MUSIC PARTNERS DIRECTOR

DOROTHY SAVITCH

Dorothy Savitch has led the Music Partners program since 1996, developing fully enriched, sequential programs that build upon students’ skills from year to year. Under Dorothy’s guidance, Music Partners has grown from six sites with 700 students to 34 sites with 4,500 participants. Dorothy has expanded the course offerings to meet the needs and interests of our diverse community, including chorus for seniors citizens, West African Drumming, GarageBand Songwriting and programs for toddlers and pre-kindergarten students. Dorothy has been on the BKCM faculty since 1989, and prior to becoming Program Director of Music Partners, she taught music theory, history, classical guitar, chorus and recorder. In 2002, Dorothy Savitch was also named as the first Music Director of the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra. Since 1997, Ms. Savitch has also been Music Director of Long Island’s Sound Symphony Orchestra. Since her tenure began, both orchestras have grown and expanded into two of the finest community ensembles in the New York metropolitan area. They have received high praise for their vibrant performances and expansive repertoire. Before her transition to the podium, Ms. Savitch studied the classical guitar with Christopher Parkening and Vicente Gomez, and toured throughout the West Coast. She received music degrees from Columbia University and the Aaron Copland School of Music at Queens College. Her conducting teachers include Harold Farberman and Maurice Peress.

MUSIC PARTNERS ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

SHERI GOTTLIEB

Music Partners Community Engagement Liaison

SARA HOLTZSCHUE

Name: Sara Holtzschue

I’m from… Brooklyn, New York

I started teaching music in… 1987

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1999

My inspiration:  Nina Simone

Few people know that I… love jellyfish

Education: Barnard College, Columbia University – A.B., Music
New England Conservatory – M.M., Jazz Composition

I play and teach:  Flute, Piano, Voice, Composition, Music Theory and Songwriting

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Sara Holtzschue Trio and Quartet

Biography: A New York native, Sara Holtzschue’s career in music began as a classically trained flutist. Sara’s track began changing during her high school and college years which she spent both playing flute and nurturing her budding interest in composition, jazz and American folk music. She graduated with a degree in music with honors from Barnard College at Columbia University where she studied with David Rakowski, Mario Davidovsky, Jeff Nichols and Harold Jones.

Sara’s interest in jazz led her to a master’s degree with honors in Jazz Composition from New England Conservatory of Music. As her great-grandmother did at Oberlin, she adopted voice as the focus of her performance studies while at the Conservatory. She had the opportunity to study both voice and composition with Dominique Eade, John McNeil, Bevan Manson, George Garzone and Jimmy Guiffre.

Sara serves as the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Music Partners Community Engagement Liaison as well as a site coordinator for band programs at PS 686 and 118. She is an Assistant Professor at the City University of New York and conducts workshops and courses for the CUNY College Now program.

The recipient of numerous awards and scholarships, Sara has been honored by the City University of New York Research Foundation, New England Conservatory, The Brooklyn Conservatory, Reed College, Columbia University, Barnard College and, for three consecutive years, the AscaPlus Award for Performance and Composition. She was also a staff writer at www.jazzreview.com. September 2005 saw Sara as a featured artist on Skyjazz Internet Radio.

Sara has performed with and/or had compositions recorded by the Kingsborough Community College Orchestra, Bruce Barth, George Colligan, Michael Kanen, David Berkman, Pete McCann, Dave Ambrosio, Rez Abbasi, Roberta Piket, George Garzone, Andrew Rathbun, Peter Retzlaff, Christian Howes and Taylor Haskins, among others.

Music Partners Administrative Assistant

SARA SCHOENBECK

The Wire magazine places Sara Schoenbeck in the “tiny club of bassoon pioneers” at work in contemporary music today and the New York Times has called her performances “galvanizing” and “riveting, mixing textural experiments with a big, confident sound.”
While focusing on the intersection between extended technique and melody Sara works to expand the notion of what the bassoon is capable of in both notated and improvised music. She is a member of Anthony Braxton’s 12+1(tet) and the Tri-Centric Orchestra; Gravitas Quartet with Wayne Horvitz. She performs and tours regularly with the Schoenbeck/Horvitz Duo; ensemble Wavefield; Petr Kotek’s SEM ensemble; the composers group WetInk, the Michael Leonhart Orchestra and the Nels Cline Lovers Orchestra. Sara can be heard on music and film recordings including on the Blue Note label and the movies Matrix 2 and 3. She is looking forward to releasing her debut album in the fall of 2021 as a leader in a series of intimate duets on Pyroclastic Records.
She has performed at major venues and festivals throughout North America and Europe. Highlights include Biennale Musica in Venice Italy, SXSW, New Orleans Jazz Festival, Newport Jazz Festival, Berlin Jazz Festival, Victoriaville, the Vancouver Jazz Festival, San Francisco Jazz Festival, Saalfelden in Austria, the NY Winter Jazz Festival, BRIC Celebrate Brooklyn, the NY VisionFest and the Kennedy Center.

