CUMBERLAND VALLEY SCHOOL OF MUSIC/ST.MARIA GORETTI HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY TEAM

Below are just a few of the many highly qualified teachers who have or will participate in our programs at St. Maria Goretti High School

Morgan Jenkins – Intro to Music, advanced flute, Jazz Ensemble.   Masters degree from James Madison University, Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Music of the Johns Hopkins University, currently teaches at Penn State Mont Alto, Hagerstown Community College, and Shippensburg University.  At Mont Alto, Ms. Jenkins teaches introductory music courses in classical, jazz, music theory, and world music and directs the jazz ensemble.  She is also a former faculty member of Shepherd College and Friends School of Baltimore.  Her performance experience includes numerous engagements as principal flutist and flute soloist with orchestras and chamber ensembles, as well as jazz and other musical styles.  Morgan currently performs with “Counterparts,” a flute/guitar duo, the “Pandean Wind Trio,” a flute/oboe/clarinet trio, and is a vocalist/saxophonist/flutist with the “Holders,” a pop/jazz quintet. 

Gerald Kowallis – Choir and Vocal Ensembles, School Musical, “Music in Action”  B.S. in Music Ed, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, MM in Vocal Performance, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN.  Recently retired as music teacher and choir director at Waynesboro Area Senior High School after 38 years. At WASH, his chorus and concert choir received many awards, including being selected to perform several times to perform at the PMEA Annual Conference and to present a concert performance of “Amahl and the Night Visitors” at PMEA.  He has been guest conductor for Franklin/Fulton County Chorus, Adams County Chorus, Dauphin County Chorus, and the Pennsylvania Ambassadors of Music (with whom he toured Europe in 1975).  As a vocal soloist, he performs in a wide range of shows and concerts, and has appeared in featured roles at the Allenberry Playhouse (“Fiddler on the Roof,” “The Music Man,” “Pirates of Penzance,” “The Fantastics”), Maryland Theater Opera, Trinity Players, Mercersburg Community Chorus, St. Cecelia Choral Society.  He serves on the Board of Directors of CVSM.

Kay Yaukey – Musical Theatre  Has been active on the stage and as a soprano soloist since her days as a student at Shippensburg University. She has worked professionally in Equity theatre for over 20 years in Pennsylvania, the D.C. area, and Boston.  Her local resume includes numerous roles at Totem Pole Playhouse, Allenberry Playhouse, and other area productions.  She has extensive experience teaching musical theatre classes, audition skills, and as a private vocal coach, and has also worked as a costume designer and taught Costume Design at Gettysburg College.  In addition, she has taught speech, children’s drama and Introduction to Theatre for Penn State University and holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Speech and Master’s Degrees in Guidance Counseling and Theatre Arts.  She recently retired from the Waynesboro Area School District where she taught English and served as a guidance counselor.

Lauran Clowser – Dance/Choreography  Artistic director and founder of the Potomac Classical Youth Ballet Company and the City Ballet School in Hagerstown, Mrs. Clowser is a graduate of the Washington School of Ballet and Adelphi University with a BA in Dance.  She studied with members of the Joffrey ballet Company, American Ballet Theater, The Royal Ballet of England, Martha Graham Company, and Paul Taylor Dance Company.  She also was a dance scholar recipient at Carnegie Hall in New York City.  She has taught in the area since 1973, and in 1997 she was honored with the Diploma of Choreography from the Russian and Ukrainian government for her work with Russian dancers and American ballet students.

Beckie Sariano – Dance/Choreography  Owned and taught at Beckie’s Dance Studio in Waynesboro for 29 years before selling the business in 2005.  Has extensive experience working with students of all ages teaching  Jazz, Modern, Ballet, and other dance disciplines.

