Click on the faculty members name to contact them via email
Dianna Babcock, Director of Early Childhood Music (ECM) & Instructor has worked in the early childhood music department since 1990. For 22 years, she has been an early childhood educator and teacher in the Twin Cities area. Dianna has degrees in music and psychology, with an emphasis in child psychology. In 1997, she completed her Masters of Education (MEd) in Early Childhood Education with a Pre-K licensure from the University of Minnesota. Dianna frequently conducts early childhood music workshops at conferences and early learning programs throughout the Midwest..
Dan Abdon, Early Childhood Music, received his BFA in Music Theatre at Webster University Conservatory of Theatre Arts in St. Louis, MO. He has been an active actor in several theatrical performances throughout the area, as well as vocalist & pianist. Dan taught at MacPhail for a few years in the early childhood arts department and as a piano for children and community partnership instructor. Dan is returning to MacPhail after focusing his time on teaching at Spring Hill Waldorf School in Excelsior, MN. Dan has also been teaching private piano in his studio called From The Heart Music Services.
Amanda Breininger, earned a Bachelor of Music with a Theater Arts minor from Augsburg College. She has worked in a variety of musical settings as a performer, vocal and piano instructor, bell choir director and curriculum writer. She has also worked as a nanny to very young children and children with special needs.
Erin Campbell, ecm assistant
Jessica Cherne, ecm instructor, received her Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio. She received her Board Certification in Music Therapy in May, 2003. Prior to joining the MacPhail Music Therapy and Early Childhood Arts faculty in 2005, Jessica worked as a contract music therapist for Music Therapy Enrichment Center, Inc. in Westlake, Ohio. Jessica has worked with people from a broad range of age groups and with a variety of needs and disabilities. She sings and plays the keyboard, guitar, and flute. Jessica is currently working toward her Master of Arts in Special Education at the University of St. Thomas.
Katie Condon –Katie has a BA in music/piano performance from the University of St Thomas and a MM (masters of music) in musicology from Northwestern University. Her experience includes classroom music teaching, private piano instruction, and early childhood music. Katie spent a year teaching in Vienna, Austria through the Fulbright program. In addition to her work at MacPhail, she is narrator and education consultant for the WAMSO /Minnesota Orchestral Association Kinder Konzert series. Previous performing experience includes work with Minnesota Film Arts, Zenon Dance Company, and Landmark Center. Every summer, she composes an original musical for the Summer Youth Theatre in Watertown, MN.
Angela Crofoot received her Bachelor of Arts in Music Therapy from the University of Minnesota. Angela has worked as a lead preschool teacher, a music therapist, a Sunday school music coordinator and a private piano and flute instructor. Prior to joining the MacPhail Early Childhood Arts faculty in 2005, Angela worked at All God’s Children Learning Center as a preschool teacher and music therapist. She sings and plays the flute, organ, guitar, and piano.
Karena Ferrier, ecm instructor, holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance from St.Olaf College in Northfield, Minnestoa, where she was the winner of concerto competitions with both the St. Olaf Philharmonia and the St. Olaf Orchestra. She has also done graduate studies at the University of Minnesota, studying violin performance as a student of Sally O'Reilly and Suzuki Pedagogy with Mark Bjork. Her studies also include summers at the Aspen Music Festival, the Chataqua Institute in New York, Bravo! Summer Music Festival at the University of Minnesota, and the American Suzuki Institute in Steven's Point, Wisconsin. She is a faculty member at MacPhail Center for Music in the Early Childhood Music Department. In addition, she is both a violin and viola instructor as well as acccompanist with the Augsburg College Suzuki Talent Education Program, and violist of the String Quartet con Passione.
Rebekah Butter Grathwol, has been hired as an ECM teacher. Rebekah has a B.A. in Music Education from the College of St. Catherine with a K-12 licensure. She taught elementary school music at Cottage Grove Elementary in Cottage Grove, MN and Sheridan Hills Elementary in Richfield. Rebekah also teaches in the Community Partnership program at MacPhail.
Cari Gregerson, ecm assistant
Paula Gudmundson, Flutist, is an active performer in the Twin Cities and teaching artist at MacPhail Center for Music. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Flute Performance at the University of Minnesota with Immanuel Davis as a Berneking Fellowship recipient.
Paula holds a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Lawrence University and a Masters of Music in Flute Performance from the University of North Texas. She has received numerous awards including; University of North Texas Wind Studies Scholarship (1999-2001), Lawrence University Martin King Award (1999), Susan J. Parthum Memorial Scholarship(1998), Lawrence University President’s Prize (1998), Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM) Minority Fellowship (Summer 1997), and Lawrence University Conservatory of Music Scholarship (1995-1999).She has served as a board member of the Upper Midwest Flute Association (UMFA) and as Chair of the Visual Documentation Committee of the National Flute Association (2003-2007).