Sara received her BFA from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and MFA from the California Institute of the Arts. She has been adjunct faculty at California Institute of the Arts, Citrus College and Pasadena Conservatory and given master classes at Amherst College, Hampshire College, Cornish College, University of Denver, Western Washington University and Sacramento State University.

Music Partners

DAVID BERTRAND

Name:  David Bertrand

I’m from… Trinidad & Tobago

I started teaching music in… 2011

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration:  Cannonball Adderly, John Coltrane, Eric Dolphy, Kent Jordan, Mark Turner, Chris Bacas, John Ellis, Claudio Puntin, Chick Corea, Anita Baker, A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, MF Doom, The Mighty Shadow, Valentino, The Apostle Paul, Derek Walcott, V.S. Naipaul and the list forever grows….

Few people know that I… love to cook Afro Trinidadian food for large groups people (last time it was 45!!!) and that I started exercising as a teenage because I wanted to be Wolverine.

Education:  The University of the West Indies – B.A., Literatures in English
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – M.A., Jazz Performance

I play and teach:  Flute, alto flute, piccolo, clarinet, bass clarinet, and soprano saxophone

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’m extremely grateful to play in a number of jazz and world music groups that focus on original compositions. This includes my own quartet where my writing focuses on integrating folkloric elements with modern Brooklyn-inspired jazz.

Flute, Music Partners

FRANCES BRODEUR

Name: Frances Brodeur

From: Massachusetts

I started teaching music in…1978

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002

My inspiration: My Father

Few people know that I… have 2 grown children and love yoga.

Education:  The Boston Conservatory of Music – Diploma in Performance
CUNY Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – BM
Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – MA

I play and teach:  Flute and piccolo

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  String Orchestra of Booklyn

Viva La Musica, Music Adventures

LUDOVICA BURTONE

Music Partners

SOO CHOI

Name: Soo Choi

I’m from… Seoul, Korea

I started teaching music in… 1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration:  My father

Few people know that I… like Christmas music all year round.

Education:  The Juilliard School – BM
The Juilliard School – MM

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  New Haven Symphony Orchestra

Music Partners

TAHIRA CLAYTON

Name: Tahira Clayton

I’m from… Dallas, TX

I started teaching music in… 2012

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration: My students! In every facet of my teaching and performance career

Few people know that I… am a great cook!

Education: University of North Texas – BA, Music with an Emphasis in Vocal Jazz

I play and teach: Voice and piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I lead my own band that plays all original music of the Jazz/R&B/Soul aesthetic. I also co-lead a group, AMP+T, that plays original jazz music and re-imagined standards. I am a frequent side-woman offering my voice as a background vocalist or featured vocalists for many different styles of music including jazz, pop, and country even! I currently work as a vocalist for the Band Method’s Broadway Project band, which allows me to travel and sing extensively!

VOICE, BROOKLYN HARMONICS TEENS

CHRISTINE CORNELL

Name: Christine Cornell

From: Milford, Connecticut

I started teaching music in… 2012

My inspiration: Freddie Mercury, Julie Andrews, Nancy Wilson (jazz), Nancy and Ann Wilson (Heart), Emmy Lou Harris, Wes Montgomery, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile and Angel Blue

Few people know that I… play electric bass in a rock band!

Education: Indiana University Jacobs School of Music — Vocal Performance; Manhattan School of Music — Voice Performance

I play and teach:  Voice

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a dues paying member of Actors Equity. I belong to Ghostlight Chorus NYC and Brooklyn Harmonics of BKCM. I have my own jazz group, Christine Cornell and the Quartet, and I perform duo with Justin Rothberg (guitar) and Rockabilly/Western Swing with the Rockafours (who played BKCM’s House Party in 2021).

Biography: Christine Cornell is a voice teacher at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. She also co-directs BKCM’s Brooklyn Harmonics Teens (tight harmony vocal ensemble) with esteemed music director and colleague Jeffrey Klitz. Christine is a musician and teaching artist who received a Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Indiana University Jacobs School of Music.

Although Christine’s musical training is classical with an added emphasis on jazz, she is well versed in most contemporary vocal styles that are required of today’s modern singer. Her pedagogy training encourages flexible and healthy vocalizing stemming from a traditional Bel Canto technique. Her studio is versatile and energetic with a repertoire ranging from Italian classics of the 1700s to today’s chart topping pop hits.

