BAND and WIND FACULTY

Dr. John Zarco (MU faculty, Director of Wind Band)

John Zarco is currently the Director of Bands at Millersville University,where he conducts the MU Wind Ensemble and MU Marching Band, in addition to teaching courses in conducting, percussion, and popular music. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of Minnesota, where he studied conducting with Craig Kirchhoff. Dr. Zarco has also served as a high school band director in Saratoga, California.

Dr. Christy Banks (MU faculty, single reeds)

Christy Banks is Associate Professor of Music (Clarinet and Saxophone) at Millersville University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that appointment she was a member of the Lincoln Symphony, the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra, and the Nebraska Chamber Players. She is a frequent performer throughout the United States and abroad. Dr. Banks is the Pennsylvania state chair of the International Clarinet Association and the founder of the Millersville University Single Reed Symposium.

Dr. Keith Wiley (MU faculty, trumpet, jazz studies)

Dr. Keith Wiley is an Associate Professor of Music at MU where he directs the Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Lab Band, Concert Band and serves as trumpet instructor. In addition to his duties at MU, he leads and performs with the Jazz Ministers Big Band and Septet.

Joel Behrens (MU faculty, flute)

Joel Behrens, Professor of Flute at Millersville University, was the first flutist of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, the Harrisburg City Band, the Ringgold Band of Reading and the section leader of the United States Military Band at West Point. He has also performed with many national touring companies including “Annie,” “Camelot,” Sunset Boulevard,” “Peter Pan,” “Ragtime,” and “Fiddler on the Roof.” His students have successfully auditioned and graduated from the Eastman School of Music, the Peabody Conservatory of Music, the New England Conservatory of Music, the Manhattan School of Music, the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the Hartt School of Music and many Pennsylvania universities and colleges.

Kirstin Myers (MU faculty, double reeds)

Oboist Kirstin Myers, a member of the Millersville music faculty since the fall of 2000, earned her B.S. in Music Education and Oboe Performance at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania with a minor in Piano. In 1999 she also earned her M.M. in Oboe Performance, summa cum laude, as a full scholarship recipient from Michigan State University. In addition to her Millersville appointment, Mrs. Myers has been the Oboe Professor at York College of Pennsylvania since the fall of 1999. In addition to her collegiate appointments and solo engagements, Mrs. Myers maintains a private studio and works as a freelance musician. She is currently a member of the York Symphony Orchestra, the Reading Pops Orchestra, the Keystone Winds, Trio Jolie, and The Silverwood Trio.

Stephen Shiffer (trombone)

Stephen Shiffer holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Dana School of Music at Youngstown State University. He performs regularly throughout Central PA and the Delaware Valley with Festive Brass, Quartet Die/Posaunen, and the Buzz Jones Big Band. He has also performed with numerous musical productions in theaters including the Kimmel Center, Hershey, American Music, Mt. Gretna, Whitaker Center, Strand, and the Fulton. Stephen has over 28 years experience in private brass instruction, and maintains a studio at his home in Stevens, PA. For more information please visit his website at: www.steveshiffer.com.

Cheryl Staherski (MU faculty, horn)

James Armstrong (MU faculty, SMC Artistic Director, percussion)

James Armstrong has performed and taught on five continents as solo artist and clinician for Yamaha, Sabian, Vic Firth, and Latin Percussion companies, as well as a member of the internationally acclaimed MARASSA DUO, the ROBERT HOHNER PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE and several other notable artists. Mr. Armstrong earned a BME from Central Michigan University and a MM in Percussion Performance from Bowling Green State University. James Armstrong is currently Instructor of Percussion at Millersville University, Instructor of Percussion at Elizabethtown College, Vice President of the Percussive Arts Society Pennsylvania State Chapter, and remains extremely active as a freelance percussionist throughout the greater Philadelphia and New York City Regions. For more information visit: www.jdapercussion.com

STRING FACULTY

Peter Brye (MU retired faculty, Director of String Orchestra)

Having retired form Millersville University in 2007 as the conductor of the MU Orchestra and professor of cello, Mr. Brye continues to serve as the Conductor and Music Director of the Reading Symphony Youth Orchestra, a position he has held since the inception of the orchestra in 1989. Mr. Brye continues to be in high demand as a festival conductor and has appeared frequently throughout the northeast including the all-state orchestra festivals for Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey in addition to numerous festivals at the county, district and regional levels with appearances in Boston and New York State.  Mr. Brye has been a member of the Reading Symphony Orchestra since 1976 where he is presently on the conducting staff and is the assistant principal 'cellist with the RSO.

Chi Park (violin)

Chi Park (Violin) earned her BM and MM from the Esther Boyer College of Music at Temple University. She studied violin with William DePasquale and violin pedagogy with Helen Kwalwasser. She is a part of many professional orchestras that include Lancaster Symphony, Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, and Symphony in C (2004-2012). She teaches at the Philadelphia School in Philadelphia, Perkins Center for the Arts in Moorestown, NJ, and Newtown School of Music in Newtown, PA. She has participated in many projects that include the Fondazione Cantiere Internazionale D’Arte festival under direction of Jan Latham-Koenig, Shippensburg Festival with Blaine Shover, an exclusive recording for NAXOS with the Philadelphia Virtuosi Chamber orchestra, and a studio recording with Matt Santry by NBC.

