Group Class Instructors
CHUS ALONSO (1994), Latin-Flamenco Ensemble (Potingue), Latin-Flamenco Rhythm Workshop, Camp CMC Director, Mission District Young Musicians Program, Willard Latin Music Ensemble. BA, Music Ed/Jazz Improv, Antioch University. Grew up in Spain. During his childhood played guitar, Spanish lute, piano, and sang in folkloric groups. In Madrid, studied flute and percussion in the Conservatory. Looking for an alternative education, studied with Pedro Iturralde, the first Spanish musician who explored the fusion between flamenco and jazz. In Barcelona, continued with jazz composers, That Jones and Chuck Israels. In Berlin, studied flute with Ellen Toettcher of Berlin Conservatory. His professional experience includes 25 years performing, composing, leading musical projects and teaching. Active in local Flamenco and Latin scene since 1984. Leader of the ensemble Potaje, an ensemble that creates new music rooted in flamenco, Latin music and jazz. Founding member and flutist of the Cuban music ensemble Orquesta la Moderna Tradición. Website: potajemusic.com
DOROTHY BARNHOUSE (1974), sight singing, voice, Singing Rounds and Canons. BA, Linguistics, Harvard University; Voice and Vocal Pedagogy, Musikhochschule, Berlin; MEd, Education, Harvard University; MA, Music Theory, San Francisco State University. Dorothy performed as mezzo-soprano soloist in Germany, Boston and the Bay Area. From 1988-1999, she trained youth to teach music to children in barrios of Managua, Nicaragua. Dorothy resumed teaching at CMC in 1999.
Also speaks Spanish.
IRENE CHAGALL (1984), Music For Children. Irene Chagall has been making music with young children for more than twenty-five years. She has taught music and puppetry at numerous elementary schools San Francisco and Marin County. She was appointed as a Research Associate with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage from 2006-09, and is currently directing Let’s Get the Rhythm, a documentary on handclapping games, in collaboration with Steve Zeitlin and City Lore of New York, with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, Traditional Arts division. She plays with CMC’s Middle Eastern Ensemble. She is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. Her Master of Arts degree is from Lone Mountain College, University of San Francisco. She completed one year of intensive private study of classical guitar with Maestro Jose Tomas in Alicante, Spain.
ELIZABETH CHOI (2010), viola, violin, String Orchestra for Children. Bachelor in Music Performance at Depaul University, Artist Diploma in chamber music performance at SF Conservatory of Music. Teachers: Mark Zinger, Ian Swensen. Faculty member at Olivet Nazarene University, 1st Conservatory of La Grange, Chicago Center School of Music, Cappelli Institute of Music, Hall School of Music, Neuqua Valley High School. Chamber coach at Merit School of Music, Midwest Young Artists, Wheeling High School, Chicago Youth Orchestra. Co-founder of Navitas Ensemble.
PABLO DAVILA (2011), After-school guitar program at Buena Vista-Horace Mann K-8. A San Francisco native, Pablo’s passion is teaching guitar in rock, metal, classical and bossa nova styles. He teaches acoustic, electric and bass guitar, and works well with students of all ages and skill levels. He always makes sure each of his students advance on a weekly basis. Pablo’s teaching method involves practicing correct technique, note reading, ear training and improvisation, as well as, of course, learning the students’ favorite songs. Pablo has been playing guitar for over thirteen years, teaching for eight. He has studied with instructors of music theory, composition, classical guitar, metal, bossa nova and flamenco. He currently teaches the after school guitar program at Dianne Feinstein Elementary School and Buena Vista/Horace Mann K-8 School. Pablo plays solo guitar gigs in San Francisco, and is also a founder of THENEXTLEVEL, a band that performs arrangements of classic videogame music. So whether you are a complete beginner to guitar, or a more advanced student ready to take a bigger step in your playing, Pablo can help you out. Also speaks Spanish. http://pablosguitar.com/
PAULA DREYER (2001), piano, Piano for Kids, Beginning Adult Piano. Bachelor of Music in Performance and Music Education, McGill University; Master of Music in Chamber Music Performance, San Francisco State University. Performs as a soloist, accompanist, and chamber musician in the US and Canada. Winner of the Montreal Classical Music Festival and the SFSU Concerto Competition. Recently completed a book of original compositions for beginning pianists. Currently teaches private piano, accompanies and performs. pauladreyer.com
BILL FIEGE (1989), clarinet, flute, saxophone, Woodwind Ensemble. A lesson is a journey, many sounds from many times and places. I act as a facilitator to guide you to the technique and skills you will need to make your own music, and to be comfortable playing the written and improvised music that you enjoy. To make yesterday’s music live in the moment and to find the sounds you want are some of the goals. I have spent the last half – century making public and private music as often as possible. Big bands of Les Elgart, and Federico Cervantes, R&B with Little Anthony, film & radio credits are a few highlights. BM Berklee College of Music MM San Francisco Music and Arts Institute. Some theory, some technique some history, some discovery, some fun, is the mantra. “Let the beauty that we love be what we do.” – Rumi
SCOTT FOSTER (1992), Inner City Young Musicians Program. Scott Foster received his Bachelor of Music degree from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He pursued additional music studies at University of California Davis and private studies with Jon Damian, Rick Peckham and Henry Robinett. Scott is an active performer as leader of the Scott Foster Trio and Quartet and as a sideman with many local groups. His recent recordings range from industrial pop to country and folk to modern jazz.