Debbie Stotelymyer – violin, “Music in Action”  B.S. Mu. Ed, Frostburg State College.  Associate Principal 2nd Violin in the MD Symphony Orchestra, Concertmistress for Mercersburg Community Chorus/Orchestra, Former concertmistress of Millbrook Orchestra and Frederick Community Orchestra.  Has taught and led string ensembles at The Mercersburg Academy, and Shepherd College.  Has over 25 years experience in private teaching, 14 years in public school teaching and has had many students selected for MD All-State and Central PA District Orchestras.

Dee Cao -- String Ensemble, cello.  Currently Orchestra Director at Northern Middle School.  She has degrees from the University of New Haven, the University of Bridgeport, and the Central Conservatory of Music (Beijing, China).  She is a an award winning soloist in the New England Concerto Competition (Fairfield, CT) and the National Sonata Competition (Beijing, China) and has performed with the Mid-Atlantic Symphony, Lynchburg Symphony, Roanoke Symphony, Symphony of the Mountains, Eastern Connecticut Symphony, and China Symphony Orchestra among others.

Anne Maysak -- piano.  Bachelor of Music in piano performance and pedagogy from St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana with Advanced piano study at Northwestern and Catholic University Schools of Music.  Until recently, she has maintained a private studio in Middletown and Rockville, MD and has taught piano classes in the Montgomery County Public Schools Adult Education programs.  She is a member of the National Music Teachers Association, the Frederick County Music Teachers Association and a former member of Montgomery County Music Teachers Association and Montgomery County Class Piano Teachers Association

Brian Helman – School Musical, “Music in Action”  B.M. Shenandoah Conservatory of Music.  Currently working on Masters of Music in Piano Pedagogy and studying with Elizabeth Temple at Shenandoah. Accompanist and Assistant Music Director for Shenandoah University’s Theatre Department for 6 years.  Recently Music Director for J. Frank Faust Jr. High club’s production of “Little Shop of Horrors”.  Accompanied for classes, auditions and Master classes at Circle in the Square Theatre School in NYC.  Accompanied Tony Award Winner Gretha Boston at CVSM’s 2001 Gala.  In November 2002, performed with Joy Dewing at Don’t Tell Mama’s in NYC.

Edgar Myers – “Music in Action”,  drums  Catonsville Community College, Reading & Rudiments with John Crocken, Basic Theory with Virginia Rienkoke, Private lessons with Dennis Chambers and Larry Bright. He played his first top 40 gig at age 17 and has played with some of Baltimore’s most popular top 40, Jazz and Show Bands. Presently performing with CVSM Concert Jazz Band and a jazz quartet. He is working on a CD of original Fusion music.

Carl Sponenberg – “Music in Action”, woodwinds  – B.S. Mu. Ed., Wilkes College. M.M. Mu. Ed., Eastman School of Music. Mr. Sponenberg double majored in flute and clarinet at both Wilkes and Eastman and has studied privately with William Gasbarro, William Osseck, and Joseph Mariano. Recently retired music teacher and department chair with the Big Spring School District. Currently plays clarinet with the Dickinson College Band and Orchestra, the CVSM Community Symphonic Band, the Hershey Symphony, the Harrisburg Concert Band, and saxophone with the Craig Sunday Jazz Orchestra.

Herm Hopple – “Music in Action”  B.S. Mu. Ed. Susquehanna University, M.Mu Ed Penn State University.  Retired after 30 years as string instructor and director of the Chambersburg Area School District Symphony. Played upright bass with the Potomac Symphony and the Gettysburg College Community Orchestra and is currently principal bass and section leader with the Shippensburg College Community Orchestra.  Well known as bassist with the groups Four Easy Pieces and the CVSM Jazz Quartet.  Teaches bass for CVSM and conducts the CVSM Community String Orchestra.

