Clarence Acox, Seattle JazzED Co-Founder, Director Emeritus

An outstanding educator for over 40 years, Clarence Acox was the long time director of the award-winning Garfield High School Jazz Ensemble, which has qualified and placed among the top three bands in the Essentially Ellington competition at Jazz at Lincoln Center for many years. A native of New Orleans, he graduated from Southern University. In 2002 he received the national Educator of the Year Award from Downbeat magazine, and has been voted Earshot Jazz Musician of the Year.

“My kids often come back and tell me how much playing in the band changed their lives. Playing music — especially jazz — can do that to you. I’ve dreamed of making that experience available to every kid who wants it.”

Marina Albero

Born into the family band Grallers de Banyoles-Estampida Medieval, Marina Albero has been steeped in the sounds of Barcelona since childhood. As a young girl, extensive training in percussion and piano in both Spain and Cuba sent her on the road to early achievement and success. Albero played European festivals and was awarded the annual prize for talented youth in Brussels.

Marina has collaborated on recording projects with players like Silvio Rodríguez, and tours in Catalonia, Spain, and Portugal with the band Barnhabana, conducted by Grammy winner Barbarito Torres. Currently, Marina performs in flamenco shows with renowned dancers and companies, including the Ballet Nacional De España. 

Jeremy Bacon
JazzSprouts Accompanist, JazzED Messengers

Bio coming soon

Brian Bermudez
Foundations (Sax), Online Private Lessons

Brian Bermudez is a saxophone chameleon performing in many musical styles across the Puget Sound region for the better part of a decade. He is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Cornish College of the Arts majoring in Saxophone Performance. His time performing on the Seattle Music Scene has shaped his philosophy that quality music education should be accessible to as many people as possible. That lessons learned while playing an instrument and performing with others bolsters lifelong soft skills and can provide lifelong enrichment. Brian believes that mentorship is one of the greatest traditions in Jazz.

Abbey Blackwell
Girls Ellington Project, Online Private Lessons, BHM Assembly “Messengers”

Abbey Blackwell is a multi-faceted double and electric bassist in Seattle, WA. She tours consistently with bands, performs her solo guitar music around town, and performs regularly with all sorts of contemporary musicians. Additionally, Abbey holds a master's degree in Jazz and Improvised Music and a bachelor’s of music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Washington.

Samantha Boshnack
Foundations (Trumpet), Online Private Lessons

Whether blasting through the sonic explorations of her 14-piece alternative chamber orchestra, B’shnorkestra, or leading Seismic Belt and her quintet, Samantha Boshnack’s sound pulses with vitality. In addition to running her own three ensembles, she is part of the acclaimed composers’ collective Alchemy Sound Project and has toured extensively in the zany, postmodern Reptet. She has released twelve recordings with these five ensembles. In 2018, Boshnack was awarded the annual Make Jazz Fellowship, a three month-residency sponsored by the Herb Alpert Foundation. Boshnack graduated from Bard College in 2003 with a BA in music, and is an alumni of the Gabriela Lena Frank Creative Academy of Music (GLFCAM), Mutual Mentorship for Musicians and the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute at UCLA.

Boshnack has been a music educator for 20+ years. She believes that music is a fun and rewarding way to express oneself and be creative, as well as learn important lessons in patience, practice, and discipline. Students are encouraged to find joy and passion in music while becoming the best all-around musician they can be.

Vanessa Bruce
Gospel Roots Choir

Vanessa Wells Bruce has been making music since the age of four. A native of Philadelphia Pennsylvania, she was a leader in all-city groups as a violist and vocalist. Her study of music theory, viola, pipe organ, and piano continued at Oberlin Conservatory, where she earned a Bachelor of Music Education. She took post-graduate classes at West Chester State University and Drake University in vocal pedagogy and conducting.  

In addition to being a mother, educating youth has been her life’s passion. For decades, Vanessa was an elementary and middle school vocal music teacher in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Iowa. Her creativity as performer, accompanist, choir director, clinician, musician, playwright, drama director, composer and arranger has afforded Vanessa many opportunities since she and her children moved to Washington State in 1998.   

Vanessa is currently the Artistic Director for The Sound of the Northwest, a choir whose mission is to enrich diverse, multi-generational, and multi-cultural audiences and artists. Through the presentation of musical performances and various other art forms, they commit to the preservation of the history and legacy of African Americans, thereby cultivating a musical future for all humanity.  

Kat Bula
Foundations (Violin), Online Private Lessons

Kat Bula is a fiddler/violinist, guitarist, vocalist, mandolinist, accordionist, and songwriter. She has been performing and teaching music across a variety of genres since she was teenager herself. Specializing in improvisation, music theory and jamming skills, Kat has worked with hundreds of adult and teenage students across the U.S. and Canada via live workshops, online courses and private lessons. She’s won awards at numerous fiddle contests, including the Washington State and Northwest Regional championships, and has had articles published in Fiddler Magazine and Mel Bay Publications’ Fiddle Sessions. As a performer, Kat has recorded and toured extensively with bands ranging from hardline traditional bluegrass and Western swing, to pirate-themed folk-punk. Along the way she’s found opportunities to work with everyone from GRAMMY-winning bluegrass and Hawaiian musicians, to regional math-rock, metal, and hip-hop artists.

Luiggi Chancafe 
Intro to Ukulele

Luiggi is an active musician and educator in the Seattle area who is always searching for new opportunities to share his passion for music with both his listeners and students.  Luiggi graduated from the University of Washington in 2021 with a B.A in Music Performance/Jazz studies. While there he had the opportunity to study with many professionals in the music industry, including Steve Rodby, Ted Poor, Marc Seales, and Cuong Vu.  

As both a leader and sideman, Luiggi currently plays in multiple musical groups, where he performs traditional repertoire and original compositions. In addition to performing, he keeps an active studio of students. Luiggi is passionate about teaching others the principles of music making, and primarily aims to provide students with the tools to effectively help them reach their goals in a timely and proficient manner. 

