Faculty & Staff

Office Manager: Alice Sluss
Email asluss@nmc.edu
Phone: (231) 995-1325
Office: Founders Hall F 124, Main Campus (#8 on the Main Campus Map)

Contact Information »

Jeffrey Cobb

Director Of Music Programs, Choral Director

Jeffrey Cobb is the Director of Music Programs and Choirs at Northwestern Michigan College, Artistic Director of the NMC Children’s Choirs, and Director of Music at Traverse City Central United Methodist Church. He holds a M.M. in Choral Conducting from Oakland University and a B.A. in Music Education from Western Michigan University. Jeffrey has held positions at Traverse City Central High School, Judson ISD in San Antonio, Texas; Parchment Schools in Parchment, Michigan; and the Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland. Choirs under his direction have toured throughout Michigan, Texas, Chicago, New York, Salzburg and Vienna and have been invited to perform at State and National Conferences including the Michigan Music Conference, the Michigan Youth Arts Festival, the ACDA Michigan Conference, and the ACDA National Convention. In addition to his work as a conductor, Jeffrey is also a regularly commissioned composer. His pieces have won several awards including honors from the Ithaca Choir Composition Contest, the New York Virtuoso Singers Choral Composition Contest, the Vanguard Premieres Choral Composition Contest, the Summit Chorale’s Composition Contest, the Outside the Bachs International Choral Music Competition, the C7Prize, and the Composition Competition of the Chiayi City (Taiwan) International Band Festival. Jeffrey’s choral works are published through G. Schirmer, Santa Barbara Music, Walton Music, Colla Voce, and Roger Dean Publishing.

Brady Corcoran

Coordinator, Audio Tech

Brady Corcoran has been on the Audio Tech staff since 2014, and teaches Digital Audio I, II, and III, Studio Recording I, II, and III, as well as Audio Tech Practicum, Internship, and Final Project with the help of fellow Audio Tech instructor, David Chown. In 2021, after the program headquarters moved from University Center to Founders Hall on main campus, Brady became the official Audio Tech Coordinator. Prior to his tenure at NMC, Brady attended Michigan State University to study jazz piano, but after two years decided to get the "practical" degree and ended up with a BS in Finance. It was during this time that he started using recording software, and became hooked on writing, producing, and recording music.

After graduating from MSU in 2008, Brady attended Full Sail University in Orlando, Florida, earning an AAS in Recording Engineering and graduating with honors as Valedictorian in 2010. He then moved to Los Angeles, California, working at recording studios (Record Plant, Paramount Studios, Orange Factory Music), freelancing as a guitar/piano/bass player, and writing/producing music "behind the scenes" with his writing team, Sweater Party Music. After almost 5 years on the west coast, he has since moved back to his hometown of Traverse City, where he lives the dream with his wife, Erika, and his two children, Evelyn and Leo. Brady continues to perform throughout the area, mostly during the summer months, as a solo acoustic singer/guitarist. In 2023, Brady and his family released a documentary that he co-wrote with his sister, Baylee Kahlon (Corcoran), called "Lightheaded: A Gordon Lightfoot State of Mind," available on Amazon, Apple TV, and Paramount+. .

Sam Boase-Miller

Audio Technology Instructor

Sam Boase-Miller started his professional career after graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy. This included teaching, performing, and studying at Ithaca College, DePaul University, and Western Michigan University. As the former Associate-Principal Cellist of the Manhattan Symphonie, Sam toured China twice and performed regularly in the great venues of New York City, including Lincoln Center, Bargemusic, and Carnegie Hall.

While in New York, Sam founded Marsfall LLC with his three best friends Erik Saras, Dan Lovley, and Brian Goodheart. Sam resides in beautiful northern Michigan where he writes, produces, composes, and records music and voice over for his current projects, and the award-winning sci-fi podcast Marsfall.

David Chown

Audio Tech, Applied Jazz Piano

David has been playing piano professionally in the Traverse City area for over 25 years. He has released 7 CD’s on his own label. David owns and operates “Lookout Music Productions” studio in building 50 at the Grand Traverse Commons in Traverse City, where he records and teaches piano lessons. David plays concerts, weddings, and club gigs with popular Traverse City singer/songwriter Miriam Picó. They have appeared the last 5 years at the acclaimed “Little White House” concert series in Key West Florida. David received a Bachelors of Music degree in Jazz Studies from Western Michigan University in, and a Bachelors of Music in Piano Technology from Michigan State University. In between his college stints, David toured Europe for a year, playing concerts and clubs. David performed for three years at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island Michigan. David resides in Acme with his wife Janet, son Dawson, and daughter Kaysen, and cat “Millie”.

Jack Conners

Milliken Auditorium Manager, Audio Tech

Jack Conners has worked in professional audio for more than 40 years in recording studios, live sound, and system design. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business from Spring Arbor University, Spring Arbor, MI. Artists Jack has worked with include the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, violinist Joshua Bell, pianist Bob James, and drummer Peter Erskine. Jack is currently teaching audio technology at Northwestern Michigan College, and operates Perfect World Studios, an audio services company in Traverse City, MI.

Patrick Niemisto

Audio Tech

Patrick Niemisto is a music educator with over 30 years of experience working with students from Kindergarten to College. As a public school Music Teacher, he fostered programs focused on individual discovery. As the proprietor of “Holy Wah!” Recording Studios, Patrick holds engineering and production credits for many local and regional CD releases. With a primary focus on folk and traditional acoustic styles, he has worked with many of the finest players and singer-songwriters in the area. As a musician, he has been on the regional scene since the early 1980’s. Playing with New 3rd Coast, Luunappi, Goodboy!, along with a variety of other interesting configurations of players, Patrick is frequently out making music as a side guy, and solo. As a songwriter, Patrick has 2 records of music for children and families, as well as contributing material appropriate for for releases, by New 3rd Coast, Northern Michigan Songwriters in the Round, music for theater, radio, and other.