WYOMING FINE ARTS CENTER - Key Persons
Adam has loved musical theater since the age of 4 when he began with acting and dance lessons. While he end up pursuing a 20 plus year career in IT professional services, music, art and dance have always been close to his heart. Working with global customers at VMware, Adam has a long record of using people and technology to achieve business outcomes that exceed expectations.
Adam volunteers with National Ski Patrol during the colder months. He can also be found serving as a small group leader to the youth and singing in the choir at Kenwood Baptist Church.
Adam lived for many years in New York City, where he could be found enjoying live performances whenever he could. While in New York City, Adam served as both President and Vice President of his Co-Op Board. Returning to Cincinnati with his wife, Mary Kathryn, an Equity Stage Manager, and his three children, he lives in Wyoming and is excited to be working with the Fine Art Center.
AJ Yorio is a Cincinnati native who lives in the Mt Washington neighborhood with his wife Carolyn and son Luca. He wrote and composed his first song for full orchestra in the 7th grade and it was performed in concert for the community (special thanks to conductor and very-cool-middle-school-orchestra-instructor Alison Oprea).
Amanda has over 12 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Her initial focus was on planning fundraising events, and she transitioned to grant writing for several local organizations.
As a child growing up on the west side of Cincinnati, Amanda attended the Wyoming Fine Arts Center for piano instruction. She studied at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and graduated with a Bachelor of Science. She lives in Wyoming with her husband and two sons.
Anna Dunlap has served as the principal harpist of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra in Alabama since 2020 and has performed as a substitute harpist with orchestras throughout the greater Midwest region including the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and Nashville Opera. In May of 2023, she performed as a fellow in the National Arts Centre Orchestra Mentorship Program in Ottawa, Ontario, performing in two subscription programs with the NAC Orchestra. Passionate about contemporary music, Anna was a founding member of New Downbeat in Cincinnati, OH; performed the world premiere of Blue Flowers on the Flowing Water by Fang Man in 2022 for Intersection New Music of Nashville, TN; performed with the Pittsburgh New Music Ensemble for their recording of Sparrows by Joseph Schwantner in July of 2023; and has appeared with concert:nova in Cincinnati. She has performed as a concerto soloist in Cincinnati, OH; Baltimore, MD; and Rochester, NY, most recently performing the Debussy Danses Sacree et Profane with the Hopkins Concert Orchestra.
As a recipient of the prestigious Performer's Certificate from the Eastman School of Music, Anna was a featured soloist on WXXI Rochester's Backstage Pass in February 2018. She has previously attended Orford Musique where she studied with Jennifer Swartz and Caroline Lizotte and the Aspen Music Festival and School where she studied with Nancy Allen and Anneleen Lenaerts. Currently pursuing a DMA with a cognate in Arts Administration from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Anna earned her MM from CCM in the studio of Dr. Gillian Benet Sella, graduate certificate in Orchestral Performance and Digital Creation through OAcademy in the studio of Jennifer Swartz, and her BM from the Eastman School of Music in the studio of Professor Kathleen Bride.
Bobbie McTurner is an art and architectural historian (M.A. in Art History and double B.A. in Art History and Fine Arts from University of Cincinnati) who has served in various roles for nonprofit organizations and municipalities over the last 15 years. She is a former Executive Director of Cincinnati Preservation Association and served on the City of Cincinnati's Historic Conservation Board for several years. Other nonprofit involvement includes serving on the boards of ArtsWave, the Cincinnati Art League and the Carnegie Center of Columbia Tusculum. Bobbie enjoys helping non-profits strategize fundraising efforts and improve organizational development. Bobbie also has a long-standing appreciation for the arts, including a background as a visual artist.
Brad is 67 and a retired attorney, public school administrator, and adjunct professor at UC and Cincinnati State. He has been married for 45 years to his wife, Annie, who retired after 28 years as an elementary art teacher. They have three adult children and six grandchildren. Currently, they provide full time daycare and after-school care for the three local grandchildren (ages 7, 8, and 11) Both of his daughters played strings in high school (viola and bass) and both pursued fine arts in college. One with a BFA and one minored in ceramics. All three local grandkids have gone to art or music camps at WFAC and one takes piano lessons there.
His board experience includes four years on the Board of Crossroads Crisis Center in Lima, Ohio, eight years on the Finneytown Athletic Association board, six years on the Finneytown Board of Education, and currently as Secretary of the Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center (IJPC) in Over the Rhine.
