Woods House Conservatory of Music

Columbia River Music Conservatory

Music For All

Instructors


	Amy Edwards Voice Amy Edwards recently graduated Magna Cum Laude from Central Washington University with her Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance. Born and raised in the Wenatchee Valley, Amy is a long time student of Leslie McEwen, and is modeling her teaching style after her mentor. After high school Amy left the Wenatchee Valley to study voice with Janeanne Houston at Pacific Lutheran University. In her two years at PLU Amy was a member of the Choir of the West and the University Chorale. After marrying her husband Paul in 2006 she transferred to Central Washington University where she studied voice with Dr. Diane Thueson Reich and Mia Spencer. She was in The CWU Chamber Choir and Vocal Jazz Ensemble, as well as President of the Vocal Music Alliance and coordinator for the regional NATS competition. In addition to leading roles in Meanwhile Back at Cinderella's, and scenes from Fidelio and The Magic Flute, her college successes include performing in the 2008 and 2009 Seattle Opera Master Classes. Amy also had a very successful high school career participating in the All Northwest Honor Chorus as a freshman and junior, and the All State Honor Chorus as a sophomore and senior. In addition she was a 2 time district Solo and Ensemble Champion. Amy is a big believer in community service and enjoys being a member of Circle K and Omicron Delta Kappa. Amy also enjoys all genres of music and has devoted a large amount of time to musical theater. She has comprised many roles both large and small, and is conducting the chorus for Leavenworth's Amberleaf Theatre. Amy is thrilled to combine her love of music, teaching, and people into creating a successful vocal studio and Early Childhood Music Educations courses. __________________________________________________
	Suzanne Carr, MM Flute, Piccolo; Flute Consort, Director After working in the retail computer industry and owning her own flute specialty store in metropolitan Seattle, Suzanne moved to Wenatchee in June 2001. Her studio includes students ranging in age from 5th grade through adult as well as three flute choirs. Elected to the Woods House Board of Directors, she served as its President from 2002-2007. In 2003, Suzanne returned to college attending Central Washington University to complete her Masters Degree in Flute Performance and Pedagogy (teaching) in July 2005. Suzanne free-lances in the area and has performed with Wenatchee Music Theater, Wenatchee High School's Musical Productions, Columbia Chorale, Grace Lutheran Church's Christmas presentations and Friday Night Out Classical Concert Series, Leavenworth Summer Theater, The Cascades Trio, Wenatchee Valley Symphony, Woods House Flute Consort and Musikkapelle [Leavenworth, WA]. She is currently the flute coach for the Icicle Creek Youth Symphony, a frequent volunteer coach in area public school music programs and plays in an ensemble for weddings in the Greater Wenatchee and Upper Valley. Also a member of Ladies Musical Club in Seattle, she was part of the initial adjudication panel for the Spring 2007 Young Artists' Competition.

	Connie Celustka Piano, Guitar, Hammered Dulcimer, Harp, Recorder Connie Celustka performs on the dulcimer and harp in the local group "All Strings Considered" and teaches music at Woods House and Valley Academy. She joined the Woods House Conservatory of Music in fall 2004 from the Seattle area where she had taught piano, clarinet and hammered dulcimer since 1985. Connie studied piano with Calvin Knapp of Pacific Lutheran University, and later with David Kaiserman of University of Puget Sound. She discovered hammered dulcimer while tuning instruments for the Folk Music Center in Claremont, California while completing her Masters in Theology at STC. She continued with her music while serving in youth ministry for several years, and later completed a 2 year certification in piano pedagogy through Western Washington University. Connie has been a member of the Washington State Music Teachers Association and greatly enjoys teaching both children and adults. Her interests in folk music and piano tuning led her to Dusty Strings Handcrafted Musical Instruments in Seattle where she worked for 10 years stringing, tuning, and regulating folk harps and hammered dulcimers. She has performed on the dulcimer and harp in many settings, including Seattle's Folklife Festival, with a repertoire of Celtic, Classical, Scandinavian, American Traditional, and original music.
	Katie Waldon Clarinet and Saxophone Playing for more than twenty two years now, Katie Waldon began her clarinet studies in Spokane, Washington. The majority of her years of study were dedicated to the teachings and impressions of Virginia Jones, former Principal Clarinetist of the Spokane Symphony. During those years, Katie Competed at State Solo and Ensemble, medaled in the Allied Arts Festival, and participated in All State and All Northwest Ensembles. In 2000, Katie graduated from Northwest Nazarene University with a B.A. in music education while studying under the late Michael Bankston, principal clarinetist of the Boise Philharmonic. She performed with Northwest Nazarene University band, College of Idaho Chamber Orchestra, and Music Theater of Idaho. Upon completion of her degree, she then relocated back to Washington to teach music for the Spokane Public Schools. Katie Waldon is new this year to Woods House Conservatory of Music where she will be teaching beginning through advanced clarinet, as well as beginning and intermediate saxophone. New students are now being accepted by contacting the Woods House office.

