EDUCATION FACULTY - MUSIC
216.521.2450 | mplacko@beckcenter.org Melinda is a Cleveland artist, educator, and arts administrator. She earned her BFA in painting from Cleveland Institute of Art, and MFA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, with focus on public and collaborative art. For over 15 years, she served as a teaching artist in the Cleveland area, partnering with Art House Inc., Boys and Girls Club, and the Center for Arts Inspired Learning. Most recently, she was senior faculty with the Cleveland Print Room, and managed a city-wide photo mentoring program for teens. She currently maintains her studio at the Hildebrandt Artist Collective in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. Her artwork combines drawing, painting, collage, and public art, and was exhibited at MetroHealth and University Hospitals, Survival Kit at West 78th Street, and Zygote Press, among others. Most recently, she was senior faculty with the Cleveland Print Room, and managed a city-wide photo mentoring program for teens. She currently maintains her studio at the Hildebrandt Artist Collective in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood, where she paints, dances, plays the piano, and collaborates with studio-mates. She knows creative outlets save lives and is proud to be encouraging creativity in her hometown.
Bruce Biggin – Oboe and English Horn
Bruce has been playing the oboe and English horn for over 40 years. He plays with the Parma Symphony and Bay Village Community band and has lent his talents to at least a dozen other orchestral groups and community bands. He takes pride in all of his private oboe students, especially the four accepted into the Cleveland Orchestra Youth Orchestra. Bruce has studied with Loyal Mould and Danna Sundet in addition to master class experiences with John Mack, Frank Rosenwein, Jeff Rathbun, and Scott Hostettler at the John Mack Oboe camp. A member of the International Double Reed Society, Bruce was recently appointed to the sight-reading session committee. He is a retired hospital pharmacist with a 30 year history at Metrohealth Medical Center Hospital.
Sarah Boyle – Voice, Piano
Sarah Boyle is a composer, vocalist, and pianist resident in Lakewood, Ohio. Sarah
graduated at Cleveland State University in the spring of 2019 with a Bachelor of Music in Composition. There she studied music composition and theory with Dr. Andrew Rindfleisch and Dr. Greg D’Alessio, as well as vocal performance with Eileen Moore. While in the Cleveland area Sarah has performed with the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus, touring acts at Playhouse square, on top of numerous groups of Northeast Ohio in classical, rock, and jazz traditions.
Currently, Sarah continues to work with a variety of local ensembles while giving lessons in voice, piano, composition, and music theory. She is well versed in the performance and composition of classical, theatre, jazz, and popular music. She specializes in vocal technique and musicianship, leading prospective vocalists in the practice of mindful and healthy singing to achieve their artistic goals. Overall, she intends to help each of her students find what inspires them as musicians and guide them towards developing and mastering these skills to excel in their own brilliant ways.
Carmen Castaldi – Drum Set and Percussion
Carmen studied at the Berklee School of Music in Boston where he focused on drums, mallets, arranging and composition. He has been a professional drummer and percussionist for over 4 decades. Carmen is an extremely accomplished jazz performer and has played in large and small venues alike in Cleveland, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and on a world tour for Blue Note Records that took him to New York, San Francisco, and Brazil. Carmen has collaborated with world renowned musicians Joe Lovano, Sonny Stitt, Dennis Irwin, Cecil McBee, Kenny Werner, and many others.
Christopher Ellicott – Guitar, Electric Bass, and Ukulele
Christopher has a BA in Music from Baldwin-Wallace College and AA in Humanities and Music from County College of Morris in NJ. He performs frequently on Cleveland Classical Guitar Society recitals and around the greater Cleveland area as member of the clarinet/guitar duo Sunday in the Park. He is a member of the Cleveland Guitar Orchestra and the Guitar Foundation of America. He studied under the accomplished guitarist and composer Dr. Loris Chobanian and frequently participates in continuing education workshops at area universities. When he is not teaching or performing, Chris can be found running marathons and cooking up healthy recipes
Jason Fuh – Voice
Jason Fuh, baritone, holds a DMA (Doctor of Musical Arts) from the Ohio State University, as well as a BM, MM, and Artist Diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has performed operas and concerts with Cleveland Opera, Lyric Opera Cleveland, Cleveland Orchestra, CIM Orchestra, Cleveland State University Orchestra, Brevard Music Festival and Intermezzo Opera. Dr. Fuh was awarded the Elizabeth Stoeckler Stevens Prize in Lieder, the Irvin Bushman Memorial Prize in Vocal Artistry and the First Place of the Darius Milhaud Performance Prize Competition. He regularly gives recitals in the US and has made special appearances in Taiwan. He was twice selected to participate in the Art Song Festival in Cleveland. He has also been invited to perform in the “Chinese Future Stars Recital” held in Carnegie Hall.