Marina Christopher

Marina Christopher is a jazz bassist and vocalist quickly gaining notoriety. Marina graduated from Central Washington University, where she studied both jazz and classical music. She has over 10 years of performing experience in jazz combos as well as big bands, salsa bands, rock bands, hip-hop groups, classical chamber groups and even a stint in a cruise ship show band. Marina has taught for several years as a private instructor and as a clinician/coach for jazz and classical music camps in the Seattle area. Marina is also an avid composer and arranger and has released two albums of her own compositions.

Kelly Clingan
Seattle JazzED’s Education Director

Kelly Clingan is the former Director of Concert Bands and Jazz at Washington Middle School, where she taught from 2008 to 2016. A graduate of Roosevelt High School and the University of Washington, she is rooted in Seattle's celebrated tradition of music education.

Kelly is a frequent adjudicator at local and regional jazz festivals, including the Lionel Hampton and Reno Jazz Festivals. She also presents and teaches at regional and national music conferences including JEN, MMEA, HMEA, ASTA, CWU, Arts Schools Network and Berklee City Music.

In 2016, Kelly was named the University of Washington GWSS Alumni of the Year for her work on gender equity in jazz. Kelly serves as Washington Area Unit President,  Diversity and Inclusion Committee Member, and Women in Jazz Committee Member for the Jazz Education Network

Kelly plays trombone in Banda Vagos, a traditional Mexican Banda, performing throughout the Puget Sound area on a weekly basis. 

Kelly recently published: 

• "The Educational Jazz Band: Where Are the Girls?" by Kelly Clingan, VOICE of Washington Music Educators, October 2017.

“I am committed to driving gender and racial equity forward through music, from the beginning classroom to the professional stage. Join me in re-imagining music education that links artistic excellence to empowerment and social justice.”

Henry Coba
Foundations (Trombone)

Henry Coba is a trombonist, keyboardist, composer, arranger, writer, producer, farmer, educator, and yoga teacher based in Seattle, Washington. He recently earned a Master of Music in Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where he studied under Steve Owen, Ken Mastrogiovanni, Idit Shner, Lindsey Rodgers, Jon Bellona, Lance Miller, and Paul Krueger. As a Graduate Teaching Fellow at the university, he led the Latin Jazz Ensemble, assisted with administrative tasks, and occasionally directed large ensembles.

Henry maintains an active teaching studio. He teaches at Off the Wall School of Music, Sound Music School, The Music Factory, and hosts private lessons. He loves to share his passion for performance, technique, jazz, free improvisation, composition, and music production. He believes his role as a teacher is to gently assist students in finding their own voice through music and conversation.

Gared Contawe
Foundations (Clarinet)

Born and raised in the greater Seattle area, Gared Contawe (he/him) is an accomplished clarinetist and music educator. Gared attended Central Washington University and earned a Bachelor of Music Education. Currently, Gared is teaching elementary music and 5th-grade band with Highline Public Schools. He also holds experience coaching middle and high school students. As a performer, Gared has had opportunities to perform with a variety of concert bands, orchestras, and chamber ensembles. Presently he is actively participating in community ensembles in the greater Seattle area.

Jeanie Cookston
Online Private Lessons

Jeanie (she/her) started her musical journey in early childhood piano lessons, progressing to choir in early high school, and jazz choir in late high school. She then left her home state of Colorado to pursue music at Cornish College of the Arts. While at Cornish she studied under (Grammy nominee) Johnaye Kendrick, learning the fundamentals of jazz harmony and vocal improvisation. She also found her compositional voice at Cornish, participating in multiple ensembles and studying songwriting and electronic music history. Jeanie released her debut album in 2022, and is influenced by the work of SZA, James Taylor, and Lady Gaga. In addition to all things musical, she loves dinosaurs, comics, and running around outside. Jeanie teaches piano and voice.

King Dawidalle
Foundations (Bass), Online Private lessons

King Dawidalle is a multifaceted artist who has been playing bass for 17 years. He has played in rock, jazz, pop, funk, and gospel bands including his own trio called Dysfunkshun. He also produces music as a solo artist under the name KingDow. Outside of his own music projects, Dawidalle participates in a nonprofit that creates opportunities for artists. In addition to several successful solo shows he has also performed at the Edmonds Jazz Festival, the Millcreek Festival, and the Freemont Friday Festival. Before COVID he taught classical bass and dance and he is currently a part of a nonprofit jazz band that plays regularly at the Anchor Pub in Everett.

Alex Dyring
Foundations (Bass), Online Private Lessons

Alex Dyring (Deer-ing) is a Colombian-American upright and electric bass player who composes, arranges and produces music in Seattle, WA. As a top call bass player in the local Latin music scene, Dyring currently plays with Kiki Valera y su Son Cubano, Buena Vibra, and Jovino Santos Neto, among others. He is dedicated to the study of a wide range of Black American music styles, specifically jazz, R&B/soul, rock, blues, hip hop, gospel, and Afro-Caribbean styles, and he seeks to highlight the link between these various genres as a way to honor their shared musical lineage and commonalities. Dyring has been an active professional musician for over a decade, and his work has taken him to the Dominican Republic, Spain, New Orleans, and Boston, where he graduated from Berklee College of Music, with a degree in bass performance. As a young musician, Dyring was influenced by his father, a violist in the Seattle Symphony, and by his mother’s dancing to Cumbia and Salsa music.

Shaina Ellis
Online Private Lessons

Shaina Ellis is a saxophonist, woodwind doubler, and music teacher. She recently received her Music Education (BA) degree from Central Washington University, with certifications in instrumental music education, choral music education, and jazz studies. At CWU, she was the president of the Jazz Education Network's (JEN's) Signature Collegiate Chapter and performed in CWU's Jazz Band 1, Vocal Jazz 1, and Jazz Combos. Outside of CWU, she has played the reed book in multiple pit orchestras and performed in a cover band and in various small groups.

