Bios

___________________________________________________________ 2009 Festival Band Conductor

Daniel (Dan) Bell has taught for 19 years in the districts of Fort Lupton (CO), Rangeview HS (Aurora), and Cheyenne Mountain (Colorado Springs) as a high school assistant and junior high band director. In the past 10 years, Mr. Bell’s jazz band and symphonic band have performed for the Colorado Music Educator’s Clinic/Conference five times, including this year at the 2007 convention with the Cheyenne Mtn. JH jazz band. The Cheyenne Mountain JH Symphonic Band was a featured band at last summer’s American School Band Director’s Association (ASBDA) national convention in Colorado Springs.

Dan has been a regular member of the staff at the Colorado State Rocky Mountain Summer Music Camp as the jazz project coordinator and director of Jazz I, II, and IV, has a trumpet and french horn private studio, and appears frequently with area honor bands. He is an experienced adjudicator at jazz and concert festivals and competitions, and has presented workshops for IAJE’s Teacher Training Institute in Kansas City, the Wyoming Music Educators All-State Convention, Colorado Bandmaster’s Association summer convention, and the Colorado Music Educator’s Association conference and clinic. Mr. Bell is a member of CMEA, IAJE, CBA, Phi Beta Mu, and ASBDA. Mr. Bell conducts the musicals at Cheyenne Mountain High School, performs in the Pikes Peak region as a freelance trumpet player, and is 2nd trumpet in the Colorado Springs Chamber Orchestra.

Mrs. Kim Davis is an original co-founder of the Core Knowledge Arts Festival. She is currently the principal of Banning Lewis Ranch Academy in Colorado Springs.

As a long-time musician and lover of the arts, she has always been active in this field. After receiving her degree in church music/music performance at Eastern Nazarene College, she has been in education for 17 years.

Mrs. Davis has worked with many different age groups and has been the Music Minister in a numerous church communities. Mrs. Davis has also presented at Core Knowledge Conferences to statewide audiences of music educators. In addition to principal, her professional titles have ranged from music history teacher, to choir and band instructor, and private voice and piano instructor. She is a mother of 3 children, ages 17, 16 and 12 and has been married to her husband, Dave, for 18 years.

Katharine Mason enjoys a career that combines both performing and teaching strings. As a Violist, she has had the opportunity to be involved with almost every aspect of the profession - orchestral and chamber music performance, university teaching, public school teaching, and running a private studio using both Suzuki and traditional approaches. She is currently enjoying a new professional incarnation --learning about jazz and bluegrass string playing.

Dr. Mason is a 7th generation professional musician. She holds a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction (String Education) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the Master of Music in Viola performance from the University of Illinois and undergraduate degrees in Performance and Music Education from Murray State University in Kentucky. Currently in her 12th year as string teacher in the Boulder Valley School District, she has previously held faculty positions at the University of Colorado in Boulder, Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA, and Urbana, Illinois School District #116. As a Violist, Dr. Mason has free-lanced in Illinois, Wisconsin and Philadelphia, and is an active performer in the Denver area, having played regularly with such groups as the Colorado Symphony, the Colorado Music Festival, the Wexford Piano Quartet (founding member) and the Denver Center Theatre Company.

Dr. Mason’s professional service includes President of the Colorado Unit of ASTA with NSOA, eleven years as a Board Member of the Colorado Music Educators Association, seven years as Colorado All-State Orchestra chair, two years as competition chair for the Rocky Mountain Viola Society, as well as many other state and national committees. She is currently Member-at-Large on the National Board of the American String Teachers Association. Her favorite activity is to be home with her husband, Jeff, their two children, Haley and Scott, and their 2 dogs and 3 cats.

Anne was born and raised in rural Wisconsin. She received her bachelor’s degree is from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, where she studied jewelry and metalsmithing with Fred Fenster and Eleanor Moty. During her time at the university, she had the opportunity to study abroad for one semester in Florence, Italy. It was here that Anne was able to visit with local artisans and study their traditional jewelry-making techniques. After completing her degree this inspired Anne to work as a goldsmith and sales associate for a local jeweler in Madison. Although she learned many great skills, she longed to pursue a Master’s of Fine Arts Degree.

