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1813 South 6th St Minneapolis, MN 55454 (612) 333 - 6651 |
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GUITARABOUT OUR INSTRUCTORS LEARN FROM THE PROS All WBSM instructors are professional musicians and include some of the top artists in the Twin Cities. You can benefit from their years of performing and recording experience, and their extensive talent. Our instructors are dedicated to helping you reach your musical goals in a supportive and nurturing environment. They will work with you to create a custom plan that teaches you the styles of music, songs, and techniques you want to learn, and motivate and encourage you to achieve your goals. In addition to being seasoned performers, a majority of our instructors have music degrees. Several have received major awards, grants, and tour nationally or overseas. A number of them have taught at WBSM for two or more decades, all the way up to almost four decades of continuous service. Click on an instructor's name below to find out more. Kale Baglyos Reed – Violin, Viola, Fiddle, Classes Kale Baglyos-Reed graduated with a degree in Violin Performance from St. Olaf College in 2006 where he studied with professors Kenneth Reed and Charles Gray on violin, and Dave Hagedorn on percussion. His diverse musical background and education are reflected in the fact that Baglyos-Reed performed in Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble, and the St. Olaf Orchestra while in college. He was a violin soloist with the Cannon Valley Regional Orchestra in 2005 and 2006 and has performed for weddings, as a church musician, in ensembles, orchestras, and professional bands during fifteen years of active performance. Kale has three full length recordings to his credit and has been a private instructor since 1999. Tasha Baron – Piano, Flute, Trombone www.myspace.com/blackblondiemusic www.myspace.com/ourhipsdontlie www.myspace.com/sfericwitch Tasha has experience teaching people of all ages and abilities in diverse settings . She teaches a range of styles from jazz to classical music, to pop, rock, r&b, soul, blues, and more. She can help you learn to read music as well as how to improvise/play by ear, and she can help you to acquire knowledge of jazz and/or classical theory. Her music studies credits include a B.A. in Music from the University of Minnesota, where she studied jazz piano and classical trombone. She also attended the School for Improvised Music in Brooklyn, NY and the Tanglewood Institute for the Arts in MA. She plays keyboards with Black Blondie (a band that juxtaposes soul, hip hop, dancehall and jazz) and Hips Don't Lie (an instrumental trio centering on original song writing and improvisation in the styles of jazz, hip hop and drum'n'bass). She has also played with and/or recorded with such bands as Atmosphere, Sferic Witch (an electro-acoustic improvisation two piece), Heiruspecs, P.O.S. of Doomtree, the Omaur Bliss band, Traditional Methods, Edupoetic Enterbrainment, Brother Ali, Oddjobs and Kill the Vultures. Timothy Bradley – French Horn Hornist Timothy J. Bradley is a versatile performer, educator, composer, and arranger. He earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in horn performance and studied with outstanding teachers including Gregory Hustis, Haley Hoops, Herbert Winslow, and Paul Stevens. Tim is a founding member of The Copper Street Brass Quintet and is proud to be part of an ensemble on the cutting edge of brass chamber music. With a musical appetite for everything from Bach to Brahms to Radiohead, Tim loves composing, arranging, and transcribing new and unusual works for the quintet. Recently finished projects include quintet arrangements of Piazzolla, Dave Brubeck, Cake, and even Spinal Tap. He has held a horn studio for over nine years in Minnesota, New Mexico, Texas, and Kansas, teaching aspiring horn students from youths to mature adults. He recently appeared with the Omaha Symphony, the Malaysian Philharmonic, the LaCrosse Symphony (WI), the New Mexico and Santa Fe Symphonies, and has shared the stage with many notable artists such as Garrison Keillor, Sarah Chang, James Ehnes, and Gilbert Varga. Dale Dahlquist – Guitar, Electric Bass Dale Dahlquist has had a long career of music performance and teaching with a "side" of music recording and sound reinforcement. His first professional stint was in the mid 70's touring with June Apple recording artist Dakota Dave Hull, playing bass as a sideman in concerts at upper-Midwest colleges and universities. Since then, public venues have included folk