Biographies

Joe Ambrosino

Youth Steel Bands

Joe Ambrosino graduated from the University of Delaware in 1988 with a BMAS Choral/General. Mr. Ambrosino teaches General Music and Steel Band at John R. Downes Elementary School here in Newark. He received Teacher of the Year honors in 2007 and was named a Distinguished Teacher in 2009 by the Delaware Geography Alliance for a unit of study that combined Music and Geography. He is also active in the community as a choir director, cantor, and featured soloist. Joe plays double seconds in Delaware Steel and toured Europe and the Middle East with the band.

Gerald Brunner

Suzuki Guitar

Gerry Brunner received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Delaware in 1969 and his master's degree from Indiana University, Bloomington in 1971. While still in school, he taught guitar at Wilmington Piano, and performed professionally in clubs and churches. In Indiana he was a staff guitarist and singer, performing popular and jazz music on the stage of the local Imperial Inn. Since 1999, Gerry has been a private guitar instructor on the faculty of the Delaware Music School, Middletown Music-Wilmington, and UD's Community Music School. He also created and conducted: "Five Decades of Popular Music" and "Broadway" sing-along courses for UD; a "Build a Song" after-school music enrichment course; and a summer "Overview of Guitar" Workshop. After private study with UD's Christiaan Taggart in the late 90s, Gerry completed: three one-week workshops in jazz and classical guitar at the National Guitar Workshop; studies at the World Guitar Congress; Suzuki guitar initial instructor certification training under Andrea Cannon; and levels 2 through 4 Suzuki instructor certification under William Kossler and MaryLou Roberts. Gerry continues to play classical, popular, and church music solo and in small groups. He performs for private parties, weddings, receptions, and clubs.

Rebekka Cleland

Music Moves

Rebekka Cleland is completing her master�s degree at the University of Delaware this year. Her Master's concentration is in early childhood music. Rebekka attained a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Performance from Columbia College, South Carolina. Rebekka is certified to teach early childhood music and has been an active classroom teacher and a private piano instructor in the Community Music School. In addition, Rebekka supervised undergraduate CMS teachers and assistants and she coordinated the early childhood music program for the past two years.

Kevin J. Cope

Guitar Ensemble

Kevin J. Cope is a graduate of the University of Delaware having obtained a master's degree in music composition and a second master's degree in guitar performance. He has taught guitar through many programs including the University of Delaware Community Music School, Darlington Arts Center, and the Bloomsburg University Preparatory Program as well as teaching many private students. He has studied with guitarists Dr. Matthew Slotkin and Christiaan Taggart, as well as composers Dr. Patrick Long of Susquehanna University and Dr. Andrew Bleckner and Dr. Jennifer Barker of the University of Delaware. Mr. Cope's guitar and flute composition entitled Penumbra can be purchased through www.fluteworld.com. For more information on Kevin J. Cope, see www.kevinjcope.com.

Lisa Diver

Music for Babies and Toddlers

Lisa Anne Diver is a Senior Music Education Major with a concentration in voice at the University of Delaware. �She began her musical journey at a young age when her parents enrolled her in the Children�s Chorus of Maryland (CCM) and Children Around the World, a sign-language group which sang and signed for the hearing impaired. �Through these music ensembles she has had the opportunity to perform at the Macy�s Thanksgiving Day Parade, Walt Disney World, the Olympics, the White House, Carnegie Hall, and throughout Europe. �She is a member of Phi Kappa Phi and Alpha Lambda Delta, Delaware�s High Academic Honors Society and enjoys traveling, reading and playing the piano. �Lisa has received Level 1 Certification in Early Childhood Music from the Gordon Institute of Music Learning.� Lisa looks forward to her fourth year working with children and their families in the CMS program where she is excited to expose children to the joys of music at a young age! �

Hannah Fraser

Music for Babies and Toddlers

Hannah Fraser is currently a junior Music Education (instrumental) major with a voice minor. She is also the treasurer of the MENC chapter at Delaware and is a member of GIML and ACDA. Other ensembles that she is involved with at UD include marching band, wind ensemble, Schola Cantorum, and pep band. This will be Hannah's first year teaching at the Community Music School and she is very excited to start!

