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John Aseff - Solo Trumpet, is a board-certified specialist in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R), who began playing a rental Conn trumpet in fourth grade. Devoting a great deal of time to his studies because of his plan to be accepted into medical school, he practiced the trumpet later during the evening and night. His parents often asked him to stop playing his trumpet at night so they could go to bed. As first chair trumpet in the ninth grade A Band, he played a solo accompanied by the band at their annual concert. However, due to an unfortunate series of events, he was unable to be scheduled for instrumental music in high school. He played his trumpet occasionally for fun and was later accepted into medical school and his residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.
When he began his practice at the National Rehabilitation Hospital in 1984, he was shown how to access music on his computer that was installed on his desk, and he avidly listened to extraordinary trumpet players while working at his desk. This rekindled his passion for playing trumpet. He rented a trumpet, purchased music, and began playing whenever he could (of course with a mute at night so his wife could sleep). One of his colleagues, also a physician at the National Rehabilitation Hospital and music major in college, invited John to play music together with another physician, a saxophonist. They added more instrumentalists and played at employee award ceremonies, during lunchtime and holidays "for fun". The group came to be known as the NRH (Physicians') "Feels So Good" Band. From this experience, John played in the One Night Samba group and became a charter member of the DCBQ Brass Quintet and TJ3 Trumpet Quartet, which he continues to enjoy to the present.
Daniel Cerveny - French Horn, is a seasoned digital content strategist whose portfolio encompasses collaborations with various mission-driven non-profits, delving into international development, immigration, and the advocacy of religious freedom.
From tickling the ivories as a child to discovering the rich tones of the French horn in middle school, Daniel found solace in music's embrace throughout his academic years. Following a hiatus post-college, the melodies called him back; he rejoined the musical world through a local community band and music has since remained a steadfast presence for him.
Now, Daniel's musical journey continues as he harmonizes with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra and enriches the brass chorales of the District of Columbia Brass Quintet.
Dave Hyde - Tuba, an IT specialist, started playing musical instruments in the fifth grade. After trying piano lessons, oboe, string bass and others, his fifth grade music teacher suggested tuba. So, except for a few years in the army and establishing a professional career in IT (20 year hiatus), he resumed the tuba about 20 years ago and continues to play in various ensembles in Montgomery County in addition to the DCBQ.
Dave has the knack for accumulating various brass instruments that he has shared at DCBQ rehearsals.
He is in the Coast Guard Auxiliary and is a ham radio operator in his time off from other activities.
Andy Schneider - Trombone, is a Research Professor at the Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University. He started on trombone in 4th grade and played through high school, college, and law school, then put it away for forty years.
He picked his horn back up twelve years ago for a reunion of Occam's Razor, his college rock-jazz band and has continued learning how to play it ever since. Andy joined DCBQ two years ago. He also plays regularly with the Swing Time Big Band based in Gaithersburg and with the Brandywine Blazers, his high school jazz band in Wilmington, Delaware.
Andy is enthusiastic about swimming and being an Opa to four granddaughters ages 3 to 11. He is constantly reminded of this piece of wisdom from the youngest: "you get what you get and you don't get upset."
John Toerge - Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet, a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician, he is one of the Founders of the MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital Network In Washington, DC. He currently has a private practice in Musculoskeletal (Non-operative Orthopedics) Medicine, specializing in Manual Medicine.
John’s father taught him to play drums starting at about age 9, and he began studying trumpet from age 14 through college. He was recipient of the John Philip Sousa Award when he was in high school. After some time off playing music during professional training and early medical career, he restarted playing seriously with his physician bands. He is a founder of the DCBQ.
Currently he plays drums/percussion with the Village Jazz Band, the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra, and the physician band called One Night Samba; he switches to trumpet in the District of Columbia Brass Quintet, the TJ3 Trumpet Quartet and the World Physicians Orchestra.
His other interests include playing ice hockey, drawing & portraiture, world percussion instruments, family with active grandchildren and “anything that captures my Gemini spirit.”