festivals, county fairs, art festivals, TV and radio shows, the Minnesota State Fair and numerous bars and music clubs. His teaching experience at WBSM spans three decades and thousands of students. Dale teaches and has played professionally in a number of genres: bluegrass, jazz, rock, pop and dance band music. Blues, swing and ragtime guitar are specialties. Stephen Dewey – Piano, Keyboards, Musical Theater Stephen welcomes aspiring piano students of all ages. He is open and willing to help a student accomplish their personal goals, be it playing Misty to impress friends at a cocktail party or aiming for Carnegie Hall! Stephen attended the University of Iowa, majoring in piano performance. He has worked extensively in the musical theatre as a conductor/musical director/keyboardist. His credits include national tours of Oliver!, Some Enchanted Evening & Gigi (starring Louis Jourdan & Betsy Palmer). He has worked regionally across the USA in various theatrical venues, including the National Jewish Theatre, Candlelight Dinner Playhouse and Opryland. Stephen has served as the musical director of the Bloomington Civic Theater and also for the Jewish Community Center of St.Paul's teen drama program. Elizabeth Draper – Upright Bass, Electric Bass www.myspace.com/blackblondiemusic www.myspace.com/ourhipsdontlie Elizabeth Draper received a Bachelors of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Minnesota in 2004. It was there that she studied under St. Paul Chamber Orchestra's Chris Brown and Minnesota Orchestra's Peter Lloyd and James Clute. Her classical endeavors have found her performing both as a featured soloist and as an active section member in a number of orchestras and chamber ensembles. Elizabeth has been a professional gigging jazz bassist since age 16. She performs regularly in the big band and jazz combo circuit around the Twin Cities. Her improvising has led her to The School For Improvised Music in New York and a European tour with Ireland's Nick Roth. Her eclectic background has found her performing in indie rock bands, casino stints, musicals, and studio jingle work. Elizabeth is a member of the group The Ditch Lilies, a string band whose style ranges from honky tonk, 1930s swing, bluegrass and country. She is also a member of the touring band Black Blondie, a trip hop, dub influenced, alternative R&B project. Elizabeth has taught privately since 1998. Milo Fine – Drums www.fetik3.com/milofine Milo Fine, a lifelong resident of the Minneapolis area, is the son of well-known percussionist, Elliot Fine, with whom Milo studied informally as a child. Milo started teaching drums in the late sixties, and specializes in beginning to intermediate levels of snare drum and drum set reading and technique, covering classical, rock and jazz styles. He has been on the WBSM faculty since the mid-seventies. Milo's focus as a musician is improvised music, a field he has submerged himself in since 1969. Further information about his music, including details on his ongoing concert series at the WBSM, can be found on his website. Paul Fonfara – Clarinet, Saxophone www.paintedsaints.com Paul Fonfara graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1998 with a BA studying clarinet and has since pursued a career as a multi-instrumentalist and songwriter also playing Saxophones, Guitar, Cello and Bandoneon. Paul has performed with the Jefferson, Westminster, Centennial, and Littleton Symphonies of Colorado and toured nationally as a sideman with Jim White. He has taught private lessons for more than a decade at a variety of public school and music academy settings in Colorado and the Twin Cities. Paul is also very active writing original music performing with several local bands including Painted Saints, Spaghetti Western String Company, and Brass Messengers. Bill Hinkley – Fiddle, Mandolin, Banjo, Ukulele Bill Hinkley has worked as a professional musician and teacher for forty years. An original member of the performing cast of Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion, and a member of the faculty of the West Bank School of Music, he has been awarded three Folk Arts Apprenticeship Master grants by the Minnesota State Arts Board. In 1999, Bill was inducted into the Minnesota Music Hall of Fame. In 2000, along with his wife and musical partner, Judy Larson, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Minnesota Bluegrass and Old-Time Music Association (MBOTMA). In 2008 he received the first ever West Bank School of Music Lifetime Achievement Award. It is not possible to talk about Minnesota’s vital acoustic music scene without acknowledging