MUSIC IS A BIRTHRIGHT.
The mission of Mile of Music’s Music Education Team is to help all people unleash their inner musician in order to build a community of active music explorers, music makers, and music lovers. We are committed to providing dynamic music-making opportunities for people on the Mile to set them on a path of discovering and developing their musical selves.
At Mile of Music, people don’t just hear the music, they are the music!
MET Members
Leila Ramagopal Pertl
Morgen Moraine
Brian Pertl
Credentials
Music Education Curator, Instructor in Music Education (Lawrence University), music educator - Edison Elementary School (Appleton), LU ‘87
My Bio
Leila Ramagopal Pertl (MET Founder & Curator) is the Music Education Curator for the Mile of Music Festival and teaches Music Education at Lawrence University. She created the innovative Music curricula at Next Generation School in Champaign, IL and at Appleton Public Montessori, and now, Edison Elementary, where music is treated as a core subject; each student being immersed in drumming, dancing, singing, improvisation, composition, and music theory. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Lawrence University, a Master of Science degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois, and is a recipient of Pi Kappa Lambda Honors, Excellence in Music Education. She is an active presenter and has recently given workshops for the College Music Society, Smithsonian Year of Music panel on the Future of Music Education, Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Milwaukee Children’s Choir, and numerous WMEA State Conferences. She is a curriculum writer for PBS Wisconsin: Re/sound, connecting classroom music educators to global musical culture bearers in Wisconsin. She recently authored,”Creating Communities of Belonging: Keeping Creativity at the Heart of Inclusion,” a chapter in Becoming an Artist to the World: Music and Social Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century (Summer ’24), on which she is also the DEI editor and audio book narrator. Leila was the 2018 recipient of the Mentor Award from the Wisconsin Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (WACTE). She served as the Wisconsin Music Educators Association State Chair for Composition and Improvisation from 2018-22, is one of two Equity Chairs for WMEA, is the Chair of the Committee on Cultural Inclusion for the College Music Society, and is on the Music Education Committee for Smithsonian Folkways. Leila is married to Brian Pertl, Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of music, and together they enjoy spending time with their 5 adult children. She believes that music is a birthright, and loves being with people in collaborative, powerful, creative spaces!
Credentials
MET Director of Operations (incoming), music educator - Appleton Area School District, studio teacher, LU ‘16
My Bio
Morgen Moraine (MET Director of Operations) is a passionate educator, and a firm believer in the transformative power of community music making. Community music ensembles and experiences have shaped her growth and direction her entire life, from initially participating as a performer to now facilitating as a teacher and organizer. She attended Lawrence University and graduated with high honors in 2016 with degrees in Psychology and Trumpet Performance, she returned post graduation for teaching certification. She has taught in Appleton and Menasha public schools, where she was recognized for her work in equity and inclusion in music. Morgen continues to live, work, perform, and teach in Appleton with her partner and two cats. She believes that each of us has a song to sing, no matter our instrument, and that the world is not as bright without each of us joining in!
Credentials
MET Founder (Didjeridu Workshop), Director of the Lamont School of Music, LU ‘86
My Bio
Brian Pertl (MET Founder) was the Dean of the Lawrence Conservatory of Music, and is now the Director of the Lamont School of Music at the University of Denver. He is a trombonist, ethnomusicologist, didjeridu player, Deep Listener, and a fierce advocate for music education at all levels. He has given over 400 presentations on world music across the United States. His lively performances give the audiences insights into other cultures through music. He has a BM degree in trombone performance and a BA in English from Lawrence University, an MA in Ethnomusicology from Wesleyan University and worked on his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is a recipient of the prestigious Watson Fellowship, and worked for 16 years managing the Media Acquisitions Group at Microsoft. Brian’s book entitled: Radically Responsive Music Schools: Leading Change through Culture Building, was published in 2024 by Routledge. It was inspired by the incredible culture he helped create at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music. He and his wife Leila Ramagopal Pertl are passionate about providing as many music-making opportunities to as many people as possible. They know the phenomenal power music has to change lives and are whole-heartedly committed to the transformational art of music education.
