Since 2018 Gateways Brass Collective has presented dynamic performances and inspirational educational programs to audiences of all ages and backgrounds. Members of the Gateways Brass Collective include Courtney Jones and Herbert Smith, trumpet; Larry Williams, horn; Isrea Butler, trombone; and Jerome Stover, tuba. The Gateways Brass Collective is a Resident Ensemble of the Gateways Music Festival, whose mission is to support and connect professional classical musicians of African descent and enlighten and inspire communities through the power of performance. Members of the Gateways Brass Collective have performed with the Baltimore Symphony, Buffalo Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Gateways Festival Orchestra, New World Symphony Orchestra, Rochester Philharmonic, and San Francisco Symphony.

Equally fluent in classical, jazz, and contemporary music, members of the Gateways Brass Collective have performed with Frank Sinatra, Arturo Sandoval, Ray Charles, Count Basie Orchestra, Mingus Big Band, Cab Calloway Orchestra, Duke Ellington Orchestra, Earth Wind & Fire, The Roots, and others. Gateways Brass Collective musicians are also committed music educators whose passion for performing is matched by their dedication to teach, mentor, and inspire the next generation of music lovers. The ensemble enjoys a close relationship with distinguished instrument manufacturer Conn Selmer, and partners with Conn-Selmer’s Education Division to present workshops, masterclasses, residencies, and other educational programs.

Gateways Brass Collective members currently serve as faculty at The University of Nevada Las Vegas, Florida Atlantic University, Sam Houston State University, Howard University, and Washington Adventist University. The Gateways Brass Collective has been featured at music festivals across the US including The Midwest Clinic, Ravinia Festival, The National Association of Music Merchants Show, Conn Selmer Institute, HBCU Band Director’s Consortium, and International Trombone Festival. In the upcoming 2023-24 season, the Collective is set to grace stages in notable cities such as Rochester, NY, New York City, Chicago, IL, Salt Lake City, UT, among others, further expanding their reach and impact.