	Maija Henderson Violin and Viola Maija Henderson comes from Connecticut where she received a B.S. Music Education and a B.A. Fine Arts from the University of Connecticut. After graduating, Ms. Henderson developed a strong interest in early music, and formed The Jovial Beggars with a group of friends. They played at Renaissance Faires throughout New England and in 2001 recorded an album "Christmas on a Budget". She continued studying Baroque Violin with Mary Hostetler-Hoyt. She has performed early music with Arcadia Players, The Fanfare Consort, and The Mostly Baroque Players throughout various venues in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ms. Henderson also enjoys playing Irish fiddle, and, after winning third place in the Connecticut Audubon Fiddle Festival in 2003, joined the group The Other Irish Band, and recorded "Be Good or Be Gone!" in 2005. Ms. Henderson has been teaching violin and viola privately for 14 years, and is currently teaching strings for the Wenatchee School District.


	Steve Keene Trumpet Principal Trumpet with the Northwest Chamber Orchestra from 1980 through 1995, Mr. Keene is a founding member of the Icicle Brass quintet in Leavenworth, and Founder of Brass Band Northwest in Bellevue. He has performed with the Leavenworth Summer Theater as both orchestra conductor and trumpeter, and throughout the Northwest with such groups as the Seattle Symphony, Seattle Opera, Pacific Northwest Ballet, Seattle Brass Ensemble, Tuxedo Junction Big Band, and many other ensembles. Originally from New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area, he has also performed with the New England Brass Quintet and the Soviet Emigre' Chamber Orchestra in Carnegie Hall. Steve studied trumpet with Manny Laureano of the Minneapolis Symphony, Armando Ghitalla of the Boston Symphony, and Mark Gould of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. He earned bachelor's degrees from the University of Northern Colorado in both Music Education and Trumpet Performance, and studyied trumpet with William Pfund. He earned a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, where his teacher was David Greenhoe. Steve also served as Director of Bands and Brass Instructor on the faculties of West Virginia Wesleyan College, and Dickinson State University in North Dakota, and as a trumpet instructor at Western Washington University. Having owned a music store, Custom Music, in Bellevue for 18 years, he moved here to "retire" from the "big city" and enjoy the beauty of the upper Wenatchee River valley, which he does, along with his wife, Kristin and two step-daughters, Emma and Jessie. Steve currently works as an independent computer programmer/consultant through his business, ClearView Computing, a photographer and videographer through another part of his business, Digitography, and as a white water raft guide for River Riders in his spare time. :-)
	Tanya Lawson Strings, Guitar, Mandolin, Mandolin Consort, Director Tanya Lawson teaches violin, viola, mandolin, and guitar at the Wood's House Conservatory of Music in Wenatchee, Washington. She has been performing and teaching for over 25 years. She started violin lessons with the late Carroll McManus. She played with the first Performing Arts Youth Symphony in Wenatchee directed by her high school music teacher Stephen Nelson. Before graduating she toured and performed overseas with Cam Floria's Continental Singers and Orchestra. She toured England, Wales, Holland and Belgium then returned to the states her senior year and studied with Zita Smetko. After graduation she was offered a music scholarship to study at Central Washington University, but instead opted to travel to Argentina where she studied at the Buenos Aires Conservatory of Music. She studied theory, conducting, and performance violin with Edgardo Cattaruzzi, and sang with El Coro de Haedo. Tanya also studied violin with Carol Sindell at Portland State University. She has a Certificate of Performance in violin and a degree in Management and Supervision. She has played with The Buenos Aires Provincial Orchestra, Southwest Washington Symphony, and the Wenatchee Valley Symphony. She has performed with numerous bands and a huge variety of performers both local and foreign. She plays frequently for musicals with Music Theater of Wenatchee, and enjoys playing at various churches around the valley. She is also the musician for North Central Washington's Playback Theater . When it comes to music, Tanya is accomplished at a wide variety of genres. Her students enjoy the variety of music that she offers and they have performed for contradances, weddings, jazz festivals, church services, and Poet's and Songwriter's events, as well as recitals. You can hear Tanya on the recently produced River of Memory CD (available at the Wenatchee Valley Cultural Center) and on Michael Dickes CD, Moveable Child. Or you might find her in any number of locations playing with her newly formed string trio, All Strings Considered.
	Leslie McEwen Voice; Confluence Vocal Octet, Wenatchee Valley One Act Opera Company, Founder & Director Leslie McEwen, soprano, has performed extensively in all regions of the nation. Her New York credits include Einstein on the Beach with Philip Glass at Brooklyn Academy of Music's Next Wave Festival, Four Saints in Three Acts with Opera Ensemble of New York, Town Hall recital, and has soloed with Opera Ebony, New Jersey Opera and New York Grand Opera. She was one of the first Americans to be invited to perform as guest artist at the Peter Shalyapin Opera Festival in Kazan, Russia. She has also concertized in Germany. Most recently she has been guest artist with Choral Sounds Northwest, Issaquah Chorale Society, the Federal Way Philharmonic, Icicle Music Festival in Leavenworth, Columbia Chorale and the Wenatchee Valley Symphony. In 2004, she was soprano soloist for the Verdi Requiem and in 2006 sang the soprano solo for Dvorak's Te Deum and Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. These works were performed at Seattle's Benaroya Hall. Ms. McEwen resides and maintains a busy vocal studio in Wenatchee. Her private students have won numerous competitions and are currently studying voice in several universities and conservatories in the United States. She also formed and is currently Artistic Director for the vocal chamber group, The Confluence Vocal Octet, that performs all over the Pacific Northwest Region.