Bill and Judy’s contribution to that vitality. And fittingly, they were filmed as part of the cast for the movie A Prairie Home Companion. Clint Hoover – Harmonica www.clinthoover.com One of a select group of musicians to have mastered both the chromatic and diatonic harmonica, Clint's work has earned him a place in the Encyclopedia of the Harmonica. From pre-war blues to modern jazz, Clint has delved deep into the musical possibilities of the harmonica. His most notable recordings to date are his jazz CD "Dream of the Serpent Dog" and "Take Your Time Mr. Brown" by the jug band influenced group The Sugar Kings; both of which received rave reviews nationally and internationally. Having been called "...an extraordinary player..." by the Minneapolis Star and Tribune, his studies of a broad range of American musical styles has made him a sought after studio session player and a respected harmonica educator. In NYC, he attended the Parsons/New School Jazz and Contemporary Music BFA Program and studied with renowned classical harmonicist Robert Bonfiglio. Julie Johnson – Flute, Ensembles www.julieflute.com Julie Johnson began playing the flute at the age of 10 in Graceton, MN. At 15, she studied with Susan Nelson, professor of flute at Bemidji State University through an Artist-Mentor scholarship. At Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN, she studied with Trudi Anderson, and played principal flute in both the orchestra and band. She was also a two-time winner of the Concerto/Aria Competition, and served as principal flute of the Minnesota Inter-Collegiate Honor Band under the direction of Frederick Fenell. In 1999, Julie served as co-principal flute of the Rome Festival Orchestra, assisted by a Career Opportunity Grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. She has also performed with the Duluth/Superior Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Orchestra of Minneapolis, and the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra. She has served as Artist-in-Residence at Patrick Henry High School, St. Francis Middle School, and the Minneapolis Jewish Day School. She also recorded the Native American flute music for the PBS documentary Return to the Circle. In the spring of 2004, she was invited to study with Sibel Kumru-Pensel in Antibes, France, where she was a featured soloist in two chamber recitals. She returned to France in the spring of 2005 to play at the Fete de la Flute in Menton. Stefan Kac – Tuba, Trombone, Euphonium, Composition www.stefankac.com Stefan Kac received his Bachelor of Music in Tuba Performance from the University of Minnesota in 2005. His activity as a performer, composer, teacher, and writer reflects a wide-range of interests running the gamut of notated and improvised musics. He has been both a finalist in the Minnesota Orchestra's WAMSO Young Artists Competition (2005), and a participant the Betty Carter's Jazz Ahead residency program at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. (also 2005). He is thus far the only tubist to achieve the latter honor. The International Tuba Euphonium Association has awarded him a 2006 Harvey Phillips Award for Composition Excellence for his composition "Lights of Loveland," as well as a 2008 Roger Bobo Award for Recording Excellence for the Pan-Metropolitan Trio's debut CD "Isolation." Locally, he has been featured with musicians and ensembles as diverse as Phil Hey, Mick Sterling, Milo Fine, The Mouldy Figs, and the St. Paul Civic Symphony, as well as with a myriad of his own groups devoted primarily to performing his original compositions. Will Kemperman – Drum Set, Latin Percussion, Marimba www.willkemperman.com Since earning a Masters of Music in percussion degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2001, Will continues to be heard on numerous musical stages around Minnesota, and has developed a reputation as an exceptional teacher. Will has extensive percussion experience in many areas of music, performing in a wide range of styles: concert hall, musical theatre, blues and rock, jazz, Eastern European, and Latin music. He has appeared recently as a featured percussionist with the National Lutheran Choir and at the Art of Sweat Rhythm Festivals #1 and #2. He performs regularly with the rock, R&B, blues, and soul outfit, Blue Daddies, and the Klezmer and Eastern European band, Maritza. Will has made a name for himself as an accomplished drum teacher for students of all ages in beginning percussion, classical percussion, drum set, Latin drumming, and marimba. In addition to West Bank, he teaches percussion, percussion