CELLO PRIVATE LESSONS

SCA MUSIC LESSONS PROGRAM 2017-18 OVERVIEWS AND FACULTY BIOS (615) 292-5134, ext. 257 Overbrook School, 4210 Harding Pike, Nashville, TN 37205 Contact/program director: Director, Ellen Fernández fernandez@overbrook.edu CELLO PRIVATE LESSONS Grades 3 12 Private cello lessons are available for students who desire an instrument that can be played in an orchestra and in the context of solo performance. The student will be expected to learn how to read music notation for the cello, how to maintain and care for the instrument and the bow, and how to best use the bow. As the student develops reading comprehension for the cello, I will encourage more varied and concentrated melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic development. The cello is a beautiful instrument and one of the most soulful instruments of the orchestra. The student will be expected to treat it as such and develop a passion for the execution of its inherent musical beauty. 30 minute lessons $520 each semester 45 minute lessons $688 each semester Sessions run 15 weeks each semester John Pennell will be teaching cello (solo and orchestral) guitar, piano, trumpet (all styles) double bass (jazz, orchestral, bluegrass/country, blues and rock), electric bass (jazz, blues, rock and country) and ukulele (all styles) in the music program. He has a musical history as a teacher, performer and songwriter/composer. Mr. Pennell was born and raised on a farm in east central Illinois two hours south of Chicago. He went to kindergarten, grade school and high school there and from which he began his 'musical journey' and education. His first instrument was the trumpet, which he began playing in the 5th grade and continues to play and teach today. While in high school, he began learning the guitar (thanks largely to the influence of The Beatles) and has continued to play the instrument for the past 40 years. He plays both 'flat picked' and 'finger picked' techniques and has studied classical guitar in college. John was the bassist (upright and electric) in the early career of fiddler/vocalist Alison Krauss and has contributed several songs to her live stage performances and studio albums. He has earned his performance income largely from playing the double bass in various jazz, blues, bluegrass, and country ensembles. Mr. Pennell has a Bachelor of Science degree in education (So. Il Univ.,). A Bachelor of Music degree in Theory and Composition/minor: classical guitar (Az. St. Univ.) and a Master of Music degree in Theory and Composition from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. As an educator, he has taught in several

public schools in Illinois as a music teacher substitute, as a guitar instructor (6 years) at Parkland Jr. College in Champaign, Ill, and several years as a private music teacher in both Illinois and in Tennessee. This is Mr. Pennell s fourth year teaching as a private instrumental music instructor at Overbrook School. GUITAR PRIVATE LESSONS Grades 2-12 Private guitar lessons are available in any style: classical, jazz, country, blues and other popular styles. The parent or student may select their choice of stylistic focus. In addition to developing proficiency with guitar, students will focus on the overall enjoyment and understanding of music. Lessons focus on the essential techniques and skills of guitar playing in a student-centered environment. In exploring melodies and chords, students will read guitar music, chord symbols, guitar tablature, and learn theoretical foundations of music theory. Students are accepted as young as second grade. The 15-week semester includes one weekly private lesson. A minimum of 30 minutes of daily practice time is suggested to prepare for the student s weekly lesson. 30 minute lesson: $520 each semester Guitar runs 15 weeks each semester (Instructor must approve student for a 45 minute lesson) ENSEMBLE GUITAR CLASS New 2017-18 (minimum of three and maximum of six students) Grades 2 12 Students must already know how to play basic melodies and basic chord progressions on the guitar to enroll in this new class for the 2017-18 school year. Any student that has taken guitar as part of the SCA Music Lessons Program is qualified to participate in the class, as well as any students who already play the guitar. The class will be offered one day a week for one hour with 15 lesson/classes per semester. The time and day will be determined once the minimum number of three students has enrolled. The Ensemble Guitar Class is being offered as a means for guitar players to learn and play music in a group as opposed to a strictly solo performing situation. A minimum of three and maximum of six students are the necessary requirements for the class to be offered. The class will emphasize playing guitar music in duo, trio, and quartet (if four or more register). Students will be responsible for learning melodic, harmonic and accompanying parts to music from popular, classical, swing, folk, rock, and sacred music sources. The class is intended to be a fun and challenging aspect of learning to play the guitar, and learning