Paula has performed in masterclass for Jeanne Baxtresser, Carol Wincenc, Keith Underwood, Jeffery Kahner, and Jim Walker. Her major teachers include Valerie Watts, Adrianne Greenbaum, Alex Ogle, Ernestine Whitman, Terri Sundberg and Immanuel Davis.
www.paulagudmundson.com
Cheryl Henningsgaard , M. S., B.M.T., MT-BC, has worked in the field of early childhood and early childhood music for over 25 years as a board certified music therapist, pre-kindergarten and early childhood special educator. Cheryl holds a bachelor of arts in music and music therapy from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 1982; registration and board certification as music therapist, 1982 - present, and master of science degree in child and family studies from St. Cloud State University with teaching licenses in pre-kindergarten and early childhood special education, 1997 - present.
Cheryl Henningsgaard has been a member of the MacPhail Center for Music Early Childhood Music Faculty since 2000. Her professional activities include: early childhood music instructor, curriculum development, teacher training mentor, and community partnership instructor (Wilder Child Development Center). Cheryl also conducts Early Childhood Music workshops, and consults for MacPhail. Cheryl's musicianship includes piano, guitar (6 and 12 string), violin, and voice. Cheryl is a Life Patron of the International Harp Guitar Society.
Nicholas A. Johnson, Music Therapist, MT-BC, NMT
Nicholas joined MacPhail Center for Music in the fall of 2003. He has had the opportunity to serve individuals, groups, and emerging partnerships through the music therapy department. In the fall of 2004, Mr. Johnson joined the Early Childhood Music faculty and teaches music for young children and families. He earned his bachelor of music therapy degree from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire, and completed training in Neurological Music Therapy through the Center for Biomedical Research in Music. Johnson came to MacPhail from Fairview University Medical Center - Adolescent Mental Health Unit where he served as the lead music therapist. Prior to the Medical Center, he was with the Parkinson’s and Hospice teams at Park Nicolett Health Systems. Johnson works in Wisconsin as an independent contractor for individual guitar instruction in jazz, blues, rock and folk genres. Currently he performs in an acoustic duo and in a five piece rock ensemble.
Lindsay Kennedy, ecm instructor
Miya Kunin, ecm assistant
Yelena Martinez, ecm assistant
Carla Merkow, ecm resource coordinator, assistant
Joy Moeller, ecm instructor, received her B.A. in Elementary Education from Ottawa University, where, as a violin student of Alice Joy Lewis, she also trained in Suzuki Pedagogy. Other teacher preparation has included short-term Suzuki teacher training at Ottawa University and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, and graduate studies in Child Development and Literacy Education at the University of Minnesota. A MacPhail faculty member since 1985, she currently divides her teaching focus among the Suzuki and Early Childhood Music departments and is on MacPhail's roster of "Community Partnerships" teaching artists. She has a special interest in collaborations that bring music educators together with Literacy and ELL initiatives in the schools and the community.
Karen Moon, violin & viola, joined the MacPhail Faculty in 1994 after graduating summa cum laude from Augsburg College with a Bachelor of Music degree. Karen loves teaching students of all ages (5-85!) who possess a passion for music and the desire to learn. In addition to private lessons, she teaches Violin for Children classes at Ascension School in partnership with MacPhail. She created and ran the string program at City of Lakes Waldorf School from 2002- 2008 working with students in grades 3-8. Karen enjoys an active free lance performing schedule as well as teaching. She has been playing in the violin section of the Minneapolis Civic Orchestra since 1993. She founded, manages and performs with Quartet Spiritoso, performs with many various chamber ensembles and occasionally a local band. During the summer, Karen coaches chamber music and coordinates the String Academy and String Chamber Camps at MacPhail. Her teachers and mentors include: Mary Horozaniecki, Mary West, Stella Anderson, Nancy Lokken and Sarah Hersh.
Sarah Hruska Olsonhas been a member of MacPhail’s Early Childhood Arts department since 1997. Sarah also teaches general music to K-4 students at Paideia Academy and New City School through the MacPhail Community Partnerships program. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and music from Lawrence University, a Master of Music in voice from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Minnesota. She has completed all three levels of Orff-Schulwerk training at the University of Saint Thomas. Sarah loves teaching music to young children and tries to stay active as a singer as well. Currently, she studies voice at MacPhail with Mary Laymon..