Christine has been running around New York City making music for 12 years. She can be seen on stages leading bands, backing up stars, dancing in musicals, and jamming with her guitar. Some favorite performances include: Joanna Gleason’s “Out of the Eclipse” (54 Below, Quick Center, Renberg), “The Most Happy Fella” (Goodspeed), “Celebrating the Life of Carol Hall” (the Times Center), “The Sound of Music” (Paper Mill Playhouse, Sacred Heart), “Master Class” (Gulf Shore Playhouse), “A Nantucket Christmas Carol” (White Heron Theatre) and “Four Saints in Three Acts” (BAM).

Christine also produces music available on all platforms. She can also be spotted at many of BKCM’s wonderful events, including the House Party (2019, 2021).

Music Partners

DERIC DICKENS

Name: Deric Dickens

From: Moultrie, Georgia

Few people know that I…  secretly have always wanted to be a graphic designer and visual artist. My overseas music tours are mostly fueled by my need to visit museums! Oh, and to play killer music all over the world.

Education: BA-Music Ed, Valdosta State University; MA-Percussion Performance, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; MA-Entrepreneurship in the Arts, Purchase College (currently)

I play and teach: Drums, percussion

Personal Teaching Statement: I’m committed to educating and facilitating creativity in and through the arts by providing hands-on learning in a collaborative space regardless of age, gender identity, income, or talent. My goal is to have young artists play and learn together very early in the process. This group play adds excitement, listening skills and collaboration so that we are able to start adding prompts for group improvisation and creative music making. My values for myself and my students include community and inclusion, creative problem solving, improvisation and collaboration.

Biography: Deric Dickens is a Brooklyn-based percussionist and composer. After growing up in Southern Georgia, Deric worked as a band director, taught drum and bugle corps, and played as a principal timpanist with local orchestras and symphonies. But it was the ride cymbal; a friend had asked him to play at a jazz session, which changed everything. Since, Deric has toured and recorded with Robinella (Columbia Records), Daniel Carter, Donald Brown, Jaimie Branch, John Ralston, Russ Lossing, Caroline Davis and Brad Linde, and has worked on soundtracks for James Schamus’ “Indignation,” D.W. Young’s “Too Cold to Swim,” as well as many other indie films and television projects. Deric has forged many long term musical relationships and has been a founding member of bands such as Brad Linde’s Team Players, DAD’s, Dix Out, John Ralston, Urbane Outfit and Arms Bent Thrice, a graphic score ensemble. He has performed at major venues throughout North America, Europe and Asia and currently leads his groups Speed Date, Rocket #9, The Dickens Campaign, Left Bomb Bay, and co-leads Arabic for Beginners, Zero Point with Marius Duboule and Daniel Carter, and Big Trouble with Eva Novoa.

Piano, Suzuki Early Childhood Education, Music Partners

LYUBA DUBOV

Name: Lyuba Dubov

From: Minsk, Belarus

I started teaching music in…2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2006

My inspiration:  My family

Few people know that I… like cross country skiing

Education: Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College – BM
Teachers College at Columbia University – MA, Music Education

I play and teach: Piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m a freelance accompanist.

TROMBONE, TUBA

HEATHER EWER

Name: Heather Ewer

From: Arvada, Colorado

I started teaching music in… 2004

Few people know that I… love musicals so much that I am writing one! It is about marching band. If I’m not playing in a brass band, you’ll likely find me sitting in the audience of a newly opened Broadway show!

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Music Education, Western Michigan University; Masters in Tuba Performance, Colorado State University

I play and teach: Trombone, Tuba

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Brass by the Slice, Bridget’s Garden (trombone and tuba duet), L Train Brass Band, Brass Queens, and soon the eGalitarian brass quintet.

Personal Teaching Statement: I believe that a high quality education in music is for every student regardless of race, gender identity, or economic status. I believe first and foremost in developing a strong relationship with each private lesson student I have the pleasure of teaching. A relationship built on trust, communication, respect, kindness, and humor creates an environment where young musicians can flourish on their chosen instrument. I get to know each student as a person and then tailor the exercises that they will play to their individual musical goals and needs. I love arranging music for my students that they are passionate about!

Biography: Heather has been enamored with the tuba for 21 years and teaching young musicians to play trombone and tuba for 17 years. Teaching private music lessons has been both her longest held and her favorite job, so she is very grateful for the opportunity to teach at BKCM! She grew up in a musical family outside of Denver, Colorado, the daughter of a percussionist and a bassist. Heather and her twin trumpet player brother both trained to be band directors, following in their music educator mother’s footsteps.

Currently in her sixth year teaching middle school music, Heather moved to Brooklyn in July 2019. In addition to getting middle schoolers excited about being in an ensemble, Heather plays in several ensembles around the city. She is a sought after sousaphone player in the brass band scene, playing for Brass by the Slice, Brass Queens, Brooklyn Delta Jazz Party, New Heights Brass Band and the L Train Brass Band which she has also music directed for two years.

