Mu Phi Epsilon
Mu Phi Epsilon is a co-educational International Professional Music Fraternity whose goal is to advance “music in the community, nation, and world through promotion of musicianship, scholarship, and education, with an emphasis on service through music.” UNG’s Eta Zeta Chapter was founded in the Fall of 2020 with aims of giving back to our community with Music, Friendship, and Harmony through special performances, service projects, and being overall outstanding members of the community.
Eligibility & Requirements
In order to be eligible, students must meet the following requirements:
- Be a Music Major or Minor
- Have earned the status of a second-semester freshman
- Have an overall GPA of 2.0 or Above
- Have a Music GPA of 3.0 or above
For those interested, please speak with any Mu Phi Officer or send an email kghigg9562@ung.edu
Chapter Leadership
President - Kasey Higginbotham
Kasey Higginbotham is a music education major with a concentration in tuba. His tuba experience has been an average experience; however, He fell in love with playing when he discovered the way that a marching band could entertain people. He has been a featured soloist with many ensembles and has had the opportunity to play for people from all over the world. He is a founding member of the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, UNG's only professional music fraternity. His love for music has unlocked a passion for the art of leadership, He has a saying that states “Music and Leadership: the perfect marriage.” He likes to focus on this when it comes to the way that he thinks. The teachings of Arnold Jacobs, renowned brass educator, and my musical mentors, Adam Frey and Daniel-Isaac Brunson, have definitely helped solidify this mentality for him. He shares this ideology with students all over North Georgia, as he is the Low Brass instructor at North Hall High School, Cherokee Bluff High School, and Lakeview Academy. His musical influence does not stop in the teaching world, Kasey currently plays with the Georgia Brass Band on the Bb Bass part, and plays tuba with the Northwinds Concert Band in Flowery Branch. He was honored by receiving the Lyman Hammond Leadership Award from the University in 2021 and hopes to help drive the music program here into the future.
Vice-President - Daniel Cottongim
Daniel Cottongim is a music education major with a focus on euphonium and music composition. He has been playing euphonium since 2007, but put it down briefly when he started college, but quickly realized that he missed it and changed his major to reflect that. In 2020 he became a founding member of the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, UNG's only professional music fraternity. He has had a lot of musical influences from the UNG Music faculty and traveling to conventions and performing with the UNG Low Brass Collective. His goal as a musician is to spread the joys of music through teaching, composing, and promoting live music.
Treasurer - Dylan Hofmann
Dylan Hofmann is a music education major with instrumental concentration in percussion. His percussion experience has been average, although marching percussion heavy. Hofmann performed in North Georgia Winds, and was the percussion section leader at Kingsmen Indoor. His love for music has found me a passion for teaching students in the musical arts. Dylan served as a founding member of the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. As Treasurer, he hopes to help drive the fraternity and music program onto bigger and better things.
Secretary - Eli McAdams
Eli McAdams will be serving as the secretary for the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. He plays the euphonium and is currently a music education major. Since the sixth grade, music has always been the career he planned to pursue, but freshman year of high school solidified this decision. After joining the marching band, he discovered the camaraderie the art of music holds as well as the joy people receive from performances. Following this realization, Eli gave the program all he had and got the honor to serve as the Band Captain in his senior year. Now, McAdams is applying the leadership skills acquired in high school to this position and learning an abundance of information surrounding music. Outside of the university, he was a member of the 2021 Atlanta CV Drum and Bugle Corps, pursuing the desire to march, with hopes of participating in a world class corps! Eli is more than honored to be the secretary for the Eta Zeta chapter and look forward to seeing where the chapter, as well as the program, will grow.
Chorister - Abby Johansen
Abby Johansen is the Chorister of the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon. She is pursuing her bachelor's degree in Music with a concentration in Musical Arts and a minor in Business Administration. Her primary instrument is voice. She is currently a senior at UNG and is on track to graduate in 2022. Music is her passion and continues to be the focus of her education, career, and life. She is the current president of the UNG Singers and the women’s choir, Le Belle Voci, on the Dahlonega campus and is a featured soloist in both groups. During her time on the Gainesville campus, she also held a council position for the UNG Chorale. In 2018, she received one of 14 places in the prestigious Martha T. Nesbitt Leadership Scholarship Program from UNG. Additionally, she has acted as an instructional assistant for music theory courses during her time in the music program. Her goal is to foster a love for music in the next generation, to help, encourage, and bless those that cross her path, and to create a positive impact on the music program during her time at UNG.
Historian - Nicholas Cianciotto
Nicholas Cianciotto is majoring in Music Education and his main instrument is oboe. He also has a passion for creating original musical compositions. He is a recent recipient of the Innovation Award within the music department and is striving to do better each day. He is currently the Treasurer of CNAFME and Historian of MuPhiEpsilon. One of his main goals, whether it be playing, or composing, is to bring more people together with the power of music.
Steward - Eric Sullivan
Eric Sullivan is a second year Music Ed Major with a concentration in clarinet. He’s found his experience here to be quite wonderful, the classes are small, and the music department has been very welcoming to new faces. He’s been loving UNG for its individualized nature of the professors, you really feel like you’re getting something other schools aren’t. Eric grew a passion for music in his late years of high school, thanks to the inspiring nature of his band director. With his help he was able to achieve many of his own musical feats including making it into the University. Eric is very grateful to have been admitted into the Eta Zeta chapter of Mu Phi Epsilon, and is very excited to see how he can grow as both a musician and an individual.
Chaplain - Melody Yoo
Melody Yoo is going into her second year at UNG. She is majoring in biochemistry and is minoring in music with focus on violin. She started playing violin in fifth grade and has fallen in love with the instrument ever since. As a person who is bilingual, Melody is always amazed about how music can covey emotions and experiences to the audience without even needing words at all. She feels that it is so special to have a community of people here at Mu Phi Epsilon who share the same love of music. Melody is going to be this year’s chaplain and is looking forward to what Mu Phi Epsilon is going to accomplish this year.
