Kelli Swehla

Kelli Swehla has spent 14 years as a music educator in eastern Iowa. The first four years were at North-Linn Community Schools in Troy Mills, IA, as Director of Bands to students in grades 6-12. Swehla has been Director of Bands at Xavier High School in Cedar Rapids, IA, for the past ten years where she teaches marching band, concert band, two jazz bands, lessons and music theory. She also conducts the pit orchestra for school musicals. Students under her direction have earned several Division I ratings at area festivals, been top-3 finishers at many area contests and have been selected to the prestigious All-State Honor Band, Orchestra and Jazz Band. 
 
Kelli Swehla completed her Bachelor of Music with trumpet emphasis in 2005 at the University of Northern Iowa. Upon acceptance of her thesis entitled, “An Examination of a Competition Set for Your Active High School Jazz Band: “Hay Burner” by Sammy Nestico, “A Child Is Born” by Thad Jones, “The Next Chapter” by Patty Darling, “Uchibeng Wow-Wow” by Michael Philip Mossman,” Swehla earned her Master of Music Degree in Music Education and Conducting from Kansas State University in 2015. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Iowa Jazz Championships and is jazz chairperson for the Northeast District of Iowa.

In addition to teaching, Kelli Swehla is an active musician in the Cedar Rapids area performing regularly on trumpet with the Cedar Rapids Municipal Band, the Iowa Women's Jazz Orchestra and the Theatre Cedar Rapids and Revival Theatre Company pit orchestras. She is also a member of the Heartland Brass Quintet, an ensemble that has been active in the Cedar Rapids area for over 30 years. Swehla is a member of the Iowa Bandmasters Association (IBA), Jazz Educators of Iowa (JEI), Northeast Iowa Bandmasters Association (NEIBA) and Iowa Alliance for Arts Education (IAAE).