Angela Gan

Music for Toddlers

Angela Gan is a Senior Music Education Major with a Choral/General concentration at the University of Delaware. She has received certification in the Edwin Gordon theory of Music Learning for the Early Childhood level and has been teaching CMS classes for 4 years now. Not only is she proficient in piano and violin, but also enjoys being part of the UD Chorale and hopes to continue working with children by becoming a promising music teacher.

Karen Hauge

Little Music Makers

Karen Hauge is a senior at UD, where she is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Music Education. �She has studied flute for the past twelve years and her principal teachers include Mardee Reed-Ulmer (New Jersey) and Eileen Grycky (Delaware). �As a high school senior she performed with the Monmouth Symphony Orchestra as the winner of that orchestra's concerto competition. �Since beginning her studies at UD Karen has performed in master classes for Keith Underwood and Emily Skala. �A member of the University Honors Program, Karen has been inducted into Pi Kappa Lambda, national music honors fraternity, and Phi Kappa Phi, the nation's oldest honor society. �Karen is an undergraduate researcher studying musicality with Dr. Suzanne Burton; her research will be used to write her senior thesis in pursuance of an Honors Degree with Distinction. �Karen is a teacher of Early Childhood Music classes as well as a private flute teacher with the Community Music School.

Jessica Hoffman

Suzuki Violin

Jessica Hoffman completed her B.M. in violin performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University and her M.M in performance at Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. She was a member for four years in the Haddonfield Symphony and freelances in the Philadelphia area. Miss Hoffman has taught violin in the Temple Prepratory program, Settlement Music School of Philadelphia, Cheltanham Music of Philadelphia, and Moorestown School of Music. Her chamber music experience consists of having worked as and intern at CREDO Summer Chamber Music and faculty for Opus 1, as well as serving on the faculty at Crescendo's summer chamber music program. She is Suzuki registered and has trained under Linda Fiore at the Hartt Suzuki Institute (2006), The Greater Washington Suzuki String Institute (2007) with Edmund Sprunger, and The Pittsburgh Music Academy (2007) with Michelle George.

Susan Hoffman

Suzuki Piano

Susan Hoffman has 33 years experience as a private piano teacher in the South Jersey area.� She is a graduate of Moody Bible College in Chicago, Illinois as a music major with a piano emphasis where she studied with Virgil Smith.� Mrs. Hoffman�is the accompanist for vocal and instrumental music students at the Music Academy of Pennsville, NJ, teaches private piano lessons�at the Salem County Christian Academy and has served as Church Choir Director for 33 years.� �Her students have participated in the Salem County Fine Arts Festival, including a master class with Mr. Joe Krupa. She is Suzuki registered and has completed courses at the Cleveland International Music Festival with Dr. Ray Landers.

Kristen LaPorte

Music for Babies

Kristen LaPorte is a Senior at the University of Delaware majoring in Music Education with a voice concentration and minoring in Disability Studies. She has been influenced by music since the age of 2-when her parents enrolled her in early childhood music classes. Kristen has had experience working with young children at Newark United Methodist Church and young children at her church's Vacation Bible School music program in addition to various other camps. Kristen has been assisting and more recently teaching early childhood music classes in the Community Music School for a two and a half year. She is interested in teaching early childhood music and young children when she graduates.

Kathryn Makos

Music for Toddlers and Music for Young Minds

Kathryn Makos is a first year Master's student and Teaching Assistant at the University of Delaware with a concentration in early childhood music.� She graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education in 2009 with a concentration in instrumental music education.� She has been playing the violoncello for 15 years and teaching privately for eight.� During her senior year, Kathryn was a Service-Learning Scholar for a musical outreach program called ProjectMUSIC (Music Uniting Students Inspiring Communities.)� She has been assisting for CMS in the early childhood classes for the past two years and is very excited to continue her work with the children and families.� Kathryn also supervises the CMS teachers and assistants and coordinates early childhood activities within the CMS.