ensemble, and Afro-Cuban percussion at three area colleges: University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, and Normandale Community College. Nickolai Kolarov – Cello www.geocities.com/ Nickolai Kolarov graduated from the Bulgarian State Academy of Music, Sofia and received his Masters degree from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Missouri, Kansas City. He is currently working on his doctoral thesis for his degree in Cello Performance at the University of Minnesota. In addition, Mr. Kolarov has studied with Igor Gavrish from the Moscow Conservatory of Music. Nickolai is a devoted performer both of solo and chamber music. He has given concerts across Bulgaria including the largest concert hall in Sofia - the National Palace of Culture. Since his arrival in the USA he has performed with distinguished classical and contemporary musicians on numerous occasions in Missouri, Kansas, and the Minnesota. He has been featured on radio and TV broadcasts both in the USA and Bulgaria. Nickolai Kolarov is the founder in 1993 of Art Salon Zora which promotes the work of various artists. He has taught cello both in Bulgaria and the U.S.A., most notably at the Heart of America College, Kansas City; St. Bernadette School, Kansas City; and the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. Peter Lang – Fingerstyle Guitar, Slide Guitar, 6 & 12 String www.peterlang.org/ Peter Lang is one of the world's preeminent 6 and 12 string finger-picking guitar players. Along with John Fahey, Leo Kottke, and other Takoma-label guitarists, Peter is considered to be a founder of modern American finger-style guitar. He was one of a handful of artists to bring the guitar to the stage and redefine it as a serious concert instrument. Lang toured and recorded as one of the top acoustic players of his day. In the 70s he was in good company, having recorded or performed with the likes of John Fahey, Jerry Garcia, Chet Atkins, The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Emmylou Harris, Leo Kottke, Freddie King and a host of others. The Takoma album he recorded with Leo Kottke and John Fahey is considered a classic. Steeped in early folk, blues, and country, Peter has kept those traditions alive through the old songs, and also his widely acclaimed original compositions. His most recent recording, Testament, was described in Guitar Player magazine as "The DNA of the American Musical Experience." Rhonda Laurie – Voice www.myspace.com/rhondalaurie Originally from New York City, Rhonda grew up in a family of professional musicians and performers, and began her career singing in Manhattan nightclubs. In the Twin Cities her performances have included performing weekly at Cave Vin - a small French bistro in South Minneapolis. Past performances include the Dakota Jazz Club, Rossi’s, the Artist’s Quarter, and the Times Bar and Café. She has performed at The Twin Cities’ Jazz Festivals 2004 - 2007, KBEM Winter Jazz Festivals and was a featured vocalist in 2007 Twin Cities Jazz Societies’ “Jazz from J to Z “ concert. Recently she was featured at the 2008 Grand Marais Jazz Festival with the gypsy jazz trio Sidewalk Café. Since 2004, Rhonda Laurie has been an adjunct instructor at the Minnesota School of Business teaching music fundamentals and music business classes in the Music Business/Audio Production Department. Having completed an education program for teaching artists with Intermedia Arts - Beyond The Studio: Art Partners, Rhonda Laurie has conducted numerous arts residencies teaching vocal jazz and improvisation to metro area schools. And vocal jazz improvisation workshops through Curly Martin – Drum Set, Ensembles Ernest "Curly" Martin is an award-winning drummer who has been playing professionally for fifty years with national and international jazz and blues artists. He studied Percussion at the Musician's Institute of Technology in Hollywood, California, and has been teaching since 1971. Curly's resume reads like a history book of jazz and blues. He has played with such jazz legends as Sonny Stitt, Bobby Lyle, Carmen McRae and Jack McDuff, and blues greats including Etta James, Percy Mayfield, B.B. King and Bobby Blue Bland. In 2005, Curly was inducted into the Omaha Black Music Hall of Fame. Siama Matuzungidi – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Bands, Classes www.siama-music.com Siama has taught and performed many styles of African and Caribbean guitar, including soukous, mbetani, calypso and highlife. His life-long performing experience has taken him throughout Africa, Japan and the United States. Siama's music is a