Staff

Ya-Fei Lin (piano)
a native of Taiwan, began learning piano at the age of 7. She holds a Masters Degree in piano performance with a minor in the violin, and was the recipient of Etude Music Club Endowment and the Art Council Music Scholarship in Cal Sate University, Northridge. In the past few years she has performed as a soloist, accompanist, and in chamber concerts across the United States and in Asia. She is an excellent sight reader and a versatile performer and has taught music in many settings. Fluent in Mandarin. member MTAC, Royal Conservatory

Gary Blumer (piano, composition)
www.myspace.com/garyblumerjazzpiano
Holding a masters degree in Composition from Wayne State University, he's been performing at the piano for over 35 years in jazz, classical and pop genres. Band leader, freelance pianist, composer/arranger and educator - having taught at WSU for 13 years - are all areas in which Gary has many years of experience. member MTAC

David Asher Brown (piano)
www.DavidAsherBrown.com
composer, conductor and pianist, is engaged in doctoral work at the University of Southern California. He recently conducted Die Zauberflöte in Salzburg for the Austrian-American Mozart Academy. Other conducting and coaching credits include The King and I, Oklahoma!, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, The Lost Comedies of William Shakespeare and assistant conductor for Orphee aux Enfers for the Franco-American Vocal Academy in Perigueux, France. As a composer, he draws on a wide range of influences including Ashkenazi Jewish music, Balinese Gamelan, Early Music, Minimalism and Jazz. He has won several awards and honors including a grant to compose in Prague, CZ and research the lives and music of composers interned at the Theresienstadt concentration camp.

Josephine Chang (piano)
received a Bachelors of Music in Piano Performance and a Masters of Music in Piano Pedagogy from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.. In addition to teaching individual piano lessons, Ms. Chang is also an instructor of group piano classes at Pasadena City College.
board member MTAC

Kristin Caliendo (flute, piano, voice, children's fundamentals)
earned her masters degree in flute performance from Arizona State University and has her Bachelors degree in flute performance from Grand Canyon University where she graduated Summa Cum Laude. The winner of the Bay View Music Festival concerto competition and two-time winner of the Maricopa Community College “Outstanding Performers Instrumental Competition,” Kristin is currently working towards earning her Doctorate of Musical Arts in flute performance with an emphasis in music education. Kristin strives to provide her students with instruction and experience that develop proficiency on the flute in an encouraging, positive, and enjoyable atmosphere.

Gus Zdanovich (piano)
received his degree in piano performance and music education from the National Conservatory of Music in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and has been providing instruction to students of all backgrounds since 1995. While there he prepared advanced students to successfully pass the entry examinations for the National Conservatory. A concentration in harpsichord performance led him to study in Spain under the Aragonese maestro José Luis Gonzalez Uriol. Gus holds Masters in intercultural studies from Fuller Theological Seminary, and served as music director for the First Presbyterian Church in Altadena, CA. His piano playing/teaching technique emphasizes complete muscle relaxation, based on the school of Vincenzo Scaramuzza..

Carlos A. Carlos (voice)
earned his Bachelor of Music in Composition and Jazz Studies from California State University, Long Beach. He has sung with the Pacific Chorale, and Opera Pacific and core member the Long Beach Camerata Singers. Carlos has performed as both Baritone and Tenor Soloist in various performances of Handel’s Messiah, as well as Tenor Soloist in Mozart’s Requiem, Honegger’s King David, and Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Carlos performed at the Ravenna Festival in Chicago, The Forbidden City Concert Hall in China, and toured throughout the United States and Europe, working under such conductors as Andrew Litton, Keith Lockhart, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and John Williams. He is currently working to complete his Masters of Music in Vocal Performance at CSULB.

Sandra Booker (Vocal, voice theory)
Professional jazz singer/songwriter and educator with over 25 years of experience working in the arts. A native of New Orleans, she attended the prestigious New Orleans Center for the Creative Arts (now the NOCCA Institute). She is a graduate of the UCLA School of Art and Architecture and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in ethnomusicology. She has recorded and performed with many jazz and world artists including Lalo Schifrin, Keith David, Wynton Marsalis, Billy Higgins, Pepesito Reyes, Tim Welvaars, Tamir Hendelman and Karen Briggs.

Perfecto De Castro (guitar)
www.perfdecastro.com
Perfecto is a multi-awarded guitarist proficient in Classical, Flamenco and Electric Rock Guitar Styles. He is an active performer, having given concerts and recitals in Southern California, SF Bay Area, Portland OR, Chicago, New Jersey, Connecticut and the Philippines. Highly in demand as a teacher, Perfecto’s instruction involves modern methods in music theory, ear training, positioning and proper muscular movement, tone production, and sound design and manipulation.

Ken Nagatani (guitar)
received both a Master of Music and a Graduate Performance Diploma from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, where he studied with Manuel Barrueco, and completed the Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the University of Southern California in 2006 as a student of William Kanengiser. Ken has given solo performances in the Los Angeles area, and has also performed with the Glendale Community College Choir in a work written for chorus and guitar. For the past 20 years, Ken has enjoyed teaching classical and acoustic guitar to students of all ages and levels. He is currently an adjunct instructor at East Los Angeles College.

