Jef Thor has held positions as principal bass clarinetist in the Augustana Band and Augustana Orchestra as well as principal pianist for the Northlander’s Jazz Band and Jazz Combo. His accompanist accomplishments have included positions within the Augustana Theater Department, notably, the South Dakota premier of Stephen Dolginoff’s Thrill Me: The Leopold and Loeb Story. At the Augustana Chapel of Reconciliation, he served as Chapel Ambassador, Music Coordinator, and Organist from 2015-2018.

He has performed with a variety of musical acts including Mato Wayuhi, Lemmons, the Brian Hanegan Quartet, Granola, and his own ensemble —Jef and the Thornets.

When he’s not playing jazz, he enjoys spending time exploring Sioux Falls with his incredible partner, Cheyenne. He holds a Master’s of Education from Augustana University and currently teaches English at Roosevelt High School.

Dalton Petersen has been a regular performer in jazz combos, dance bands, jam bands, and orchestras throughout the region. He studied classical bass under Dr. Rongstadd at University of South Dakota and under John Casey while performing in the Northwest Iowa Symphony and while attending Augustana University.

Dalton has performed with a variety of musical acts including Allen Vizzutti, Jeff Coffin, Adam Meckler, Shaun Johnson Big Band, L.A. Buckner, and John Raymond.

Dalton recently completed his Master’s in Music Education through Northern State University. When he’s not laying down funky bass lines, he’s collecting vinyl and enjoys mixing and recording music. He is currently the head orchestra director at Patrick Henry in Sioux Falls, SD.

Dr. Christian DeJongh has held positions as a band leader for a variety of combos, musicals, and other ensembles through the years. He studied jazz drum set under John Ramsey at Berklee College of Music and Tommy Giampietro at the University of Massachusetts. Christian is also a classically trained percussionist and studied Japanese Taiko drumming at University of Northern Iowa.

Christian has worked as a freelance musician and educator throughout the region, specializing in drum set especially for jazz, funk, rock, latin, and Afro-Cuban. He has performed with a variety of musical acts including Jeff Coffin, Wycliffe Gordon, Allen Vizzutti, and the Glen Miller Jazz Orchestra.

When he’s not banging on the drums, Christian enjoys spending time with his family, his beautiful dentist girlfriend Maddy, and his cat Rho. He holds a Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon, and is a practicing doctor in Sioux Falls, SD.