CONCORD CONSERVATORY - Key Persons

Alison Ruch

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of Directors

Amanda Hickman

Job Titles:

President of the Board of Directors

Anthea Kechley

Job Titles:

Programs and Community Partnerships Manager & Music Achievement Program Coordinator

Betsy Hinkle

Job Titles:

Member of the Board of the Boston Musician 's Association Local

Betsy Hinkle is a Boston-based violinist and music educator equally at home on the concert stage and serving her community through equity-based music education, performances, and arts administration. Primarily focused on "Classical" music, Betsy also loves Jazz and Improvisation, and incorporates a bit of each into her teaching, though considers herself mostly a traditional violin teacher using ear-training, music reading, development of melodic and harmonic memory, and simply the joy of music-making as her guide. Betsy has been teaching since she was in high school and has always centered individualism and learning styles in her violin teaching and curriculum design. She uses a violin and chamber music curriculum which centers around her goals as a music educator. "My focus is always about creating equity and fostering curiosity around the inclusion of historically excluded composers and relevant cultures into my teaching." She is the founder of the Boston Public Quartet, dedicated to normalizing the amplification of historically excluded voices in classical music. She has performed throughout New England with orchestras and chamber ensembles, including the Boston Public Quartet, Shelter Music Boston, the Boston Ballet Orchestra, the Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, and the Boston Modern Orchestra Project. Betsy is a newly elected member of the Board of the Boston Musician's Association Local 9-535 and a founding member and co-chair of the BMA Anti-Racism Committee. She was a 2018-2020 META Fellow of the Massachusetts Cultural Council, served as the 2017 Alumni Commencement speaker at New England Conservatory, and received the 2014 Barbara C. Harris Award for Social Justice. She founded the non-profit musiConnects in 2007 to establish and support educational and artistic residences using an innovative chamber music model. From 2007 - 2017 she served as the organization's Executive and then Artistic Director, and until 2021 served in the role of Resident Musician. Betsy received her Master of Music in Violin Performance, as well as a Music in Education Concentration, in the studio of Nicholas Kitchen of the renowned Borromeo String Quartet. A native Floridian, she received her Bachelor of Music from the Florida State University, on full academic and music scholarships, and played in the Honors Piano Trio as a Liberace Scholar. She lives in Roslindale with her husband and two children and loves cooking, baking, and gardening.

Daniel Fox

Job Titles:

Consultant

Daniel Fox is an educator, consultant, recording engineer and producer, and multi-instrumentalist. He encourages his students to experiment when making music and shows what can be produced through his interactive teaching demonstrations. Dan's enthusiasm is contagious and says, "I aim to spark a sense of adventure and excitement about music and music technology. It all starts with a childlike sense of wonder and a healthy dose of fun. Lastly, I promote fearless experimentation with music technology, just like a jazz musician approaches improvisation." Dan is a part-time Lecturer at Tufts University's Music Engineering Program, an expert level Propellerheads Reason software user, Certified Avid Pro Tools Instructor and iZotope endorsee. He's also taught at ZUMIX, Inc., Worcester State University, Boston Public Schools, and was the Creative and Cultural Director at the Boys & Girls Club of Lynn. As a member of the Audio Engineering Society, he serves as Program Chair for the AES High School Audio Educators Conference. Daniel also sits on the Educational Advisory Board of the software manufacturer Sonarworks. Dan also consults for educational and youth development organizations via his company Wondersmith Audio on facility construction, A/V hardware/software, and curriculum design. His audio production clients include: Life is Good (Ringo Starr, Aly Raisman, Katie Couric), Audible.com, Pepsi, Discovery Channel, and many others. Dan earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Race & Ethnicity at Vassar College and attended Berklee College of Music's Summer Performance Program. In addition to a technology instructor, he's an accomplished musician. As he fondly remembers, "I once performed on bass with my live hip-hop band The Foundation Movement, as the headliner of a festival in Boston Common for over 3000 fans. That was pretty exciting!"

Emma Huggard

Job Titles:

Student Services Manager

Evan Ricker

Job Titles:

Treasurer of the Board of Directors

Faith Proctor

fp..@concordconservatory.org

Job Titles:

Business Manager

Holly Jennings

Holly Jennings enjoys a well rounded career as a performing and teaching artist. As a teacher, she leads with kindness and common sense, exhibiting patience, enthusiasm, compassion, and confidence. She adapts lessons to meet the artistic goals of each student while working together to establish a healthy technique and age appropriate repertoire they enjoy singing. Her chief goal as a teacher is to create a safe, encouraging environment where any student with a love of music and desire to sing can find and explore their voice. Holly works with students to nurture their own unique sound, encouraging creativity and consistent practice equally. Believing singing to be one of the purest forms of expression, she explores the interpretation of text and character development with students of all levels. Holly's early childhood classes are full of joy and playful learning. She delights in providing families with a shared musical experience and the opportunity to see their children grow and flourish in a musical setting. Holly firmly believes that music enriches our lives and gives us a fuller human experience. Her ultimate goal when teaching early childhood classes is to instill a life long love of music and learning. She has more than a decade of experience teaching early childhood music and draws from her own experience as a parent as well. On stage, Holly has worked alongside award winning directors and actors in world premiere musicals as well as classic musicals in Boston and throughout New England. Some of her favorite roles include Claire in Ordinary Days, Mary in Jack the Ripper: The Whitechapel Musical (premier), Luisa in The Fantastiks, Cosette in Les Misérables, and Carrie in Carousel, for which she received an IRNE nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Her path as a singer has also brought her to the stage for operatic performances as well as concerts of jazz standards, pop, and country music. Holly received her formal training at Boston Conservatory, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Vocal Performance. Also certified as a yoga instructor at the 200-Hour Level, she often draws from her yoga background while working with students. Holly also teaches at South Shore Conservatory and is program director for SSC's ImagineARTS arts-integrated literacy program. When not teaching, Holly enjoys spending time with her family, reading, running, and making music with her three young children.