RYAN HEIDTMAN (2010) Music for Children, St. Joseph’s Family Center program and Alta Vista School music class. Ryan Heidtman received his California teaching credential in music and Bachelor of Music in Education with keyboard and vocal emphasis from San Francisco State University.
He studied piano with William Corbett-Jones and Kodaly with David Xiques. Ryan was a student teacher with Presidio Middle School orchestra under Veronica Bottini and is also a music substitute in public and private schools is San Francisco.
JONO KORNFELD (2000), theory, composition, jazz piano, ear training, sight singing, theory/musicianship group classes. MA in Composition and post-graduate music study, SFSU; BA, English, University of Rochester, NY. Composition/theory studies with Ronald Caltabiano, Carlos Sanchez-Gutierrez, Richard Festinger at SFSU, and with Michael Czajkowski at the 2001 Aspen Music Festival. Jazz and classical piano studies with Adam Domash. Author, Music Theory and Notation for Intelligent Beginners. On the faculty at SFSU and also teaches privately. www.jkornfeld.net
JOHN KYRK (1999), Children’s Chorus Accompanist. BA, Syracuse University; MA, Harvard University. John has played piano since he could reach the keys, and he became an organist and choir director at twelve. He continues to play and compose, and is also a CMC recital accompanist. As a musical coach, he explores musicianship and performance. He also built a clavichord from scratch. www.johnkyrk.com
ANN LAM (2011), Horace Mann middle school outreach program. Violinist Ann Lam has performed in major concert venues across the country, including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Through her outreach work as a solo, chamber, and orchestral musician in classrooms across the globe, she strives to joyfully impart music fundamentals while fostering a curiosity for lifelong learning. Privately, Ann teaches violin to students of all ages and levels, with a special emphasis on body and breath awareness. She received her master of music degree in violin performance from the State University of New York at Purchase, where she also served on faculty teaching and assisting undergraduate courses in music appreciation and music history. Ann recently moved from New York City, where she served as principal second violin of Camerata Notturna. She is delighted to call San Francisco “home” and excited to be a part of Community Music Center.
EDGAR LAVADO (2011), Mission Kids Music Instructor. Edgar was born in Caracas, Venezuela. His musical experiences started at an early age with his Dad, who taught him how to play the guitar and accompany him on popular Venezuelan children’s music. At the age of 17, Edgar joined the conservatory of music and began extensive guitar lessons under maestro Carmelo Rodriguez at the Fundacion Bigott in Caracas. He then became a member of the group Multifonia with whom he traveled nationally and internationally as a guitar player. In 2002, Edgar moved to the Bay Area where he teaches and performs as a multi-instrumentalist (bass, percussion and voice). Groups he has played with include: the Venezuelan Music Project (VMP), Orquestra La Moderna Tradicion, Orquestra Candela, Tito y su Son de Cuba, Quinteto Latido, Grupo Saoco, La Mixta Criolla. Edgar also works as a Spanish and a music instructor. He was a Teacher Assistant in the Spanish immersion program at Oakland’s Escuela Bilingue Internacional, as well as a music instructor for preschoolers and kindergarteners in their enrichment programs. He now teaches Spanish and music for preschool and elementary students in various afterschool programs using songs and rhythms from traditional Latin American repertoire.