Robert Thurston, French Horn, started out playing his grandfather’s cornet when he was in 5th grade. One day the music teacher came to his house to explain that Bobby needed to change instruments because his cornet could not be tuned to the other instruments, since it was an old-style cornet based on an A=435 scale, not the A=440 scale in current use. The teacher, Mr. Felmet, ran through the list of instruments that were available to borrow, and Bobby chose the French horn. He played in the school band from 7th -12th grade; also in the Maryland State Band and Orchestra as well as the Montgomery County Youth Orchestra. He played in college (Ohio Wesleyan) but then stopped, partly because he had always borrowed school instruments and did not own a horn. Later he did acquire a horn, and once he retired from teaching (2013), he found a teacher and started relearning how to play. Currently he plays with the Montgomery Symphony Orchestra and some other groups.
Most of Thurston’s teaching career was in Washington, DC; he also taught in Montgomery County, Baltimore, and West Virginia. He holds an MAT degree (history) from Johns Hopkins and an MST (math) from UDC.
For years, he was a serious distance runner, placing 16th in the Boston Marathon (2:23:03); winning two 36-mile races that earned 2 trips to Scotland; and with his father, setting a national record for father-son combined marathon times. Starting in the early ‘80’s he took an interest in official measurement of race courses. He is a national certifier for USA Track & Field and an “A” measurer for World Athletics. He has measured hundreds of courses, most in the DC area but also in Bermuda, Indonesia, and Korea.
Richard Zorowitz - Keyboard, is a Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation physician at MedStar National Rehabilitation Network in Washington, DC. He has clinical and research interests in Neurorehabilitation, including stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury, and other neurological disorders. He also specializes in the management of spasticity.
Rich took 10 years of classical piano lessons starting about at age 6. He also has played saxophone, recorder, tuba, and mbira. He served as musical director in 3 synagogue musical productions in 8th, 9th, and 10th grade, and participated in band and choir in high school, where he was named "Most Musical" by his classmates. In college, he was a rehearsal pianist for a student-run musical production and covered as accompanist for an improvisational comedy group. In medical school, he founded and accompanied a choral group in addition to giving concerts with classmates. Between 1998 and 2006, he was musical director and performer for yearly synagogue productions.
Currently, Rich plays keyboard with the District of Columbia Brass Quintet and has guest performed with the physician band called One Night Samba.
His other interests include bicycling, going to theatre and classical music performances, and family.
Lauro S Halstead - Baritone Horn, In Memorium, a physician internist and rehabilitationist who enjoyed an international reputation for his pioneering evaluation and treatment of polio patients. He was also an expert in Spinal Cord Injury Care with deep academic roots stimulating his innovative and creative patient care.
Lauro was a founder of the DCBQ and baritone horn player - an passionate musician. He enjoyed playing the trombone as a young man, but this ability was lost with his polio infection and reduced upper extremity physical capacity as a result. It seems he never lost that interest in producing music. When he started to have some respiratory difficulties due to his own Post-Polio Syndrome, he took measures to assist with his ventilatory capacity by adding the harmonica to his treatment regimen. With that inspiration, he realized that he may not need the slide trombone to make music. This is always a concession for any trombonist who can be the only one to do a glissando! However, in true Lauro style to overcome what stood in his way, he purchased a baritone horn with rotary valves (easier to use). When it arrived, he realized that the valves were to be used by his ‘bad’ hand side. Still undaunted, he contacted an innovative instrument repair guy and asked if the valves could be ‘flipped over’ so he could use his good hand. The instrument was modified, and Lauro was back to playing music.
He played with fellow physician musicians several times, and the group consensus was that they should play more regularly, but nothing occurred to make that happen. That was until Lauro suggested that a group be formed and called the District of Columbia Brass Quintet. That was the idea that launched the ship for an enduring group of brass quintet players. We hope that legacy will endure, as well.
Thank you, Lauro!
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