	Mary Mendenhall Oboe Mary recently moved here from San Diego, California, but brings international experience to the position of oboe instructor at Woods House. She studied privately with two students of the famous Marcel Tabuteau, Josef Skufka and Martin Sterling, back in the 1970s, and has played in community-level orchestras and shows ever since. In the 1990s, she lived in Cyprus where she co-taught youth drama and coached the wind section of the youth symphony. She learned a bit of Greek while playing with the National Chamber Orchestra there, and remembers being invited to the Presidential Palace to have tea and consult about music education with the First Lady. She is a quality reed-maker and looks forward to sharing this expertise with intermediate-advanced level players. Her favorite 'gig' is the pit orchestra and small ensembles, and she loves to integrate music into everyday life in all sorts of creative ways. She also plays recorder, mandolin, and clarinet, and although she doesn't consider herself a 'vocalist', she's brought music to the bedside of home-bound patients as well as many church venues. Mary's worked with students from age 9 to 40, and believes strongly in 'customizing' lessons to suit the skills and interests of the student.



	Charlie Solbrig Guitar Charlie Solbrig originates from Idaho where he fell in-love with the captivating sounds of the guitar. As a boy, a family friend introduced Charlie to the guitar which sparked a relationship with music that has defined and encompassed Charlie's life. After learning to play acoustic guitar in his teens, Charlie chose to study classical guitar and music performance at Idaho State University, graduating with a Bachelor of Music Performance degree in 1992. While at Idaho State, he studied under Bill O'Brien. Upon graduation, Charlie's musical ambitions brought him to Seattle in the early 90's. In addition, he has taken master classes with Ricardo Cobo, Sharon Isbin and David Tannenbaum, as well as flamenco lessons from Omar Torrez. Charlie built his reputation by endeavoring to share his passion for music with students while working at The Rosewood Guitar, to where he eventually shifted to exclusively performing and giving private lessons. Charlie has performed several occasions with the Seattle Classical Guitar Society. As a classically trained guitarist, his performance history includes a wide variety of venues in the Seattle area featuring his skills in classical, Latin and flamenco styles, as well as an original rock group, Tilted Blue, all featuring his original compositions. He has also accompanied award winning guitarist Andre Feriante at Benaroya Hall, where Charlie debuted his original Latin piece "Apollo". After almost 20 years, Charlie has built his own business based on performance and instruction of various styles of guitar. Charlie continues to pursue his passion of music and endeavors to inspire and motivate others to discover their own way through music.
	Olin Ensley Piano and Accompanist Olin Ensley is a classically trained pianist. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree from Washington State University with an emphasis on performance and pedagogy. Mr. Ensley is an accompanist and piano instructor with the Columbia River Music Conservatory.
	Ken Hunnicutt Piano and Accompanist Ken graduated from the University of Southern California with a Masters in piano performance and accompanying. He performs regularly as an accompanist and chamber musician throughout North Central Washington. He is a member of the Washington State Music Teachers Association and welcomes students of all ages and levels to his studio. Ken's goal as a teacher is to help students discover the joy of making music and to give them the tools to make it a life time endeavor.
	Megan Cleary Bass and Beginning Violin Megan Cleary is a teacher and double bassist. She received a Masters in Music Performance on double bass from Rutgers University in New Jersey, and her music teaching endorsement at the University of Washington. She is a public school music teacher in both the Eastmont and Wenatchee School Districts—teaching orchestras, choirs, bands, and guitar. Awards to her include the 2004 "Public School String Teacher of the Year" from the Washington Chapter of ASTA, the WMEA 2004 "Wall of Fame" class, and the 2006 "Outstanding Music Educator of the Year"by her colleagues in the Elliott Bay MEA Region. Her double bass teachers include Bertram Turetzky, Frederick Tinsley, Carolyn Davis Fryer, and Barry Lieberman.
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