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 Faculty

 

PIANO

EMILY CHIN JOHNSON - Piano
BM, Music Therapy, Nazareth College. Clinical experience in adaptive lessons, early intervention, PTSD. Pianist and organist.

DANIEL PENA-ARIEL - Piano
MA, Tufts University; BA, Boston College. Specializes in voice, saxophone, and ethnomusicology (focusing on traditional Japanese).

AMY RENAK - Piano
BA, Mary Washington College; graduate studies, Hartt School of Music. BCC faculty member; choir director, accompanist, and organist.

MATTHEW THOMAS - Piano
MA, Organ Performance and Music Composition, Hunter College; BA, Piano Performance, Belmont University. Active music director, educator, choral director, organist, and pianist.

VOICE

SHERRI JAMES BUXTON - Voice
BME, Indiana. Univ.; MEd Cambridge College. Appeared on Broadway. Professional cabaret singer.

DANIEL PENA-ARIEL - Voice
BA, Boston College; MA Tufts University.  Specializes in voice, saxophone, and ethnomusicology (focusing on traditional Japanese).

ALICE SPATZ - Sight-Singing
MFA Composition, Bennington College; BA, New School for Social Research. Performer with Wintergreen ensemble; published composer.

KEITH SPENCER - Voice
MM, Manhattan School of Music and Master in opera performance from Curtis Institute of Music. Numerous opera appearances and competition awards.

CAROL YAHR - Voice
International opera career singing the dramatic soprano repertoire in opera houses such as Australian Opera, Scottish Opera, Copenhagen, Prague and Washington Opera at the Kennedy Center. Active voice studio in New York City for 20 years. Director of the New York Summer Opera Scenes Training Program for aspiring opera singers.

STRINGS & GUITAR

OUISA FOHRHALTZ - Violin, Viola
MM, Graduate String Quartet U-Mass. Amherst. BM in Violin, BM in Education, BM in Voice, Hartt College of Music. Suzuki Instructor. Violinist with Albany & Berkshire Symphonies, Vivante Trio.

ANNABELLE HOFFMAN - Cello
NY Philharmonic, American Symphony Orchestra, and Mostly Mozart Festival Orchestra. Broadway shows: Hamilton, Dear Evan Hanson, Aladdin. Chamber music and orchestral strings coach at The Calhoun School (NYC).

BING LIU - Violin
Boston Conservatory of Music, Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, China and Boston University. China Youth Symphony Orchestra goodwill and friendship tour in Europe. Central Opera Theatre Symphony Orchestra. Teacher at Miss Halls and Suzuki music school of Troy. Co-founder of the Berkshire Trio and plays in the Berkshire Symphony.

JULIA ROUSSE SHIPPEE - Guitar, Ukulele
MM in Music education, University of Florida; BA in Music Education, University of New Hampshire. Elementary general music teacher, bass player in college orchestras and local jazz ensembles, performer as a guitarist and singer.

ALICE SPATZ - Double Bass
MFA Composition, Bennington College; BA, New School for Social Research. Performer with Wintergreen ensemble; published composer.

JONATHAN SUTERS - Guitar
Taught at Berkshire Country Day School, Salisbury School, Indian Mountain School, Richmond School, Austen Riggs Center, Simons Rock College, and Flying Cloud Institute. Active performing artist.

JIM WOJTASZEK - Guitar
Studied music at Musicians Institute/GIT and MCLA. Active instructor, songwriter, recording and performing artist.

BRASS & WINDS

GEOFFREY CUNNINGHAM - Trumpet
MM, Jazz Composition and Arranging, UMass Amherst; BM, Jazz and African American Music Studies, UMass Amherst. Music educator at Amherst College and Holyoke Community College. Active performer and arranger.

ASHLEY PARADIS - Clarinet
MA, Conducting, BM, Music Education, University of New Hampshire; Band Director of PHS Concert Band, Jazz Big Band, and Jazz Combos at Pittsfield High School. Chair-Elect of MMEA-WD.

DANIEL PENA-ARIEL - Saxophone
BA, Boston College; MA Tufts University. Specializes in voice, saxophone, and ethnomusicology (focusing on traditional Japanese).

TARI WHEELER ROOSA - Flute, Recorder
MME, University of Colorado; BM, University of Lowell. Assistant conductor of Eagles Band; performer with Jovia Trio.

PAUL SUNDBERG - Trumpet
BM, Oberlin Conservatory of Music. Former adjunct faculty, Williams College; founding member of Berkshire Brass Quintet.

TERRY KEEVIL- Oboe, English Horn, Oboe d’Amore, Duduk DMA, SUNY Stony Brook; BA, Sarah Lawrence; Graduate of the Music for People Musicianship and Leadership Program. Director of Community Chamber Music Program at SUNY Stony Brook; member of North Shore Pro Musica.

PERCUSSION

JACK DINICOLA - Percussion/Drum Set
Bachelors degree in Social Work, MCLA. Experience working with children and families for over 30 years. Active educator and performer in Berkshire County and Albany, NY.

PETE SWEENEY - Percussion
Educated by NYC Drummer’s Collective. Faculty member of National Guitar Workshop; author of The Complete Drumset Method.

SPECIALTY

GEOFFREY CARTER - Electronic Music
BM, Electronic Production and Design, Berklee College of Music. Owner/Founder of BeatNest music school. Experience in lessons, live sound engineering.

EMILY CHIN JOHNSON - Music Therapy
BM, Music Therapy, Nazareth College. Clinical experience in adaptive lessons, early intervention, PTSD. Pianist and organist.

ANASTASIA DEDIK - Piano Masterclasses
Graduate of The Saint Petersburg Conservatory, Oberlin Conservatory of Music and The Juilliard School. Doctorate Candidate at Mason Gross School of the Arts. Performed with Fort Worth Symphony, Oberlin Orchestra, NYCA Symphony Orchestra, Saint Petersburg Philharmonic and others. Director of Prima Music Academy and founder of Prima Music Foundation. Current performer in the U.S. and abroad both solo and with her chamber group, Prima Trio.

DANIEL PENA-ARIEL - World Music
BA, Boston College; MA Tufts University. Specializes in voice, saxophone, and ethnomusicology (focusing on traditional Japanese).

ALICE SPATZ - Theory, Composition
MFA Composition, Bennington College; BA, New School for Social Research. Performer with Wintergreen ensemble; published composer.

 

OUTREACH TEACHING ARTISTS

GEOFFREY CARTER - Electronic Music
BM, Electronic Production and Design, Berklee College of Music. Owner/Founder of BeatNest music school. Experience in lessons, live sound engineering.

OTHA DAY
Leads fun and lively drum circle events from the deep belief that rhythm has the power to build community, promote well-being, and create joy for all types of educational environments, wellness, spiritual, and community celebrations, corporate, and motivational speaking events; Social Justice Facilitator.

MARK FRANKLIN
MA, University of Chicago; BA, Williams College. Taught English at Wahconah (CBRSD) from 1976 to 2014; adjunct freshman composition instructor at MCLA; local guitarist and active performing artist.

ROBIN O’HERIN
BA, Integrated Arts in Education, UMass Amherst. Creates historically rich, often interactive concerts that include original and traditional American music, for small listening rooms, libraries, festivals and schools; active local performing artist specializing in traditional blues and gospel music.