About Mr. Wachholz
Mr. Wachholz currently serves as a band director for Music & Arts in Chicago, Ill. He is also the proprietor of WachholzMusic L.L.C. where he offers group and individual instruction. Mr. Wachholz taught at Cedarburg High School in Cedarburg, Wisconsin for eight years. Before his position at Cedarburg Mr. Wachholz held positions at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park in Canton, Michigan and the International School of Belgium in Brussels, Belgium.
Clayton Wachholz has degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (BA) and the University of Michigan (MM). An active guest conductor and educator, he has given clinics to varied groups in England, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Brazil and Argentina. He has been the featured brass clinician at the British Youth Band Association Annual Band Camp in London, England and has twice been a clinician at the University of Wisconsin-Madison Summer Music Clinic where he led concert and jazz bands. Clayton Wachholz has served as the music director for the Lakeshore Symphonic Band, a semi-professional wind ensemble based in southeastern Wisconsin and the Shorewood Summer Concert Band.
Mr. Wachholz has been involved in the drum and bugle corps activity as a performer and teacher since 1979. As a baritone player he marched with the Thunderbolts (1979), Pioneer (1980-1984), and Madison Scouts (1985-1989). He went on to teach the Madison Scouts for many years (1991-1997, 2001) and taught the Phantom Regiment Drum and Bugle Corps brass from 2005-2007 and 2016-2017. In 2018 and 2019 Mr. Wachholz served as an educator with the Santa Clara Vanguard brass teaching staff. 2022 will be his seventh season with the Phantom Regiment brass staff.
Clayton Wachholz has been an active performer on trombone and euphonium for over thirty-two years. In the drum and
bugle corps activity his awards include 1986 DCM I&E High Brass Score (scholarship), 1988 DCI Baritone Champion and 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988 DCI Brass Ensemble Champion. As a Euphonium player Mr. Wachholz was a member of the Wisconsin
Tuba Quartet that was selected as the first group of its kind as a Semi-Finalist for the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition. He was a Semi-Finalist for the Falcone International Euphonium competition and was 1st chair in the 1991 T.U.B.A
International All-Star Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. As a Trombonist Clayton Wachholz has performed with the American Wind Symphony, Madison Symphony Orchestra, Racine Symphony Orchestra, Kenosha Symphony Orchestra, Madison Brass, Madison
Jazz Orchestra, Milwaukee Brass Band, Knightwind Ensemble, Kettle Morainne Symphony Orchestra and numerous freelance groups.
In leadership positions Mr. Wachholz has served on the board of directors for the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Youth Wind Ensembles, the National Band Association Northern Diversion and was an elected committee member representing all 3A
marching bands for the Wisconsin School Music Association. For two summers Mr. Wachholz served as Brass Coach for the Wisconsin State Honors Orchestra. He was a 2011 Herb Kohl Educational Foundation Fellowship Award Recipient (Wisconsin Teacher of the Year Program).