Caroline comes from a family that is passionate about music. Her most prized possession is a pair of Klipsch cornerhorn speakers - the best way to listen to music… if you can't listen live. She is a civil right attorney with Friedman, Gilbert + Gerhardstein, where she represents those whose rights have been violated by the government, and when she isn't working, she likes to cook (which she does reasonably well) and garden (which she does quite badly). She lives in Wyoming with her husband, Nathan, and their daughter Josephine, who loves to come to art classes at the Center.
Cheryl Ann Raine is both a CCM and Miami graduate, with a Masters of Music Education in Supervision and a Major in Organ. She has been active as a music educator and church musician for over 40 years. Cheryl is in her 5th year as Organist at Fleming Road United Church of Christ.
After 10 years as an Adjunct Music Instructor at Mount Saint Joseph University , teaching Organ, Class Piano and Church music skills, she is focused on Piano Instruction at Wyoming Fine Arts Center with the Raine Music Studio at home.
Job Titles:
- Department / Music / Instrument or Specialty / Family Music / Piano / Instrument or Specialty: Musik Kids / Piano ( Ages 4 through Adult ) Voice ( Ages 9 through Adult )
- Faculty
Job Titles:
- Founding Director of the Mendelssohn Choir
Carolyn comes from a family of musicians including her grandfather, Dr. Ernest Lunt, the founding director of the Mendelssohn Choir in Pittsburgh. She received a scholarship and completed her B.S. in Vocal Performance and Piano from Heidelberg University. She attended University of Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music and received her M.A. in Music Education and Opera. Carolyn believes in a positive approach in teaching and that words of affirmaiton are key to any type of instruction.
In addition to vocal competitions, Carolyn has performed in Opera and Theater. She has directed children and adult choirs and has taught all levels of piano and voice students.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Innovation and Human Potential Consultant
Elise Edelman has worked as an Innovation and Human Potential Consultant for the past 8 years. She previously spent 24 years in Product Development at Procter & Gamble, where she uncovered consumer insights to guide technology development and bring products to market. Her experiences developing new product ideas led her to coach teams and leaders on strategy, creative problem solving, and holistic idea development. She specializes in assessing organizational dynamics and leadership coaching. She holds a BS degree in Chemical Engineering from The University of Toledo. She lives in Wyoming with her husband Ken and daughter Fiona, who participates in art and musical theatre classes.
Emily is a multimedia artist based in Dayton, Ohio, and she earned her Bachelors of Fine Arts graduate from the University of Cincinnati's Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning (DAAP) program in 2022. Some of her accomplishments include curating and facilitating a VR gallery space with over 65 international submissions and assisting with a mural project in Cincinnati in 2018. She has had her work displayed at the Tabula Rasa Gallery and a Puerto Rico- based university in 2019.
The prevailing themes within her body of work revolve around flora & fauna, human nature, and reflection. She is able to convey these various themes using texture, color, and form. Ultimately, she wishes to make art an accessible and fun manner of expression to any and all people.
Gayna Bassin teaches traditional violin and viola to students from age 6 to adult, with emphasis on reading skills, technique and musical styles. She has been on the faculty of the Wyoming Fine Arts Center since 1997.
Mrs. Bassin was a member of the First Violin section of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra for twenty years. She has performed as Concertmaster for Musica Sacra and the Cincinnati Community Orchestra. During college, she performed in many international music festivals, including Blossom (Kent State University, OH), Tanglewood (MA), the Casals Festival in Puerto Rico, and the Orchestra de les Jeunesses Musicales.
Mrs. Bassin has been a soloist with Cincinnati Community Orchestra,the Colorado Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Windsor Symphony. She has played many solo and chamber music recitals locally and is an active member of Matinée Musicale Cincinnati. She also plays klezmer violin in the Queen City Klezmorim band.
Mrs. Bassin received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Curtis Institute of Music, where she studied with Ivan Galamian, Jaime Laredo, and Jascha Brodsky. She received a Master of Music Degree from Indiana University at Bloomington, IN, where she studied with Josef Gingold. She has been coached in chamber music by members of the Guarneri, Curtis and Budapest Quartets.
A lifelong Wyoming resident, Jason Bartel grew up in a musical family and business. Jason's father Paul, founder of the Baroque Violin Shop, as well as the Wyoming Fine Arts Center, exposed Jason to his passion for the arts at an early age.
After growing up in the family retail store, the Baroque Violin Shop, he chose this as his career path after graduating from the University Of Cincinnati with a bachelor's degree in Industrial Design. In 2011, Jason took his passion for music, and his experience in the orchestral string retail shop, and combined them into a new business, Maple Leaf Strings.
