Faculty & Staff

Office: Center for the Arts 237

Director of Jazz Studies Dr. Alex Heitlinger is a forward-thinking jazz composer and trombonist with a deep love of the jazz tradition and a passion for pushing musical boundaries. Heitlinger released his debut big band album, Slush Pump Truck Stop, in 2024 through SteepleChase Records. The album, his third as a bandleader, features a stellar ensemble including drummer John Riley, trombonist John Fedchock, pianist Carmen Staaf, guitarist Corey Christiansen, trumpeter Greg Gisbert, and saxophonist Michael Thomas. Praised by Jazz Mania Magazine’s Claudy Jalet as “eminently exciting” and “a beautiful and original discovery,” the album showcases Heitlinger’s unique approach to big band writing. While Heitlinger prefers to be acknowledged for his creative work, he is also well-known for his 2011 viral jazz montage The Lick, which has received over 4.9 million views on YouTube, becoming a widespread musical meme.

"His music showed a lot of maturity, technical proficiency, but moreover, he has a voice. That’s rare."

— Maria Schneider, Grammy-winning Jazz Composer

"...very much in the exploratory spirit of Booker Little’s amazing early 1960’s sextet... melodic and sonorous, full of appealing hooks and rich harmonies"

— Darcy James Argue, Grammy-nominated Jazz Composer

"Heitlinger’s elaborate, richly lyric tunes give each improviser plenty to chew on. Each tune contains numerous, discreet episodes and plenty of harmonic movement. But his dense arrangements, which convey a much larger sound than you’d expect from a sextet, guide the listener through each section with an abundance of sonic warmth… together they masterfully bring the leader’s tunes to life—pensive, plush and panoramic post-bop, in all their rich, harmonic glory."

— Pete Margasak, Downbeat Magazine

Aaron Noë is the Assistant Director of Bands at Elon University, bringing over 20 years of high school band experience from South Carolina, Virginia, and North Carolina to his role. A graduate of Greensboro College (NC), he also holds a Master of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. His extensive conducting background spans ensembles from beginning-level bands to professional wind symphonies, showcasing his broad expertise in both pedagogy and performance. 

As a composer, Mr. Noë has written works for ensembles of all levels, with many of his compositions commissioned and performed nationwide. His music is available through Aamano Music. Additionally, he is actively engaged in research, dedicated to updating classic wind band literature for performance by modern wind band instrumentation. 

An accomplished trumpet player, Mr. Noë has performed across the United States alongside renowned musicians, including the late jazz legend James Moody and saxophonist Eric Marienthal. Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Rebekah, and fly fishing. 

Virginia Novine Whittaker serves as instructor of saxophone and chamber ensembles at Elon University. In addition, she is founder and director of the Elon Music Ambassaors, a premiere touring ensemble that showcases Elon’s music department  with performances across the country. Prior to her appointment at Elon University in 1992, Virginia served as instructor of saxophone at the State University of New York at Potsdam and the University of Arizona.

A respected educator and clinician, Virginia’s students perform professionally in classical, jazz, and popular music styles. Many of her students work as freelance musicians in major cities on both coasts, performing in musicals and saxophone quartets, working in the recording industry, and managing, conducting and performing in jazz ensembles. Her students are also very successful at winning positions in military bands and several of her saxophone students have won national and international performance competitions. Those students who wish to teach have been employed by public and private schools at the middle school, high school and university levels.

An active musician, Virginia has performed with the Greensboro, Salisbury, Tucson, and Lake Charles (LA) symphony orchestras. She has also performed with the Eastern Music Festival Philharmonic and with off-Broadway productions in Tucson, Charlotte and Raleigh. She has toured with the US Air Jazz Orchestra throughout Europe and the United States and has backed up entertainers such as the Temptations, Bob Hope, Dinah Shore and Tony Bennett.

Ms. Novine Whittaker holds degrees in music from SUNY-Potsdam and Northern Illinois University, and has studied saxophone and oboe at the doctoral level at the University of Arizona. Her major teachers have included James Stoltie, Steve Duke, Elizabeth Ervin, Carl Sonik, Marion Buswell and Wayne Sutherland.

Ben grew up in a musical household in Greensboro, NC. His first band experience came at Peeler elementary school where he played clarinet.

At age fifteen, Ben studied with Greensboro guitarist Jack King and joined the Page High School Jazz Band (’98-’99). He was awarded 'Outstanding Soloist' by band director Ed Kimbrough.

Ben studied at Appalachian State University from 2000 - 2004 where he earned a liberal arts B.A. with a music minor. He studied with saxophonist Todd Wright and guitarists Andy Page and Dr. Douglas James. He performed with the ASU jazz band.

In 2012, Ben earned his Master of Music in Jazz Studies from NC Central University in Durham. Ben studied under Dr. Ira Wiggins, Baron Tymas and Brian Horton. Ben also received instruction from Branford Marsalis and Joey Caldorazzo, artists in residence at NCCU.

Since 2014, Ben has been the principle guitarist for the Mint Julep Jazz Band, a local Ellington-focused swing band that performs at swing dances. In June 2016, the MJJB performed for hundreds of dancers for Jazz at Lincoln Center’s ‘Midsummer Night’s Swing’ in NYC.

Since 2019, Ben has been a guitarist/vocalist with the Onyx Club Boys, an acoustic swing quartet playing music in the spirt of gypsy guitar virtuoso Django Reinhardt.

Ben began teaching private guitar lessons in 2004 in Boone, NC. In Greensboro he taught at McFadden Music and the Greensboro Day School.

In 2013, Ben joined the teaching studio Russell Lacey Music in Durham to teach guitar, ukulele and electric bass. Ben makes arrangements for and rehearses student bands for RLM’s Ensemble program. This program gives students the opportunity to use skills developed in private lessons in a band setting.

Bashir Shakur is a percussionist, composer, performer, educator, and recording artist whose unique blend of improvisational, and traditional percussion can be found on the hit (TV series) "Harlem" with acclaimed actress/producer Meagan Good.  

In addition to his work with TV and film scoring, Bashir has recorded, performed, and/or toured with an array of diverse artists including:  Chuck Davis, Camille Yarborough (foremother of Rap), DJ Grandmaster Flash, Waley Reyes Jr. (drummer for Santana), The Sunday Special Band, The North /carolina Philharmonic Orchestra, Bessie Award winner Jawole Jo Zollar and Reggae superstar Freddie McGregor.  One of Bashir's latest creations is his youth leaderdhip program "Buckets and Beats".  Created in 2014 with funding from the Alvin Ailey Arts In Education program.  Shakur developed a cost effective, empowering and fun 14-week percussion study with 3rd and 5th graders, using just two drumsticks and a bucket.  Also playing with his Jazz, World, and Urban Music band "B-Shak Rhythm and Soul".  This quartet of adventerous musicians was assembled in 2012 and has been discribed as Be-bop Jazz, meets Afro-Beat, meets trance-induving Urban music.

Shakur has been an artist-in-redidence and/or faculty member at many institutions including:  The Brokklyn Music School, New York University, Florida State University, Florida A&M University, American Dance Festival, Williams College and is currently on staff at Elon University.  Mr Shakur would like to thank Allah for all of his many gifts and blessings.