to play in an ensemble situation with other guitar players. Performances of learned music will be encouraged and required as part of the class. 1 hour of instruction: $428 each semester Group Voice runs 15 weeks each semester PIANO - PRIVATE Grades Kindergarten 12 Note: students are accepted as young as kindergarten age with parent participation Private piano lessons teach theory, music reading, ear training, technique, and musicality in a fun and encouraging setting. Students have a variety of performing opportunities on and off campus. 30 minute lesson: $520 each semester The piano program will have 15 lessons and the recital will be counted as a lesson for one of those weeks Debbie Lowy - Having been a teacher for over thirty years, Debbie Lowry has taught piano ten years at Overbrook with an average of twenty-five students per semester. She has teacher training in both Suzuki and traditional methods. Ms. Lowry is well known throughout Nashville for her expert accompanying skills and has been the accompanist for the Suzuki violin program at Overbrook for over twenty years. She holds a bachelor of music from David Lipscomb University. TRUMPET - PRIVATE Grades 3-12 I use the Rubank Method for Cornet or Trumpet (Elementary through Advanced) as my main instructional book; Students will learn the basics of music reading, embouchure development, fingering and facility, tone development and endurance. In the beginning, the student will be exposed to various styles, classical, band, jazz and pop, to make the learning of the instrument both fun and challenging. After the student has demonstrated both a desire and an aptitude for the trumpet, a more concentrated stylistic focus may be pursued. Students can be accepted as young as 3rd grade. My daughter is 5 and she can already get a pretty good sound out of the instrument. 30 minute lessons $520 each semester

45 minute lessons $688 each semester Sessions run 15 weeks each semester VIOLIN - PRIVATE 4 year olds 12 th grade The Suzuki Violin Program is a group of teachers, parents, and students dedicated to the study of violin playing using the Suzuki Method. This method promotes excellence of playing technique, self-esteem, and confidence through careful nurturing of musical abilities. Founded in Japan by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in the late 1940 s, this method became very popular after spreading to the United States in the 1960 s. Suzuki is now taught worldwide. Our students have many opportunities to perform regularly in solo and group recitals, area youth ensembles, performances with the Nashville Symphony, and many Dominican campus events. Students are accepted as young as age 4. The 15-week semester includes one weekly private lesson and one weekly group lesson. Suzuki Violin requires that a parent be present at all lessons. 30 min. private/30 min. group (beginner): $611each semester 30 min. private/45 min. group (intermediate): $672 each semester 45 min. private/60 min. group (advanced): contact instructor Violin runs 15 weeks each semester Toni Ferguson is a professional violinist with over 30 years of teaching and professional performing experience. She has been teaching in this program for 16 years. Mrs. Ferguson is the cofounder of the Suzuki Center of Nashville, on the faculty of the Overbrook School; the director of the St. Cecilia Academy Chamber Ensemble, and on the Board of Directors of the Middle Tennessee Suzuki Association (Founding member.) She has been recognized and received twice, the Tennessee Governor s School Outstanding Teacher Award. In addition to teaching, Mrs. Ferguson performs with regional orchestral groups, professional theatrical productions, private events, recording sessions, weddings, wedding receptions, church services and charitable fundraisers. Mrs. Ferguson recently performed in a World Premier of a theatrical production written, directed and performed by Tennesseans at The Kennedy Center in Washington, DC. Mrs. Ferguson attended the University of South Carolina (B.M.E. 1980) and was awarded the Maria Monkton Scholarship. She has also continued her teacher training through the American Suzuki Institute at the University of Wisconsin at Stevens Point. Mrs. Ferguson and her husband Jim have one daughter, Lily. Sherry Francis Merideth holds a bachelor s of music degree in Violin Performance and Music Education from DePaul University and a master s degree of music in Violin Performance from Belmont University. Many of her students are active, valued members of school and youth orchestras throughout

the Middle Tennessee area and are consistently accepted into area honor orchestras and summer programs. She has taught music classes and private lessons at the elementary, middle, high school and collegiate level. She is a lifetime member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas. She began teaching in 2000 and joined the faculty of the Dominican Campus in 2004. Deidre Fominaya Bacco, and her husband, Sam, moved to Tennessee in 1982, to both play with the Nashville Symphony. She holds a performance degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio, studied with Eloy Fominaya (her father), Myron Kartman, Paul Makara, and Camilla Wicks. Prior to moving to Nashville, she played with the the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Birmingham String Quartet, the Hidden Valley Opera Company in Carmel, California, the San Jose Symphony and the Orquesta Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico in Toluca, Mexico. Deidre Bacco has registered training in all 10 Suzuki Violin Books, as well as additional supplemental courses. She is President of the Middle TN Suzuki Assn and co-chair of the annual MTSA Fall Workshop, held on the SCA campus. She founded the SCA Suzuki Violin Program in 1990 and taught until 2009, when she left to help develop a community Suzuki Violin program with the Nashville Symphony and the W.O. Smith Community Music School. She will rejoin the SCA Suzuki Violin Program in 2017. Suzuki Philosophy Your child can and will succeed in learning to play the violin at a high level. As a parent, your first job is to learn about the Suzuki philosophy. Go to the Suzuki website (www.suzukiassociation.org) and click on the Parents section to read about it. Group Lessons Group lessons occur on Monday afternoons at SCA. Private Lessons Private lessons occur at a mutually agreed time between teacher, student, parents (and classroom/homeroom teacher if during the school day). Attendance Both student and parent are required to attend both the private and group lesson. This is non-negotiable for beginning students. Rental Violins can be rented or purchased. Recommendations are the following: Yangs Violin, Williams Fine Violins and The Violin Shop). VOICE - PRIVATE Grades 9 12 (Enrollment in private lessons for grades 6 8 advanced voice student is by permission of instructor)