Adam Korber
Aimee Patch
Brianna Castillo
Credentials
MET Member (Strums and Drums: A Rock and Roll Uke Workshop), cellist, music educator - Orchestra (Howard-Suamico), LU '18
My Bio
Adam Korber (MET Member) lives in Appleton, Wisconsin. In his professional teaching career he is an orchestra teacher in the Howard-Suamico School District. As a cellist, he has performed in a variety of settings. He is the principal cellist of the Green Bay Civic Symphony, and has played with The Weidner Philharmonic, Vic Ferrari Symphony on the Rocks, and has recorded cello music for 7000apart. Adam fully believes in the words of one of his mentors, “everyone learns better with a smile on their face.” Adam strives to foster learning in a positive, supportive, and fun environment. Adam loves how Mile of Music brings people together, and by and large, music brings people together. He brings his passions for people, learning, and music to the Music Education Team.
Credentials
MET Member, LU ‘26, Music Education & Performance Major, Hornist
My Bio
Aimee Patch is an incoming senior at Lawrence University, pursuing degrees in Music Education (Instrumental/General) and Horn Performance. At Lawrence, she has participated in numerous ensembles, including large groups such as the Lawrence Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band, Kinkawiwo (Ghanaian Dancing & Drumming), and chamber groups such as Horn Ensemble, the MAIL! Horn Quartet, and the campus-renowned brass quintet, The Brasshoppers. As an Appleton native, she is proud to represent the Lawrence Community Music School chair in the Dean’s Advisory Council. This follows her participation in the LCMS Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble as a student, and position as the Symphonic Band Student Manager this past year, working with Mary Van De Loo and Caitlynn Acy. Completing practicum with Leila Pertl, Elissa Beckman, and Susie Patch, Aimee’s pedagogy experience is rooted in community building, high expectations, and having fun! Aimee is incredibly excited to join the Mile of Music Music Education Team this year!
Credentials
MET Member, percussionist, percussion performance major LU '26
My Bio
Brianna Castillo is a third-year undergraduate student at the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music studying percussion performance. Currently, under the mentorship of Dr. Jean Carlo Ureña Gonzalez and Greg Riss, Brianna is studying to be the most versatile musician and flexible learner she can be. Because of her significant background in West African Percussion, she blends both Western and non-Western styles of playing, performing, and teaching to create music that’s accessible to as many people as possible. Brianna’s passion for all kinds of music has led to her participation in various ensembles both at Lawrence and beyond. Brianna is excited to take part in her 3rd mile of music and spread her love for music to everyone in the community!
Casey Frensz
Corrina Albright
Eli Grover
Credentials
MET Member (Shuffle it Up; Blues Songwriting; pBone Jam;), multi-instrumentalist, private music instructor, LU '14
My Bio
Casey Frensz is a Multi-Instrumentalist, Music Producer, and Educator based in Minneapolis, MN. He has a deep passion for all kinds of musical noisemakers and loves helping songwriters and bands develop their sound. Casey runs Inner Groove Studios from his Minneapolis home where he teaches music to his community and has produced recordings for artists from around the world.
Credentials
MET Member (Sound Together: Song Circle for Community; Playground Games; Stories that Sing;), violist, music educator - AASD & Lawrence Community Music School (Appleton)
My Bio
Corrina Albright (MET member) is passionate about the powerful connectivity of community music making. She teaches elementary general music and orchestra at Appleton Public Montessori and Badger Elementary, directs the Lawrence Youth String Orchestra (LYSO), is a member of the viola section of the Fox Valley Symphony Orchestra, and enjoys playing with the Lawrence Community Gamelan. Albright holds a BM in Viola Performance and Music Leadership from the Eastman School of Music. She completed long-term teacher training in Suzuki Violin at the School for Strings in Manhattan, and received teacher certification from Lawrence University. She lives in Appleton with her husband, trombonist Tim Albright, and their two sons.
Credentials
MET Member (pBone Jam; Balinese Gamelan), music educator - James Madison Middle Schools (Appleton), LU '11
My Bio
Eli Grover (MET Member) teaches Middle School General Music in the Appleton Area School District. He earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Instrumental and General Music Education from Lawrence University, and earned Masters in Teaching and Learning from UW Oshkosh. In addition to teaching lots of varied music at school and on the Mile, Eli is loving family life as a dad of three lovely girls who like to garden, play, and laugh!
