About Cadence Music

Tom is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.   For nine years, he was the Principal Tubist of the Orquesta Sinfonica de Xalapa (Xalapa Symphony Orchestra) and Instructor of Tuba at the Universidad Veracruzana (University of Veracruz) in Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico.  Since his return to the United States in 1989, Tom has performed with the Southwest Florida Symphony and the Naples Philharmonic as well as numerous chamber ensembles.  He is currently the Principal Tubist of the Southwest Florida Symphony & the Suncoast Brass, brass coach of the Southwest Florida Symphony Youth Orchestra, as well as owner of Cadence Music in Ft. Myers, Florida.  In his spare time, he built and enjoys flying a Van’s Aircraft RV-7A sport-aerobatic airplane and is a member of EAA.

Chris was born and raised in Fort Myers. He has been playing trumpet since the age of 11 and was first employed by Cadence in 1998. He is a graduate of Cypress Lake Center for the Arts. Chris holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Trumpet Performance from The Florida State University as well as a Master’s Degree in Music from Western Michigan University. He has performed with the Charlotte Symphony and Southwest Florida Symphony as well as numerous other groups throughout the Southwest Florida area. In his free time Chris enjoys playing with his Boston Terriers, Lola and Bonnie, and fostering for Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida.

Todd Handley, manager/instrument repair technician

Todd is from the Southwest Florida area where he graduated from Lehigh Senior High School. He attended the Florida State University where he received a degree in Music Education. While attending FSU, he studied with Mr. Paul Ebbers, one of the foremost teachers of brass pedagogy in the country.  Todd serves as the Tubist for the Charlotte Symphony. He also plays tuba with several chamber groups and symphony orchestras around Southwest Florida. Todd maintains an active teaching schedule.  In his teaching, he integrates his own fun style into traditional learning methods.

Alex grew up in Southwest Florida where he attended Cypress Lake Center for the Arts. Alex has been working as an instrument repair technician specializing in brass and strings at Cadence Music since 2004. Alex studied cello at the Interlochen Center for the Arts Summer Music Camp. In his free time Alex enjoys riding his Honda RC51 motorcycle.

Luke graduated from Port Charlotte High School in 2012 and attended Florida SouthWestern State College for Music Education. He is a low brass player who freelances in the SWFL area, and has been working in the instrument repair shop at Cadence Music since 2014. Luke plays soccer, guitar and piano, reads Jules Verne, and listens to vinyl in his free time.

Adam is a recent graduate of Florida SouthWestern State College, focusing on audio technology. A saxophonist since 6th grade, Adam picked up the bassoon in 11th grade while attending Cypress Lake Center for the Arts, and performed in Carnegie Hall with the Southwest Florida Youth Symphony in 2014. In his spare time, Adam enjoys creating music as well as performing.

Bradley is from Captiva, Florida and grew up in the Fort Myers area. He is a graduate of Cypress Lake Center for the Arts and attended Florida Gulf Coast University, where he studied the viola. Bradley plays professionally in the Venice Symphony Orchestra and freelances around Florida. Bradley joined Cadence in 2008 where he manages inventory, purchasing and receiving. In his free time he enjoys zooming around town in his 2017 Mustang GT.

Chris Bonner, road representative

Chris was born in Chicago and later relocated to Southwest Florida where he attended Cape Coral High School. He holds a degree in Music Education from the University of South Florida and has a background in French horn. Chris works with the Florida Bandmasters Association as the Auxiliary Committee Chairman, serves on the Music Performance Assessment Committee, and works as an adjudicator for Solo and Ensemble and Marching Band MPAs. Actively sought by band directors to work with their bands as a guest clinician, Chris also serves as a judge for color guard competitions and coaches the horns at Barron Collier and Gulf Coast High Schools. In his “spare time,” Chris writes over 15 marching band shows each year for schools throughout Florida.

Claire attends the University of Florida, where she studies Applied Physiology and Kinesiology. She has been playing violin since kindergarten, performing with the Florida All-State Orchestra three times. She is a long-time member of the Southwest Florida Youth Symphony and Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, studying privately with Reiko Niiya-Chow, Concertmaster of the Southwest Florida Symphony. Claire aspires to be a pediatric orthopedic surgeon while continuing to perform on the violin.

Lexi is a senior at Cypress Lake High School. She moved from Indiana to Fort Myers when she was 12 years old and began to play the French horn shortly after. She has been drum major of the Cypress Lake Marching Pride for 2 years and has obtained spots in the Lee All County Band since middle school. She has also performed at both district and state Solo and ensemble receiving Superior ratings at both. She plans on studying Music Education in the near future. In her free time she enjoys reading, practicing, playing with her dog Charlie, and hanging out with her guinea pig Oliver.

Yasel started playing saxophone at the age of 10 and is a graduate from Escuela Vocacional de Arte Luis Casas Romero. He is a former member of both the Leonis Torres Band and Winslow and the Rockerfellers. When he is not in the repair shop you can find Yasel performing with various groups throughout Southwest Florida.

Raymond is a student at Florida SouthWestern State College where he plays tuba and bass trombone in various ensembles. A graduate of Cape Coral High School, Raymond is focusing his studies on Music Performance.

Lola joined the Cadence crew in October of 2012. She enjoys roaming around the store, checking in on the employees to make sure their day is going well. In her free time she likes to beg for attention and take naps. Lola also enjoys listening in on trumpet lessons but is not hesitant to howl if she does not approve of the playing.

Bonnie is a former foster and now permanent member of the Cadence crew since September 2016. She enjoys rearranging her bed in the office and looking for any crumbs. Bonnie is most famous for her “tappy feet” dance.

Megan is a senior Music Education major at Florida Gulf Coast University. Megan plays both flute and piccolo. When she isn't thinking about music, you can find her taking care of her houseplants.