Frances Ouellette, has taught within MacPhail’s Early Childhood Department since 1976. She has developed and taught MacPhail’s Early Childhood Creative Movement programs since 1977. Fran has had over 40 years of dance training, including modern dance, composition, improvisation and ballet, and spent seven years as a professional dance performer and choreographer. Fran’s dance teaching experience includes over 20 years in the St. Paul Public Elementary Schools and several Twin Cities preschools. She has been a teacher-trainer and dance curriculum writer since 1977. Fran earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Design from the University of Minnesota.
Nora Paoli, Early Childhood Music, received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota with a minor in Anthropology. She completed her K-12 Music Education licensure at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul, Minnesota. Nora has been a music educator for the last 10 years with experience teaching preschoolers and school age students. She has is an active performer and songwriter, and released a CD of her own compositions entitled "Panoramic." Nora has also been an active choral singer in the Twin Cities and has sung with the Minnesota Chorale and the Oratorio Society. Nora joined MacPhail as an early childhood music teacher and community partnership educator.
Kara Phipps, ecm assistant
Emilie Schlaefer, ecm assistant
Erin Shields, ecm assistant
Jeremy Swider, ecm instructor, has taught at MacPhail since 2001, teaching private students on violin and viola, and coaching chamber music ensembles. He has been serving as MacPhail’s Coordinator of Chamber Music since the summer of 2008, as well as the Adult Chamber Music Camp Coordinator since 2007. Jeremy has been on the faculty at MacPhail’s String Academy and String Chamber Music Summer Camps. He also teaches beginning violin classes through MacPhail’s Early Childhood Music partnership program at Ascension School in North Minneapolis. Jeremy performs regularly in the String Quartet con Passione with his wife, violinist Krista Broadway Swider. He can also be heard playing in a contemporary Christian improvisational style twice a month with his church’s worship team at Bethel Christian Fellowship in Saint Paul. Jeremy has given multiple recitals with pianists Gail Olszewski and Ann DuHamel, and has also performed recently in collaborations with pianists Sarah Miller and Jason Alfred and with violist Karena Ferrier. He is a former member of the Woodlands Symphony Orchestra and the Brazos Valley Symphony, both in Texas. Jeremy received a Bachelor of Music, Summa Cum Laude, in Applied Violin and Composition from the University of Houston and a Master of Music degree in Performance from the University of Minnesota, where he served as one of the concertmasters of the orchestra. He has also attended several music festivals, including the Round Top Festival-Institute, the American Sinfonietta Performance Academy, the ENCORE School for Strings, and the University of Minnesota’s BRAVO! Summer String and Keyboard Institute. His teachers have included Young-Nam Kim, Andrzej Grabiec, Mary West, David Russell, and Judith Ingolfsson.
Jennifer Sylvester, has been hired as an ECM teacher. She has a B.A. in Music from Concordia College in Moorhead, MN and has her Orff Schulwerk certification, has taken several graduate courses in Kodaly, vocal pedagogy and early childhood music. Jennifer taught early childhood music and has conducted early childhood music workshops at The da Vinci School in Dallas, TX, and most recently has worked at East Metro Music Academy. She sings in the Minnesota Choral and other performing groups in the Twin Cities. Jennifer also teaches in the Community Partnerships program at MacPhail.
Weini Tekeste, ecm assistant
Katelyn Torrell, ecm assistant
Yelena Tsvetovat, ecm instructor, received her B.A. in Music Pedagogy College in St.-Petersburg, Russia. Her graduate education includes studies in Piano Performance and Piano Pedagogy in Saratov Conservatory of Music, and an M.A. in Child Physiology from Pedagogy University St.-Petersburg, Russia.
As a certified Piano and Kinder Music Teacher she worked in several Montessori schools,as well as teaching piano in her private music studio. Her students participate in National Music Club Federation Festival. Yelena is a member of NMTA and MMTA.
Yelena has been an Early Childhood Music faculty member at MacPhail since 1992.
Jessica Warren, ecm assistant
Sandy Waterman received her B.S. in music education at the University of Minnesota with certification to teach K-12 vocal/general music in Minnesota. She is a composer of children’s musicals and writes and directs a children’s show annually at Unity Church-Unitarian in St. Paul, since 1990. Ms. Waterman also designs and teaches classes for music and theater students at the White Bear Lake summer program. She directs for Stepping Stone Theatre and Brooklyn United Methodist Church.
Brent Weaver began taking guitar lessons at age 12. After completing a bachelor of arts degree in music from California State University, Sacramento in 1980, he moved to Nevada City, California where he worked as a guitar and elementary school music teacher. In 1996, Brent finished his master of music education degree from Holy Names College in Oakland, California. Soon after, he moved to Minnesota and began teaching at MacPhail Center for Music. Brent has studied guitar with Jose Rey de la Torre, John Majors, Alan Johnston and Chris Kachain. He teaches private guitar lessons and Early Childhood Music classes through the MacPhail community partnership program.