In 1999 Anne moved to San Diego to pursue this degree. Attending San Diego State University allowed her to study with well-known metal smiths Helen Shirk and Arline Fisch. In the summer of 2000 Arline Fisch secured a grant to take eight graduate students on a study trip to Northern Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. Here Anne, amongst her peers, was able to meet native artists, visit studios, museums, and experience another part of the world. After completing her MFA degree, Anne moved to Indianapolis where she taught jewelry classes both in her home studio and at the Indianapolis Art Center. She also taught foundation art courses at the Herron School of Art.

In 2004 Anne was offered a full-time lectureship position at the Metropolitan State College of Denver. Currently a Visiting Assistant Professor of Art, she teaches courses in jewelry design & metalsmithing, two and three-dimensional design, drawing and glass working. Since moving to Denver Anne has been able to set up a modest home studio in which she continues to create her own work.

Lauren Swain was born in Chicago in 1963 and has resided in Colorado since she graduated from the University of Denver in 1986 with a BA in Photography and Psychology. She has been producing documentary films locally for over a decade. Her subjects include toxic waste, sustainable housing, animal rescue, ecological restoration, bullying prevention, and refugee resettlement.

Her skills include journalism, media marketing, videography, photography, graphic design, and video editing.

In 2006 Ms. Swain premiered her film Creating a Refuge from Bullying in Denver’s first World Refugee Film Festival. Also screening were her documentary shorts, Iskashitaa: An Invitation to Community and Somali Bantu: An Interview with Ali. This short documentary has been used by refugee agencies and schools across the US.

Her video, Natural Controls for Noxious Weeds received initial funding and an additional distribution grant from Environment Foundation of the Aspen Skiing Company.

Ms. Swain performs in the offbeat musical act, The Little Fyodor and Babushka band (www.littlefyodor.com). She also makes her own line of silver and gemstone jewelry (www.mindseyejewelry.com). She serves as Denver election judge and volunteers with the African Community Center refugee resettlement agency. She enjoys travel, music, art, and intercultural exchange.

www.mindseyeworld.com

video@mindseyeworld.com

Andrea Meyers is currently the director of orchestras at Rock Canyon High, Rocky Heights Middle, and Redstone Elementary Schools. A Colorado native, Ms. Meyers received a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Northern Colorado in 1976, and became the director of orchestras in the Boulder Valley School District at Fairview High School. In 1992 she received her Master of Arts from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Since 1983, Ms. Meyers has worked in the Douglas County School District Re.1 working at Ponderosa High School and recently completed a one year assignment as the director of orchestras at Douglas County High School.

An accomplished cellist she has performed with numerous orchestras throughout Colorado and is currently in her thirteenth season with the Arapahoe Philharmonic Orchestra. She enjoys performing on a 150 year old Neuner-Hornsteiner cello. Ms. Meyers is in high demand throughout the state and region as a guest conductor, judge, and clinician. She is listed in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, was one of seven teachers selected in Douglas Count for the 2004 “Thank a Teacher” award, and has received the Outstanding Teacher Award numerous times in Douglas County. Last month, at the Colorado Music Educators National Conference the Colorado Chapter of the American String Teachers Association inducted Ms. Meyers as the 2005 Colorado Orchestra “Teacher of the Year.” She is currently the President Elect for Colorado American String Teachers Association WITH National School Orchestra Association and will become President of CASTA in May of 2006.

A strong proponent of music education, she takes great pride in the efforts and musicianship of her colleagues and students throughout Colorado and the United States. Ms. Meyers is honored to be the guest conductor for the 2006 Core Knowledge Festival Orchestra. "It will be exciting to make beautiful music together, while encouraging the continued success of your orchestra program. Thank you for this exceptional opportunity."

Ms. Charlotte Adams, Choral Conductor

Ms. Adams is the founder and Principal Conductor of the Colorado Women’s Chorale, a select adult women’s choir in Denver, Colorado. She was the interim choral director for the University of Denver, 2005 as well as the music educator and conductor of Girls' 21 and the A Cappella Choir at Cherry Creek High School, Englewood, Colorado from 1974 to 2003.

Ms. Adams holds a BA from Colorado College and an MM from Indiana University where she studied with the late Julius Herford. She was inducted into the CMEA Hall of Fame in 2004 and has received the "Choral Director of the Year" award from Colorado ACDA, the Sallie Mae "Teacher Tribute Award", and the MENC "Standing Ovation for Music Teachers". She was also selected to receive the “Teacher Appreciation” award from the Denver Stake of the Latter-Day Saints.

Ms. Adams serves as South West ACDA Repertoire and Standards Chairperson for Women's Music and recently held this position with the Colorado ACDA. Ms. Adams has presented numerous vocal development sessions at ACDA, MENC, National, Regional and State conventions.
The Charlotte Adams Music Series is published by Santa Barbara Music Publishing as well as her acclaimed video, "Daily Workout for a Beautiful Voice", published in the Charlene Archibeque Choral Series.

Ms. Adams has conducted All-State and Honor choirs in 25 states and has conducted the ACDA North Central and ACDA Northwest Regional Women's Honor Choirs.

Under her direction, Girls' 21 performed for the 1989 and 1997 ACDA National Conventions, the 1982, 1986, 1991 South West ACDA Regional Conventions, the 1984 MENC National Convention and numerous performances for CMEA. The Colorado Women’s Chorale performed at the 2005 Colorado ACDA Summer Convention.

She is active as a choral clinician and adjudicator for choral festivals throughout the USA, including Arkansas, California, Colorado, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri, New Mexico, Texas and Wyoming.

Her choirs have toured throughout the USA, Canada, Australia, England, France, Scotland, and Switzerland.

Richard Kusk received his Bachelor o music Education from Illinois Wesleyan University and his Master of Music Education from the University of Illinois. Mr. Kusk is retired after 34 years of public school teaching. His last teaching assignment was Department Chair and Band Director at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs. During his 34 years of teaching, Mr. Kusk developed a strong reputation for consistently producing musical groups, both band and orchestra, of the highest caliber and is recognized statewide for his contributions in the area of music education. His bands, orchestras and jazz bands have been selected to play at the Colorado Music Education State Convention nine times. He was inducted into the Colorado Bandmaster’s Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Colorado Music Educators Hall of Fame in 2004. He is currently the chair of the Colorado State C concert Band Festival for the Colorado Bandmasters Association. He has been the tour director and band director for the Colorado Ambassadors of Music European music tours since 1986. In addition to being an adjudicator and clinician, he has a busy privet teaching studio as a trumpet instructor. He also works with the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony conducting the Encore Orchestra and the Pikes Peak Wind Symphony. He is married to Mary Lu, his wife of forty years and is the father of two children and two grandchildren.

CCKAF ~ Colorado Core Knowledge Arts Festival

Guest Clinician Bios for the 2010/11 Arts Festival are not yet available. Please check back here in the fall of 2010.

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Guest Clinician Bios for previous festivals

2008/2009 Festival

Matthew Arau – Director of Bands, Loveland High School

Matthew graduated Magna Cum Laude in 1997 from Lawrence University in Appleton Wisconsin with a Bachelor of Music in Music Education and Music Performance and a Bachelor of Arts in Government. He received his Masters degree from the American Band College at Southern Oregon University in 2003.

Dr. James Kim is Director of Choral Studies at Colorado State.

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Jennifer John is co-founder of the New Millenium Conservatory for Strings.

In each spring of 2004-2005 Edward was invited to Tokyo, Japan to be a visiting artist, working with pre-k through 6th grade international students. In summer of 2006 he was invited to be a visiting artist in Nuevo Arenal, Costa Rica to work with local students creating a mural inside their school.

He recently showed his work at the Cheyenne Old West Gallery until (ending the 9th of Jan. 2008). He also had a recent show in Ft. Collins at The Advanced Eye Wear Art Space.

Suzanne received her MFA is sculpture from the University of Colorado. She has a BA in Studio Art with a painting focus and a BA in Visual Communication Design from Purdue University. Suzanne also spent a semester in residence abroad at the Studio Art Centers International in Italy.

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