Our Amazing Teachers
Ginny Hollon
1939 - 2022
IN MEMORY OF
A beloved member of Cascade School of Music for many years, Ms. Ginny and her canine companion, Bailey, brought the joy of violin and fiddle alive for countless children and adults in Central Oregon. In her honor, Cascade School of Music has created the annual Ginny Hollon Scholarship Award for students studying an acoustic instrument at CSM.
John Allen
Upright and Electric Bass
Bassist John Allen has been grooving the Central Oregon music scene since 1998. His versatility is evident in the genres that he plays (jazz, classical and pop) and that he plays both upright & electric bass.
Scott Lofton Baber
Central Oregon Recording Engineer
Scott Baber has been taking local singer/songwriters ideas to the next level for over 5 years. He has more than 15 years of musicianship and music theory knowledge on multiple instruments as well as for voice.
Brent Barnett
Drums
Brent Barnett is a Bend local with over 30 years of performance experience behind the drum set playing in bands that range from Reggae, Hip-Hop, Blues, Rock, and Americana.
Jay Bednorz
Cello
Jay began her musical journey on the piano bench at age 5 followed by adding the flute at age 10 and cello at age 14. Playing the cello became her favorite instrument and she has maintained that love ever since!
Rick Buckley
Piano
Rick took his first piano lesson in Norfolk VA. back in the late 60s before moving to Chicago where he became a part of the progressive rock scene over the next 20 years.
Seth Burrows
Guitar Department Chair
Guitar, Bass Guitar, Band Program
Originally from Breckenridge, Colorado, Seth has been playing guitar for 30 years, and teaching for 25 years. After graduating Summa Cum Laude from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Seth believes in inspiring his students to become great musicians, not just great guitar players.
Michael Carney
Piano Department Co-Chair
Piano
Michael Carney was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. He started taking classical piano lessons at the age of 4, playing in numerous recitals and competitions. In high school, Michael joined the jazz band and continued his music studies at the University of Oregon where he played in various jazz and Latin ensembles.
Matt Fletcher
Central Oregon Recording Engineer
Matthew Fletcher is a 2004 graduate of the Musicians Institute of Hollywood Recording Arts program where he was trained in professional studios. He has been recording for almost 25 years and is a self-taught musician playing multiple instruments.
Bethany Houts
Fiddle and Violin
Bethany has been playing violin for 45 years and performing professionally for over 25 of those. Her instruction began under a Julliard graduate where she was taught a combination of Suzuki, sight reading and ear training. Playing with the Murray State Orchestra, the Paducah Symphony and currently the Central Oregon Symphony, her classical training and performance continues today.
After seeing Mark O’Conner at the Louisville Bluegrass Festival, fiddling soon became a part of Bethany’s repertoire. She won her first fiddle contest at the age of 9 and began studying fiddle under Craig Duncan. Joining the Nashville Youth Symphony as first chair at the age of 13, her instruction continued through private lessons, with her love for fiddling as her focus.
Amy Jacobson
Piano Department Chair
Kindermusik Program, Piano, and Voice
Amy Conklin has been taking piano lessons since she was 6 years old and has taught private piano lessons since 2014.
Meshem Jackson
Percussion Department Chair
Percussion and Drums
Meshem has been studying and performing drums and percussion since the age of ten. He has performed and recorded as a professional musician with dozens of jazz, funk, soul, rock, alternative, pop, country, reggae and blues bands.
Michael Long
Drums, Percussion, Uilleann Pipes, Tin Whistle, Anglo Concertina
Michael Long’s music story began in his hometown of Asheville, NC, an incredibly creative community with deep musical roots. His drumming career started with a set of wooden spoons, pots and pans, some Motown records and parents who were surprisingly tolerant of noise. He eventually graduated to actual drums and began performing and recording with bands and musical theater productions. He studied percussion at the University of North Carolina at Asheville with a focus on World Music.
Blake Lowrey-Evans
Guitar, Piano, Ukulele
The only thing Blake enjoys more than playing and writing music, is sharing his love for music through teaching. With an emphasis on allowing each student to discover their own musical personality, Blake teaches electric and acoustic guitar, ukulele, and beginning piano. There is so much to be learned through music. It teaches us to be creative, to listen, to be patient, to set goals, to believe in ourselves, and how to work well with others. As Dana Gioia said:
“The purpose of Arts Education is not to produce more artists, though that is a by-product. The real purpose of Arts Education is to create complete human beings capable of leading successful and productive lives in a free society.”
Stephen Marshall
Piano
Stephen Earl Marshall opened his first piano studio during his junior year of high school and quickly had over thirty students, both beginners and adults.
Dr. Marshall has multiple degrees in music, specializing in piano and pipe organ performance, choral conducting, and composition; completed post- graduate studies at Westminster Choir College and Southwestern Seminary; and in 2013, received a Doctorate in Sacred Music through Oxford University’s Summer Program and The Graduate Theological Foundation, working closely with his mentor, Bishop David Stancliffe, presenting a detailed analysis and performance of Morten Lauridsen’s Midwinter Songs.
Patrick Ondrozeck
Piano, Drums
Patrick graduated from The University of South Dakota with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance in Percussion and Piano. During his time in college, Patrick was an active member of many musical groups, including marching band, symphonic band, orchestra, jazz band, percussion ensemble, steel drum band, brass choir, and solo and accompanying piano.