Heather also plays classical tuba in brass quintets, orchestras, and concert bands in the area, including eGaliterian, Brass in the Bandshell, and the Protestra. She has also played trombone in the brass band scene, and is a talented arranger who enjoys arranging music for her private lesson students.

Music Partners

CAITLIN FEATHERSTONE

Name: Caitlin Featherstone

From: Southern California

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Maurice Andre, Alison Balsom, The Fab Five

Few people know that I… Know way too much about Broadway, wine, and dogs

Education: Oberlin Conservatory, BM Trumpet Performance

I play and teach:  Trumpet and other brass

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Orphan Jane, Prospect Brass Quintet, Chelsea Symphony

Music Partners

BRIAN FLOODY

Name: Brian Floody

From: New York City

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1998

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2002

My inspiration: Duke Ellington, John Coltrane

Few people know that I… speak Portuguese

Education: New School for Social Research – BFA

I play and teach:  Drumset, Tympani, Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Frequent performances at Smalls and Mezzrow jazz clubs with groups lead by trumpeter Alex Norris, pianist Anthony Wonsey, vocalist Melissa Morgan and others. Weekly residency at Tooker Alley in Brooklyn.

Music Partners

AMOS GABIA

Name:  Amos Kwaku Gabia

I’m from… Ghana

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: Mamady Keita, Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Babara Bangoura,

Few people know that I… have done shows where I eat fire and perform other tricks with fire.

I play and teach:  djembe, dun dun, and other instruments from West Africa

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Salaka Dance Ensemble, African Beat,Telema Ensemble, Drum Cafe, Wasa Pan Africa Orchestra, Riclis Multicultural Entertainment, Akwaba Ensemble.

Music Partners

MICHEL GENTILE

Name: Michel Gentile

I’m from… Montreal, Canada

I started teaching music in… 1983

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1998

My inspiration: Klee, Ligeti, Trane, Messi, Bach, Mompou

Few people know that I… enjoy birding

Education:  Concordia – BFA
New England Conservatory – MM

I play and teach:  Flute, recorder

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I run the nonprofit Connection Works and I am part of several groups

Music Partners

AGUSTIN GRASSO

Name: Agustin Grasso

From: Buenos Aires, Argentina

I started teaching music in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018

My inspiration: Max Roach, Billy Higgins, Philly Joe Jones, Billy James, Grady Tate, Ed Thigpen, Clifford Jarvis, Pat Martino, Don Patterson, Cannonball Adderley, Sam Jones, Trudy Pitts, Kenny Washington, Djavan, Joao Bosco and many, many more.

Few people know that I… worked as a lead salsa singer

Education: Escuela de Musica Contemporanea

I play and teach:  Drums and Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I play with my own quintet where we play original arrangements of jazz standards and other genres as well. I also play in two different organ trios where we play soul jazz classics and Latin American music. I also freelance a lot.

Music Partners

JENNY HILL

Name: Jenny Hill

I’m from… Originally, California. Now, Brooklyn, NY

I started teaching music in… 1987

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2003

My inspiration: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Djavan, Moacir Santos, Barack Obama

Few people know that I… am in a popular reggae band that tours internationally, the Easy Star All-Stars

Education: Berklee College of Music – Diploma, jazz performance

I play and teach:  saxophone, clarinet, flute, jazz band

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  My original band, Liquid Horn. The Broken Reed Sax Quartet. The Easy Star All-Stars. My new Latin jazz CD, with original compositions: Groove Garden.

Music Partners

OCHION JEWELL

Name: Ochion Jewell

I’m from… Kentucky/California/Brooklyn

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2010

My inspiration: Arvo Pärt, Nicola Tesla, Daniel Day Lewis, Sarah Vaughn, Miles Davis, Pablo Picasso, Michael Jordan, Slavoj Žižek, Jimi Hendrix

Few people know that I… am an obsessed college basketball fanatic.

Education: University of Louisville – BM, Performance
California Institute of the Arts – MFA, Jazz Studies

I play and teach:  Tenor Saxophone – I teach all woodwinds

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Ochion Jewell Quartet, Bedstuy Ewe Ensemble, Bohio Music, duo with Cat Toren

GUITAR

ALEX KERCKHOFF

Name: Alex Kerckhoff

From: San Francisco, California

I started teaching music in… 2006

Education: BA from Thornton School of Music at USC

I play and teach: Guitar, Ukulele, Electric Bass

Biography: As a multi-talented six string guitar slinger, Alex has done it all. Originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, Alex began teaching himself the guitar around the age of 12. He went on to graduate from USC’s Thornton School of Music with a BA in Studio/Jazz Guitar in 2010. With 15 plus years teaching under his belt, he is well versed and educated in all styles of music and is comfortable teaching acoustic, classical and electric guitar as well ukulele and electric bass. He has vast experience teaching one on one, as well as directing and rehearsing small groups of all ages and experience levels. He has also taught music theory and guitar performance in classroom settings and is proud to be a member of Brooklyn Conservatory of Music’s Music Partners program.