Juan Ingram – Trumpet, French Horn, Euphonium, Trombone, and Tuba
Juan graduated from Cleveland School of the Arts and attended Baldwin Wallace Conservatory for trumpet performance. He was a trumpet player and duty bugler with the US Navy and has been a music director for the Salvation Army Superior Corps. He has played with Texas Brass, and locally with Near West Theater, and our very own Beck Center stage. He has performed in countless Beck musical theater productions since he began in 2010.
Leah Jennings – Voice
Leah has a master’s degree in musical theatre from Oklahoma City University, where she studied with the world renowned voice teacher, Florence Birdwell, who also taught Tony winner’s Kelli O’Hara (Leah’s classmate) and Kristin Chenoweth. With over 20 years of NYC, touring, international, and regional theatrical credits, she is well equipped to share her love of music with the next generation of performers. Previously, she taught voice through the EMG Collective in NYC. Most recently she starred as Franchesca in The Bridges of Madison County in Atlanta, Georgia. Favorite credits include multiple seasons with Great Lakes Theatre and Idaho Shakespeare Festival, featured soprano at Tokyo Disney, Mrs. Phagen in Parade, Carrie in Carousel, and both Sarah and Adelaide in Guys & Dolls. Fun fact, Leah is also a proud former Miss OCU (Oklahoma City University) 1999, and 3rd runner-up to Miss Oklahoma. Throughout her years competing in the Miss Oklahoma system, she was awarded over $50,000 in tuition scholarships. She has since judged several state pageants and worked closely with two former Miss America’s prior to their claiming the crown. A proud member of Actors Equity, she continues to perform and looks forward to making Cleveland her theatrical home.
Patricia Johnston – Bass (upright)
Patricia Johnston relocated with her family back home to NE Ohio from Florida as a freelance double bassist at the end of 2019. Patricia started on the bass at age nine and was lucky to study with amazing teachers over the years, starting with Chris Haff at CIM as well as Curtis Burris at Chautauqua Institute. Then her undergraduate studies were with Virginia Dixon at Wheaton College and David Young at the Colburn School of Music, followed by graduate studies with Robert Kassinger of the CSO at DePaul University. As an adult, she has received coaching and mentorship from Dr. Lee Eubanks, Lauren Pierce and Paul Ellison.
Most recently she enjoyed performing the Summit Choral Society’s Christmas Candlelight Concerts. While in Orlando, Patricia was a contract musician with Bach Festival Orchestra and Orlando Symphony Orchestra, and also received regular calls to sub with The Venice Symphony and The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra. Patricia has always maintained a nice studio of private students as well as offering regular sectional coaching to area schools. She is also currently the double bass faculty member for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra. Patricia lives in Broadview Heights with her husband (also a professional musician), her two high school age sons, her giant St. Berdoodle and loves hiking together in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Van Parker - French Horn and Mellophone
Van has a BM from Oberlin Conservatory of Music and an MA in Horn Performance and Literature from Northwestern University. A champion of new music, Van has been a member of the Oberlin Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Northwestern Contemporary Music Ensemble, and has participated in premieres by Eric Whitacre, Lewis Nielsen, and composer Deborah Phelps from whom he commissioned the piece Cui Bono. Mr. Parker has also performed with Oak Park, River Forest, Waukegan, Lake Shore, and Sherwood Symphonies and currently plays with the Firelands Symphony and Cleveland Winds. Van also appeared in performances with the Akron, Ashland, Mansfield, and Youngstown Symphonies and the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra. He currently serves as an Assistant Director of the All-Ohio State Fair Band.
