HARMONY MADISON - Key Persons

Job Titles:

• Director of Violin Program, Faculty

Bonnie Greene, has been teaching strings and piano over a long career in public schools, community organizations, and her private studio. She focused her teaching efforts on bringing the joys and benefits of music-making to urban children, providing music instruments, lessons, performance opportunities, and financial support. She founded and served as Director for Madison Music Makers, which, since 2007, has provided music education opportunities to Madison area youth. Her focus musically is the use of culturally and musically diverse repertoire, arranging and composing jazz, folk, and fiddle style pieces for beginners as well as for larger ensembles and orchestras. She was recognized as a "Fellow" by the Encore organization, honoring her community service beyond retirement age. Learn more at greenestrings.com Laurie Lang is a teaching and performing artist with years of experience working with children in joyful ways. She sees music and improvisation as a key to awakening the full potential of an individual. You can find Laurie in multiple settings from being a performer in a local club to an artist-in-residence in an elementary school, from running the community jazz jam, to leading a multigenerational church music group. Laurie serves as a board member on the Madison Jazz Society, Madison Jazz Jam and the Friends of COPA. Learn more here: laurielangmusic.com

Chris Wagoner has been an in-demand multi-instrumental session musician, performer and music educator in the upper Midwest for over three decades - teaching privately and leading music clinics - and is currently co-director of the Creative Strings Collective and Turtle Tunes (a music student-teaching special project) at Beloit College. Chris is the author of "The Hal Leonard Fiddle Method: Book 1" widely available in music stores in the US and abroad. Past performance ensembles range from folk, jazz, and classical to blues, rock and world musics. Chris and his wife, Mary Gaines, perform vintage jazz, blues and original Americana as "Gaines & Wagoner". Learn more at: gainesandwagoner.com

Cooper Talbot has since 2014 hosted a WORT radio show in Madison. Her interest in music and musicians along with her work as Producer, Engineer, Fund Raiser/Organizer and Mentor has resulted in five awards from the Madison Area Music Association. Cooper is a native Spanish speaker and has a long work history of supporting teen foster children and adults with various physical challenges. She is an experienced administer with a lifetime focus on those individuals in our society who need support. She has worked as a program leader offering academic support in math and reading to young students, and has been recognized for her athletic achievements. Currently she serves as a coach for GIRLS ROCK CAMP in Madison. She has excelled in athletics, science and language.

Job Titles:

• Director
• Consultant for COPA

Steve Sveum, Director stevesveummusic@gmail.com steve-sveum-bio Laurie Lang, Site Director, Faculty, Eurythmics jazzbassmama@gmail.com laurielangmusic.com Steve Sveum is an educational consultant for COPA and director of the "Harmony Madison At COPA" project. Mr Sveum taught for 35 years in the Sun Prairie Area School District as a high school band and jazz director. He received the Downbeat Magazine Achievement Award for Jazz Education in 2014 as well as the Wisconsin Award for Excellence in Teaching Music in 2020. Mr. Sveum has been a faculty member at the Birch Creek Music Academy in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Band Director Academy in New York, St. Louis, Mesa and Calgary, Alberta, Canada. His jazz ensemble was a 13 time national finalist at the "Essentially Ellington" national jazz festival competition in New York. His groups have played feature performances at the Overture Center in Madison and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the Midwest Clinic in Chicago and Carnegie Hall in New York. Mr Sveum is passionate about the positive impact of music on the person, the brain and building communities and understanding. Learn more at: steve-sveum-bio