Jonathan Patterson (guitar)
www.capitalguitar.com
an award winning classical, jazz and rock artist who received his Master of Arts degree in Ethnomusicology at UC Berkeley and his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Studio/Jazz Guitar Performance at the University of Southern California. Using the stage name "Capital", Jonathan has toured internationally with original rock as well as Brazilian bands, and has performed classical recitals and studio sessions, even hosting his own weekly FM radio program. Jonathan is passionate about teaching and for over 20 years has helped students of all ages and levels work toward their goals in a variety of electric and acoustic guitar styles.

Kenny Elliott (percussion, drumset)
Kenny’s career as a professional drummer began at age 12 when he performed under the direction of the Red Saunders Orchestra at the Regal Theater. He was the staff drummer for Brunswick Records while teaching at the American Conservatory before moving to Los Angeles . Kenny toured with such greats as Lou Rawls, Aretha Franklin and Natalie Cole and performed with Ella Fitzgerald, Lucy Arnez, Diahann Caroll, Carol Channing, Ray Charles, Al Green, Eddie Harris, Al Jarreau, Chaka Kahn, Cheryl Lynn, Billy Preston, Helen Reddy, Dionne Warwick, and Stevie Wonder among others. He enjoys teaching and working with people.

Peter Huerta (percussion, drumset)
A charismatic teacher and performer, Peter has played on SNL, David Letterman, Good Morning America, Ellen Degeneres, Jimmy Kimmel Live, MTV TRL, Teen Choice Awards, and with Gwen Stefani. He has been the Toy Soldier in the Disneyland parade, and recently on America’s Got Talent finals with “All That.” Serving as a percussion instructor to various high schools throughout the southland, Peter brings a lot of personality, accomplishment, and care to the studios.

Suzanne Inwood (violin)
A USC music school graduate, Suzanne has taught for over 30 years. Accomplishments include performing in the Indiana University Symphony, South Bend Symphony, USC Symphony, among others and teaching at the South Bend Community Schools Summer Clinic, the Idylwild Summer Music School, the Irvine Conservatory of Music, the USC Community School of Performing Arts. She is a creative teacher committed to excellence, providing good fundamentals for the beginner and coaching advanced students as they prepare for auditions, performances, and contests. She currently performs on the fiddle with the Bluegra$$ Billionaires. Suzanne is a member of the Music Teachers Assoc of CA.

Miyuki Nakashima (violin, viola)
soloed in the premier of the critically acclaimed work of "Ta if" during the 20th Century Composers Festival with the New Century Chamber Orchestra. She appeared as soloist with The New Millenium Chamber Orchestra and the Lincoln Chamber. At the age of 17, she was invited on scholarship to at California Institute of the Arts and later attended the Henry Mancini Institute. She served as assistant conductor for all of Trace Elementary School's orchestras in Northern California, and is currently working on concerts to help raise awareness of chamber music and the arts in Santa Paula and Santa Clarita.

Jim Jedekein (saxophone, clarinet, flute)
received a Bachelors of Music from San Francisco State University in 1988. He played with the Royal Crown Revue, the Mambo Combo Latin Jazz Ensemble, the Johnny Crawford Orchestra, the Pasadena Jazz Orchestra, the Jonathan Stout Orchestra, the Hollywood Combo, and the Disneyland Band. Jim was a part of Bette Midler's Kiss My Brass Tour (2003-2005) of the U.S. and Australia and went to Dubai with Persian pop star Ebi Hamedi. He recently finished a U.S. tour with Star Wars in Concert. Jim taught privately for many years and has been the Artistic Director of the Pasadena Jazz Institute's Jazz Camp for Kids since 2005. He is a member of the Local 47 and Local 7, AFM.

Louis Van Taylor (sax, flute, clarinet)
A professional musician, Louis' instrumental voice can be heard on movie soundtracks such as "Hurricane", "Friday", "Coneheads" and the "Temptations Story". On CD's with such notables as Kool and the Gang, Ray Charles, Mariah Carey, The Temptations, Amanda Marshall, Donnie, Carl Anderson, and many, many others. Louis, a former staff member of the USC Jazz Studies Dept, currently provides instruction for the Dorothy Kirby Center for special education and is a clincian for the Los Angeles Jazz Society and the Theatre of the Hearts Youth First Program.

Caster Teoh (trumpet, brass )
performed professionally with the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira, and numerous other symphonic groups throughout the world. In addition, he has participated in the Campos do Jordão International Winter Festival in Brazil, the Chosen Vale International Trumpet Seminar in the US, the Domaine Forget Music Academy in Canada, the Kumamoto Youth Music Festival in Japan, and the International Festival Santa Fiora in Musica in Italy. A graduate from the University Of Iowa School Of Music, Caster is a member in the Pi Kappa Lambda and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. Currently, he is pursuing his Master of music degree at the USC Thornton School of Music.

Aubrey Foard (tuba/low brass)
is principal tubist with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra and with the Albany Symphony Orchestra. He has held positions with the symphony orchestras of Canton and Youngstown and has performed as a substitute with The Cleveland Orchestra and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has been heard on National Public Radio’s “Performance Today” as well as WQXR New York, KUHF Houston and KDB Santa Barbara. Mr. Foard holds a bachelor’s degree from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a master’s degree from Rice University’s Shepherd School of Music. As a low brass teacher, he advocates an inspired and philosophical approach to music and has been teaching successfully as a private instructor for over two years.

Carolyn Iga (CEO, piano) Board Member MTAC; National Federation of Music Clubs

Lisa (voice, mandolin, banjo)
Benjamin May (cello)