Michael Simile – Guitar and Electric Bass
Michael earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Therapy from Baldwin Wallace University in May of 2016. His musical interests include rock, metal, punk, along with classical music. Michael works as a bass section leader for the Dover Congregational UCC Chancel Choir in Westlake, and he can be found playing guitar for pit orchestras at Beck Center, Playhouse Square, and other venues throughout the greater Cleveland area. Michael may also be seen at Beck Center in the Creative Arts Therapies department as a music therapist.
Chuck Smolko – Guitar, Electric Bass, and Piano
Chuck is a professional musician and teacher who studied jazz at Cleveland State University. Currently, he teaches guitar, bass, ukulele and piano to students of all ages and experience. Incorporating music theory and using a variety of teaching styles, his instructional approach is customized to each student based on their interests and learning objectives. Chuck also performs in a variety of bands, including jazz, classical, rock, Motown and folk music, specifically bass with The Bottom Line Band and bass/guitar/piano with award-winning singer/songwriter Anne E. DeChant. Chuck also performs solo guitar and piano, and enjoys collaborating with other musicians and artists.
Andrew Stefaniak - Clarinet, Woodwinds, and Piano
Andrew holds a BM and MM in music performance from the University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music where he studied with Carmine Campione and Jonathan Gunn. In addition to his experience on clarinet, Andrew is also a proficient pianist with over twenty years of experience and has studied as an honors secondary piano student at the University of Cincinnati. He is currently an active teacher and freelance clarinetist in Northeast Ohio, where he has performed several times with the Canton Symphony and serves as an alternate musician for both the Akron Symphony and Erie Philharmonic.
Dan Wenninger – Saxophone
Dan holds a B.A. from the University of Toledo and an Associate’s Degree in Jazz Studies from Cuyahoga Community College. He maintains an active private lesson studio and has over 17 years of teaching experience. Dan is a Cleveland based saxophonist and veteran of NE Ohio’s jazz and experimental sound scenes. He currently performs with the Revolution Brass Band, Togishi, Oblique Orchestra, Nitebridge, Hexapod, Trepanning Trio, Beans (AntiPop Consortium), and Broken Ornaments. Dan also curates the music at 1Way, a monthly new/free music showcase which presents and documents local experimental, new, and free music. He also organizes a monthly free improvisation session called OutLab: Experiments in Improvised Music that takes place at The Bop Stop
Maggie Johns is currently working towards her master’s degree in piano performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studies under Kathryn Brown. Previously studying with Dr. Larissa Dedova, Maggie graduated summa cum laude and Presser Scholar from the University of Maryland in 2022. Maggie has been teaching piano for over two years and considers teaching one the most rewarding aspects of her musical life. She loves to arrange and compose pieces for her students, and she is committed to nurturing their music theory knowledge and aural skills through piano. When she is not teaching or practicing, Maggie loves to play pickleball, journal, and drink buckets and buckets of tea.
Naomi Yeggy -Violin
Naomi brings a myriad of instrumental experience to the Beck Center studios. While primarily teaching violin and viola, she has received training and lessons on flute and piano while also being a vocalist with her family’s trio. As a classically trained musician that can easily go between violin and viola, she brings a unique skill set to students of both instruments – especially those that may be making a switch as their skills develop and expand.
Miriam, a classically trained musician, has excelled as a violinist while also being a piano player and vocalist. Her love for music began at an early age as she and her very musical family frequently performed and shared their talents with the community. Through the years, as she developed her skills, she began teaching out of a private studio in Medina and is thrilled to be able to assist in the musical development of Beck Center students.
Mary retired from a career as a public school music educator, having taught in grades K through 12 in Michigan and Ohio for over 35 years. Most recently, she taught middle school choir and general music at Rocky River Middle School for 23 years, where she directed musical theater productions as well as coaching and accompanying hundreds of middle school singers in solo and ensemble contests. Additionally, since her teenage years she has served as church musician to several churches, and has taught private lessons in clarinet, basic guitar, and beginner piano. She earned a B.Mus.Ed. degree from The College of Wooster, and an M.A. in Choral Music/Music Education from Eastern Michigan University. She and her husband have three sons: two of whom are music teachers and one who is a professional actor.