We are pleased to offer private voice lessons. Private voice lessons teach the Italian bel canto technique, focusing on proper posture, breathing and diction. This method of instruction leads to a healthy, vibrant and natural sound. Older students may be introduced to songs in Italian, Latin, German and French. The recommended grade for voice lessons is fifth grade and up. 30 minute lesson: $520each semester Private Voice runs 15 weeks each semester (Instructor must approve student for a 45 minute lesson) VOICE - GROUP Grades 6-8 (day of week and after school time TBD) (3 minimum/5 maximum) The class is new this year and includes voice technique and repertoire from folk, art songs (in different languages), sacred music, and Broadway. A class would involve warm-ups (group and solo), sharing of repertoire, and confident-building. Group songs will be included to strengthen pitch confidence. 1 hour of instruction: $428 each semester Group Voice runs 15 weeks each semester Stephanie Hahn Nolan holds a bachelor s degree in Music Education, Voice from the University of Vermont and an MA in Theology, Spiritual and Pastoral Ministry from St. Michael s College. Ms. Nolan has lived in Nashville 8 years after a lifetime in Vermont. As Director of Choral Music at both Overbrook School and St. Cecilia Academy, she brings many years of vocal, choral and liturgical music experience to the SCA Private Music Lessons Program. In Vermont, Ms. Nolan maintained a busy private voice studio, taught Middle/High School Choir, and instructed adult classes at the Flynn Theatre for the Performing Arts. She was a frequent soloist in the Burlington, Vermont area, performing with various ensembles including as a founding member of the Oriana Chamber Singers. She has often collaborated with other classical and opera singers, classical guitarists and chamber orchestras, and her performances have drawn from many genres Baroque to Broadway. Here in Nashville, she was the Director of Music for St. Patrick s Catholic Church for over six years, and has performed with Music City Baroque and the Concert Chorale of Nashville. DRUMS, TROMBONE, SAXOPHONE, FRENCH HORN, CLARINET PRIVATE LESSONS Grades 5-12

The 15-week semester includes one weekly private lesson. A minimum of 30 minutes of daily practice time is suggested to prepare for the student s weekly lesson. ALAN SUSKA 30 minute lesson: $520each semester Drums, Trombone, Saxophone, French Horn & Clarinet run 15 weeks each semester Professional musician Alan Suska and Overbrook School band director will be offering private music lessons in the summer of 2017 and continue throughout the 2017-18 school year. Starting in June, Mr. Suska will offer private lessons in our SCA Summer Music Lessons Program. We are excited that Mr. Suska will join us teaching the following instruments: Drums, French Horn, Saxophone, Trombone and Clarinet. Originally born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Alan now resides close to Nashville in Hendersonville, TN. A musician of many instruments, Mr. Suska plays the trumpet, cornet, flugel horn, and piccolo trumpet. He has been playing music for 48 years, 40 of them as a career professional. A graduate of Duquesne University, he holds two degrees of a Bachelor of Science in Music Education and a Master of Music (Trumpet). Growing up in Pittsburg, PA, Mr. Suska began playing trumpet in the 6 th grade. A teacher came to his school once per week to give group lessons. Beginning in the 7th grade, he participated in the school orchestra. That was his first opportunity to play along with other instrumentalists. He loved playing with so many other players, all focusing on a common goal. By his junior year of high school, he knew that he wanted to play professionally. He then dedicated himself to practicing with that goal in mind. He took his private lessons seriously and attended Pittsburgh Symphony concerts as often as was possible. Listening to other professional musicians became a major priority. In his 8th grade year he was fortunate to take advantage of a program offered through the public schools named the Centers for Musically Talented. He continued to attend every Saturday through the school year through his senior year of high school and received a private lesson, had a theory class, played in a small ensemble class, and also attended a Discovery class. In that Discovery class, we had the opportunity to hear various professional ensembles- often from the Pittsburgh Symphony, as well as perform for the other students. He was also selected via audition to attend the inaugural Governor s School for the Arts in the nation during his junior year of high school. Both of his college degrees were attained at Duquesne University. He became a member of the Pittsburgh Youth Symphony in 1975 and was fortunate to participate in a Bicentennial tour along the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and a tour in Europe in the summer of 1977. He moved to Nashville to continue his career in the spring of 1980. Mr. Suska will begin his second year teaching band at Overbrook this fall. ASP: SCA Music Lessons Program BIOS & OVERVIEWS 2017-18 Revised: 5-11-17