Joe Robinson was born and raised in Cincinnati by a family of musicians and has studied guitar for 17 years. He also plays bass guitar, ukulele, percussion, as well as the keyboard/piano. You can find him inspiring, enlightening, and empowering others in individual lessons, group lessons and master classes. Joe takes an individualized approach with each student to help them build the skills they need to progress and the passion for them to succeed in achieving their goals.
Since 2018, Joe has been writing, recording, arranging, and distributing his own original music under the alias Coupe Knoobe. He is inspired by all genres of music, as well as the artistry that goes into the recording, engineering, and producing process. His goal is to not only teach how to play instruments, but to instruct students on how to be creative musicians! Outside of music, Joe enjoys spending quality time with the love of his life Katie, two beautiful daughters Teagan and Rowan, and four fur babies!
Julia Green is an artist and designer based out of the Cincinnati, OH area. She attended the University of Cincinnati, where she earned both her bachelor's degree in Fashion Design and her Master of Design (MDES) degree. She has since put her skills to use at locations such as Nordstrom, the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, and Artonomy. Julia returned to UC as an Adjunct Professor in 2013, where she taught Foundation Drawing, Fashion Drawing, Design Communication, and much more!
Currently, Julia is the founder and CEO of (DSGN)Cllctv, a gallery, retailer, event and production space with the intention of serving the greater creative good in Cincinnati, OH. She also continues to teach as a private instructor, showing students the basics of drawing, animation, fashion, and design.
Katie has a proven track record of meaningful engagement as a social media and marketing professional. Her background in retail management helped develop strengths in relationship management and community building as well as skills in sales and promotion. Katie used these to her advantage in Real Estate and obtained her Real Estate Salesperson Licence from Hondros College of Business in 2015.
At a young age, Katie became a lover of the arts. She sang Soprano for her church and eventually learned Saxophone and Piano. At Princeton High School she sang in the A Capella Choir and competed as a solo vocalist.
She is passionate about community engagement and regularly spends her time volunteering with the Springdale Youth Boosters, serving as the Secretary for the Springdale Elementary PTA, and is a local multi-level Troop Leader for the Girl Scouts of America.
Kerri Bram, a veteran artist and art educator, is the owner of Tea Stained Studio, a stained glass studio located in the Clifton/University Heights area of Cincinnati, Ohio. After spending 17 years teaching in the traditional classroom, decided it was time to start focusing on producing on her own. Kerri specializes in the design, construction and repair of architectural stained glass windows.
As an artist, she uses natural elements as the media for her work (glass, metal, rocks, wood and fibers) to alter both one's perspective and relationship with their environment. Whether it be through her sculptures or her windows, I hope to stimulate a sense of place in the environment.
And, at the end of the day, Kerri loves the sound of breaking glass.
Kevin Patrick is a well rounded, and experienced bass/saxophone player that has been performing around the Greater Cincinnati area for the past seven years. He has worked with many groups from various genres including the Tyler Moore Band, Amy Sailor Band, Ethan and Joey, Jersey Joe with Steel Away, and Crocodile Smile. His work with these groups has allowed him to learn how the music industry operates while also perfecting his craft with over 150 public performances each year. Some of his notable performances include opening up for artists such as Gretchen Wilson, Thomas Rhett, Colt Ford, and Parmalee, and Bailey Zimmerman. Kevin can also be seen performing at the Hard Rock Cafe in Cincinnati every month, where he has been able to perform and record many commercials on the Cafe stage.
Kevin started studying music in specialized performance schools when he was 15 years old. In 2015, during his junior year of high school, Kevin was accepted into the Music Performance program at Butler Tech School of the Arts. During his time at this school, he was able to develop enough skills to continue his studies into the collegiate level. Kevin attended Northern Kentucky University with a major in Music Education with an Emphasis in Jazz Bass. He had the pleasure to study with some of best educators in town such as Mr. Bill Jackson (jazz) and Dr. Ian Saunders (classical). Kevin currently teaches students of all different grade levels and abilities, serving as K-8 Music Teacher at Orion Academy in Cincinnati, Ohio.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Artist
Kim Hennessy is an artist and educator living in Wyoming, Ohio. A native Cincinnatian, Kim has a BFA in studio art from DAAP at the University of Cincinnati and an MFA in painting and installation from the University of Massachusetts. Kim spent ten years in Massachusetts and New York City, balancing her time between making art, working as a freelance graphic designer and teaching. Selected exhibition cities include NYC, Boston, Seattle, Houston, Las Vegas and Portland. Kim is the co-creator of SoftSpot, a digital curatorial space. Kim is AMS Montessori certified, and she loves combining visual arts and the Montessori philosophy. She developed curriculum for and instructed programs at the Essex Art Center in Boston, Massachusetts and West Side Montessori school in NYC, and currently runs the art program at Terry's Montessori School in Wyoming, Ohio. She has two children who love creating art projects on every surface of the house, putting on musical extravaganzas at mealtime, and generally bringing comedy and drama to all moments.