mixture of traditional music from his home in Mbetani and Soukous, and he composes and sings in Lingala, Kingo, Swahili, French and English. He has performed with Ibeba System, Shangoya, Cyril Paul, Kavin Furhman, and his own current band Marimba Africa. Siama welcomes all levels of interested students. Bobbi Miller – Voice, Vocal Ensembles, Classes Bobbi Miller is an accomplished singer, songwriter and producer with a wide variety of styles to her credit. She studied Theatre Arts and Music at the University of Minnesota, and went on to study Jazz Vocal Performance at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston. Best known as the lead singer for Twin Cities' electronic band Autonomous, Bobbi has been thrice nominated for awards by the Minnesota Music Academy, and has released two full-length albums. She is also the featured vocalist on many house, techno and downtempo tracks, produced by various Minneapolis and Boston DJs. She has served as musical director for productions throughout the Twin Cities and was Performing Arts Director for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Minneapolis. She wrote, directed, and produced the popular musical revue "Sin Cities 7” that ran in 2006 and 2007. She believes that the most important parts of learning to sing are enjoying yourself, highlighting your strengths and finding your own voice. Karen Mueller – Guitar, Mandolin, Autoharp, Mountain Dulcimer www.karenmueller.com Karen is a national-touring performer with over 20 years of teaching experience. An international autoharp champion, she has released 3 critically-acclaimed CDs and authored two books, published by Mel Bay publications. Karen is a teaching artist with Young Audiences of Minnesota, and performs in the band of Katie McMahon, the original lead singer from "Riverdance". She enjoys teaching many styles, including folk, bluegrass, Celtic, and more. Jim Ouska – Electric Bass, Bands www.jimandjanemusic.com Jim Ouska has been teaching individual lessons in guitar and bass and leading ensembles at West Bank School of Music since 1987. He won a WBSM jazz composers grant and has received nominations from the Minnesota Music Academy for guitarist of the year in the jazz, R&B and bluegrass categories. Also a singer and songwriter, he recently released three CD’s of original songs. Jim performs regularly in the Twin Cities and throughout the Midwest and has been a featured guitarist on a number of recordings. (See above website to read reviews and hear samples from one of his most recent projects.) Bill Philipp – Banjo (5-string) , Dobro (Resophonic Guitar) Bill has played bluegrass music throughout the Midwest for over 25 years, and has been teaching at WBSM for nearly seventeen years. Though his specialty is 5-string Scruggs-style banjo, he also plays Dobro, guitar, bass and mandolin (but not all at the same time). In addition to an active performance schedule, his most recent band Drivetime released a new CD last fall, ‘The Bluegrass Road’, featuring two of Bill’s original songs. He has also performed in numerous theatrical productions with the Children’s Theatre Company, Old Log Theater and several other local groups. Bill is largely self-taught, having garnered much of his knowledge by jamming and trading licks with countless musicians at shows and festivals all around the country. When he’s not playing music, Bill spends his time building and repairing stringed instruments, renovating old houses, and maintaining his small fleet of British cars and motorcycles. Paul Renz – Director of Jazz Studies, Guitar, Bass, Ensembles www.paulrenz.com http://www.youtube.com/ Paul Renz started the jazz ensemble program at WBSM in 1993 and currently leads three adult jazz ensembles that perform regularly in the community. He also teaches guitar and bass, jazz theory, composition, sight-singing and improvisation classes. Renz has a Bachelor's degree in jazz composition and arranging from Berklee College of Music and a Master's degree in composition and jazz studies from the New England Conservatory of Music. He has been featured as a guitarist and composer on National Public Radio. Renz's works have been commissioned by Tidewater Performing Arts of Virginia, Tidewater Classic Guitar Society, Minnesota Center for Arts Education, MacPhail Center for Music and Roseville Area High School in Minnesota. Renz has recorded and produced several critically acclaimed CDs featuring original compositions and some of the finest players in the upper Midwest. He performs frequently in the Twin Cities and his quartet tours nationally every other year. Renz is a