Iris Hakes
Jacob Hanekamp
Jane Ryder
Credentials
MET Member, Music Educator, LU '24
My Bio
Iris Hakes (MET Member, LU ’24) is a music educator and bassoonist from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. She teaches K-12 music at the New Auburn School in New Auburn, Wisconsin, where she leads the elementary music, middle school and high school choir, and middle school and high school band programs. Iris also enjoys teaching marching band as a member of the Chippewa Falls Marching Cardinals staff. When she isn’t teaching music, you can find Iris playing bassoon around the Chippewa valley with groups such as with the UW Barron County Community Band and the Chippewa Valley Symphony Orchestra. At home, Iris loves being the best cat auntie to her sister’s cat Bojack, and watching a good show on TV with her family!
Credentials
MET Member, percussionist, music education student, LU '25
My Bio
Jacob Hanekamp (MET Member) from Janesville, WI is a 5th Year at Lawrence University majoring in Percussion Performance. He is excited for his fourth Mile with the Music Education Team. At Lawrence, Jacob is apart of numerous ensembles including Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, the Lawrence Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Band, Jazz Ensemble, the Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble, and Kinkaviwo. During his studies, Jacob fell in love with the variety of world ensembles with a special love for Ghanian Drumming, Dancing, and Singing. Outside of his studies, Jacob loves to compose music for a variety of ensembles. He is also an avid Photographer and enjoys capturing the memories of everyone. Jacob is excited to spread his love for percussion to everyone in the community!
Credentials
MET Member, Music Educator, UW Stevens Point '21
My Bio
Jane Ryder graduated from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2021 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Choral, General, and Instrumental Music Education. She completed her Master of Music degree in Music Education with a Kodály Emphasis from Lakeland University. Ryder is FAME certified in First Steps In Music for Preschool and Beyond and Conversational Solfege Levels 1 & 2 and has a passion for early elementary music education. She enjoys teaching elementary music in the Appleton Area School District.
Jelani Jones
John Henderson
Laurel Thompson
Credentials
MET Member, Violinist, music educator, LU '22
My Bio
Jelani Jones (MET Member) is a violinist who studied music education at Lawrence University. He has participated in various ensembles such as small chamber ensembles, Fiddle Club, Improvisation Group of Lawrence University (IGLU), and the Lawrence University Mariachi Ensemble (LUMÉ). Jelani also enjoys writing music, playing piano, and singing. When he is not immersed in music he enjoys traveling and learning more about the world around him. He is so excited to be a part of the Music Education team again!
Credentials
MET Member, Percussionist, LU Music Education student
My Bio
John Henderson is a Junior studying Music Education and Percussion Performance at Lawrence University. Under the direction of Dr. Jean Carlo Ureña Gonzalez, they are studying to become a music educator, specifically an instrumental ensemble! John is passionate about spreading the joys of music to as many people as they can, and is excited to be a part of the team this year!
Credentials
Laurel Thompson recently graduated from Lawrence University and will be completing their student teaching in the fall at both Badger Elementary and Wilson/Magellan middle school. They are from West Allis, Wisconsin, and comes from a big family of musicians. Their main instrument being cello, they have been playing in orchestras from the age of 11, when they auditioned for the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra. At Lawrence, they have been a member of the Lawrence University Symphony Orchestra for three years, while dipping their toes in the choir world as well. They are intensely excited to be a part of the Mile of Music Team this year and work with others passionate about music education!
My Bio
Jelani Jones (MET Member) is a violinist who studied music education at Lawrence University. He has participated in various ensembles such as small chamber ensembles, Fiddle Club, Improvisation Group of Lawrence University (IGLU), and the Lawrence University Mariachi Ensemble (LUMÉ). Jelani also enjoys writing music, playing piano, and singing. When he is not immersed in music he enjoys traveling and learning more about the world around him. He is so excited to be a part of the Music Education team again!
Lauren Thompson Ringeisen
Sarah Phelps
Seth Ploeckelman
Credentials
MET Member (Balinese Gamelan), educator - Elementary Music and 4K (New London), LU '13
My Bio
Lauren Thompson Ringeisen (MET Member) taught elementary music and four-year-old kindergarten in New London, WI, and is now teaching in Neenah, WI. She graduated from Lawrence University in 2013 with a Bachelor of Music in Instrumental and General Music Education. She has been studying gamelan with Pak Dewa since 2009, and is excited to have brought a set of angklung to the New London elementary schools.