She has taught music in public schools from all around Washington to students of grade levels kindergarten through 12th grade. Shaina has been a band nerd since 5th grade, but her passion for music education was ignited when she did Seattle JazzED as a high school student. Proud to pass the torch as a JazzED alum, her goal is to continue to make jazz accessible to young learners, build inclusive communities, and provide positive brain-building experiences through music.

Madison Ely
Online Private Lessons

Madison Ely (she/her) is a music education major in her final year at Pacific Lutheran University in Parkland, WA. Through the course of her 13 years playing flute, Madison has performed with a variety of wind ensembles, flute choirs and chamber groups. She has experience coaching flutes at Graham Kapowsin High School. She is a music teacher at a PLU affiliated nonprofit music program, Artist Mentoring Program (AMP), which introduces students to music and a variety of musical instruments.

Lea Fetterman
Foundations (Violin)

Lea Fetterman lives and works as a freelance violinist, conductor, and teacher in the Pacific Northwest. Alongside her music making, she arranges and composes music for a variety of ensembles and genres, including folk, singer/songwriter, alternative, ambient, and classical. Currently, Ms. Fetterman performs with many regional orchestras, including the Northwest Sinfonietta, North Corner Chamber Orchestra, Yakima Symphony, Seattle Collaborative Orchestra, and many more. Beyond Washington's borders, she has played in Oregon, Idaho, California, and Alaska. She coaches for Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestras, Seattle Conservatory of Music, Seattle JazzED, and many local public schools. Beyond classical music, Ms. Fetterman has performed with artists such as Sera Cahoone, Passenger String Quartet, Sam Chase & The Untraditional, and Katie Kuffel. In May 2021, Ms. Fetterman completed her Master's in Violin Performance at the University of Victoria, BC, and graduated from Western Washington University with a BM in Music Education in December 2017.

Beth Fortune
Mentors in Training

Elizabeth Fortune is a music educator in Seattle, Washington and the Director of Education for the Wintergrass Music Festival. Over her career, Fortune has been a driver of transformation in music education and strives to collaborate in the building of music programs that have foundations in the Artistic Process, where the students become creative decision makers, collaborators, and music lovers. Elizabeth is the co-host of a popular music education podcast called “The Beth and Kelly Show.” She is also a curriculum writer for the Teaching with Primary Sources Project, a collaboration between the Library of Congress and NAfME.  In 2020, Fortune was appointed chair of the NAfME’s Council for Orchestral Education.  In 2019-2021, Fortune was a member of the American String Teachers Association Board of Directors.  In 2018, she was a recipient of the Country Music Association’s Music Teachers of Excellence distinction. In 2015, Fortune was one of 25 semi-finalists for the Grammy Music Educator Award. 

Haley Freedlund

Haley Freedlund is a trombonist and vocalist, working primarily in free improvisation, new works, and creative/jazz-rooted music. She has been based in Seattle since 2011, where she earned a BM in Jazz Performance from Cornish College of the Arts and has since established herself as a multi-disciplinary powerhouse in the performing arts community. 

Haley is a frequent collaborator with Wayne Horvitz, Tom Varner, Christian Pincock, Karl Blau, and Ruby Dunphy. She has enjoyed collaborations with Heatwarmer, Cherdonna Shinatra, iji, Phillip Greenlief, Sam Lachow, BATTERY, and St. Paul de Vence. 

As a producer and manager, Haley has working relationships with Darcy James Argue, Ahamefule J. Oluo, The Westerlies, ings, Racer Sessions, Seattle Improvised Music Festival, and Earshot Jazz among others. 

Freddy Gonzalez
New Works Ensemble

Freddy is a professional trombonist and composer from New York City with over 20 years of performing and recording experience. As a composer, he wrote the music for Emmy nominated documentary “Senior Year Was Crazy” (KCTS9, 2020). As an educator, he was featured on NPR for a one-on-one interview that spoke about the importance of teaching students the history of protest music.

As a performer, he completed the ‘Sirope’ world tour with 20-time Latin Grammy award-winning artist Alejandro Sanz in 2018. He has opened for artists including Ruben Blades, Eddie Palmieri, and B.B. King, while performing alongside Juan Luis Guerra, Bootsy Collins, and Melissa Aldana (among many others). He is currently working in Seattle, WA.

Tracy Hagen
Online Private Lessons

Tracy Hagen's cello performing has taken her through many genres of music, including classical, jazz, rock, and punk, and to many parts of the world as well. Tracy has won several awards for her playing including scholarships, orchestral positions, and awards from University of Puget Sound, Max Aronoff Viola Institute, and the Washington State division of Music Teacher's National Association.  A graduate cum laude of Cornish College of the Arts, Tracy strives to impart the knowledge and love of playing she's gained from many prominent cellists and musicians to the next generation of musicians through compassionate and engaging lessons, and through a positive, supportive, and nurturing environment.

Bill Horist
Online Private Lessons

Guitarist and educator Bill Horist has been making music in Seattle since 1995.  He has played in numerous bands covering a broad spectrum of genres from jazz to metal in addition to innovative, experimental solo guitar work.  He has appeared on over 100 recordings and has performed throughout the North America, Europe, Central America and Japan – working with many luminaries from the world of experimental music and free-improvisation.  Bill has also made music for film, video games, modern dance and music software.

Bill shares his love for music and creation with developing artists of all ages and abilities though private instruction.  He has taught beginning guitar classes at South Seattle Community College. In partnership with the Jack Straw Cultural Center, he conducts after-school guitar workshops for English-language learners at the Seattle World School and works with visually-impaired teens to write, perform and record original music for the annual Blind Youth Audio Workshop. 