Krista Helton is a professional quilter with over 17 years of sewing experience. She is a self-made entrepreneur and started a successful quilting business from her home in Tampa in 2007. As a philanthropist, she has made and donated ribbon quilts to various hospitals throughout the state of Florida.
Krista is a graduate of The School of Advertising Art. She worked as a graphic designer for 10 years before focusing on her love of sewing and quilting through her projects and youth sewing lessons she has conducted since 2019.
Job Titles:
- Attorney
- Member of the Board
Kyle Michael is an attorney with The Cincinnati Insurance Company. He attended the University of Cincinnati and the Indiana University Maurer School of Law, and is a graduate of the Leadership Council for Nonprofits' Board Orientation and Leadership Development (BOLD) program. Kyle lives in Pleasant Ridge with his wife, Katie, and two children.
Lydia is an artist, educator, and avid creative based in Westwood, Cincinnati. She received her Bachelor's of Fine Arts from the Art Academy of Cincinnati in Drawing, with extensive studies in Printmaking and Art History. A creative jack-of-all-trades, her current exploration includes drawing, print media, embroidery, and textiles.
An educator at heart, Lydia's true passions lie in fostering community, connection, and understanding through creative exchanges. She brings 12 years of experience in nonprofit administration and education, specializing in youth programs; including extensive work with the Art Academy of Cincinnati's Community Education department, Artworks, Contemporary Arts Center, and the Cincinnati Hamilton County Public Library.
Curious and a natural problem solver, she is an avid reader and hobbyist researcher. In her free time, she enjoys baking, exploring nature, camping, gardening, and archery.
She aims to pursue a Masters degree in arts education with a focus in museum studies, and is training for a wildlife rehabilitation certification!
Mariia Demash holds a Master's degree in Music, obtained from the Academy of Arts in Kyiv, Ukraine. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor's degree at UNTAM Tchaikovsky in Kyiv, Ukraine. She is an exceptional musician specializing in viola and also skilled in violin and piano. Hailing from Donetsk, Ukraine, she brings her passion for music and European musical expertise to the United States. She boasts a wealth of experience and recognition from prestigious orchestras and opera studios. From October 2018 to February 2022, she served as an orchestra member at the Opera Studio of the National Academy of Music in Kyiv, Ukraine. Building on her international experience, she expanded her horizons as an orchestra member at the North Bohemian Theater of Opera and Ballet in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic, from March 2022 to August 2022. Mariia has actively participated in numerous concert tours and music festivals, with some of the highlights including Opera Fest at the castle in Bratislava, Slovakia, solo skits in Prague, Czech Republic, and a rock concert as Alesh Bright in Usti nad Labem, Czech Republic. She has garnered prestigious awards and prizes for her solo performances in international contests, receiving the 1st prize as a soloist in Autumn Leaf Fall in Mariupol, Ukraine, and Seasons in Kyiv, Ukraine. Mariia is dedicated to inspiring and nurturing young talent as she teaches children at the Wyoming Fine Arts Center. Her passion, expertise, and commitment make her an ideal mentor for aspiring musicians.
Mike Wade, also known as "Shorty Bop", is a professional trumpeter that can play funky grooves that make you want to swing! He began playing trumpet in his pre-teen years. While attending the Duke Ellington School of Arts in Washington, D.C, he received a National Symphony Fellowship to study with symphony trumpeters. He attended Central State University on a full scholarship to earn a bachelor's in music education. After that, he earned a Graduate degree in Classical Trumpet Performance from the University of Cincinnati Conservatory of Music. Since then, he has made a name for himself as a producer, composer, arranger, and educator.