Credentials
MET Member (Stories That Sing; Playground Games;), music educator - Badger Elementary & Lawrence Community Music School (Appleton), LU ‘07
My Bio
Sarah Phelps’ (MET Member) passion for the work of the Music Education Team draws from both personal and family member experiences of being shut out from musical opportunities because of “”talent”” or lack thereof. As a music teacher and 10 year MoM veteran, she strives to connect students’ and community members’ hearts to their inner musicians. She hopes you will join her and her lively family for some moving, grooving, and all kinds of opportunities to make music together on the Mile!
Credentials
MET Member, percussionist, LU '24
My Bio
Seth Ploeckelman (MET Member) is a junior at Lawrence University studying percussion performance and pedagogy from Tomahawk, Wisconsin. Along with regularly performing with rock, jazz and classical ensembles around Wisconsin, he was featured as a soloist performing the Ney Rosauro Marimba Concerto with the Lawrence University Percussion Ensemble this February. While his main instrument is percussion, he also enjoys playing piano, bass, composing, and teaching others. He is excited to be a part of the MET team this year!
Shan Lee Rowe
Tara Maycroft
Theresa Gruber-Miller
Credentials
MET Member, Music Educator (Howard-Suamico), LU '23
My Bio
Shan is a graduate of Lawrence University and the new General Music teacher at Meadowbrook Elementary in the Howard Suamico school district. Growing up playing Gamelan with his father, joining choir in high school, and learning how to craft a musical identity at Lawrence has made him indebted to music and to the musical figures in his life. He is excited to be a part of the team and to continue spreading love and building community through music!
Credentials
MET member, LU '25
My Bio
Tara (MET member, LU 2025) is a bassoonist and pre-service music educator from Twin Lake, Michigan. In her hometown, she participated in the Reeths-Puffer Wind Ensemble, the Reeths-Puffer Marching Band, and the Muskegon Area Honors Orchestra. She graduated from Lawrence University in June 2025 with a degree in music education (instrumental/general). She will also be student teaching in the fall in the Fox Cities area. During her time at Lawrence, she has participated in Lawrence University’s Symphonic Band, Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Viking Chorale, and Viking Bassoon Ensemble. She is also a composer of a few solo bassoon works and an arranger of bassoon ensemble music. She is passionate about incorporating improvisation, composing and accessibility for all into her teaching!
Credentials
MET Member, Music Educator, Studio Teacher, LU '24
My Bio
Theresa Gruber-Miller is a dynamic music educator and graduate of Lawrence University where she studied Music Education, Trumpet Performance, and Spanish. She is excited for the opportunity to lead music workshops through the Mile of Music Education Team! In addition to work for the Mile, she is the director of Central Middle School’s Band program in Hartford, Wisconsin and plays trumpet in the Milwaukee area community. Her other passions include meeting new people and spending time in the great outdoors!
MET Workshop Artists
Caitlin Hedge
Sonja Downing
Dieter Hein Mutis
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Irish Fiddle), Performer, Educator
My Bio
Praised for her “dark and earthy…visceral and emotional playing” (Seen and Heard International), Caitlin Hedge’s musicianship and versatility as a genre-crossing multi-instrumentalist captivates audiences. Based in the Fox Valley, she is an award-winning fiddler, violinist and violist in orchestral and baroque styles, violist d’amore, guitarist, singer and songwriter. Caitlin has taught numerous clinics at Pennsylvania Folk College, including Irish fiddle and cèilidh band workshops, and performed as featured soloist (fiddle and voice) at Ravinia Festival. Her most recent albums include the premiere recording of Scottish opera The Gentle Shepherd (2025) and The Galant David Rizzio (2022) with Scottish historical performance band Makaris. Her debut solo album of original songs, Stranger, was released in 2023. Performing frequently with early music and folk crossover ensembles, Caitlin collaborated most recently with Chivalrous Crickets, Alla Boara, Indianapolis Baroque Orchestra, Apollo’s Fire, and ACRONYM. She is a tenured member of Erie Philharmonic, and holds music degrees from Case Western Reserve University, Youngstown State University and Baldwin Wallace University.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Balinese Dance), Lawrence Faculty.
