Board Members

President

Caz Burdette

Caz has been the President of the Southeastern Indiana Musicians Association for the past three years. He was the previous Vice-President before founder Kenny Jackson retired from the organization. Caz's family is deeply rooted with music; especially Gospel. His father, grandfather, and uncles are members of the SEIMA Hall of Fame. Caz is perhaps best known for being The Morning Show host and Program Director for Country 103.9 WRBI-Batesville in which he is honored to spread the word about and promote the local music scene in Southeastern Indiana. He also likes to play some of local music on the show when the opportunity arrives.

Vice President

Randall Garrett

Randall Garrett is a lifetime resident of Southeastern IN.   He aspired to be a musician since he was 5 years old.  He attentively watched the musicians at church and carried their equipment for them but never had an instrument of his own.  On his 14th birthday he received $35 which he quickly took to the nearest flea market and after some haggling, bought an old Harmony electric guitar and amplifier.   He practiced tirelessly and at  the age of 15, he joined his first band, a local southern gospel band called the New Generation.  Since then he has continued performing primarily Southern Gospel music both locally and throughout the Southeastern United States.  He also volunteered his time  for several years with the Milan High School Show Choir performing oldies, classic rock, country  and  show-tunes.  He has been a promoter of  Christian music and was the founder and host of  a monthly music venue in Lawrenceburg called "Singin' Time in Indiana" for 3 years.   He has played for numerous Christian bands and is currently the bass guitarist for a Southern Gospel quartet called the Travelaires, a position he has held since 1990.

Board Member

Brian DeBruler

President and head of marketing for locally based Sol Records, home of Pure Grain, Dallas Moore, Craig Gerdes, Mudbone and many others. He has spent the last 30 years in the Independent music scene both as a drummer and a producer as well as running an Independent record label since 1991.  Brian records and produces primarily in the Americana and Adult Album Alternative genres and has released several Top 40 Americana, AAA  and #1 video singles including Pure Grain “Truckin Song”, “Back in the Woods”, and “Cowgirl”;  Dallas Moore – “Crazy Again”, “Texas Tornado”, “Beats All I’ve Ever Seen”  and “Blessed Be the Bad Ones.”  He studied musical performance and audio production at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA and is a Berklee Certified Music Business Professional and Specialist in Direct to Fan and Online Marketing. Brian is a lifelong resident of Dearborn County and has been performing professionally since age 14.

Board Member

Brian Noble

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, and brass! Brian aka Biggin Noble formed the band The Renegades in 1995. Brian started his love of music playing trumpet at a young age under the direction of East Central Band leaders Charles Green and Kenzie Bentle. It wasn’t until a few years after leaving high school that he began singing around campfires and learning the local music scene. In 1995 when the band The Renegades was formed he took on the roll of fronting the band singing and playing, which he truly loved. Biggin also began his solo acoustic act performing for smaller venues for the close and personal style which has went over great performing several nights a week. Sharing the stage with many folks in the Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Indiana music scene Biggin and The Renegades became very popular for their great lineup of such talented musicians in which Biggin was able to keep over all these years and the professionalism that he and the band showed in the industry.

Board Member

Jim Helms

Jim Helms, follows a long career and wide range of experience in the areas of Education, Entertainment and being a musician. His education career spanned 51 years including 35 years in the secondary, having retired as a high school principal, and an additional 16 years as a college chancellor. But he also has had a long career of some 60 plus years in music and entertainment along the way.

Jim started on a ukulele at age 9, got his first guitar at 12 and proceeded to learn and play. He then began playing with a country band, Dempsey Sims and the Melody Ramblers, at the age of 14 and received his first ever pay of $10 per night. He continued to play with that band for several years off and on while attending college. He also began playing with a Cincinnati based rock and roll band, The Rendezvous, at about age 16; thus, he was with two bands often with the country band one night and rock and roll one the next night. Dempsey Sims and the Melody Ramblers also recorded at King Records in Cincinnati and also for Starday Records in Nashville/Madison, Tennessee. Jim played mostly rhythm guitar, some lead guitar, bass, and did vocals. The band also played live on WMOH radio in Hamilton, Ohio in the late 1950's and into the 60's and Jim did announcing on the station too as well as some special projects. Jim also started playing organ about this time and also played a weekly live organ show on WMOH radio in the mid- 60's too. Jim was the house organist at Beef N’ Boards Dinner Theater for seven years. He played organ during the pre-shows, did MC work, and introduced many of the Stars and worked with them, as well as weekly concerts for many famous entertainers who appeared. He also traveled with some country music stars. He has also been a radio show host and does radio commercials. Jim continues to MC many events, as well as being a public speaker.

Board Member

Kenzie Bentle

Kenzie Bentle is a musician and educator from Southeast Indiana. He began his music career at the age of 10 playing drums in his brothers eight-piece dance band named THE HARMONY LADS. Then as popular music changed, he joined the five-piece Rock and Roll Band called THE DUKES, playing teen dances in the Tristate area. He attended the Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music achieving a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and later obtained a Master's Degree in Music at Ball State University. He was the drummer and music arranger for the show band COPS AND ROBBERS, which traveled throughout the United States playing night clubs and show rooms.

 He has also been the music director at Moores Hill High School, the assistant director for the East Central High School Bands, Director of the East Central Junior High Bands and the first music director of the Sunman Dearborn Middle School. He then later became the Head Director at East Central and the Music Department Head for the Sunman Dearborn Community Schools. He is the composer of the East Central High School Alma Mater and was the music director for Sunman Elementary before retiring from the school system. He has been a private music instructor for the Bowman Creative Arts Center located in Burlington, Kentucky. He also composed the horn arrangements on the album "HELICOPTER ROSE" by Blake Rainey in Atlanta, Georgia. He recently composed and recorded the music entitled "THE RISING" for the internet video "WHAT HAS OUR WORLD BECOME" on the websites, happinessfusion.com and YellowBodhi.com. He is a solo pianist with a CD entitled "DIAPASON" on the Southern Lovers Music Label and Electron Sound Garden Studios of Atlanta, Georgia .