Wayne Horvitz
New Works Ensemble

Composer, pianist, and keyboardist, Wayne Horvitz performs extensively throughout Europe, Japan, and North America. He is the leader of Sweeter Than the Day, Zony Mash, The 4 Plus 1 Ensemble, the Gravitas Quartet and co-founder of the New York Composer Orchestra. A prolific composer, he has been commissioned by the Seattle Chamber Players, the Icicle Creek Trio, Kronos, BAM, Meet The Composer BAM and others. He has produced albums for Eddie Palmieri, Fontella Bass, Robin Holcomb and Bill Frisell among others. He is the recipient of numerous awards including the 2016 Doris Duke Performing Artist Award for jazz, the 2008 NEA American Masterpieces Award, and the 2003 Rockefeller Map Grant. He is the music programmer for The Royal Room, a performance venue in Seattle, Washington, and a professor of composition at the Cornish College of the Arts.

“The JazzED New Works Ensemble fills in the cracks with classic jazz from lesser known composers, famous jazz artists who do not get presented in big bands, band leaders and arrangers who tend to be relegated to the fringes, and modern composers. My ensemble fuses the best of classical and jazz ensemble traditions with an emphasis on improvisation and even the creation of new works by living composers, especially students.”

Chris Icasiano
Online Private Lessons, JazzSprouts

Christopher Icasiano is a Filipino-American percussionist and composer from Redmond, WA. Based now in Seattle, he has been performing and touring professionally for over 15 years. His specialization in free-improvisation and experimental music combined with his vast experience with pop and rock have made him a highly sought after collaborator in all genres of music. He co-founded the grassroots arts organization Table & Chairs, as well as the Racer Sessions, a weekly performance series and free-improvisation jam session. He is committed to anti-racist and anti-sexist organizing within Seattle’s DIY and art communities in order to create more accessible and safer spaces.

Jun Iida
Online Private Lessons, Summer Jazz Lab

Trumpeter, composer, educator, and recording artist Jun Iida has quickly established himself as a highly sought after musician in the Pacific Northwest music scene. In addition to being active in the studio recording scene, he is a dynamic performing artist both as a bandleader as well as a sideman.  Iida has performed extensively throughout the US as well as in Japan.

Originally from St. Louis, MO as the son of Japanese immigrants, Iida was exposed to a variety of musical genres from a young age during his upbringing in Pittsburgh, PA. In particular, he developed a deep interest and passion for jazz and improvisatory music.  He began performing actively in Los Angeles with his group Jun Iida Sextet from 2015 to 2020, before relocating to Seattle, WA where he has quickly established himself in the greater PNW music scene. He has had the opportunity to perform at notable institutions including: SFJazz, Black Cat (San Francisco, CA), Blue Whale, Sam First, Baked Potato, (Los Angeles, CA), The 1905, Winningstad Theatre (Portland, OR), The Royal Room, Benaroya Hall, Triple Door (Seattle, WA).

Iida has previously toured with Todo Mundo, Within Seekers, Salt Petal, and Zelda and the LoLo’s. He has performed at various music festivals including: Earshot Jazz Festival, Portland Jazz Festival, Angel City Jazz Festival, South by Southwest (SXSW), Joshua Tree Music Festival, California Worldfest, Yosemite Music Festival, and Lake Tahoe Music Festival.

Katyrose Jordan
Girls Ellington Project, Online Private Lessons

Katyrose is a devoted music educator and multi-instrumentalist. She grew up on Whidbey Island amid its unique and flourishing musical community. She realized her lifelong passion of learning and sharing music beginning with violin at the age of three. She later found flute, saxophone, and the world of jazz which further ignited her inspiration. As an adopted person of color, music was a life-changing safe haven and creative outlet for her. Additionally, the many exceptional educators and mentors she learned from motivated her to follow in their footsteps to teach and empower others as she had been.

Katyrose graduated from the University of Washington with bachelor’s degrees in Music Education and Jazz Studies. During this time, she also began singing and playing winds for an alternative-soul band called i///u, which went on to win various awards including the Earshot Jazz Award and play at Bumbershoot, Folklife, and Neumos. As both performer and teacher, she is ambitious, dedicated, and community-oriented. Her mission is to use her background and unique skill set to empower and enrich students’ lives socially, intellectually, and creatively through the transformative power of music.

Marissa Kall
Connections, Girls Ellington Project, Online Private Lessons

Marissa is a Classically & Jazz trained, third-generation Mexican American trumpet player from Chicago, IL. She earned her B.A. in Instrumental K-12 Music Ed. from the University of Illinois. As well as studying Classical Trumpet at the IES Conservatory in Vienna, Austria. Post graduation, she became an Instrumental Music Director in Glenview, IL. in which she focused on the recruitment, inclusion & education of the BIPOC & underprivileged students. She was the first female in her family to earn a Masters Degree in Instructional Ed Tech.

For the past seven years Marissa has been teaching, performing, & climbing mountains in Washington! Currently an in demand studio and freelance performer, playing with Banda Vagos, Dugdale Big Band, & a budding film composer. Excited to teach at Seattle JazzED this year!

Al Keith
JazzED Messengers

Trumpet player Al Keith is a fixture on the Seattle music scene. His playing credits locally as 1st Trumpet or featured soloist include the Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble; David Marriott's Triskadeka band, The Emerald City Jazz Orchestra; and The Sonny Clark Memorial Sextet. Other credits include the Cab Calloway Orchestra; Manhattan Transfer; Natalie Cole; Ray Charles; Bobby Caldwell and a tour with the Tommy Dorsey Band. As lead trumpet he has performed with British crooner Jamie Cullum and The Washington Composers Orchestra. Recording credits include work for PBS, Universal Vivendi, and dozens of local and National CD's. Al maintains a private teaching studio from his home in North Seattle, and is faculty brass instructor at Shoreline Community College.

Leanna Keith

A freelance flutist, improviser, and composer in the Seattle area, Leanna Keith delights in creating sound experiences that make audiences laugh, cry, and say: “I didn’t know the flute could do that!”

As an educator, Leanna has taught workshops across the US and Canada on technique and tone, extended techniques, composer collaboration, improvisation, and world flutes. In her studio, each student is taught a unique program which is specifically designed to encourage their interests while maintaining a high standard of technique. She is the Professor of Flute at Cornish College of the Arts.

