Biographies
Tom Palmer
Jazz Camp Director
Tom Palmer, head of Jazz Studies and director of Jazz Big Bands at the University of Delaware, has performed with many jazz artists including Ernie Watts, Robin Eubanks, Herb Ellis and Donald Byrd. He has appeared at The Kennedy Center, Philadelphia's Zanzibar Blue and in various jazz festivals including Wilmington's Jazz in the Village, The Clifford Brown Jazz Festival and The Rehoboth Jazz Festival. Mr. Palmer has recorded with Ernie Watts and Don Glanden as well as local artist Shawn Quaissanee. He recorded on piano and drumset and produced with his wife, jazz singer, Ellen Lebowitz, the jazz and popular standards albums: "Invitation To Yesterdays" and "Smokin' Aloud."
Robert J. Streckfuss
Wind Ensemble Camp Director
Dr. Streckfuss is a Professor of Music at the University of Delaware, where he teaches courses in conducting and music education and conducts the University of Delaware Wind Ensemble. Under his direction, the University Wind Ensemble has performed for the Music Educators National Conference, the College Band Directors National Association and toured Luxembourg, Germany and France. Since 1977, Dr. Streckfuss has been the Conductor of the Wind Symphony of Southern New Jersey, an adult wind ensemble that draws its members from a three-state area and presents an annual eight-concert season. The Wind Symphony toured England during the summer of 1993.
Pamela Letts
Middle School Camp Director
Pamela Letts received her Bachelor of Music degree in Performance and Music Education from the University of Delaware and her Master of Music degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music. She has been the Director of Bands at H.B. duPont Middle School since 2002. Prior to H.B. she was the director at Stanton Middle School and Perryville High School. Additionally, she is on the faculty of the University of Delaware Community Music School and has been the director for their Middle School Band Camp since 1996. Mrs. Letts is also an active performer in the area. She is a member of the Renaissance Brass and has performed with the Delaware Symphony, the Harrisburg Symphony, the Brandywiners Orchestra and the Superior Ragtime Orchestra. She frequently performs at the DuPont Theatre and has worked with such celebrities as; Rosie O'Donnell, Nathan Lane, Andrea McCardle, Nell Carter, Stephanie Powers, and The Temptations.
Krystal Rickard
High School Choral Camp Director
A professor of choral music education, Krystal Rickard 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 William Payn, Andrew Megill, Heather Buchanan and Joseph Flummerfelt. 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 choral methods and conducting and supervises vocal student teachers at the secondary level. She also conducts University Singers and co-directs Schola Cantorum. 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.
Julie Swanson
Children's Choir Camp Director
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.
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 conducts an Orff Schulwerk based children's music program.
Linda Wardell
Children's Choir Camp Director
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.
Rebekka Cleland
Early Childhood Music
Rebekka Cleland of Leesville, South Carolina, is a graduate of Columbia College, South Carolina, where she received a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. She has studied piano since the second grade and has studied under the supervision of Mrs. Nancy Buzhardt, Dr. Alan Weinberg, and Mrs. Robyn Gibson. Rebekka was an active pianist around the City of Columbia and surrounding areas and was the pianist for St. James Lutheran Church in Red Bank, South Carolina. Rebekka was the 2003-2004 winner of the Concerto/Aria Competition held annually at Columbia College and performed the first movement of Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor with the Columbia College Wind Ensemble the following year. In 2007, Rebekka was listed in Who's Who Among American Colleges and Universities for her academic achievement and performance at Columbia College. This Fall, Rebekka attended the University of Delaware where she is pursuing a Master's in Music Education as Dr. Suzanne Burton's graduate assistant. Rebekka has been teaching and coordinating the Early Childhood Music Program at the Community Music School this year.
Bob Becker
Ragtime Institute Director
Bob Becker is generally considered to be one of the world's premier virtuoso performers on the xylophone and marimba. He is also a founding member of the percussion ensemble Nexus. Becker's performing experience spans nearly all of the musical disciplines where percussion is found. He has been percussionist for the Marlboro Music Festival and timpanist with the Marlboro Festival Orchestra. For several years he was percussionist with the Paul Winter Consort. He has also performed and recorded with such diverse groups as the Ensemble Intercontemporaine, the Ensemble Modern of Germany, the Schoenberg Ensemble of Amsterdam and the Boston Chamber Players. He has appeared as tabla soloist in India and has accompanied many of the major artists of Hindustani music. He is also a founding member of the Flaming Dono West African Dance and Drum Ensemble in Toronto. As a member of Nexus he has appeared as soloist with the New York Philharmonic, the Boston Symphony, the Chicago Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra among many others. Becker's compositions and arrangements are performed regularly by percussion groups worldwide. His solo CD album, There is a Time, was released in 1995 on the Nexus Records label, and features many of his recent compositions. In the spring of 1997 he was selected to be composer-in-residence for the Virginia Waterfront International Festival of the Arts which featured the United States premier of Music On The Moon by the Virginia Symphony and a concert of his chamber works by his own group, the Bob Becker Ensemble.
Gerry Brunner
Suzuki Guitar Instructor
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 90’s, Gerry completed: two one-week workshops in jazz and classical guitar at the National Guitar Workshop; studies at the World Guitar Congress; Suzuki guitar instructor certification training under Andrea Cannon; and level 2 Suzuki instructor certification under William Kossler. Gerry continues to play classical, popular, and church music solo and in small groups. He performs for private parties, weddings, receptions, and clubs.
Jessica Hoffman
Suzuki Violin Instructor
Jessica Hoffman received her Bachelor of Music at the Cleveland Institute of Music (2001) and her Masters of Music from Temple University (2004). Ms. Hoffman is Suzuki Registered on violin, having studied under Linda Fiore (Hartt Suzuki Institute ), Michelle George (Greater Pittsburgh Suzuki Institute), and Edmund Sprunger (Greater Washington Suzuki Institute) and also Mimi Zweig at the Indiana University Professional Violinists Pedagogy Workshop. A former member and substitute player of Symphony in C, Ms. Hoffman is also a freelancer in the Philadelphia and Wilmington area.
Susan Hoffman
Suzuki Piano Instructor
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 and was 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.