About Us
Caroline Miller is a senior at the Florida State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education. Since moving from Colorado to Florida to study with Professor Jeffery Keesecker in 2013, she has held principal positions in a number of orchestras. In the fall of 2016, she was selected as the youngest principal member of the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra. From the fall of 2014 to the fall of 2015, she served as the principal bassoonist of the Florida State University Philharmonia Orchestra. Caroline also is an active member of the Tallahassee musical community, often performing with the Tallahassee Community Chorus as a guest bassoonist.
Outside of her university ensembles, Caroline has traveled across the United States to perform with some of the country’s most prestigious music festivals. In the summer of 2016, Caroline was selected to perform at the Brevard Music Center. She served as a principal bassoonist of the Brevard Sinfonia Orchestra, the premiere collegiate ensemble of the festival, under the direction of Boston Pops Orchestra conductor Keith Lockhart. In addition, she performed in the Brevard Music Center Orchestra alongside Indiana University’s bassoon
professor, William Ludwig. Caroline was selected as assistant principal in the Marrowstone Festival Orchestra in Bellingham, Washington as part of the Marrowstone Music Festival in the summer of 2014. She has also performed internationally, giving concerts throughout Europe with the Colorado Ambassadors of Music, and performing across Germany as a part of the Internationales Orchestercamp based in Luchow, Germany.
Caroline is an active chamber musician in addition to the Renegade Bassoon Quartet, and has performed throughout Florida with the Copeland and Call Woodwind Quintet, as well as the Florida State University Summer Sinfonietta. In October of 2015, she performed the world premiere of Kenos for Wind Octet by Juilliard composer AJ Stillabower with the Tesseract Chamber Winds.
Taylor Shorey is currently in pursuit of his Bachelor’s degree in Bassoon Performance at The Florida State University. From the start of his first semester at Florida State, Taylor has been performing as a principal bassoonist in both University Orchestras. In his second year, Taylor had the honor of playing principal bassoon in the University Symphony Orchestra, an ensemble comprised almost entirely of grad students. During his time in the University Symphony Orchestra, Taylor preformed with world renowned soloist, Joshua Bell, and performed as principal bassoon on the orchestra’s performance at the American String Teacher’s Association in the spring of 2016. Taylor is currently performing with the University Chamber Winds, under the direction of Richard Clary, and the Renegade Bassoon Quartet.
In his time at Florida State, Taylor has attended several prestigious music festivals including The National Symphony Orchestra Summer Music Institute, The Sarasota Music Festival, and Eastern Music Festival. Taylor has appeared as a finalist in numerous competitions including the NFSO concerto competition in 2014, the BIG Arts Scholarship competition in 2015, the NSO SMI concerto competition in 2015, and The FSU Young Artist Concerto Competition in 2015. Taylor has also had the opportunity to perform, and work with several world renowned musicians, including Robert Levin, Larry Rachleff, Hugh Wolff, Gerard Schwarz, Alex Jimenez, Elizabeth Schulz and Jung Ho Pak. Taylor has also performed in Master classes for John Miller, Sue Heineman, Amy Pollard, Frank Morelli, Judith LeClair, William Winstead, Nancy Goers, Martin Kuuskman, Karla Ekholm, Eric Stomberg and George Sakakeeny.
Prior to attending Florida State University, Taylor lived in Weston Florida. In his High School years Taylor performed as a soloist with his youth orchestra, Participated in Both the All State Bands and Orchestras, and played Principal Bassoon in the Interlochen Arts Camp World Youth Symphony Orchestra. Taylor was the recipient of the FYO Louis Deike Award, the BOA Outstanding Musician award, and the John Phillip Sousa Award.
Tatum Shellenberger, a sophomore at the Florida State University, currently studies with Jeffrey Keesecker in pursuit of her Bachelor's Degree. At Florida State University, Tatum has held principal positions in the Symphonic Band as well as the University Philharmonia. Along with large ensemble playing, she has also been a member of many chamber ensembles such as octets, wind quintets, and the Renegade Bassoon Quartet. With hopes of one day playing in a major orchestra, her goals are also set on having her own bassoon studio at the collegiate level.
Previously, Tatum has attended multiple summer music programs including Interlochen Arts Camp for three years and the Brevard Music Institute where she studied with Sue Barber and William Ludwig. Although currently studying with Jeffrey Keesecker, her previous mentors have also been, Dr. Eric Stomberg at Interlochen Arts Academy, Jenni Groyon and Kristen Sonneborn, both of whom are members of the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra.
Prior to attending Florida State University, Tatum lived in Naples, Florida. During her high school years, she spent her sophomore and junior year and Interlochen Arts Academy and her senior year at Florida Gulf Coast University. During her senior year of High School, Tatum won 1st-Place in the Naples Music Club Double-Reed Competition, was named winner of the Turiel Music Scholarship where she performed Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto in B-Flat Major, and was also awarded the Artis-Naples Joyce Ann Vitelli Memorial Music Scholarship.
Gabe Ramey is an avid performer, teacher and chamber musician in Northwest Florida. He currently serves as principal bassoon in the Northwest Florida Symphony Orchestra. He also holds the principal position at the Monticello Opera house, and is a frequent guest bassoonist with the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra.
Ramey is an active voice in the contrabassoon community. He has performed as the contrabassoonist for the Ocala Symphony Orchestra, the Tallahassee Community
Choir, and the Pensacola Symphony Orchestra. He also serves as principal
contrabassoon with the renowned Florida State University Wind Orchestra.
Ramey is the contrabassoonist for the Renegade Bassoon Quartet, a group that explores the many colors of their unique instrument. As a founding member, Ramey has led the initiative to commission new works for the bassoon quartet.
As a student at Florida State University, and an alumnus of the Pierre Monteux School, Ramey has worked under world-renowned conductors, including the Nittany Valley Symphony’s Michael Jinbo, and Florida State University’s Alexander Jimenez and Richard Clary.
Ramey currently studies with Jeff Keesecker. His past teachers include Kathleen Towler and Cerise Sutton.