Jenny Millward is a lifelong musician who values versatility, self-expression, and flexibility in the music-learning process. Jenny began at a young age with singing and joining choirs, and over the years branched out to add other instruments including piano, cello, and guitar. She similarly began as a classically trained musician, and over time transitioned to explore her skills in other styles of music as well. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music and Psychology from Capital University in Columbus, Jenny continued on to study Music Therapy in graduate school. Since leaving undergraduate studies, she has spent five years working in developmental and educational settings with a wide range of age groups. Jenny’s approach to the learning experience comes from a well-rounded and empathetic perspective- providing each student with a space that supports their individual needs in developing music skills.
Amos Fayette — Violinist
Violinist Amos Fayette began his studies at the age of 2 with his mother, made his solo debut at the age of 8, and at 12 was admitted to the prestigious Pre-College Division of the The Juilliard School. He completed his formal training and education at the Peabody Conservatory and The Juilliard School as a student of Pamela Frank and Ronald Copes respectively, and also completed a fellowship with the New World Symphony under the baton of Michael Tilson Thomas. He has performed as a soloist with the New World Symphony Orchestra, Washington Heights Chamber Orchestra, Mid-Atlantic Symphony, the Orquesta Filarmonica de Medellin, and others. Equally in demand as an orchestra musician, Amos currently performs with many orchestras in and around Northeast Ohio, including Cleveland Pops, Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and Cleveland Opera Theater. Past teaching appointments include faculty appointments at the New World School of the Arts, Queens College CPSM, and the Music School of Delaware. Mr. Fayette performs on a violin made in 2012 by master luthier Edward Maday. In his spare time, he can be found exploring the culinary landscape of Cleveland with his family.
Flautist Mary Kay Robinson has performed, toured and recorded with many of the premiere orchestras and chamber musicians in the United States and abroad. She has been featured as soloist on Flute, Piccolo and Alto Flute and has commissioned many works for these instruments and is the Principal Flutist with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra. With a background in music education, performance and leadership, as Director of Case Chamber Music, CWRU /CIM, organized and coached small groups open to all instrumentalists. She founded the Greater Cleveland Flute Society and the Cleveland chapter of Chamber Music Connection, a small ensemble community collaborative (all instruments and ability levels), has taught privately, coached and hosted Adult Amateur Chamber Music Workshops throughout the area for many years. She is a frequent guest artist and clinician for competitions and has many highly successful students.
Rosalima Valdez Pham – Piano
Rosalima Valdez Pham holds a M.M. in Piano Performance from The Cleveland Institute of Music and Case Western Reserve University, and a B.M. in Piano Performance (“With Honors in a Major”) from Mount Union College, now University of Mount Union. At University of Mount Union she taught on the college level and in the preparatory division and served as a Collaborative Pianist, accompanying faculty, students, and guest recitalists. She joined Beck Center in 2008 as Accompanist for Performing and Chamber Choirs, and later joined the Beck Music Education Faculty as a Piano Instructor for Private Piano in 2009. Mrs. Pham is organist and cantor at St. Teresa of Avila Catholic Church, Sheffield Village. As a past President of Cleveland Piano Teachers’ Organization, she continues to serve the organization as an Officer and Board
Member. She has also served as an adjudicator for the OMTA Ribbons Festivals in New Philadelphia, and the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Junior Festivals in Youngstown State and Kent State Universities, and Baldwin Wallace and Cleveland State Universities.
Mrs. Pham continues work as a collaborative pianist in Cuyahoga and Lorain counties, and has performed in recitals at various colleges and universities-- Cleveland Institute of Music, University of Mount Union, Kent State University-- as well as the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City, NY.
Joe plays ukulele, guitar, and bass guitar and has a wide range of music experience in Jazz, Blues, Pop, Classical, Rock, Folk, and Bluegrass. He teaches at Beck Center as well as The Music Settlement. Joe earned his BA in Music Performance and is currently continuing his studies at Cleveland State for a M.M. Degree in Music Performance with a focus in Jazz studies. He is active in the music community and plays regularly with bands around Cleveland such as Quick Silver, QS Jazz and Hip to That. He also enjoys playing in pit orchestras for musicals. Joe tries to give his students an enjoyable experience while teaching the joy and knowledge of music.