ALISON FAITH LEVY (2012), Family Music. Alison Faith Levy has been performing for children for many years. She was an original member of the beloved Bay Area band for kids The Sippy Cups, and recently released a solo album for children entitled “World of Wonder.” She has been playing piano and guitar and singing since she was a child, and has been in many Bay Area bands including The Loud Family, McCabe & Mrs. Miller and Mushroom. As a solo children’s musician, she has appeared at the Bay Area Discovery Museum, Contemporary Jewish Museum, Tricycle Music Fest, Freight and Salvage, Noe Valley Harvest Festival, and numerous libraries throughout Northern California. She is the producer of the “Starry Day Matinee” music series for families at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. Her music appreciation classes for young children, called “Big Time Tot Rock,” are high-energy and fun, with lots of dancing, singing, movement, interaction, pretend play, scarf play, rhythm instruments, and silliness for children and caregivers alike. www.alisonfaithlevy.com
MICHAEL MOHAMMED (2009), Opera and Musical Theater Scenes Workshop. Michael Mohammed is a director and performer. Directing credits include X: The Life & Times of Malcolm X (Oakland Opera Theater), River of Women (Opera Cultura), and What They Seem (Two Mimes Productions). His production of Wilde Boys (New Conservatory Theater) is a 2008 Bay Area Critics Circle Award winner for Best Musical Production. He has also directed for Peninsula Teen Opera, Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute, Goat Hall Productions, and Pocket Opera. He is on faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and New Conservatory Theater.
ERIK PEARSON (2002) guitar (acoustic and electric), banjo, Guitar Fretboard Workshop, Blues Guitar Workshop. Erik graduated from Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music with degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Music Composition. He has played and recorded in bands since 1990, written chamber music for local choreographers, and performs with internationally known storyteller Diane Ferlatte. The styles he teaches range from old time folk music, singer-songwriters to free-improv jazz-rock. Most recent projects include: Sonya Hunter, Mushroom, Crooked Jades, Nearly Beloved, and Billy Talbot.
JENNIFER PERINGER (2000), piano, Beginning Latin Jazz Workshop, Building Performance Skills, Chamber Music Ensembles. Jennifer Peringer earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of London, and both a Master of Music degree and a Music Teaching Credential from San Francisco State University. Her musical horizons are broad; she has played keyboards, congas, tablas, saxophone, and accordion with salsa, latin jazz, Indian music, folk and pop bands. Her work as a classical pianist involves solo performances, vocal and theatrical accompaniment, and collaboration with various chamber music ensembles, including her trio The Bernal Hill Players. She has been teaching at CMC since 2000, where she currently offers classes in piano (primarily Classical and Latin Jazz), ear training, beginning Latin Jazz ensembles, and a variety of classical Chamber Music ensembles. She individualizes curriculums to meet her students’ needs, and uses a wide variety of teaching strategies, including hands-on games, physical technical exercises, learning by ear, learning to read music, intellectual analysis, and intuitive improvisation. Also speaks Spanish.
HARVEY ROBB (2000), clarinet, saxophone, Jazz Improv Workshop Ensemble.
Harvey Robb received his Master of Arts in Humanities from Wayne State University. Thirty years’ experience with local musical theater, including San Francisco Mime Troupe, Make-A-Circus and more than twenty years with Pickle Family Circus. Performs extensively in local jazz and swing scenes, and on recordings by Lavay Smith and other local musicians.
ELLEN ROBINSON (1985), Anything Goes Chorus I and II Director. Ellen Robinson is a true pied piper of singing. One of the San Francisco Bay Area’s busiest music directors, jazz singer Ellen has helped take many a vocalist from the level of simply wanting to sing to the stage. She has sung folk, rock, Broadway, a cappella, jazz and is notable for guiding vocalists toward mastery of nearly any genre of song. Ellen is definitely at home as a performer herself with a bevy of concerts at major venues (Yoshi’s, Freight and Salvage) as well as CD’s “Mercy! Ellen Robinson Live” and “On My Way To You.” Ellen founded (1980) and directs of the Anything Goes Chorus. She also directs women’s ensembles (Girlfriendz. Treble Makers, Swingshift Singers), teaches jazz singing at The Jazzschool, and is a vocal coach for a senior theater company (Stagebridge). She received a Bachelor of Music from Ithaca College, completed graduate studies at Bank Street College of Education, SUNY-Stony Brook, Hofstra University and C.W. Post, and is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.www.ellenrobinson.com
MARTHA RODRIGUEZ-SALAZAR (2000), ear training, flute, piano, recorder, sight singing, voice, Flute Choir, Latin Music Vocal Workshop, Camp CMC, Mission District Young Musicians Program Project Coordinator. Martha was born and raised in Mexico City, coming to the United States in 1998 to pursue a Master of Fine Arts in Music at Mills College in Oakland. As both flutist and mezzosoprano, Ms. Rodriguez has toured extensively in the United States, Mexico and Europe, with Classical, Baroque and folk ensembles and orchestras, winning awards in many of the countries where she has performed. In 1995 she began her conducting career, directing various ensembles, ranging from chamber music to flute and vocal choirs to operas. Ms. Rodriguez’s diverse teaching activities at CMC include flute, voice, piano, sight-reading, Latin Vocal Workshop, MDYMP, and Summer Camp. She has become a cultural leader of the Bay Area Latino community, directing and producing the annual Mexican Christmas show La Posarela at CMC, as well as curator and musical advisor at the annual Día de los Muertos Family Concert at the San Francisco Symphony. Also speaks Spanish.