well-known clinician and presents master classes throughout the United States. Maggie Roston – Flute, Saxophone, Ensembles Maggie has been teaching professionally and freelancing for many years. She started teaching at the West Bank School of Music in the early 70’s. After graduating from the U of M in French and music, she soon left for Los Angeles, where she played with the L.A. Actors Theater, the Hollywood Orchestra, Maiden Voyage, a 17-piece all-woman big band, Passion, an all-girl Top 40 group, and many other groups. She moved to Santa Barbara where she played with the Civic Light Opera and formed her own jazz quartet, after which she moved to France and continued teaching flute, saxophone and jazz workshops at the CIAM in Bordeaux, as well as continued playing with her jazz quartet, in big bands, and in reggae, rock, and Creole groups. After returning to the U.S. in 2000 she has played with the Children’s Theater, the Chanhassen Dinner Theater, the Prophets of Soul (R&B), Ticket to Brasil (Latin), continuing to freelance with a variety of groups and teach. Bill Simenson – Trumpet Bill Simenson has been teaching and freelancing in the Twin Cities since 1983. Has performed in a wide variety of styles and with such groups as the Wolverines Classic Jazz Orchestra, Latin Sounds Orchestra, at Mixed Blood and Guthrie Theaters, as well as with other groups and his own ensembles. Member of: International Trumpet Guild, American Composers Forum, American Federation of Musicians. Awards include: Bush Foundation Fellowship in Music Composition, Jerome Foundation Travel and Study Grant. Paul Storms – Acoustic & Electric Guitar, Electric Bass, Bands Long time WBSM teacher Paul Storms studied music at the University of St. Thomas and the University of Minnesota under the tutelage of Jeffrey Van, Charles Pedersen, and Paul Berget. He has also studied with Michael Hauser and Pedro Bacan. He was chosen to perform at Master Classes conducted by Christopher Parkening, Larry Coryell and Sharon Isben. With a versatile repertoire that covers rock, blues, jazz, classical, flamenco and more, Paul teaches students of all ages, but is particularly adept at working with younger pupils. As a performer, he has played concerts from retirement communities to TV studios, from private events to the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board summer concert series with highlights including performances on WCCO and KTCA TV and radio stations KFAI, WCCO and KDWB. Recently he performed with the all star youth choir at the American Choir Director's Association Convention. Barb Tilsen – Children's Music Program www.barbtilsen.com Barb Tilsen teaches Sound Beginnings, a creative children's music program, at West Bank School of Music as well as in child care centers, schools, community programs and recreation centers around the Twin Cities. Barb has been singing and working with children since 1985, and she has been writing songs and performing for audiences of all ages since 1971. She can work magic with young children. Her songs are rooted in her wonderful sense of what kids can relate to and how they feel. Her music, her classes and her performances are hallmarked by her great sense of fun, her respect for young children and her unique way of musically touching their hearts. Barb's performances for adults have brought her to gatherings both great and small from coffeehouses to concert halls, from living rooms to peace marches, labor rallies, and community events. As an activist and musician, her music is rooted in the rich history of grassroots movements for social change in this country. Her songs, whether for adults or children, celebrate this world and our capacity to change. They are all about sustaining hope, creating vision, and uplifting spirit. Barb has been published several times in Sing Out! Magazine as well as other books and publications. Her CD, "Make a Circle Like the Sun", received the 2001 Children's Web Award for Best Recording for Young Children. Dan Turpening – Accordion Dan Turpening has enjoyed performing on accordion for more than 15 years, playing at parties, weddings, in theater productions, and in restaurants. He is a graduate of A.R.T.S. Accordion Repair and Technicians School in Duluth, MN (since moved to Superior, WI) and continues his accordion studies. He has been teaching at the West Bank School of Music for over eight years. |
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WEST BANK SCHOOL of MUSIC 1813 South 6th St. Minneapolis, MN. 55454 (612) 333-6651 info@westbankmusic.org |
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