Mr. Wade has over 20 years of experience teaching at Withrow International High School, while also being a private music instructor. He is the founder and leader of three groups: The Standard Time Jazz Quintet, Mike Wade & The Reality Band, and Mike Wade & The Jazz Mafia. He has been named as one of the top ten unsigned jazz and brass players by Jazziz Magazine. He has performed and/or recorded with artists such as David "Fathead" Newman, Clark Terry, Javon Jackson, and many others. He has also performed on Black Entertainment Television (BET) Jazz Discovery show and WOSU Jazz Voices television series.
A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, Mrs. Stella Bardetti received her B.A. in Music (Piano) and Certificate in Piano Pedagogy from the Northern Kentucky University. She also studied piano at the Chautauqua Music Festival in 1998 and 1999 where she received the Eleanor B. Daugherty Scholarship both times. In 2000, Mrs. Bardetti was a semi-finalist in the Eastern Ukraine International Piano Competition in Luhansk, Ukraine. She is a sought-after guest lecturer on the topics of Music Theory and the benefits of Early Music Education as well as an experienced adjudicator for various piano competitions and juried events. Mrs. Bardetti is a Certified Musikgarten Instructor. Various music festivals throughout the world that she has participated in include: Chautauqua Music Festival at the Chautauqua Institution in NY, the Amalfi Coast Music Festival in Vietri sul Mare, Italy; KIIS in Salzburg, Austria; and the Aub Chamber Music Festival in Aub, Germany. The 2022-23 school year marks Mrs. Bardetti's 25th year teaching Piano and she is an active member of Music Teachers National Association. She also taught Voice for 7 years. From 2013 - 2014, she was a Representative for Steinway & Sons Pianos in the Tri-State area, and received intensive sales training at the famous Steinway & Sons factory in Queens, New York. Her duties for Steinway included organizing the Steinway Young Artist Concert Series, event planning, and being the liaison for all of the Steinway Artists who came to town to perform with the CSO and other organizations. A highlight of being a Steinway Representative was when she was given the high honor of being in charge of the famous Horowitz Steinway (CD503) when it came to the Greater Cincinnati area in 2013. As a pianist and vocalist, she has performed in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, Ukraine, and France. A few years ago, Mrs. Bardetti became a licensed Musikgarten teacher. A lifelong learner, she is currently a student of concert pianist Luiz de Moura Castro in Hartford, CT. Mrs. Bardetti and her husband, Michael, enjoy time with their family and friends, cooking, movies, and traveling.
A Cincinnati native, Peter McCutcheon began playing double bass as a way to learn a musical instrument but keep a safe distance from his older brother who played violin. Quickly, Mr. McCutcheon became passionate in performance, and at the age of 13 he debuted with the Cincinnati Community Orchestra, performing Mahler's 1st Symphony and Holst's The Planets. Over a decade later, Mr. McCutcheon has performed with various local orchestras, including the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and the Queen City Chamber Orchestra.
Before attending college at the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music (CCM), Mr. McCutcheon became interested in pedagogy when he began teaching private lessons to younger bassists. At the age of 18, he became Suzuki certified, becoming the only Suzuki-accredited double bass teacher in Cincinnati at the time.
Alongside being a double bass specialist, Mr. McCutcheon has incorporated his love of music into his faith. He is an active member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, where he can be seen playing bass guitar and double bass, arranging music, leading youth ministry, and other various musical tasks when called upon. More recently, he has taken on the role of Worship and Music Administrative Assistant, and now works actively each week in the planning and organization that goes into each worship service.
Mr. McCutcheon received his pre-collegiate instruction from Dayton Philharmonic principal bassist Debbie Taylor. He has earned a Bachelor of Music from CCM, and is now working towards his Masters degree, studying under Rachel Calin. During his Masters, Mr. McCutcheon is also serving as a Graduate Assistant of Music Education, where he can be found teaching String Methods to undergraduate music education majors. It was during his experience as a Graduate Assistant that Mr. McCutcheon grew fond of all of the instruments in the strings family, and now has multiple years of experience playing and teaching violin, viola, and cello in addition to his double bass expertise.
When not thinking about bass or music, Mr. McCutcheon enjoys solving advanced Sudoku puzzles, collecting vintage books, and collecting vinyl records.
Preston Charles III is a violinist that has had the best of both worlds; a standard private education in classical music and Suzuki as well as contemporary forms of music performance. This includes jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop, and pop. Performing since he was four, Preston's passion for music encompasses a wide variety of musical interests from musical composition to playing flute and piano.
