Maestro Parks is the founder, music director and artistic director of APO. A trombone player by training, Cody played and conducted Civil War reenactment bands at age 11 and later conducted the St. Louis Community College Symphonic Band and Orchestra. He spent 7 years as a jazz trombonist for the St. Louis Big Band and guest conductor.

Cody has directed the Dragons Drum and Bugle Corps, served as the General Music teacher and choral director at St. Margret Mary Alacoque School, and worked as the assistant conductor for Mr. Gary Gackstatter. In addition to his work with ensembles, he is a ‘mildly’ successful composer having his works performed by the St. Louis Community College Symphonic Band and Orchestra and by the North Duchesses Symphony Orchestra in New York. 

Denzel Woodall is the concertmaster for APO. He has been playing the violin for 11 years and the viola for 21 years. At Augustana College, Denzel was a viola performance major and a neuroscience major where he did research on how music affects our emotions and memory. He also taught viola lessons, trained students and participated as a student for IMEA district (Illinois Music Educators Association). He then went to graduate school at Cleveland University- Kansas City and received his doctorate of chiropractic.

Denzel has joined over 7 ensembles in the past 10 years of the dedication to playing. He’s now a chiropractic doctor licensed in the state of Missouri. His specialty is treating patients that are pediatric, pregnant moms, autism and speech pathologies. Denzel is excited to be a part of APO and inspire people to play music.

Alex Dzurick is the President of the APO board of directors. He has played clarinet with Marching Mizzou and the Philadelphia Freedom Band, and he currently plays with APO’s sibling organization BandTogether.

Alex works as an educator at Rohan Woods School, where he teaches fifth and sixth grade students. He lives with his husband James (also a musician) and their cat Savvy. In addition to work with APO, Alex concurrently sits on the the board of Doing Good Together, a national nonprofit working to inspire kind-hearted children and families.

Julio Govreau is an HR professional that loves volunteering with the LGBTQ+ and Latino/a/x communities.  He thrives when he can help with adding structure to an organization.  Julio is a member of the APO flute and piccolo section.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his dogs, Alphonse and Daphne. 

Amy Reese is the secretary of APO Board of Directors. She plays the French horn in the orchestra.

In college, Amy was a chemistry major with a minor in music, participating in so many ensembles that she mostly lived in the music building. She went on to get a Ph.D. in biochemistry, molecular biology, and biophysics from the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, but continued to play horn in the Health Sciences Orchestra.

Amy’s been a biology undergraduate educator now for twenty years. As an associate professor of microbiology at the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy in St. Louis, Amy is thrilled to be in the APO and once again balance her science with music.