When not teaching he can be found playing live all over New York City and the tri-state area with a multitude of groups and in every setting imaginable. He is also a veteran in theatre as an onstage rocker in “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “Tommy.” He has also been a pit musician in classics such as “Man of La Mancha” and “Chicago.” No stranger to the road, he did an extensive tour of Central America with renowned Swiss artist Eliana Burki. He has released two full albums of his own material which he toured and performed all over Japan and on the West Coast. His playing can also be heard on many recordings including Trixie Mattel’s “Two Birds” and the upcoming “Time and Place” album by award winning writers Brandon James Gwinn and EllaRose Chary, which was recently featured in Broadway World.

MUSIC PARTNERS

HANS LUCHS

Music Partners

ALISON MARI

Name: Alison Mari

I’m from… Philadelphia, PA

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiartion: Albrecht Mayer (my favorite oboist), Mr. Kevin Rodgers (my h.s. band director), and Nature!

Few people know that I… can juggle!

Education: The College of New Jersey – Bachelor’s in Music Education
New York University – MM, Performance

I play and teach:  Oboe, English horn, flute, saxophones, clarinet

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I am an active multi-woodwind freelancer in NY and the surrounding areas, and I love playing any and all types of music. I’ve been principal oboist with the Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra for the last 4 years, and I am a member of the indie rock band Kurt Juergens and His Fellow Americans, where I play oboe, alto sax and sing harmonies. In addition, I play with the First Street woodwind quintet, which puts on an annual performance of quintet music and invites guests to prepare short performances to incorporate as part of the program.

Trumpet, Music Partners

PABLO MASIS

Name: Pablo Masis

I’m from… Cleveland, Ohio

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: The music of Miles Davis inspired me to pursue a life of jazz study.

Few people know that I… spent four years of my childhood living on a Native American Reservation

Education: Lawrence University – BM, Trumpet Performance
University of New Orleans – MM, Jazz Studies

I play and teach:  Trumpet

My or other artistic/musical endeavors:  My jazz trio is my main ensemble, and I also perform with several large jazz ensembles and chamber music groups around the New York City area.

Music Partners

NADINE MIKULEWICH

Name: Nadine Grisar Mikulewich

I’m from… Brooklyn

I started teaching music in… 1997

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: Female song writers and vocalists, like Bonnie Raitt

Few people know that I… was a founder and member of a children’s theatre dance company

Education: SUNY The College at Brockport – BA, Interdisciplinary Arts for Children, Dance Emphasis
New York University – MA, Dance Education

I play and teach: Djembe, guitar, ukulele

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I am a member of the Brooklyn Community Storytellers, and I sing with the Jalopy Chorus.

Amy Winehouse Jazz Program, Music Partners

SEAN MORAN

Name: Sean Moran

From: Brooklyn

I started teaching music in…1992

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 1999

My inspiration: Duke Ellington

Few people know that I… play in a metal band!

Education:  Virginia Commonwealth University – Bachelor of Music

I play and teach: guitar, bass, composition, theory

My other artistic/musical endeavors: The Four Bags and my own trio called SUN TIGER

PIANO, FLUTE, CLARINET, SAXOPHONE, VIOLIN

ANGELA MORRIS

Name:  Angela Morris

From:  Toronto, Canada

Few people know that I…  love to sew, and even designed and made my own wedding dress.

Education:  MA in Jazz Composition, Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College; BMus Jazz Studies (woodwinds), Humber College, Toronto; Royal Conservatory of Music violin teaching certificate

I play and teach:  Piano, Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors: 

Personal Teaching Statement:  Making music transforms us into more present, responsive, and empowered people. Using interactive teaching methods and centering improvisation, I encourage students to practice listening, expression, innovation, and joy!

Biography:  If Brooklyn’s music circles draw a venn diagram, Angela Morris thrives in the loop between avant-jazz, new music, and pop. As composer and multi-instrumentalist (known mostly as saxophonist who “doubles” on flute and clarinet, she grew up playing violin), she has performed throughout North America and Europe everywhere from basements to arenas.

The Webber/Morris Big Band, her 18-piece jazz big band, performs original compositions by Morris and co-leader Anna Webber. Their debut recording “Both Are True” (Greenleaf Music) was released in 2020 and featured on several Best of 2020 lists including The New York Times, Bandcamp, and NPR Jazz Critics Poll.

Morris’ vocal group Rallidae has released two albums: 2016’s “Turned, and Was” on the NYC-based label Gold Bolus Recordings and 2014’s “Paper Birds,” which AllAboutJazz called “a genuinely distinctive, and entertaining, combination of sounds and words… An exceptional debut by and exciting and innovative new band.”