My Bio
I am an ethnomusicologist with research interests in Balinese gamelan music and dance, traditional music pedagogy, the intersection of gender and performance, and ecomusicology. My book Gamelan Girls: Gender, Childhood, and Politics in Balinese Music Ensembles explores socio-musical and pedagogical changes due to the recent emergence of all-girls and mixed gender children’s traditional gamelan music ensembles in Bali, Indonesia. This research was supported by a Fulbright Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award, a grant from the Pacific Rim Research Program, and an internal travel grant from Lawrence. Its publication was supported by a grant from the Bruno Nettl Endowment for Ethnomusicology, and it was awarded an honorable mention for the Marcia Herndon Book Prize from the Gender and Sexualities Taskforce of the Society for Ethnomusicology. I love to play Balinese gamelan music, and have performed in the U.S. and in Bali with the American-based Gamelan Sekar Jaya, and have been a guest musician with one of the premier performing ensembles of Bali, Gamelan Çudamani. My husband I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana is a founding and touring member of Çudamani, teaching in its several educational programs for children. He now directs the student gamelan ensemble at Lawrence, and the gamelan groups of the Lawrence Community Music School.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Harmonica), Harmonica Musician,
My Bio
Passionate and experienced harmonica player from Chiloé Island in the Chilean Patagonia with over 15 years of dedicated practice and performance. He was a teacher of the Harmonica institute from Buenos Aires. Trained under renowned national and international masters, including Gonzalo Araya, Cristian Inostroza, Mariano Massolo, Joe Filisko, Fede Vaz, and others. Skilled in blues, jazz, traditional music, and diverse musical projects. Extensive experience performing on national and international stages across South America and the United States, fostering cultural exchange and musical collaboration.
Expressive Therapies
Greg Forton
Greg Riss
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (All Abilities Inclusive Music-Making), music and art therapists
My Bio
Expressive Therapies (MET Workshop Artist) is a team of music and art therapists seeking to empower individuals to live their best life. As licensed, board certified music therapists, art therapists, and mental health counselors, their mission is to create a brave and empowering space for equality with – race, gender, sexuality, age, economic status, cognitive, physical, spiritual needs and those living with mental illness – through trauma informed care: music therapy, art therapy and psychotherapy, to improve health and well-being.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Uke Jam with Forte and the Pianissimos), ukulele teacher, music educator
My Bio
Greg Forton, a recently retired music teacher in the area, now travels the world and spreads the Aloha Spirit through original songs and his love of the ukulele.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Ghanaian Drumming and Dance), percussionist, educator, LU '14
My Bio
Greg Riss (Workshop Instructor, LU ’14) is a percussionist from Madison, WI. He co-directs LU’s Ghanaian Drum and Dance ensemble with Nani Agbeli and teaches percussion at UW-Oshkosh. He has performed with diverse groups including Mama Digdown’s Brass Band, Panchromatic Steel, La Combi, hunter & wolfe, and the Dubuque Symphony and has presented educational clinics and concerts at Manhattan School of Music, Mannes College, Wesleyan, Princeton, Rowan, and Rutgers Universities, and many public schools across New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. As a Lawrence student, Greg volunteered for two summers at Holy Trinity Music School in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Greg is excited to be part of Mile 12!
I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana
Jean Carlo Ureña González
Nell Buchman
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Balinese Dance), Lawrence Faculty.
My Bio
I Dewa Ketut Alit Adnyana is highly regarded internationally as an excellent performer and teacher of traditional Balinese instrumental music. He graduated from the Conservatory of Indonesian Musical Arts in 1999, though is primarily trained in the local performing arts of his village of Pengosekan, near Ubud, Bali. He is a founding member of Gamelan Çudamani, one of the premiere Balinese gamelan troupes, and has toured multiple times with Çudamani to the U.S., Canada, Japan, Italy, and Greece. Their most recent tour of the production “Odalan Bali” won acclaim from critics across the U.S. and Canada. Çudamani is dedicated to the preservation and transmission of traditional Balinese gamelan repertoire, as well as to the creation of new compositions through the support of members’ artistic and cultural innovation. Dewa has been active in both of these aspects of the organization as one of the core teachers of Çudamani’s educational programs for children in Pengosekan. He has been a key supporter of the development of the Çudamani Girls’ Gamelan, one of the only ensembles of its kind to offer the opportunity to learn gamelan music