
The Future Looks Bright
Our premier concert was performed on Sunday, November 24, 2019, at Our Lady of the Angels Church Hall in Lakewood Ranch. With all the enthusiasm generated from our premier concert, our goal now is to perform three concerts during the season from November through May of each year.
Joe Maciariello Miller, Founder & Music Director Emeritus
Joseph “Joe” Miller’s performance career began at age 12, playing first chair solo cornet in his father’s concert band in Mechanicville, N. Y. Mr. Miller earned a BS in Mathematics and Physics from Siena College, a Master’s in Operations Research from Union College, and a Master’s in Educational Administration from The College of St. Rose. He taught Physics and Chemistry at Mechanicville High School, became a Scientific Applications Programmer and Systems Analyst at General Electric, and worked on his PhD in Systems Engineering at Union College, where he became an Adjunct Associate Professor of Operations Research and Statistics.
Mr. Miller switched careers in 1975 and served as a junior high and high school music educator and band director. In 1994, he founded and was music director of the Capital Region Wind Ensemble, comprised of the finest performing and teaching musicians in the Albany, N. Y. region. Over the years, Mr. Miller has performed with many concert bands, big bands, symphony orchestras, pit orchestras, and show bands. Mr. Miller relocated to Venice, Florida in 2005. He has performed with the Venice Symphony, the Anna Maria Island Community Chorus and Orchestra, and several jazz groups, including the Savory Swing Band, Skip Conkling’s Dixie Mix, and numerous other organizations. He also has soloed with Dick Hyman and the VSO.
Enjoy this article featuring founder Joe Miller, which appeared in the Observer and in LWR Life magazine.
Joe Martinez, Music Director & Conductor
Photo Credit: ArcadiaCottageArts.com
Meet Joe Martinez, a conductor, trumpeter, and arts professional whose lifelong passion for music has shaped a career spanning performance, education, and artist representation. Raised in Miami in the mid-1960s, Joe’s early years were immersed in the vibrant rhythms of Latin music—an influence that continues to inform his musical voice.
As his talents developed, Joe studied with Broadway show trumpeter Jack Pinto, whose mentorship helped refine his technique while instilling a deep appreciation for show music—an enduring thread in his musical identity.
Joe performed throughout the Miami area with ensembles including the Miami Symphony before pursuing classical studies at Florida State University under Professor Bryan Goff. His professional career flourished on Florida’s west coast, where he performed for 18 years with the Florida West Coast Symphony (now the Sarasota Orchestra). He also maintained a long-standing presence with the Sarasota Concert Band and served for 30 years as principal trumpet with the Venice Symphony.
In addition to his performance career, Joe dedicated 35 years to music education in the Miami and Sarasota areas, retiring in 2017. His commitment to teaching reflects a belief that music is not only an art form, but a lifelong source of connection and growth.
Joe’s artistic path ultimately led him to the podium, where he found his true passion in conducting. As Music Director and Conductor of the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, he continues to shape engaging and meaningful musical experiences for both performers and audiences.
Beyond the stage, Joe brings his expertise to the broader music industry as the owner of JMP Talent Agency. For more than 25 years, he has curated and represented a diverse roster of artists, connecting performers with audiences through thoughtfully tailored engagements.
With over four decades of professional experience, Joe Martinez continues to bridge performance, education, and presentation—guided by the belief that every note carries meaning, and every performance is an opportunity to connect.
Dr. Owen Bradley, Associate Conductor
Dr. Owen Bradley is a seasoned music educator with over three decades of experience in Florida’s public schools. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music education from Florida State University, a master’s in instructional technology from Walden University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Argosy University.
He began his career as assistant band director at Southeast High School in Bradenton before leading the band programs at Bayshore High School and returning to Southeast during a transitional period. In 2001, he became the founding band director at North Port High School in Sarasota County, where he served for over 20 years, shaping a program recognized for both its musical excellence and student development.
Throughout his career, Dr. Bradley remained dedicated to mentoring students and integrating technology into music education. Under his leadership, the North Port High School band program flourished, providing students with meaningful performance opportunities and a strong foundation for growth.
Since his retirement, Dr. Bradley has continued his commitment to music education by mentoring young teachers, sharing his experience and insight with the next generation of educators. His enduring influence and dedication have made him a respected figure throughout Manatee and Sarasota Counties.
The Legacy Music Library
The Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble is the proud steward of a unique music library preserved and passed down through generations by Founder Joseph Maciariello Miller and his family. The collection's roots trace back more than a century to the bands of Mechanicville, New York, where Joe's father, Christopher "Chris" Miller, and several generations of musicians helped preserve a rich tradition of community band music. Rather than being owned by a municipality or institution, the library was handed from one band leader to the next, growing through personal acquisitions, donations, exchanges, and handwritten arrangements. As bands evolved and leadership changed, the music itself continued its journey, preserving a living connection to America's community band tradition.
A significant chapter in that story began in 1956 when Christopher "Chris" Miller assumed leadership of the Mechanicville City Band following the passing of longtime conductor Fred Amodeo. With the blessing of the Amodeo family, Chris Miller became caretaker of a remarkable collection of music accumulated over decades by several generations of bands and conductors. During his 31 years as director, he expanded the collection substantially, preserving rare marches, overtures, light classics, Italian band music, and original works while carefully restoring and organizing countless pieces by hand.
Today, portions of that historic library continue to be performed by the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble, connecting our musicians and audiences to a rich musical heritage that spans well over a century.
Chris Miller
The Legacy Bass Drum
Among the ensemble's most treasured artifacts is the historic Mechanicville bass drum. For generations, this drum led parades, community celebrations, religious processions, and summer concerts throughout New York's Hudson Valley. As leadership of the band passed from one generation to the next, the drum accompanied the traveling music library, becoming a visible symbol of continuity, tradition, and community service.
Today, the drum serves as a tangible link to the musicians, conductors, and audiences who came before us. Preserved through the stewardship of Founder Joseph Maciariello Miller and his family, its presence reminds us that the Lakewood Ranch Wind Ensemble is not only building its future, but also preserving a remarkable musical legacy handed down across generations.
The drums have finally found a permanent resting place.