Elisabeth Turchi – “Music in Action”   BFA Carnegie-Melon University, MM Shenandoah University.  She has traveled and performed abroad and in the United States.  Ms. Turchi’s most notable performances include her overseas debut in Rome with the role of Alice in Falstaff, Rosina in in Il Barbiere di Siviglia with the Harrisburg Opera, Cio-Cio San;s cousin in Madama Butterfly with the Pittsburgh Opera, and Madame Silverklang in the Impresario and the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute with the Carnegie-Melon Opera.  Ms. Turchi has also performed with New York City’s Gotham Chamber Opera.  She studied at the International Institute of Vocal Arts and is an alumna of the International Opera Academy of Rome and the Ezio Pinza Council of American Singers of Opera.  An alumni of CVSM, she has served as Choral Director of the Central PA Youth Opera and teaches voice at CVSM.

Roy Justice – “Music in Action”  B.A. in vocal performance, Mansfield University.  Additional studies in pedagogy with Ralph Apellman, Indiana U at Bloomington. As a performer, Roy has appeared at Musikfest, Bethlehem, PA, International Music Festival, Schwabish Gmund, Germany, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, NYC.  Known as the Time Traveling Minstrel he has presented programs at the Waterloo Canal Festival, Delaware State Fair, Mayfair (Allentown, PA) and Historic Days in Belvedere, NJ and at many schools and community centers.  He has recorded and released a CD of 19^th Century Canal and Period Songs entitled Down Canal on the Lehigh. 

Geoffrey Weeks – “Music in Action”, world music – B.A. guitar performance/pedagogy Adams State College, Colorado.  He has extensive performance experience as a soloist in the Classical and Flamenco styles, in classical and jazz ensembles and in Tex-Mex, Norteño, Rock, Country, and Celtic Bands.  Has created an educational world music workshop for school assemblies.  Geoff is employed as guitarist with Chambersburg First UM Church Praise Team Band and with Unity in Christ Church in Fayetteville.  He is the guitarist for Flamenco Tablao (Dance Troupe) and Danzante (Hispanic Cultural Arts Center) in Harrisburg, PA. Does fretted and string instrument repair.

Camilo Perez-Mejia – “Music in Action”.  Bachelor of Music from the Universidad Javeriana, Bogota, Colombia, Master of Music, cello performance from Shenandoah University where he is currently a Doctoral Candidate. He has performed with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and the Shippensburg Festival Orchestra locally and teaches in the Loudon County string program and at St. James School.

Paula Hepfer – “Music in Action,” CVSM Program Director.  B.A. Indiana University of PA, M.M. Penn State.  Performance credits include the Pittsburgh Mendelssohn Chorus, the Shippensburg Festival Chorus, Totem Pole Playhouse, guest artist on PSU’s alumni, St. John’s UCC, and St. Paul UM Recital Series.  She has been an instructor of Music Appreciation at PSU, University Park, and former director of the Wilson College Choir.

Andrew Sussman – “Music in Action,” CVSM Executive Director and composer.   His songs have been performed and recorded by singers Rene Marie, Mary Jayne Raleigh, Jim Van Slyke, the Washington D.C. Cabaret Network, etc.  Composed the full length musicals “Pollyanna,”  “Abbey Victoria: A Musical Daydream” (both performed in NYC and locally), “A Touch of Bourbon,” and “Follow Your Dreams” and incidental music for “Phoenix: The Burning of Chambersburg”.  Performs piano with CVSM Jazz Quartet.  Has presented internationally known artists at Capitol Theatre, Wilson College, Renfrew Institute, and elsewhere.  Formerly Senior VP, Direct Marketing, McGraw-Hill Professional Publishing Group and TAB Books; Promotion Director, Inner City Records; writer for Downbeat, Fanfare, Elegant Living magazines. 

If you have questions or suggestions regarding the CVSM-Goretti programs, please contact Andrew Sussman at 717-261-1220.  If you would like to enroll a student in lessons or an ensemble, please call CVSM registrar at 717-261-1220.  For more information about St. Maria Goretti High School or scheduling concerns, please call 301-739-4266 or visit their website at http://www.goretti.org