Daniel Brye (viola)

Daniel Brye is an active orchestral, chamber, and solo musician as well as a viola and violin instructor.  Daniel is the associate principal violist of the Erie Philharmonic, a member of the viola section of the Albany Symphony Orchestra, performs regularly as a substitute violist with the Reading Symphony Orchestra, and teaches at Dickinson College as Contributing Faculty of Viola and Violin.  Daniel is a frequent chamber and solo recitalist in central Pennsylvania, appearing at area churches and colleges.  He currently spends his summers in Fryeburg, ME, performing chamber music at the International Musical Arts Institute.  Daniel earned a B.M. in Viola Performance from The Pennsylvania State University where he studied with Tim Deighton and a M.M. and G.P.D. in Viola Performance from The Hartt School where he studied with Steve Larson.

Donald Grabowski (MU faculty, double bass)

Don is the Director of Bass Studies at Millersville University, and is an active bassist in jazz, symphonies, and chamber music.  As Hempfield High School Director of Orchestras his orchestras were selected to perform at the PA Music Educators Conference twice, and is in his 4th year as adjudicator for Music in the Parks/ Festivals of Music.  He has travelled and performed in parts of Austria, Germany and Hungary, and since 2005 is a member of Allegro, The Chamber Orchestra of Lancaster.  He has performed with other varied chamber music events, the Lancaster Opera Workshop, and various jazz and rock ensembles. He has been found playing bass in the Hershey Theater orchestra for traveling Broadway Shows, and for stars like Jim Brickman, John Blake, Frankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell.

Sara Male (MU faculty, cello) 

Canadian cellist Sara Male received an Associate of the Arts in Music degree from the Victoria  Conservatory of Music in Canada, where she was presented the Principal Emeritus Prize. Her major teachers include Jim Hunter, Bernard Greenhouse, Zara Nelsova and Timothy Eddy. Ms. Male holds a Bachelor of Music with high honors from Rutgers University, and a Master of Music from the Mannes College of Music in New York City. Ms. Male is a former member of the Saskatoon Symphony and is well sought after as a chamber music recitalist, having performed in major venues in the US, Canada, Europe and Asia.  Sara is an adjunct assistant professor of cello at Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA. and is also an adjunct professor of Cello at Millersville University. Ms. Male performs with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra  and is a founding member of the Newstead Trio with whom she has toured world wide over the last 17 years.

CHORAL and VOCAL FACULTY

Dr. Mark A. Boyle

Dr. Mark A. Boyle has finished his third year as Director of Choral Activities at Millersville University. Under his leadership the choirs have grown tremondously in numbers and quality. 

 

Dr. José Garcia (MU faculty, Chair, Vocal Studies)

Dr. José Garcia is a graduate from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor where he studied with the legendary soprano, Shirley Verrett.  He is currently the chair of the voice division at Millersville University and Director of the Millersville Music Preparatory Program, which offers private instruction by talented MU students to the community.

Kristen Sims (MU faculty, vocal studies)

Kristin Sims joined the music faculty at Millersville University in 2004. She is a voice instructor, along with teaching musical theatre and diction courses. Ms. Sims has an extensive and varied performing career, that includes classical, musical theatre and jazz. She has performed internationally and throughout the United States.

ENTREPRENEUR and MUSICIANSHIP FACULTY

Dr. Jennifer Jester (MU faculty, entrepreneurship, recording technologies)

Dr. Jennifer Jester serves as the Director of the Music Business and Technology Program and the Entrepreneurial Leadership Center.  Jennifer is active as an educator in music business and recording, a recording artist and performer, and an entrepreneur working on developing a new entertainment company called "The Jester's Court." Prior to teaching at Millersville, her professional business experiences include working as Executive Director of the International Tuba-Euphonium Association and the Tuba Euphonium Press, Managing Director of Community Concerts at Second, Administration for the Washington Symphonic Brass, and Founder of her personal company Jester's Court Productions specializing in non-profit management and events.

Lisa Sempsey (MU alumni, musicianship)

Mrs. Lisa M. Sempsey has been teaching music for 12 years. Her current position is in Columbia Borough School District in Columbia, PA where she teaches K-6 vocal music, choruses and Orff & Drum Ensembles, and serves as the district's K-12 Art and Music Curriculum Leader. She graduated with honors from Millersville University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of Science in Music Education in May 2001. She completed her Kodály Level I through West Chester University of Pennsylvania and Kodály Levels II and III through New England Conservatory, Boston, MA, granting her full Kodály certification.  In 2008, Mrs. Sempsey completed Orff Level I through the University of the Arts in collaboration with Villanova University's graduate summer music education programs and Orff Levels II and III in 2009 and 2010 at George Mason University and is an American Orff-Schulwerk Association Certified teacher. She also served as Artistic Director and Prelude Choir Director for the Children's Choir of Lancaster from 2006-2012..  Mrs. Sempsey is an active speaker at colleges and universities on music education related topics and also facilitates professional workshops on those topics as well.