As a co-leader, Morris is a member of TMT, a trio with Cat Toren on piano and Anthony Taddeo on drums, who recently released “Asleep in the Dust” – an art book and double CD collaboration with visual artist Jerry Birchfield. Another collaborative trio, Motel, released “like you always do, I always did too” (Prom Night Records) in 2017. And the band Skellettes with Nathaniel Morgan (saxophone), Jason Ajemian (bass) and Booker Stardrum (drums) performed at Winter Jazzfest in 2020.

Since 2016, Morris has organized the acclaimed multi-disciplinary, experimental concert series Brackish – Music & Art in Brooklyn.

Morris has performed with Jessica Pavone String Ensemble (appearing on her records “Brick and Mortar” and “Lost and Found”), Myra Melford, Jason Ajemian, and many others. She is a frequent collaborator with Helado Negro, appearing on his records “Far In, Private Energy” (Expanded), “This is How You Smile” and “Helado Negro and the Smile Band – Live at KCRW.”

A 2019 Composer Fellow at Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music, Morris has also been artist-in-residence at Willapa Bay AiR, the Atlantic Center for the Arts, and the Banff Centre. She holds an MA in Music Composition from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College in New York and BA in Jazz Studies from Humber College in Toronto. She is an alumna of the BMI Jazz Composer’s Workshop lead by Jim McNeely and studied composition with Darcy James Argue.

MITZY NONAKA

Music Partners

UTON ONYEJEKWE

Name: Uton Onyejekwe

From: New York

I started teaching music in… 2008

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2016

My inspiration: Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson, Debussy, Brian Wilson, Brando

Few people know that I… skipped grades in school

I play and teach: Voice, chorus, guitar, ukulele 

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Play with Erin Maya and the Reckoning, the Kena Anae Band, also perform in various musicals, especially musicals involving actor/musicians. Also, compose and do sound work for choreographers and film.

Music Partners

JEREMY POWELL

Name: Jeremy Powell

I’m from… Largo, Florida

I started teaching music in… 2005

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration: John Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, J.S. Bach, Radiohead, Bibio, Toninho Horta, Guinga, J. Dilla, Robert Glasper, as well as people who are always truthful, ego-less, and treat others equally with respect and dignity.

Few people know that I… have never taken a selfie 🙂

Education:  Jazz Performance, Jazz Composition,

I play and teach:  Saxophones, clarinet, flute, piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  In NYC I can be seen playing with Arturo O’Farill’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, Iris Ornig, Adderesound, Grupo Rebolu, Pedro Giraudo, Dan Pugach Nonet, Banda Nueva York, and numerous Big Bands.

VOICE

SARA PTAK

Name: Sara Ptak

From: Peru, Illinois

My inspiration: Benita Valente, Karina Gauvin, Joni Mitchell, Patty Griffin, Indigo Girls, H.E.R., Amos Lee, Tom Waits, Neil Young, Phoebe Bridgers, Raffi, Laurie Berkner

Education: DePaul University, BM, Voice Performance; McGill University, MM, Opera Performance

I play and teach: Voice

Personal Teaching Statement: My teaching style is strength based and led by curiosity and play. With both children and adults, I take time to notice what they’re already doing well and build awareness and confidence around that. From that place of confidence, we can build on those skills and create a solid foundation that really honors the whole student exactly where they are.

Biography: Sara Ptak, soprano and Brooklynite (by way of rural Illinois), has her Masters of Music from McGill University with a Bachelors degree from DePaul University. On the operatic stage she has performed roles such as Cleopatra in “Giulio Cesare” and Giulietta in “I Capuleti e i Montecchi,” Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel,” Susanna in “Le Nozze di Figaro,” Lauretta in “Gianni Schicchi,” Juno in Monteverdi’s “L’Orfeo,” Pamina in “The Magic Flute,” Donna Elvira in “Don Giovanni” and Almirena in Handel’s “Rinaldo.”

Sara has been a fellow at The Toronto Summer Music Festival studying under Elly Ameling and Julius Drake, The Schubert Institut (Baden bei Wien, Austria) with the likes of Helmut Deutsche, Robert Holl, and Bernarda Fink, Music nelle Marche (Urbania, Italy), Domaine Forget (Saint Irenee, Quebec) with Renata Scotto, The Aspen Music Festival and School and Brevard Music Center.

A passionate teaching artist, Sara performed the roles of Papagena, Third Lady in “The Magic Flute” and Gretel in “Hansel and Gretel” with Martina Arroyo’s opera outreach program. She has since founded Mozart Had A Sister, a recital series centering underrepresented composers and performers in Brooklyn, NY. Her children’s show “Miss Sara’s Music Room,” focusing on social and emotional learning through song, is coming to YouTube in Winter 2021.