for young girls in Bali. He also founded a young boys’ gamelan ensemble at Çudamani in 2006. Dewa has taught gamelan music to foreign students from the U.S., Canada, Japan, and the U.K. privately since 2000. He was an Artist-in-Residence with Gamelan Sekar Jaya in California in 2007, and the Artist-in-Residence with the University of California, Santa Barbara Gamelan Angklung Ensemble, in 2008. He has been involved with the Çudamani Gamelan Music and Dance Summer Institute geared for non-Indonesian artists, especially in 2007, 2008, and 2018. Dewa is sought after for his clear and systematic teaching methods, and has been invited to teach gong kebyar, angklung, and gamelan semarandana repertoire to men’s, women’s, and children’s gamelans across southern Bali in preparation for their performances for temple ceremonies and festival competitions since 1998.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Brazillian Samba Drumming; Merengue Dance)
My Bio
Jean Carlo is a versatile performer, composer and educator that connects western and nonwestern tradition into concert settings. He has performed with the National Symphony Orchestra of Santo Domingo, Jackson Symphony, Toledo Symphony, Adrian Symphony, the United State Coast Guard Band, and the Simon Bolivar Orchestra. Jean Carlo has shared stages with renowned musicians such as: Stefan Bauer, Shane Shannahan, Alison Balsom, Paquito D’Rivera, and Gustavo Dudamel. Jean Carlo has been a feature performer in LOUD Weekend in Mass Moca, the 2023 Percussive Arts Society International Convention and Long Play Festival NYC. He has collaborated in recordings with John Luther Adams, Michael Gordon, South Dakota Symphony Orchestra, The Crossing, and JACK Quartet. Jean Carlo, joins the faculty of the Lawrence University Conservatory of Music as a Assistant Professor of Percussion in the Fall of 2023, where he serves as the Director of percussive studies. Jean Carlo proudly plays with Vic Firth Drumsticks and Mallets, Black Swamp Percussion accessories, and Zildjian Cymbals.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (First Steps in Music), music educator - Lawrence Community Music School (Appleton)
My Bio
Nell Buchman has pursued an active teaching, performing, and adjudicating career at Lawrence University, the Lawrence Community Music School, and throughout Wisconsin for over 30 years. She has a private studio, teaches Music for the Very Young, and is a pianist and manager with the Lawrence Community Girl Choirs. She also teaches class piano at the Lawrence Conservatory of Music and received her Masters of Music in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma in 1994. Nell has performed at the Winchester Academy in Waupaca, Neenah Library, University of Wisconsin in Stevens Point, Pine Mountain Music Festival in Michigan, and Milwaukee’s Frankly Music Chamber Series. She has served as soloist with North Carolina’s Raleigh Symphony and Brevard Music Center Orchestra as well as Oklahoma’s Cimarron Opera Company Orchestra among others. Other performances include playing on public radio and at music conventions such as MTNA and MENC. Nell is also a frequent performer for the Waupaca Community Arts Board’s bi-annual Bach festival, where she lives with her husband and two children. As an extension of her teaching, Nell continues to learn and work with students through adjudicating for the Wisconsin Music Teacher’s Association and the Music Teachers National Association each year.
Néstor Domínguez, Jr.
Steffi Brill
Vang Xiong and Izzy Xiong
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Los Ritmos del Mariachi), mariachi music educator (Chicago), LU '14
My Bio
Néstor Domínguez, Jr. (MET Workshop Artist) hails from the state of Guerrero in Southwest México. He is an alum of Lawrence University (’15) and The Chicago Public Schools. Upon graduating from Lawrence, Néstor returned to Chicago to provide a high-quality music education to Chicago students. He has taught wind band, music technology, world percussion and Mariachi during his 10 years of teaching. Néstor currently leads the Mariachi Aguilas de Thorp Scholastic Academy program at Thorp Scholastic Academy where he teaches k-8th grade.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Songwriting with Steffi Brill)
My Bio
Steffi B is a singer-songwriter originally from Milwaukee, WI with a sound reminiscent of the likes of Christine McVie, Regina Spektor, and Sara Bareilles. Drawing from a Berklee College of Music degree and years of teaching songwriting, her approach focuses on the balance between our Inner Creative and our Inner Critic.
Credentials
MET Workshop Artist (Bachata Dance)
My Bio
Vang Xiong and Izzy Xiong are happy to be your instructors today. Vang began his dance journey at UW Fox Valley in Menasha, 2007 to present day, for Ballroom and 2018 to present, day for Bachata. Izzy began hers nearly 5 years ago. You wouldn’t guess it by how smoothly they dance together, that just goes to show how hard work and diligent practice can pay off. Whether you come out of today’s class with only the basic, or you are able to take all the steps home, Vang and Izzy are happy that you have joined them for their lesson today, and also are happy to officially welcome you to the Latin dance community.