Ashley Martelli

Little Music Makers

Ashley Martelli is a senior music education major at the University of Delaware with a concentration in strings. She has been a part of the Community Music School since the summer of 2008 and has been an assistant or teacher of a class every semester since. Ashley�attended�the Gordon Institute for Music Learning workshop in August 2008 and was certified to teach Early Childhood Music.�She has participated in the University of Delaware Symphony Orchestra since�Fall 2006 and has also participated in the pit orchestra for the UD Opera Theater Workshop.

Krystal Rickard

UD Youth Choral Ensemble

Krystal Rickard is an instructor of Choral Music Education at the University of Delaware. She holds a Bachelor�s Degree from Bucknell University in Music Education with a minor in dance. She continued her study at Westminster Choir College where she graduated with a Master�s Degree in Choral Conducting. She has studied conducting with Joseph Flummerfelt, Andrew Megill, James Jordan and William Payn. While in graduate study, she was a member of the Westminster Choir. Her vocal performance experience includes soprano roles in major choral works such as Mozart�s Requiem, Haydn�s Lord Nelson Mass, Monteverdi�s Gloria and Faure�s Requiem. At the University, Professor Rickard teaches secondary choral methods, choral conducting, choral literature and supervises student teachers at the secondary level. She conducts University Singers, a select women�s ensemble, and Concert Choir, a mixed choir of primarily non-music majors. Before arriving at Delaware, Professor Rickard taught choral music in the New Jersey Public School System for five years. Under her direction her choirs won superior awards at competitions, performed in Carnegie Hall and even traveled to Sydney, Australia to perform in the Sydney Opera House. Professor Rickard adjudicates at choral festivals and clinics with choirs in Delaware and surrounding states. She has also been invited to present at conferences and choral reading sessions. She guest conducts honor choirs and will conduct the Maryland Junior High Honor Choir and the PMEA District Four Honor Choir in 2010. She is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Education from Boston University and is president-elect of Delaware American Choral Directors Association.

Julie Swanson

UD Children's Blue Choir

Julie Swanson is an elementary music specialist in the Pequea Valley School District in Lancaster County, teaching students in kindergarten through the fifth grade. The music program is Orff Schulwerk based, including a fifth grade chorus and a multi-age Orff and Drum Ensemble. Julie earned her Bachelor�s and Master�s degrees in Music Education from West Chester University. She holds Level III certifications in both Orff Schulwerk and Kodaly. In 2005, Julie was honored as one of the twelve finalists for the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year. She currently serves as a cooperating teacher for West Chester University. Outside of school, Julie sings with the Mastersingers of Wilmington and the Chancel Choir of Wilmington�s First & Central Presbyterian Church, where she founded and directed an Orff Schulwerk based children�s music program.

Ashley Snyder

Music Moves

Ashley is a music education major in her junior year at the University of Delaware. Her primary instrument is piano, and she has a minor in applied voice. She worked for one semester as an assistant music teacher at Newark Day Nursery School. She also co-taught the Music Moves for Piano class through the Community Music School for a semester. Ashley has been teaching private piano lessons through the Community Music School since her freshman year.

Linda Wardell

UD Children's Gold Choir

Linda Wardell, founder/director of the University of Delaware Children�s Choir, is a graduate of West Chester University and the University of Delaware and holds B.S. and M.M. degrees in music education with a Master Certificate in Orff Schulwerk.� Linda is a music specialist in the Pennsville School District in Pennsville, New Jersey where she teaches 1st through 5th grade general music, and has taught 4th & 5th grade chorus as well as 7th & 8th grade chorus programs, earning highest awards at area music festivals.� In 2001 she was awarded Teacher of the Year within the district.� Linda has served as a cooperating teacher for Rowan University, University of Delaware and West Chester University.� In 2002, Linda joined the Kennett Symphony Children�s Chorus as Associate Conductor, leaving in 2007 to direct the University of Delaware Children�s Choir. Linda also enjoys directing the "Joyful Noise Singers" children�s choir that she founded at Limestone Presbyterian Church in Wilmington.