Music Partners

MARIANA RAMIREZ

Name:  Mariana Ramirez

I’m from… Mexico

I started teaching music in… 2013

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2015

My inspiration: Keiko Abe, Sheila E

Few people know that I… Started playing music until I was 17 years old.

Education: Mason Gross, Rutgers University.

I play and teach:  Percussion and drums

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  Excelsis Percussion Quartet

Music Partners

ALICIA RAU

Name:  Alicia Rau

I’m from… Shelby, Iowa, but New York since 2001

I started teaching music in… 1994. I started giving trumpet lessons to younger band kids even as a high school band student

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2004

My inspiration: There are so many! To name a few: Clark Terry, Duke Ellington, Blue Mitchell, Chet Baker, Marcus McLaurine, & Christian Scott. Also my own hard-working parents, my artistic family, colleagues which I learn from endlessly, and athletes with which I train (cycling).

Few people know that I… am the youngest of six girls, all artistic. Not everyone knows I am also a long-distance cyclist and volunteer coach.

Education:  University of Iowa – Music, Anthropology (double major)

I play and teach:  Trumpet and piano. I also sing and play percussion, but I do not teach these.

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I lead my own jazz quartet, aRAUz. I perform with Gordon Gano (of the Violent Femmes), Denis Leary Rehab Horns, Paris New York, the Bogmen, Mission Dance,  Booga Sugar, From Russia with Swing, and Jack Jeffers & the New York Classics.

Music Partners

FABIO ROJAS

Name: Fabio Rojas

From: Valencia, Venezuela

I started teaching music in… 2005

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2019

My inspiration: My Family.

Few people know that I… Love cars.

Education: 
Berklee College of Music. Bachelor of Music in Performance & Professional Music (Dual major)
Queens College. MM in Jazz Studies(currently studying)

I play and teach: Drum Set/Percussion

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with my band Fabio Rojas Quartet, and many other projects and artists such as: David Bixler “Blended Lineage”, David Bixler “Hugues Project”, Greg Osby Band, Kevin Harris, Sara Ontaneda, John Lockwood, Jon Cowherd, Manuel Valera, Bill Pierce, among many others, and around the globe.

Music Partners

ELI SPINDEL

Name: Eli Spindel

I’m from… Newton, Massachusetts

I started teaching music in… 2010

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2012

My inspiration: I’m inspired by whichever musicians I’m working with at the moment!

Few people know that I… fight crime by night

Education:  Vassar College – BA, Music with honors

I play and teach:  Violin

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I’m Artistic Director of the String Orchestra of Brooklyn

MUSIC PARTNERS

STEVE SWELL

Name: Steve Swell

From: Newark, New Jersey

I play and teach: Flute, Clarinet, Saxophone, Trumpet, Trombone, Recorder

My other artistic/musical endeavors: 

Biography: Steve Swell, born in Newark, NJ, has been active in the NYC music community since 1975. He has toured and recorded with many artists from mainstreamers such as Lionel Hampton and Buddy Rich to progressive artists like Bill Dixon, Cecil Taylor, William Parker, Dave Burrell, Anthony Braxton, Peter Brotzmann, Ken Vandermark, Gebhard Ullmann, Paal Nilssen-Love, Paul Dunmall, Matt Shipp, Rob Brown, Bernard Purdie and many others. He has over 50 CDs as a leader or co-leader and is a featured artist on over 125 other releases.

Steve conducts workshops worldwide and is a teaching artist in the NYC public school system. Steve worked on music transcriptions of the Bosavi tribe of New Guinea for MacArthur fellow Steve Feld in 2000, received a grant from USArtists International in 2006, an MCAF (LMCC) award in 2008 and 2013. In 2014 he received a Creative Curricula grant (LMCC), was nominated Trombonist of the Year 2008, 2011 & 2020 (Jazz Journalists Association), and received the 2008 Jubilation Foundation Fellowship Award (Tides Foundation) for his work in NYC public schools and has been recognized by the Downbeat Critics Poll in the Trombone category each year from 2010-2018 & 2020-2021.

He was selected Trombonist of the Year 2008-2010, 2012, 2014-2020 by the Argentinian journal El Intruso. Steve’s recording “Music for Six Musicians: Hommage à Olivier Messiaen” appeared on NPR’s top 50 list for 2018. He was also an inaugural recipient of a Jazz Road Tours (SouthArts) grant and a Creative Engagement (LMCC) grant in 2020. In 2021 Steve received a City Artist Corp Grant (NYFA/DCLA).

Instrument Adventures, Music Partners

JENNIFER TAYLOR

Name:  Jennifer Taylor

I’m from… Chappaqua, New York

I started teaching music in… 2016

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2018

My inspiration: Musically, I’m very inspired by my peers and past professors but in all other aspects of life, my biggest inspiration is my mom!