Leanna is dedicated to playing music by composers who are still living, and advocates for the usage of music as social activism. She co-directs the arts organization Kin of the Moon, alongside Cornish instructors Heather Bentley and Kaley Lane Eaton. Her recent work, "Finding the InBetween" focuses on the challenges faced by mixed-race people in America. Her incubating projects focus on themes such as gun violence and queer identity.

Maren Kilmer
Online Private Lessons

Violist Maren Kilmer is a music instructor at Seattle JazzED, Moore Brothers Music, and Music Works Northwest where she teaches viola, violin, and piano lessons. Within Maren’s teaching, she aims to advocate, educate, and inspire her students by creating an open and safe learning environment where they can take risks, be curious, and create their own music.

Previously, Maren has had experience teaching viola and violin at Yakima Music en Acción, an after school nonprofit music program in the Yakima school district. She taught students in elementary, middle, and high school in groups large and small. Additionally, she has been a clinician in the Bellevue School district and a sectional coach in the Edmond’s School district for the Cascade Youth Symphony Orchestra.

Maren holds a BA in Viola Performance, a Nonprofit Organization Minor, and a Professional Writing Certificate from Central Washington University. Currently, she plays with the Saratoga Orchestra, Mid-Columbia Symphony, Kirkland Civic Orchestra, and the Northwest Mahler Festival. She will continue to pursue her passion and career in sharing music with others by teaching and performing.

Brian Kirk
Big Band

Brian Kirk is a percussionist, composer, and educator from Indianapolis, Indiana. He holds a B.A. in Music from California State University East Bay and a M.A. in Jazz Contemporary Music from New York University. The son of Indianapolis Hall of Fame drummer and educator Dr. Willis Kirk, Brian grew up in San Francisco where he performed with musical greats including Gladys Knight, Marlena Shaw, and Joe Henderson.

Brian spent ten years in New York City where he was a member of numerous bands and performed with Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Locke, and Andrew Hill among others, as well as appearing with ensembles including The Lionel Hampton Orchestra, The Count Basie Orchestra, the Baltimore Symphony, and Philadelphia Pops Orchestra. Mr. Kirk was also first call on New York 's Broadway show scene, performing in shows including Ain't Misbehavin', Five Guys Named Moe, and Fiddler on the Roof. Brian has made numerous recordings including the soundtracks from "Philadelphia" starring Tom Hanks, "The Money Train", and "A Rage in Harlem" starring Forrest Whitaker.

Mr. Kirk is a Professor of Jazz, Electronic Music, Music Theory, and Percussion at Seattle Central College and is an active member of the Washington Music Educators Association.

Robert Knatt
Director Emeritus

A recipient of the Washington State Golden Apple Award, Robert Knatt has been an educator for over 35 years, most recently at Washington Middle School, where he directed the award-winning middle school jazz ensembles and concert bands. A native of New Iberia, LA, he graduated from Grambling State University. He has inspired thousands of students and helped them develop the discipline to perform jazz at the highest levels.

“A lot of people are surprised when they hear for themselves just how good a middle school or high school jazz band can be. But I know for a fact that when you raise the bar high, kids rise up and play at that level. My job is to set that bar.”

Jai Lasker
Online Private Lessons

Jai Lasker is a Seattle-based guitarist and educator specializing in improvisatory Black American music forms and composition. Jai is currently attending the University of Washington and studying with School of Music Artistic Director Ted Poor and Grammy-winning artists Cuong Vu and Steve Rodby; during her time with these artists and other educators, Jai has studied and researched the bebop, blues, free music, hip hop, and rock traditions extensively while cultivating an individual voice on the guitar. Experienced with archtop guitars, electric guitars (including pedal effects), and resonator guitars, Jai has a variety of tools and approaches to help her students find their own unique sound and aesthetic on the instrument while building a solid foundation based on the fundamental skills of improvisation within the context of students’ musical interests.

Ed Littlefield
Foundations (Drums)

Ed Littlefield received his formal music education at the University of Idaho where he majored in Vocal and Instrumental Music Education with a percussion emphasis. Now based out of Seattle, WA, Ed has had the pleasure of playing in the Idaho-Washington Symphony, The Orion Trombone Quartet, The Jazz Police, The MusicWorks Jazz Orchestra and many other professional groups in the Northwest. As well as being a performer, Edward was the music director at Sitka High School and has also been on the music faculty at the Sitka Fine Arts Camp for seven years.

Edward is a Tlingit Native of Southeast Alaska and is currently working on composing and arranging Native music. He has recently completed an album combining traditional Alaskan Native music with jazz called “Walking Between Worlds”.

Edward works hard to continue high standards in music education by giving clinics and workshops in and out of the traditional classroom around the Northwest.

Jahnvi Madan
Online Private Lessons

One of Earshot Jazz Festival’s 2023 Commissioned Composers, Jahnvi Madan is an Indian American clarinetist, composer, and educator from Bellevue. Currently finishing her BM at the New England Conservatory, she has already performed her original music at several well-known Jazz Festivals, including the Washington D.C. Women in Jazz Festival and Westerlies Festival in Seattle. Madan has established herself locally as an avid bandleader, playing her music with her quintet at venues around Seattle like the Royal Room and most recently at Seattle Jazz Fellowship.

As an educator, Madan is committed to inclusivity, and recently planned, ran, and taught at Seattle JazzED’s Femme Jazz Day, an event that focused on building confidence improvising for young femme musicians. She has taught youth for the past 8 years on topics ranging from woodwind fundamentals and composition to equity and improvising and believes strongly in the role of an educator to instill a student with a deep belief in their own capabilities, and a willingness to try new things.

Jess Pena Manalo
Foundations Lead Teacher

Jess Peña Manalo (they/them) is an educator, clinician and published author whose background is in antiracist and culturally sustaining arts education. For the past 7 years, Jess taught in Seattle Public schools and they have a decade of experience teaching music in Spanish at dual language schools. They are currently studying to obtain their Masters degree in Culturally Sustaining Education at the University of Washington and working on the Postsecondary team at the City of Seattle’s Department of Education and Early Learning.