KEN ROSEN (1975), clarinet, flute, saxophone, theory lessons, Jazz Ensemble, Teen Jazz Band, Inner City Young Musicians Program. Ken Rosen received his Bachelor of Arts degree from New Mexico State University. He did his graduate study with David Baker and George Russell at Indiana University, and studied winds with Ray Tross, H. Hardisty, Eugene Rousseau and Paula Bing. Ken has performed with big bands of Al Cobine, Lee Castle, Warren Covington and Larry Elghart.
DAVE SCOTT (1996), trumpet, Beginning Jazz Improvisation. Instrumental Music Education, University of Michigan, 1987; MM, Trumpet Performance, University of Northern Colorado, 1990. Toured with Boz Scaggs 2004-2008. Recorded and toured with Rosemary Clooney, 2000-2002. Toured with Glenn Miller Orchestra, lead trumpet and featured soloist, 1992-1993. Founder and member of TRUMPETSUPERGROUP. Faculty, Berkeley City College (History of Jazz). Freelance local trumpeter, jazz and classical.
SYLVIA SHERMAN (2009), Latin Music Ensemble at Willard Middle School, a La Peña and Community Music Center Collaboration, Project Coordinator. Percussionist (congas, bongo). Alumnus of community arts workshops at La Peña Cultural Center and Mission Cultural Center, with a focus on Cuban music, including opportunities to participate in clinics with master Cuban artists such as Los Muñequitos de Matanzas, Anga Diaz, and Changuito. Performs with various Bay Area music groups including La Familia Son and Coimbre. Sylvia also plays bass, now performing with a Latin Jazz Quintet, Survival Groove. Also speaks Spanish.
NICOLE SUMNER (2005), Family Music. CA Music Teaching Credential, SFSU; BFA, Theater, Cornish College; MA with honors, Interdisciplinary Arts and Education, SFSU; Level III Orff-Schulwerk certification, Mills College & The San Francisco School. Additional study with Dr. Kuo-Huang Han (Chinese luogu percussion), Betty Wong (guzheng), Maria Irene Fornez and Suzan-Lori Parks (playwriting), Julia Schnebly-Black (Dalcroze Eurhythmics), Doug Goodkin (jazz for children), Jay Clayton and Rhiannon (voice), and Alice Robbins (viola da gamba). Teaches developmental foundations of music and movement, learning through the arts, and K-3rd grade music. Faculty: Yick Wo Elementary, Alvarado Elementary, SF Public Montessori, USF, De Anza College. She is a proponent of play-based learning, improvisation at an early age, and multi-age group music-making.
LORETTA TAYLOR (1986), violin, Chamber Music Ensembles, String Orchestra Workshop. BA, Music, SFSU. Participant at the Music Academy of the West and the Blossom Festival School. Performed with orchestras in San Juan, Puerto Rico and Perth, Australia. SF Sinfonietta Concertmaster and principal second violin of the Santa Cruz Symphony. Artist-in-residence, SF School of the Arts. Also speaks Spanish.
ERIK IAN WALKER (1998), composition, ear training, piano. BM, Composition, SF Conservatory of Music. Erik has been coaching students in the beginnings and finer points of improvisation for 25 years. Learning riffs, building solos, playing through changes, using your intuition. Erik performs with Music for Squares and runs his studio, WackoWorld Music. For sample piano lessons and more information, visit www.wackoworldmusic.com
BETH WILMURT (2000), Children’s Chorus Director, Teen Singers Director. BA, Musical Theater, SFSU. Also trained with the Saratoga International Theatre Institute. Has taught singing, dancing and acting for numerous youth arts programs. A working actress and singer who has been nominated for three Bay Area Theater Critics Circle Awards. Founding member and co-producer of Art Street Theatre.
SHIRLEY WONG-FRENTZEL (1972), Chinese instruments, harpsichord, recorder, Collegium Musicum, Eastern Music. BA with honors, Composition, Mills College, studied with Darius Milhaud, Leon Kirchner and Morton Subotnick; MM with highest honors, Harpsichord, New England Conservatory. Member, Pi Kappa Lambda honor society. Formed Darius Milhaud Ensemble locally with Philharmonia Baroque soloists. Former faculty, Mills College, UCSD, and SFSU. Co-manager of Flowing Stream Ensemble and member of Phoenix Spring Ensemble. Also speaks Cantonese.