Preston realized his dream when he established Make It Happen Music in 2012. He is one of the city's most active performers. Recent projects include: Blink 2022 (performing artist) in collaboration with Triple Sonicz and OTR Alit, the Cincinnati Hip Hop Orchestra in partnership with Elementz, Black and Brown Artist Grant ArtsWave award Recipient for film and music production, Cincinnati Music Accelerator, Maestro of Tomorrow judge, Books Alive, The Street Stage Project for CMA/ 3CDC, CSO MAC Award and opening for CSO Pops, the Conner Prairie Museum Center in Indiana for music composition and production, Double Forte Musician and Make Music Cincinnati.
Ramona is a knowledgeable and proven nonprofit leader. She brings experience and a solid track record in grant-writing, fundraising, and community engagement. Her genuine passion for the arts and arts education has fueled a successful career of over 25 years, including work at the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and Cincinnati Music Hall. She serves on several nonprofit art organization boards and enjoys personal artistic pursuits in music, dance, and theatre performance.
"Everything in the world is created twice, a vision in the mind and again in the world. Creativity is the source of everything. I am thrilled to take my vision of community engagement to the Wyoming Fine Arts Center".
Serenity is a dynamic group instructor, teaching groups of students the art of songwriting. She is also versed in teaching students to compose using not only their own voice, but also on piano, ukulele, and guitar.
Spencer is a working musician. Outside of lessons, he plays across the Midwest with Zack Attack, the "Greatest Throwback Party Band Ever." With Zack Attack, Spencer regularly plays clubs and casinos, weddings, private parties, and corporate events. At weddings, Spencer often provides lovely instrumental ceremony music, or lively instrumental cocktail music.
Spencer plays as a soloist for private parties and events, performing jazz, classical, and solo guitar arrangements of popular songs. His "solo career" has had him performing at some of the most beautiful destinations for weddings and private parties across New England and the Midwest.
As a performer, Spencer has gained valuable experiences that he gladly shares with his students. Through work with cover and event bands, Spencer has had to learn to transcribe by ear and prepare guitar parts to be performance ready. In lessons, he uses this training to transcribe songs that students want to learn. Through his work as a soloist, Spencer has had to arrange entire ensembles into a single guitar part. In lessons, he can arrange a guitar part to a particular student's skill level. His transcription and arrangement skills allow students to learn almost any song they please.
Spencer doesn't just teach how to play songs, but finds connections between songs, patterns in songwriting and guitar parts, and directs each student's lesson plan along a smooth arc of learning. This allows students to hone old skills while tackling new skills.
Rather than just playing guitar, Spencer understands music. In part, this is due to his experience as a professional musician, but he also benefits from a Master of Music in Music Education (Boston University, 2013), and a Bachelor of Arts in Music (Otterbein University, 2006). The balance of higher education and practical application of that education has given Spencer a broad, open-minded approach to music and music education.
Valerie received her Bachelor of Music from SUNY Potsdam, and her Master of Science in Education with a concentration in music education from the University of Dayton. Suzuki Piano Teacher Training, levels 1 through 6, was pursued at Capital University. Further professional development includes Kodaly music education from the Kodaly Institute at Silver Lake College, and Orff -Schulwerk music education. Additionally, Valerie is a licensed and certified Musikgarten instructor. As an Ohio certified teacher of Music Education, K-12, she has taught in both public and private schools. Her professional experiences also include over 20 years as a liturgical choir director, choral accompanist, and ballet school accompanist.
Wendy is an Equity stage manager who has been a part of numerous productions at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, and Dayton's Human Race Theatre Company. She has worked for Cincinnati Ballet as Company Manager and Production Manager and Cincinnati Arts Association as Event Supervisor/Manager on Duty at Music Hall. Wendy has stage managed in Chicago, toured nationally, and managed corporate special events. Since 2011, she has taught a course nicknamed "The Biz of the Biz," also known as Survival Skills for the Freelancer, at UC's College-Conservatory of Music. Her sons Sam and Spencer Bowden grew up taking lessons at the Center and are now continuing their musicianship at the college level. Wendy is a past board member of the Wyoming School Music Association and a graduate of Northwestern University.
As a Starling Competition first prize winner, Yuko studied at CCM where she completed her Bachelor's degree in Violin Performance. While at CCM, Yuko was the concerto competition winner and performed the Tchaikovsky violin concerto with the Philharmonia Orchestra. Upon completion of her studies at CCM, Yuko went on to receive Master's Degree in Violin Performance from Indiana University with Violin Pedagogy as a cognate field. Her teachers include Naoko Tanaka, Franco Gulli and Won Bin Yim. Yuko is also a former member of the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra and has been on faculty at the Center since 1997.