Jess is a contributing author to Washington Ethnic Studies Now music framework, a Fulbright-Hays scholarship recipient, and were EBMEA's 2020 Outstanding Music Educator of the Year. Jess is a co-author of the Roots Framework, and a member of the VPA Antiracist Arts Education Task Force. As a queer biracial bilingual Filipinx educator, Jess’s identity shapes their educational philosophy and impacts their view of the arts as a means of expression and advocacy.

Dmitri Matheny
Jazz Lab: Gigging and Mentoring

First introduced to jazz audiences in the 1990s as the protégé of Art Farmer, Dmitri Matheny has matured into “one of the jazz world's most talented horn players” (San Francisco Chronicle). Matheny has toured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and Asia. He has performed with the Temptations, Martha Reeves, Fabian, the Four Tops, Bobby Vinton, Sandy Patty, Bobby Rydell, Frankie Avalon and the O'Jays.

Matheny has held teaching faculty and management positions with the Boston Center for the Arts, California Jazz Conservatory, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art,  and the Stanford Jazz Workshop. He has served as Director of Education, Director of Development and Director of Corporate Sponsorships for SFJAZZ, the largest nonprofit jazz presenter on the west coast, as Assistant Education Director for the Thelonious Monk Institute Jazz Colony at Jazz Aspen Snowmass, and as Artist-In-Residence at several universities and conservatories.

Kelsey Mines
Online Private Lessons, JazzED Messengers

A Seattle native, Kelsey Mines is a performer, composer, and teacher of the double bass. Kelsey earned her Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance from the University of Washington with professor Barry Lieberman. She went on to complete a Masters in Double Bass Performance from Arizona State University under the direction of Catalin Rotaru. Kelsey has followed her passion for the double bass to the Netherlands, where she studied at Prince Claus Conservatoire before returning to Seattle where she now teaches and performs a variety of styles, from jazz to classical to pop. Wherever she may be, Kelsey aspires to create, collaborate, and perform music that enriches and enlivens the world around her.

BJ Montoya
Foundations Lead Teacher, Intro to Ukulele, Connections, Online Private Lessons

I learned violin as a student of Suzuki Violin Method for over 13 years at the University of Louisville School of Music Preparatory School. I performed violin with the Louisville Youth Orchestra and other small ensembles. Beyond my classical foundation, the violin has afforded me the unique opportunity to express myself in a wide range of styles.  Since arriving in Seattle in 2001, I’ve been fortunate to perform in a variety of venues. From the sanctuary of St. Ignatius Chapel to coffee shops to night clubs, I have featured in local rock bands, gospel choirs, theater productions and my longstanding Irish party band, Whiskey Mary. My teaching builds from these experiences emphasizing social playing and creative expression through the many languages and dialects music has to offer whether fiddle, classical or jazz.  I look forward to sharing my passion for music and the joy this wonderfully versatile instrument can offer.

Orlando Morales
JazzSprouts

Orlando is a Seattle-based musician, educator, and songwriter. He is currently Assistant Artistic Director for the Tacoma Refugee Choir and holds a Masters in Teaching from the University of Washington. He has over eighteen years of experience teaching music and theater and over thirteen years of experience as an arts administrator (Seattle Children’s Theatre, 2013-2015; The 5th Avenue Theatre, 2010-2013, 2015-2023) working to empower young people, build community, and use the performing arts to dismantle systems of oppression. He is a Johnny Mercer Foundation Songwriters Project alum and a Jonathan Larson Grant finalist (2019, 2020, 2022). Recent music direction credits include How to Break (2018, 2016), Great Wall (2012), and Cloaked (2011, 2010). Orlando also coordinates Rondalya sa Seattle, a Filipino American folkloric music ensemble and is a member of the Shades of Praise Gospel Choir at St. Therese Parish.

Davy Nefos
JazzED Messengers

Davy Nefos is as versatile as it gets when it comes to performing on drum set in styles of afro-cuban, brazilian, jazz, modern rock, drumline, EDM, hip-hop and modern big band. He received a bachelors degree in percussion performance from Central Washington University. Davy has been playing drums for 30 years and teaching privately to all ages for 20 years. Currently he is head instructor for the Lake Stevens High School drum-line and drum set professor at Edmonds Community College. Nefos has performed with Thomas Marriott, David Marriott, Jon Sanders, Alexey Nikolaev, Frank DeMeiro, Kim Nazarian, Greta Matasa, Jean Caze, The Jazz Pearls, The Jazz Police, Jim Cutler Big Band, Emerald City Jazz Orchestra, Northwest Big Band, The Seattle Jazz Singers, Tetrabox, Real Don Music, Papa Josh Trio and Maque Attack.

Ivan Nolasco Hernandez

Ivan Nolasco Hernandez is an up-and-coming music educator originally from Los Angeles. He is currently a graduate student at the University of Washington doing his Master’s in Music Education and teaching certificate. He has experience with all types of ensembles including concert bands, orchestras, jazz bands and community ensembles. Ivan grew up playing music from his Zapotec culture through Oaxacan bands and has performed in many events such as the Guelaguetza, Dia de Los Muertos events and other community events. Ivan has taught for several years as a private instructor teaching low brass and has been a coach/clinician for banda and mariachi music camps.

Kate Olson
Foundations (Saxophone), JazzSprouts

Kate Olson can be heard performing with her own projects Syrinx Effect, KO SOLO, and the KO Ensemble and as a collaborator with Ask the Ages, the Seattle Rock Orchestra, the Royal Room Collective Music Ensemble and Electric Circus (led by Wayne Horvitz), the Seattle Jazz Composer's Ensemble and multiple other groups. 