Pat Pearsall
Band Department Chair
Guitar, Electric Guitar, Ukulele
Originally from Aberdeen, Washington, Patrick has called Bend home for over thirty years. His move to Central Oregon as a young person coincided with the beginning of his musical journey. After starting with the saxophone in middle school he added guitar and bass into the mix in his early teens. After studying Jazz Theory at the University of Oregon, Patrick hit the road and spent most of the next twenty years extensively touring with many regional and national acts. Over that span, Patrick played over two thousand shows and recorded dozens of albums both of his music and as a hired-gun studio musician.
Sandra Peevers
Guitar, Ukulele and Mandolin
Born and raised on a lake in the rolling green hills of Upstate New York, and well- traveled since then, Sandra brings an eclectic breadth of experiences revolving around music and performance. Early musical explorations in folk, blues and American roots music led to a B.A. in Music followed by a move to Los Angeles where she attended the Dick Grove Music School, studying Jazz guitar, and an inspired program at Naropa Institute studying with the innovative jazz /world group Oregon.
Draven Schmidt
Guitar and Saxophone
Draven Schmidt is part of the Emerging Educator Program at Cascade School of Music and was once a student at the school playing the tenor saxophone in the Cascade Jazz Ensemble.
In 2018, the ensemble had the honor of opening the show for Herb Alpert and The Tijuana Brass at our local Tower Theatre. Around that same time, Draven began studying the guitar in the style of older artists such as Dan Fogelberg, Paco de Lucía, Paul Simon, and Lindsey Buckingham, as well as many other guitarists in the realm of acoustic fingerpicking and Spanish Flamenco.
Sharon Schwatka
Fiddle/Violin, Piano, Voice, & Music Theory
Sharon Schwatka grew up in a family of musicians right outside of San Diego, California and has been a professional musician from the early age of 14. Featured in the United Service Organizations, Sharon was blessed to have traveled across the nation, entertaining for active duty military and recruits.
Michael Scott
Cello
Michael Scott has been a professional musician since he and his bass moved to Greenwich Village in January of 1964.
Stephan Seguin
Piano, Drums
Stephan Seguin is an educated pianist, keyboardist, drummer, and composer, and has taught since 2008. Ever since he was young, Stephan had music dancing around in his head, so he was motivated to try and figure it out, first through a computer music program, then eventually on piano/keyboard, as well as taking private drum lessons.
Jimena Shepherd
Emerging Voices Class
Jimena Shepherd's 14 years of vocal training has made her no stranger to the highs and lows of becoming a skilled vocalist, and she has a passion for helping each student achieve their goals as a singer and artist. Her focus is on cultivating a learning environment for students that facilitates an understanding of their own individual instrument, healthy vocal production, and technical approaches that promote free, dynamic sound and expression. She recognizes that each voice is individual and works with each student to discover and understand their core vocal qualities and apply it to different styles of music.
Brenda Simmons
Violin, Viola, Cello, Awesome After School Orchestra
Brenda Simmons received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Eastern Washington School of Music in 1999, and her Masters of Music Education from Boston University in 2013.
Slade
Voice
“I am not here to teach you how to sing. I am here to help you free that inner Rockstar so you can share it with the whole world!”
Finley Smith
Violin, Saxophone
Finley Smith first began his music practices when he picked up the violin in the 6th grade. He continued to develop his skills and eventually also picked up playing the saxophone. He progressed all through high school being in both top bands and top orchestras at Mountain View High School and is now studying for his Associate Degree in Music at COCC as well as becoming an emerging educator for Cascade School of Music, where he studied violin with Brenda Simmons.
Danielle Summerville
Piano and Harp
Danielle started her musical journey at age six with private classical piano lessons, trained in the Suzuki method. Music quickly became her passion and outlet and has been the center of her life every day since. Her mother is a self-taught guitarist/singer songwriter and with her guidance she learned to play guitar at age 12. She always had a fascination with the harp and dreamed of playing it someday. On her 20th birthday she was given a harp as a gift and began studying under Melissa Morgan, who specializes in folk harp and composition. She has also trained with Naomi Alter, Ramona Unwin, and Mindy Ball who is the principal harpist for the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.
Fodé Sylla
West African Drums
Fodé Sylla is a dynamic acrobat, drummer, dancer and performance artist from Conakry, Guinea, West Africa, who specializes in traditional West African drum and dance.
He was recognized for his talents in 2007 and recruited to perform in the United States with UniverSoul Circus, America’s premiere multicultural circus. He thrilled thousands in the U.S. and abroad with his dynamic and explosive acrobatic, breakdancing and aerialist routines. In 2010, he joined Canadian-based circus Cavalia Odysseo and performed at large arenas in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Franchot Tone
Guitar & Bass Guitar
Franchot was bitten by the music bug at 12 years old when he first picked up his Dad’s guitar after hearing his early favorites including The Beatles, Eric Clapton, The Rolling Stones, The Who, Loggins and Messina, Michael Jackson and Def Leppard.
Franchot joined his first band in the 7th grade and has been pursuing his passion for music ever since.
Tone attended Colby College in Waterville Maine and graduated with BA in music theory. He later attended the world famous Musicians Institute in Hollywood where he studied at the Guitar Institute of Technology earning a performance certificate.
Michelle Van Handel
Voice and Piano
Vocalist & Pianist, Michelle Van Handel loves sharing her passion for music with her students. She has been part of the Central Oregon music scene for 25 years; is a graduate of the University of Oregon Music School as well as holding a B.S. in Psychology.
Nathan Wegner
Saxophone and Band Program
Music has been a part of Nathan’s life since starting piano at the age of 7. From playing saxophone in jazz ensembles to clarinet in symphonic ensembles Nathan tried to immerse himself in as many music projects as possible in his formative years.