Few people know that I… was extremely interested in circus arts throughout middle and high school – I used to ride a unicycle!

Education: Elon University, BS in Music Education (K-12); Teachers College, Columbia University, MA in Music Education (Early Childhood Concentration)

I play and teach:  Alto Saxophone, Ukulele

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’ll be in the BKCM Big Bad Brass Band this fall!

Violin, Viola, Music Partners

BRIAN THOMPSON

Name:  Brian Thompson

I’m from… Binghamton, NY

I started teaching music in… 2007

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2013

My inspiration: The natural world

Few people know that I… am also a visual artist (pencil, ink, watercolor)

Education: Cornell University – BS, Ecology
CUNY Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music – MM, Viola Performance

I play and teach:  violin, viola, piano

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I’m a freelance member of a wide variety of ensembles, including The Chelsea Symphony, The String Orchestra of Brooklyn, Spectrum Symphony, Symphony of Westchester, Composers Concordance, Symphony Orchestra of The Americas, Ideal Ensembles, The Dream Unfinished, New York Concert Artists, Eco-Music Big Band, Concordia College Ensembles, Adelphi University Symphony, Empire City Men’s Chorus, Garden State Philharmonic, Empire Chamber Orchestra, Hudson Valley Philharmonic, Astoria Symphony, National Yiddish Theater.

Music Partners

ALEXANDRA VASALLO

Music Partners

BRYAN VARGAS

Name: Bryan Vargas

From: Brooklyn, NY

I started teaching music in… 1998

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2017

My inspiration: Jimi Hendrix, John Coltrane, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Prince, Eddie Palmieri, The Ramones, Gil Scott Heron, Pedro Pietri, Kurt Vonnegut, Neil Gaiman, Jim Henson and so many more

Few people know that I… Bicycle everywhere I can, all year round

Education: New York University, Bachelors of Music
SUNY Purchase Masters of Music

I play and teach: Guitar & Ukulele

My other artistic/musical endeavors: Falu’s Bazaar – Grammy Nominated bilingual Children’s project, Chop & Quench – the band from the Broadway Musical Fela!, Assoc. Music Director of Fela! National Broadway Tour, Miramar – bolero group featured on PBS, Bryan Vargas & Ya Está – original latin jazz group featured on Spike Lee’s “She’s Gotta Have It” Netflix series

Music Partners

JAY VILNAI

Name: Jay Vilnai

I’m from… Jerusalem

I started teaching music in… 2002

I started teaching at the Conservatory in… 2014

My inspiration:  In music, the gamut runs from Brahms to Bartók to Bowie. Otherwise, writers such as Shakespeare, Rilke, and Lydia Davis are constantly on my mind as I go through my day.

Few people know that I… also teach language, and use many of the same techniques as I do in music.

Education: The New School – BFA, Jazz Performance
CUNY Brooklyn College – MM, Composition

I play and teach:  Guitar, composition, theory

My other artistic/musical endeavors:  I mostly write music for other performers.

Music Partners

JASON WISEMAN

MUSIC PARTNERS

PIERCE YAMAOKA

Name: Pierce Yamaoka

From: Fresno, California

My inspiration: Mario Guarneri, Kris Kwapis, Sam Gellaitry, Snarky Puppy and so many others…

Education: B.M. Trumpet Performance, San Francisco Conservatory of Music; M.M. Trumpet Performance, Indiana University

I play and teach: Trumpet

My other artistic/musical endeavors: I perform with a variety of ensembles that include brass trios/quartets/quintets and jazz ensembles.

Personal Teaching Statement: My teaching philosophy is to strike a balance between creating engaging and fun lessons while instilling solid fundamentals in technique, musical awareness and literacy.

Biography: Trumpeter Pierce Yamaoka recently finished his Master’s Degree at Indiana University where he was the recipient of the Charles Gorham Trumpet Scholarship and studied with Edmund Cord and Kris Kwapis. Pierce also holds a Bachelor’s Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. During his time in Indiana, Pierce performed with the Indianapolis Brass Ensemble, Lafayette Symphony Orchestra and was a substitute musician for the Columbus and Terre Haute Symphony. Prior to studying in Indiana, Pierce led a varied performing career with the Fresno Philharmonic, Sequoia Symphony, San Francisco Composer’s Chamber Orchestra and the Sequoia Brass Quartet. As an educator, Pierce worked closely with the Youth Orchestras of Fresno as a brass coach and Executive Assistant for the organization and maintained an active teaching studio throughout the area. Following his Master’s program, Pierce taught at the Cathedral School for Boys and enjoyed freelancing throughout the Bay Area.

Since relocating to New York City, Pierce is currently on faculty at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and enjoys being an organizer for Protestra, a coalition for musicians who want to raise awareness and social consciousness about societal issues through music.