Kate has a BA in Music from the University of Wyoming and an MM in Improvisation from the University of Michigan. Kate’s international resume includes performances in Russia, Latvia, Turkey, Switzerland and Slovakia. She has appeared on stage with Terry Riley, Stuart Dempster, Pauline Oliveros, Allison Miller, Bobby Previte, Skerik, Patricia Barber and pop music icons Elvis Costello, Brandi Carlile, Sir Mix-a-lot and Big Star's Third, among others. In 2011 and 2013, Kate was nominated for the Earshot Golden Ear Award in the Emerging Artist category, and in 2014 she was nominated for the Best NW Instrumentalist Category. 

Nate Omdal
Jazz Lab: Gigging and Mentoring

Bassist, composer, and producer Nate Omdal has established himself as one of the Northwest’s most dependable producers, and his work can be heard all over the city of Seattle. Nate has provided arrangements or worked as musical director for a wide variety of events, including the Seattle International Film Festival, million dollar fundraisers, and Bumbershoot. He is also known as a leading composer/arranger in the Seattle music community. Omdal has had the honor of working with such artists as LeRoy Bell (X-Factor), and Tiler Peck (Principal Ballerina, New York City Ballet) and has been featured with jazz legends Bob Hammer (Charles Mingus, Gene Krupa), and the great tenor saxophonist Pete Christlieb (The Tonight Show)

For several years, Omdal has been an active advocate for musicians rights. He has worked as a consultant with the City of Seattle to pilot a program introducing musicians’ loading zones in Seattle’s nightlife districts, and has testified before the Washington State House of Representatives as an advocate for musicians.

Omdal earned a Bachelor of Music from Cornish College of the Arts. He currently serves on the Directors’ Board of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 76-493 and works as a contractor for SkyMuse Studios.

Chris Patin
JazzED Messengers

Chris Patin (Pot-tan) is a locally raised Seattle musician with Louisiana roots who began playing music at the age of 4. He played classical piano for 10 years, but his main instrument is percussion, which he started at age 12. He honed his musical craft at the legendary jazz programs at Washington Middle School and Garfield High School, under the direction of Robert Knatt and Clarence Acox. 

He attended Hampton University in Virginia on music scholarship where he continued his formal music education in music performance with a jazz emphasis.  After graduation he spent several years as a touring jazz musician and had the privilege and honor of playing all over the nation and world with world class musicians. Chris is now based back in the Seattle area where he continues to primarily play and teach music. He was the co-founder and musical director of the award winning Pacific Northwest Drumline in South Seattle. 

Deb Schaaf
Foundations (South Shore Large Group)

A native of New Jersey, Deb has quickly built a reputation as an energetic and knowledgeable teacher and clinician within the thriving Seattle Jazz Education scene. Deb’s bands have won top solo, combo, ensemble and sweepstakes trophies at festivals and competitions throughout the Western United States, as well as 2018 and 2019 Outstanding Performance Awards from DownBeat Magazine. Her band was also selected to perform at the 2020 JEN Conference in New Orleans. In 2016, she was nominated by her students and was one of 20 winners nationwide of the 21st Century Fox/ Give a Note Foundation MusicEd Idol Award.

She was the founding director of the Jane Addams Middle School Music Department, has served in leadership roles on writing teams for Curriculum and Assessment, and was a Seattle Public Schools Mentor Teacher. She has also served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra on the Education and Equity & Outreach Committees and is the bari player for Jazz Night School’s Big Band Blue.

Anna Seymour
Foundations (Drums), Connections, Jazz Lab

Born and raised in the Greater Seattle area, Anna has been involved in the local music scene with multiple projects and bands as both a drummer and vocalist for over 12 years. She has a Bachelors of Music in Contemporary Writing and Production from Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. Besides doing freelance commercial compositions, Anna produces and composes original music is her solo project, Prismia. Her musical style blends elements of Rock, Pop, Funk, R&B and Punk. Anna has a passion for community work and has been involved with multiple youth musical organizations.

Jerome Smith
JazzSprouts, JazzED Messengers

Born in Austin, TX, Jerome Smith has been a professional musician for almost 20 years. Playing music has taken him all over the world including Los Angeles for the Grammy's; Orlando for Disney World show bands, Beijing and Shanghai, China on orchestra tours, United Kingdom and South America on Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Lines; teaching at the International School of Moscow, Russia, just to name a few. Jerome has also worked with Arturo Sandoval, Carlos Santana, Bobby Caldwell, Robert Glasper, and others in his professional career. He delights in teaching, as music enriches the soul.

Carlos Snaider
Online Private Lessons

Guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Carlos Snaider began playing piano at the age of 8 and picked up guitar shortly thereafter while living with his family in Quito, Ecuador. Carlos grew up listening to a wide array of musical styles, which has translated to his love of playing everything from jazz and Latin music to funk, hip-hop and experimental songwriting. He currently co-leads the bands EarthtoneSkytone (with fellow JazzED faculty Kelsey Mines) and Eléré Salsa con Jazz in Seattle, and is a member of the Ay Ombe Theatre performance group led by Dominican-American performance artist Josefina Baez.

Carlos graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Music and African-American Studies from Harvard University in Boston, where he studied performance and composition with many luminaries of jazz music today including Vijay Iyer, Yosvany Terry, and George Lewis. Prior to college, Carlos grew up in Boulder, CO where he studied at the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz arts, a non-profit dedicated to jazz education of youth in the Denver area. Carlos is passionate about the creative voice in each individual, and views teaching as a way to aid that voice to take shape and flourish within each student. He believes that music reflects the creative spark of life itself and that every individual deserves a relationship to it.

Tony Sodano
Drumline

Tony Sodano received his Master's degree in Music Education from Washington State University as a multi-instrumentalist focusing on electric bass, percussion and guitar. During his studies, he composed for and instructed the Washington State University Marching Band Drumline. After receiving his Master's, Tony spent two years working with Celebrity Cruises playing bass in their show band around the world.

