Christopher Steward - Voice

Christopher Steward, Baritone, native of Ohio received a BA in Vocal performance from Howard University. He recently performed the role of Sharpless in Madama Butterfly with the Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore. Mr. Steward has a repertoire which includes Figaro, in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Bob in The Old Maid and the Thief, Peter (The Father) in Hansel and Gretel, Mr. Ford in The Merry Wives of Windsor, Valentin in Faust, Gugliemo in Cosi Fan Tutte, Husky Miller in Carmen Jones, and Escamillo in Carmen. He is an emerging professional and has performed with Bethesda Summer Music Festival, Elderbrooke Opera, Municipal Opera Company of Baltimore, and Dayton Opera.

In Europe, he has toured with the Chicago Sinfonetta in Porgy and Bess. Mr. Steward appeared as a concert soloist for Wright State University, The University of Akron, and Howard University and the Hines Lee Opera Ensemble. He has performed in various venues giving recitals in Ohio, Maryland and Washington, DC. Mr. Steward has also performed on Showtime at the Apollo, a regular performer at Paramount’s Kings Island Amusement park and currently is a featured lead singer on two nationally recorded CD’s with Fourth Avenue an Acapella singing group.

Mr. Steward has been a music educator for over 7 years. He teaches voice lessons to people of all ages. Currently, he is a K-6 music teacher in Ahwatukee, AZ and runs an after school performing arts program.

Honors include performing for the French Embassy and appearing on master classes with Leontyne Price, Denyce Graves, and Warren Jones. Another honor includes being coached by the late Sylvia Olden Lee. Awards he has received include the Vocal Extravaganza in Black (Las Vegas) and the Ohio Federation of Music Clubs Young Artist winner.

Monica Kennedy- Violin, Piano

Monica Kennedy, violinist, is originally from West Texas and attended Texas Tech University in her hometown of Lubbock , Texas . There, she was a music major for 2 1⁄2 years and graduated with a BS in Elementary Education with a K-8 music endorsement. Playing violin since the age of 11, Mrs. Kennedy has a wide range of music experience. As a high school student, she was a founding member of the Plainview Symphony Orchestra, and continued other regional gigs throughout college, including Hobbs , Roswell , Big Spring , San Marcos , and Las Cruces symphonies.
 
Upon graduation from college, Monica continued doing regional symphony gigs and expended her repertoire as a founding member of Mariachi Mi Tierra, performing in Texas and New Mexico and regular performances with an eclectic, local rock band, The Wickersham Project.

After her marriage to Stephen and the birth of their two daughters in New Mexico , although playing time was limited, Monica continued performing as member of the St. Thomas Aquinas liturgical chorus (alto), parish school cantor, and as a solo violinist for various church celebrations. One year of Mrs. Kennedy’s experience in NM includes teaching K-8 music for a St. Therese Catholic school in Albuquerque .

Currently, this is Monica's third year in AZ and in her thirteenth year of classroom teaching as a gifted 6th grade teacher in Chandler. She is looking forward to sharing her diverse talents with eager, young violinists... It is her mission to help students realize the value of music in their lives and to recognize the opportunities that musicianship presents toward a successful and fulfilling future.
 

Travis Blum - Piano, Drums & Percussion

Travis grew up in the mid-west. While residing in Wisconsin, he had much involvement in marching bands, jazz combos, big bands and orchestral music. Through his training he developed many skills. Though much was acquired through his performances in the many different mid-west and west coast outfits that he worked with.  They range from the styles of jazz, rock, country, blues, Latin reggae and classical.

After moving to California Travis recorded and played with several different local artists, while touring with his original band for many years. Then he moved back to the mid-west to work with the house band at a five star restaurant, do some recording and become more involved with teaching, picking up students to study under him.

Now living in Tempe, Arizona; Travis is pursuing a BA in music education. He is heavily involved in school, community and church music projects. With his students he focuses specifically on the most important skills and concepts a student needs to be able to play proficiently and musically.  He will do this through the use of proper technique and providing clear information. He feels that explanation of theory is important so the student can gain facility and understand how parts are constructed from a musical writing and reading standpoint. Therefore scales, progression, harmonization, improvising and sight-reading will be demonstrated and well explained. Creative exercises that have the student play parts they can call their own will be encouraged as well.

John McMonagle - Piano

John grew up in Prescott Arizona . He started playing piano at age 14, saving up his paper route money in order to buy his first upright piano. Soon after that he was studying classical and jazz piano, winning awards in both styles from local schools and fine art associations. 

At 16 he was enrolled in the music program at Yavapai Community College studying music theory and Jazz and playing with the student jazz ensemble. After moving to Tempe he enrolled at A.S.U as a piano performance major with a jazz concentration, receiving the Jazz Bird Scholarship.

Since receiving his bachelors from A.S.U John has been playing and teaching around the valley for the better part of a decade. He currently plays with many local bands, opening for national acts such as Tower of  Power , Ozomatli, and Eoto. John also performs in churches, weddings, corporate events, festivals and dueling piano clubs.

Laura Wolf - Flute, Piccolo, Oboe

Laura Haag received her Bachelor's of Music degree from Philadelphia Biblical University, where she studied music education and applied flute. She was a student of Margaret Claudin (Philadelphia Biblical University), and Lydia Klinger (Hershey Symphony Orchestra) before moving to Arizona in June of 2007. While in college, Miss Haag was selected to perform in a master class with David Cramer, principal flutist of the Philadelphia Orchestra. She was also an active performer through recitals at the university, nursing homes, and weddings.

In addition to performing as a soloist, she has also performed in many community bands. While living in Pennsylvania, she performed with the Washington Band (Annville), the Lebanon Community Concert Band (Lebanon), and the musical group “Flutes in the Corner” (a local flute quartet). Since moving to Arizona she has joined the Mesa City Band where she is enjoying getting a different perspective on the standard band repertoire from the alto saxophone section. 

Throughout her flute career, Laura has received many honors. Some of these include: The John Philip Sousa Band Award, member of the Lebanon Valley College Honor Band, District 7 (Pennsylvania) band member, and a Music Scholarship (Philadelphia Biblical University).

Currently, Laura is a local band and general music teacher at Circle Cross Ranch (K-8). She loves teaching students how to play their instruments and how to enjoy music. Learning music opens up a whole new universe for the individual to explore, and she enjoys guiding students as they learn to appreciate and perform music.

Robb Smith - Drumset, Hand Drums & Percussion

Robb Smith has a Bachelors of Music degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (Richmond Virginia) in Percussion Performance and a minor in Music Education. While residing in Richmond, he was a regular performer with the Richmond Symphony as well as a percussionist for many traveling Broadway musicals at the Virginia Museum and Carpenter Center. He was a member of the 1986 Percussion Art Society’s Mass Marimba Ensemble and performed at the Kennedy Center in Washington DC. Robb was the winner of the Virginia Music Educators Concerto competition and performed as a soloist with the New River Valley Orchestra. While based in Nashville, TN and Los Angeles, CA he has performed with numerous bands and has toured the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe. In 1993 he performed with a featured band at the Disneyland - Paris Far West festival.

Robb has over 20 years of teaching experience and in that time has taught hundreds of students ranging in age from 4 to 84. Some students have gone on to receive scholarships at colleges and universities. As an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and J. Sargeant Reynolds Community college, he taught college percussion majors drumset and percussion as well as class lessons in percussion. He was a hand drumming clinician for the Virginia chapter of the Percussive Arts Society. He has coached numerous high school and middle school marching band groups and was a guest judge for many local and state marching band competitions. Robb Smith also has his own percussion mallet label, selling professional mallets worldwide as well as being the owner of Blackbird Music & Art Center.

David Peterson - Drums

Dave is an accomplished drummer with a career that spans over 30 years. Earlier in his career he studied under jazz drummer, Tim Laushey. But much of his vast experience and skill comes from the best education you can find which is simply getting out there and doing it. Dave has played nearly every style imaginable including; Jazz, Rock, Blues, R&B, Reggae & Country. He’s performed big band gigs and some off-broadway musicals.

Dave has shared stages with the likes of Poco, Lone Justice, Alex Chilton, Albert Collins, The Hooters, Tommy Conwell, Marshall Crenshaw, The Outfield and many others. Dave’s secret to working steady for 3 decades? He sums it up in just three words, "Keep it Simple." Sadly, many aspiring drummers miss this concept. "I believe to succeed in the music biz you have to be willing to let down your ego and play exactly what the song, the band, and especially the singer wants. This is your ONLY job as the drummer. You’re not there to impress or show off, you’re there to simply provide a solid rhythm for the band. This is really the essence of successful drumming in popular music."

Dave has 6 years of drum teaching experience. He’s excited about going back into teaching and sharing many of his drumming secrets to young aspiring musicians in the East Valley. Dave feels it’s important not only to teach proper technique. But equally as important, he wants students to have fun too! Currently, Dave is a member of a local band called The Dina Preston band. They play corporate events and private parties throughout the valley. Plus, one to two times a year they tour overseas. The group recently returned from an 18-day tour of the Eastern European countries of Armenia and Azerbaijan representing the U.S. Embassy.

They performed for a crowd of nearly 5,000 people in the capital city of Yerevan, Armenia. Some other highlights were performing on a military base for the troops, conducting a master class at a music conservatory and performing at a children’s orphanage.

Bob Gontarz - Guitar and Bass

Bob came to Arizona in 1974 and now resides just east of Apache Junction near the beautiful Superstition Mountains. He began playing guitar as a young teenager taking lessons in a music store in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Upon graduation from high school, his dad rewarded him with his first professional electric guitar, a Guild Starfire III, which he still plays today.

Bob's professional music career began with the pursuit of a Jazz Performance degree at Mesa Community College. He studied music theory, composition, and improvisation with emphasis on jazz and classical repertoire under the guidance of jazz guitarist Daniel Davis, classical guitarist George Summers, and jazz ensemble director Fred Forney. Incidentally, Bob also holds an AA degree in Engineering Science from Glendale Community College, has attended Arizona State University and has enjoyed a successful career as an aerospace software engineer.

Bob was a staff guitar instructor at the former All Star Music store in Mesa, Arizona and held that position for nearly 3 years until the store chain was sold. He was called by his former manager to run the electronics repair shop at AZ Music in North Phoenix as an amplifier repair technician. He worked in that position for almost 2 years before coming to Blackbird Music and Art Center.

Bob knows the world of recording, working with Ragpickers Studio in Mesa as a studio musician. He has guitar, bass, keyboard, songwriting, and even vocal credits on virtually every track of 6 full-length CD albums recorded in the past 3 years. One CD, including the song "Autumn's Affair", received personal encouragement and applause directly from the song's author, Richard Bennett. (Mr. Bennett, formerly lead guitarist for Neil Diamond, is currently co-guitarist on the Mark Knopfler – Emmylou Harris tour – All The Roadrunning.) Two Ragpicker CD's, The Lonely End Of Town and The Lord Brings Me Peace, are commercially available through CDBaby.com and MySpace.com/Ragpickers.

Bob is in demand whether in the studio or on the stage. He is a lead guitarist with the Mesa-based progressive rock band Court of Catalina. He also has a weekly church gig as lead guitarist in a 6-piece contemporary praise band and in a piano/guitar-based vocal quartet.

Aaron Prillaman - Guitar & Bass

Aaron Prillaman's musical training started at the age of eight when his father taught him piano lessons. A long career in middle school and high school band continued his musical training, though his true love came to him at the age of 15 when he began learning the guitar.

The guitar was such an intense interest for Mr. Prillaman, and he had such a knack for it, that he chose to continue studying the guitar in college at Appalachian State University under the tutelage of Dr. Douglas James. Upon completion of his Bachelor's of music Degree in Guitar Performance, Mr. Prillaman was chosen to be a Graduate Assistant at East Carolina University, where he taught university-level guitar classes, provided tutoring in music theory, and studied guitar with Dr. Elliot Frank.

Along with two music degrees, and progress on a third, Mr. Prillaman has 4 years of teaching experience. He has experience with a variety of ages: from six years to adult. He also has experience with a variety of styles. Though his most
active style is classical, he has performed in a variety of settings including musical theater, classic rock, alternative, jazz, heavy metal, bluegrass, and many others.

Charlie Liddy - Guitar & Bass 

Kevin Sage - Guitar

Kevin Sage moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1994 from New York, where he began his formal training at the ripe age of 4.  In the beginning he began formal training on piano but added autoharp and trumpet after only a few years.  He has performed alongside many outstanding musicians during hundreds of performances since then. The guitar has been his primary instrument for the past 27 years with his focus on rock, metal, jazz, finger style, classical and blues.  He continues to play regularly throughout the southwestern US and currently resides in Gilbert where he also works as a graphic artist.

Dan Folland - Strings

Dan received his Masters degree in violin performance from the University of Minnesota in 1988.  He worked as a violinist with the Winnipeg Symphony for six years.  While in Winnipeg he also taught violin at the University of Manitoba and subsequently moved to Minnesota where he took a full time teaching position in Red Wing.  He currently lives with his family in Queen Creek and teaches strings in the Gilbert Public School district.

Kevin Huang - Violin

Kevin Huang is an awardwinning professional violinist who has performed around the world. Born in New York, Mr. Huang studied classical violin at the famous Juilliard School of Music. He has played the violin at the highest levels for over 20 years, and he is an experienced teacher of all levels.

Currently Kevin Huang is the assistant orchestra director at Desert Ridge High School in Mesa, AZ.

William MacDonald - Brass & Woodwinds

Originally from Connecticut, William MacDonald moved to Arizona and attended Hamilton high school where he served as the Drum Major and brass captain. He recently received his bachelor's in music education from Arizona State Universty. At Arizona State University he lead as the trombone section leader for two years. He originally played the the trumpet and euphonium, however his primary instrument is the trombone. He is currently the band director at both Mountain Vista K-8 and San Tan Heights K-8 in the Coolidge Unified School District. He structures his lessons to build strong foundations in sound and technique.

Jen Durkin - Music Educator

Jen is celebrating her 15th year entertaining Festival audiences around the country as lead Vocalist for The Mickey Hart Band, The Rhythm Devils, Bernie Worrell, The Bomb Squad and Deep Banana Blackout .  She has co written and produced 5 CDs, most recently with the Equinox Band.

Jen attended Berklee College of Music, Boston MA, and Ithaca College NY where she studied Music Theory, Eurthymics, Keyboard, Voice and Composition. As a member of the Berklee Gospel Choir she sang along side Paula Cole and Susan Tedeschi. In Summer theatre she had leading roles in professional productions of  Annie, Sugar Babies and My one and only.                                                                                 

Since 2002 she has enjoyed teaching voice, piano and dance as well as directing for Rock Band camps and producing student recording demos.  

As an American Music Award Winner in 2003 she developed workshops in lyric writing for Middle- High school aged students. New to the area from Connecticut, She is looking forward to meeting new students and helping aspiring singers and songwriters to enjoy the gift of music.

Melody Smith - Art

Melody is originally from California and received her Art Degree from California State University of Northridge. She spent the majority of her career as an Art Director and a Designer for a variety of corporations. Her freelance work includes Art Directing the L.A. Marathon, work with Mercedes Benz, the LA Philharmonic and everything in between from restaurant designs to high tech gear to high end car products for H2 Hummer, Miata, PT Cruiser and more. Her design work allowed her to travel throughout the United States and Europe which further enhanced her career in art. While being skilled in computer graphics, