Visual Arts
Kirsten Brown - AS from Middlesex Community College. Office of Child Care Services Teacher certified. Kirsten has been teaching children for over 4 years. She has shown her artwork at the annual Creative Arts Faculty concert and has volunteered her time at numerous Creative Arts events. Kirsten is an active volunteer in the arts.

Laura Fredericks - M.Ed. in Art Education (K-8) from Lesley; BA from Kirkland (Hamilton) College majoring in Fine Arts with an emphasis on Book Illustration and a minor in Elementary Education. She has taught and volunteered in multiple after school arts programs. She has also exhibited her work in numerous locations throughout the Northeast.

Dennis Hart - MFA candidate at Vermont College, anticipated graduation 2010. BFA in Painting & Illustration, Massachusetts College of Art; Graphic Design Certificate, MassArt. He has exhibited his artwork in Creative Arts' Faculty Exhibit; at First Expressions Gallery in Boston; and in private collections in the area. He is also a freelance graphic designer and illustrator. Visit his work at www.dennishartstudios.com.

Jamie (MacInnes) McDonough - BFA from Massachusetts College of Art in Community Art Education, Minor in Ceramics. She has been teaching art to students from ages 18 months - 18 years for over six years. She has exhibited her artwork in the Greater-Boston area, including Creative Arts' Faculty Exhibit. Jamie is also an active art event volunteer.

Chris Mullins - BFA from Massachusetts College of Art. Mr. Chris Mullins is a local painter and editorial illustrator. His work has been on the cover of Northeast Municipal Forum and his paintings have been for auction display at the Boston Pavilian. His various artworks have been on display in Boston, Allston, New York and Melbourne.

Tracy Putnam - Bachelor's from Hartford Art School at the University of Hartford with degree in Ceramics and Illustration. Tracy is proficient in a variety of clay techniques including handbuilding, throwing, slipcasting and moldmaking.

Rick Shaffer - BA from Hofstra University. Rick is a professional artist specializing in watercolor; he has worked in this medium for over 20 years and has a strong passion for the arts. Rick has shown his artwork in shows all over the Northeast.

Theatre
Kirsten Brown - See bio under Art Faculty.

Angela Merrill - BA in English from the University of Massachusetts where she studied The Works of Shakespeare, English Literature and Creative Writing. For sixteen years, Angela was a dance student learning the inside and out of stage performance. Creative Arts Theatre teacher since 2002. Angela has written many of the plays her students perform at Creative Arts and is excited about starting Graduate work at Emerson College for Theatre Education. Office of Child Care Services Teacher certified.

Music
STRINGS
Lee Hadden (Traditional & Suzuki violin, viola, chamber ensembles) received his music education from the Blair School of Music in Nashville TN and attended Western Kentucky University as a performance major. He attended Occidental College earning Suzuki certification for both Violin and Viola, served as Music Director at the Children's School in La Jolla, CA and assisted the Suzuki program at San Diego State University. Mr. Hadden has been a member of many orchestras and the Violist of Trio Con Brio while in San Diego. He is currently a member of the Ocean State Music Collaborative in Providence, Rhode Island and has performed at festivals of the Grand Pacific Chamber Music Society and Golden Gate Chamber Music Society. He has done extensive freelancing as a Violist in Mexico, California, and continues to freelance in the New England area.

Tanya Hambourg (Traditional & Suzuki violin, viola) BM & MM from Boston University. Suzuki Teacher Training with Stevie Sandven, Teri Einfeldt, Ronda Cole, Vera McCoy-Soulenic & Betsy Stuen-Walker. She has also studied with Steven Ansell, Raphael Hillyer and Michael Zaretsky. Tanya has performed with the Springfield Symphony, Rhode Island Philharmonic and Opera Boston, among others. She is currently Principal Violist for the Symphony by the Sea Orchestra and a member of the Lexington Symphony. Tanya has also performed with such notable artists as Rod Stewart, Jethro Tull, the Three Irish Tenors and Smokey Robinson.

Sheryl LaFayette (Suzuki violin, viola & piano) MS in Library Science, Bachelor of Music with honors, University of Wisconsin-Madison; graduate study in Suzuki philosophy and pedagogy with Margery Aber and others. President of Suzuki Music Schools of MA and member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Sheryl participated in Suzuki Institutes and workshops with Shinichi Suzuki and has also worked with master artist-teachers including Denda of Japan, John Kendall, Doris Harrel and Doris Preucil. She freelances with orchestras and chamber groups in the metro-Boston area, including Merrimack Valley Phiharmonic, Concord Orchestra, North Shore Philhamonic, Massachusetts Symphony. Violinist with the Arioso Trio.

Elena Raucci (traditional cello, string orchestra) MM in Music Education, University of Connecticut. Dedicated music educator, including 18 years at Creative Arts. Also music instructor for Reading's public schools. Cellist with the Arioso Trio.

GUITAR
Jacob Mathews (traditional) Classical guitarist, received music performance degrees from the State University of New York at Buffalo (B.Mus.) and New England Conservatory (Masters). His primary teachers were the Castellani-Andriaccio Duo and David Leisner. He has commissioned and premiered new works for guitar solo and guitar with voice and clarinet in addition to transcriptions of other media. Mr. Mathews has performed recitals in Italy, Spain and the United States as well as receiving artist residency awards and grants from the Chautauqua Institute, Rome and Masterplayers' International Festivals, New England Conservatory and University at Buffalo. He has been teaching at Creative Arts since 2003.

Mark Dante Troiano (guitar, bass guitar & electric guitar - rock, pop, folk, folk-rock, jazz and emo) Graduate of Wheaton College in Norton, MA. He has a BA in English: Dramatic Literature & Theatre with a double minor in Music: Theory, Composition & Voice. At Wheaton, Mark was the Musical Director of the all-male a cappella vocal ensemble, The Wheaton College Gentlemen Callers. They recorded five albums together. He won runner-up for Best Arrangement for two years at the National Championship of Callege A Cappella (NCCA). He is a self-taught musician and professional trained vocalist, having studied under Ellalou Dimmock and Joanne Mouradjian. He also plays and teaches pinao, Music Theory, madolin, djembe and arranges professionaly for Conteporary and Collegiate A Cappella. He has been recording his debut solo album - The Lightworker's Union, for the past two years while playing out at local clubs and cafes, and teaching music part-time in Wakefield and Salem MA. He has been teaching children for the past 15 years and began at Creative Arts in 2007.

PIANO
Joseph Beninati (traditional) Berklee College of Music studies; extensive career in piano performance in the Northeast. Mr. Beninati played for 15 years with the LaPierre School of Ballet and a wide variety of community theatre productions in Reading, Wilmington, Wakefield, Peabody and New Hampshire. He is accompanist for The Reading Community Singers and The Wakefield Choral Society. Joe credits his former teacher and mentor, Mr. James L. Roth, for his musical achievements.

Elizabeth Brown (Suzuki) BFA, Miami University of Ohio. Suzuki teacher training with Robert Fraley, Doris Harrel and others. Longy School of Music, 2 years piano study.

Tatyana Foaksman (traditional) MS in Music Ed., I.P. Kotlyarevsky Kharkov, Ukraine. Staff pianist at Boston Ballet Company with public performances at Company Theater.

Sheryl LaFayette (Suzuki) see bio. under strings

Monica Wallace (Suzuki) B.M. in Piano, major in Piano Pedagogy, summa cum laude. Monica Wallace's journey as a pianist began at age seven with Suzuki piano lessons at Creative Arts, taking lessons with Carol Dehne for several years. Upon entering grade 12, she enrolled at the New England Conser-vatory Preparatory School to continue her piano studies with Marilyn Roth for a year. In August of 2002, she moved to Princeton, NJ to attend Westminster Choir College, where she had the opportunity to study the piano under Ingrid Clarfield and J.J. Penna. Suzuki pedagogy study in Kingston, Ontario under Jane Kutscher (Piano Book 1). Monica is now living back in Massachusetts and is thrilled to be teaching at the wonderful music school where she got her start! She also works as a vocal accompanist.

Roald Wilson (traditional) has been teaching piano and ensembles at Creative Arts for 10 years. He has played in dozens of states and several other countries on keyboards, strings and wind instruments. He has composed for film and modern dance choreography; his acoustic ensemble band "Tornado Bros." based in Boston received regional radio airplay. Roald has built many instruments; collects and plays many more. His performance background includes classical, church, folk, Appalachian and Zydeco music. Roald studied music, religious studies, theatre and audio technology at Indiana University.

BRASS/WOODWIND
Judy Braude (traditional flute) MM University of Illinois in flute performance. Former flute faculty Boston Conservatory of Music Division of Special Programs, Bradford, Notre Dame and Upsala Colleges; Manchester Community Music School, and the Perkins Center for the Arts (NJ). Presently Principal Flute of the Merrimack Valley Philharmonic, and the Salem Philharmonic Orchestras; former piccoloist with the NJ State Opera Orchestra; Flutist with the Arioso Trio, Concerto Soloist with the Livingston (NJ) Symphony, the MVPO, the Salem Philharmonic and the NJ Bach Festival Orchestras. Solo Recitals at The Behrend College of Penn State, King's Chapel (MA), and many library concert series including Reading Memorial Library and Andover Libraries.

Todd Brunel (clarinet & saxophone) BM in Clarinet performance from the Boston Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Atilio Poto and Pasquale Cardillo. He has pursued graduate study at the Longy School of Music as a scholarship recipient, the University of North Texas and was the graduate assistant to Paul Shelden at Brooklyn College Conservatory. He was a scholarship participant at the Aspen Music Festival and has pursued additional clarinet training with Thomas Martin and Jonathan Cohler, composition with Sam Headrick and jazz improvisation with Bob Mover and Peter Cassino. He is an innovative, critically acclaimed clarinetist who leads a dual life as a cross-over classical and jazz musician. “Tremendous virtuosity and heart," said The Boston Globe. Brunel produced the critically acclaimed 'Vortex Series' for improvisational music, which was the jazz "pick of the week" in the Boston Phoenix and the Boston Globe. In addition to premieres of his own compositions, his “powerful, polyrhythmic improvisations,” (Somerville Arts Council) earned him “A true cat, heavy pro” accolade from godsofmusic.com. Todd began teaching clarinet and saxophone at Creative Arts in 2007. You can visit his website at: www.clarinetconspiracy.com

VOICE
Andrea Loretz (traditional) MM in opera performance, Boston Conservatory of Music; BA State University of New York at Binghamton. Performed over 20 years throughout the East Coast, US and Europe. Taught at all vocal levels for over 15 years in the Boston area and New York, including 6 years at Creative Arts. Founder, Co-Director, and Performance Artist with Improvelocity (visit: www.improvelocity.com). Studied with Robert Honeysucker and Elizabeth Vrenios.

Brian Ocock (traditional) MM in applied voice, New England Conservatory of Music; BM in applied voice, Westminster College, PA. Studied with Mark Aliapoulios, Susan Clickner, Isaac Reid and Frank Pullano. Vocal coaching with Terry Decima & James Benner.

Mark Dante Troiano (traditional-broadway, belt, rock, pop, folk, folk-rock, emo, contemporary & jazz) - see bio. under guitar

PERCUSSION
Scott Pittman (percussion) BA in Percussion Performance at University of Lowell. Voted Noise Magazine's "Best Drummer in Boston" 1996-1999. Studied under Neil Grover, Fred Buda and Alan Dawson. Played for 10 years as a founding member of The Shods and tours the world with Delmark Recording Artist, Frank Morey (4 CDs). 20 years as multi-instrumentalist in the recording studio, with many production/engineering credits. Although his passion is performing, writing, and arranging, his greatest joy has come from his 15 years teaching people of all ages how to play for themselves. Scott began teaching percussion at Creative Arts in 2006.