As the former band director at Garfield High School, he ran the marching and concert bands along with the award winning drumline program. He is the assistant director of the Seahawks Blue Thunder Drumline and has performed with Kenny Aronoff, David Garibaldi, Alan White, Scott Mercado, Owuor Arunga, Michael Derosier, Scott Rockenfield, Ryan Lewis & Macklemore.

Audrey Stangland
JazzSprouts, Jazz Storytime,Girls Ellington Project, Online Private Lessons

Audrey is a Washington raised trombone player, vocalist and teacher. She grew up immersed in music as a child of two band directors. Singing was her first love while she later found her voice through the trombone. She plays a huge array of styles including jazz, salsa, banda, ska and soul, in addition to being classically trained on the bass trombone.

Audrey attended Central Washington University where she got a Bachelor of Arts in music. She has extensive experience playing in big bands on both lead and bass trombone, and was a member of Central’s award winning Jazz Band 1 that played at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2015.

Audrey is now a teacher at Seattle JazzED as well as out in Seattle’s community, while simultaneously gigging and touring. She is dedicated to helping students build confidence and life skills through playing music and finding their own voice!

Beserat Tafesse
Online Private Lessons

Born to Ethiopian immigrants in the Pacific Northwest, Beserat Tafesse grew up with a wide array of musical and cultural influences. He went to Central Washington University to pursue a degree in Classical Euphonium Performance, unintentionally cementing his love for jazz trombone instead. From there he attended the Manhattan School of Music, studying Jazz Trombone with some of the greats, and shedding nightly with many of New York’s living legends.

You may have seen him playing with acts such as the Mambo Legends Jazz Orchestra, The Birdland Big Band, or blasting away with Slavic Soul Party.

Although he currently spends most of his time in Seattle, he still very much is a part of the national scene, traveling to and from his home as he sees fit. While in Seattle, Beserat continues to collaborate with world class musicians, teach at Cornish College of the Arts, and work on his own debut solo project.

Steve Treseler
Connections

Steve Treseler is a Seattle-based saxophonist, composer, and teaching artist who performs and leads improvisation workshops throughout North America and Europe. A "firebrand of the tenor saxophone" (Earshot Jazz), Treseler's music has been featured in the New York Times, DownBeat, and on NPR. He is the founder of Infinite Improvisation, offering educational workshops, books, and digital media. Steve has recorded five albums as a leader, including Invisible Sounds co-lead with renowned trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, which was named one of DownBeat's best albums of 2019.

Treseler grew up in Edmonds, WA, and his youth was shaped by immersion in 90s grunge and classic jazz recordings. He began playing clarinet in fifth grade, picking up saxophone to join jazz band in middle school. At 18, he moved to Boston to study at New England Conservatory of Music, and he holds a Master of Music degree in Jazz Studies from the University of Washington. Steve is on faculty at Seattle JazzED and the Pacific Music Institute in Honolulu. Steve is a Conn-Selmer endorsing artist.

Ash Tweet
Online Private Lessons

Ash is an experienced singer, performer, and composer, who currently teaches and performs around Seattle. He has performed in a wide variety of settings and musical areas, including jazz choir, singing with jazz combos, choral music, folk bands, and more. He currently performs as a solo artist around Seattle and studies music at Cornish College of the Arts. When it comes to teaching, Ash believes in focusing on student interests and allowing their goals to guide their journey of learning about music, while balancing structure and consistently challenging the student to grow. They're passionate about music theory and songwriting, as well as audio technology setup and electronics. If there's ever a new topic to explore, they're excited to learn about it with you!

Michael Van Bebber
Big Band

Michael was raised in Seattle, and graduated from the University of Washington before going on to earn two M.A. degrees in classical trumpet and composition at Truman State University, and a D.M.A. in Jazz Studies from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. He performed many years as a member of the renowned Eastman Jazz Ensemble, and has shared the stage with many notable jazz artists including Lee Konitz, John Pizzarelli, the Woody Herman Band, Walt Weiskopf, Chuck Mangione, Jeff Beal, Walter White, John Fedchock, Pat LaBarbara, Marvin Stamm, and Bill Dobbins. He has also appeared several times at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, in both quintet and big band settings.

Michael is a member of the Seattle Repertory Jazz Orchestra. As a composer, he has earned several prestigious awards in composition, including the 2004 MACRO Composition/Theory Award, the 2005 CBDNA Wind Ensemble National Composition Competition, the 2005 College Music Society’s International Composition Competition. Michael has been the director of the Junior Jazz Band at Washington Middle School, and the Director of Bands at Liberty High School. Michael is currently on the faculty of Northwest school.

Megan Vinther
New Works Ensemble

Megan Vinther is a Seattle area musician, composer, and educator who is passionate about creating welcoming communities through music. She has taught in secondary public schools since 2003 and is currently the director of instrumental music at Everett High School in Everett, Washington, and conducts the Edmonds College Concert Band.

Megan holds a B.M.E. and M.M.E. from the University of Oregon. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Megan has spent the entirety of her career in Washington and Oregon. Recent commissions and collaborations with the Wintergrass Youth Orchestra, North County Honor Band, and Bluegene Brass Quintet, as well as Seattle JazzED Girls’ Ellington Band to premiere her jazz suite “Salish,” have been met with delight by conductors, performers, and audiences alike.

Darrius Willrich
Gospel Roots Choir Accompanist

Darrius Willrich is a trained jazz pianist, a soulful singer, and an intelligent songwriter, with a love for hip-hop. With a degree in jazz piano, a voice full of tone, and songwriting rich in sensitivity, his songs take you back and propel you forward all at once. Darrius’ years of experience as an instrumentalist, sideman, leader, producer, and recording artist, allow him to paint soul using a rich and diverse sonic palette of warm colors and textures. In addition to his own project the Darrius Willrich Band, he has performed with many projects including Eternity Ministries Church, Michael v Prince Band, Seattle Rock Orchestra, Choklate, Hadley Caliman Quartet, Jazz Offering, Source of Labor, Maktub and Big World Breaks.