Meet the Team

Young man standing in a music store, surrounded by brass and wind instruments such as trumpets and trombones on display.

Benjamin Piela

General Manager

Ben Piela graduated from Western Michigan University with his Bachelor's degree in Trumpet Performance and enjoys performing music with as many people as possible. Before his career at WMBI, Ben worked in Operations Management.

Ben's favorite part about working at WMBI is the ability to be around other musically-minded folks, as well as having the opportunity to provide 1:1 lessons, professional-level instruments, and the best customer service available. 

A man in a suit sitting on stairs, holding a saxophone, smiling, with a yellow wall in the background.

Jacob DeWitt

Sales Associate & Saxophone Instructor

Jacob DeWitt is a graduate with a Bachelor’s from Wayne State University and Master's degree from Western Michigan University.

 Specializing in jazz performance, Jacob primarily plays saxophone and doubles in flute and clarinet.

Outside of performing, Jacob enjoys writing, recording, and teaching all styles of music.

A young man in black shirt and gloves playing a silver sousaphone in a gymnasium with blue padded walls and bleachers in the background.

Aaron Schnicke

Sales Associate & Website Manager

Aaron is a recent graduate of Kent City High School.
He is a talented multi-instrumentalist and has a deep passion for music.

He plays many instruments and was a Drum Major for 2 years at Kent City High School. He also engages in WGI with LSM WEST as a tuba player. His aspirations lead him further into the marching arts, as he aspires to march in DCI with the best of the best.

A young man with glasses, smiling, wearing a burgundy shirt, brown apron, and blue gloves, working with equipment in what appears to be a workshop or store.

Jacob Hoskins

Brass Specialist & Shop Manager

A Houghton College graduate with a dual Bachelor of Science degree in Music Industry & Business Administration, Jacob is passionate in providing quality services and products that will further advance players and their musical creativity.
Under the guidance of Eric Satterlee at Meridian Winds for over 6 years, Jacob became well-versed in the field of music retail and repair.  Additionally, Jacob is the owner and operator of his small business, Bájoc Music—which is tailored towards offering high brass players custom mouthpieces, components, and instrument enhancement products.

Woman in blue scrubs holding a flute, standing in front of a wall display of various musical instruments.

Jenni Pollmann

Head Woodwind Technician

With a Bachelor of Music Education from Calvin College and a Master’s in Education from Cornerstone College, Jenni has over a decade of experience as a band and music teacher. Her passion for woodwind repair began at the Yamaha Musical Products factory, where she had the privilege of learning from skilled QA technicians, production workers, and Pro Shop employees. Jenni further honed her skills by attending specialized training with renowned technician Cliff Ferrees and remain an active member of the National Association of Professional Band Instrument Repair Technicians (NAPBIRT).

A man holding a French horn, standing in front of a wall with multiple brass instruments hanging on it.

Clint Mottler

Brass/Woodwind Technician

Clint is a proud veteran and a former member of the military band. Clint has been repairing brass and woodwind instruments for over 33 years and was trained in the military band repair program.

Clint's primary instrument is the French Horn and enjoys teaching privately in between repairs. 

Young man wearing glasses, a gray hoodie, and an apron, standing in front of a wall display of various brass instruments, including trumpets and trombones.

Will Male

Sales Representative/Brass Tech

Will is a junior at Western Michigan University majoring in Music Education. Will is not only a gifted musician but also is a talented brass repair tech and salesman. 

Will has served as first trumpet in the Rockford High School marching, concert, and jazz bands, and enjoys skiing in his free time.

A woman sitting on a wooden dock near a boat, holding a black mug, wearing sunglasses, a blue hoodie, and jeans, with water and a cloudy sky in the background.

Joyce Antel

Head of School Services

Joyce received her Bachelor's in Music Education from WMU in 1988, and retired from Northview High School after directing bands for 33 years.  She joined the WMBI team last summer and loves working with students, and has enjoyed providing school service for their families as well as band and orchestra directors.

She loves spending time with her husband, Tim, and five children who are the light of her life: Tim & his wife, Maggie, Shelby, Melody and Joey.  When Joyce isn't at WMBI, her favorite activities include hiking, reading at the beach, catching sunsets and creating things with power tools.

A young man with glasses and a bow tie holding a trombone outdoors by a body of water.

Nate Moored

School Service Specialist

Nate Moored graduated from Grand Rapids Community College and Western Michigan University for Trombone Performance. Also dabbling in piano and French horn, he loves to play music with others.

When not playing his instrument, Nate loves arranging, reading, gaming, and hanging out with his wife, Sarah.

A man with short, light brown hair and a beard, wearing a blue and white checkered shirt, standing indoors with warm lighting.

David Didaskalou

Owner

David has been in the music business since he was only 14 years old. He was trained by his older brother, Nick Didaskalou, and was mentored by Max Colley Jr., Jon Montgomery, and Roy Emerson. 

His favorite thing about owning his own business is being able to spend time with his family, help those in need, and make customers happy.

A woman with long curly hair, glasses, and a big smile, wearing a navy blue football jersey with the number 1 and yellow pants, standing in front of a football stadium with players practicing on the field in the background.

Kristi Didaskalou

Billing & Accounts Manager

Kristi has been with WMBI since the beginning and handles all aspect of customer service, including invoicing, phone calls, inventory, and office work.

Her favorite part about working at WMBI is being with family and meeting and serving new people. Kristi enjoys being able to help families by donating instruments and services.