Brandon Lemke (b. 2001) is currently attending Oakland University, studying to earn his Bachelor’s degree in Music Technology. During his tenure at Oakland, he has studied with multiple prominent figures, each well-regarded in their respective field. He studies percussion under Dr. Justin Lamb, a graduate of Eastman University, having studied under Michael Burritt. He also studies drum kit with Gayelynn McKinney, the last touring drummer with Aretha Franklin. Along with his percussion studies, he also studies composition under Dr. Joseph Tomlinson, an internationally recognized composer of both music and soundscapes. In the short few months he’s been studying composition, he has already composed music for small ensembles with “A Day In My Shoes”, film and animation with his work on “Wing It!”, as well as large ensembles with his most ambitious work, “Through the Ages”.

As a solo performer, he has taken part in numerous competitions. His performance of Emmanuel Sejourne’s Concerto for Marimba and Strings III (2015) landed him in the finals of the campus-wide concerto competition at Oakland University. A subsequent performance of Eric Sammut’s marimba solo Cameleon landed him in the finals of the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor’s percussion solo competition. On top of solo competitions, he has also performed in National chamber and ensemble competitions. 

Brandon, along with three other Oakland University percussionists, secured 15th place in a nationwide percussion ensemble performance competition, playing Andy Akiho’s Pillar III. Other notable competitions include a trip to Dublin, Ohio, accompanying the Oakland University Brass Band. The band won 2nd place, beating out notable competition such as the Dublin Brass Band for their performance of Dynasty, by Peter Graham. In a subsequent trip to Indiana for NABBA, the group got first place in the nationwide competition. Outside of competitions, he has also performed with various DSO youth ensembles as a ringer, as well as a wedding marimbist at Meadow Brook Manor.

Outside of the sphere of classical music, he is an active live sound engineer. He has worked all around Michigan, from the Caseville Cheeseburger Festival (where he got the hat in his profile picture on social media), to the Frankenmuth annual Auto Fest, and further south to the Ann Arbor Arts Beats and Eats. His experience in live sound mixing spans multiple genres as well, ranging from classical orchestra to opera to rock music, mixing up to 32 active channels at a time. He has been described as having a good ear and being versatile. His involvement in this sphere doesn’t end with mixing, having performed in bands as a guitarist, bassist, and drum kit player, with his most notable performance being opening for Dierks Bentley at the 2019 Grand Blanc Ally Challenge.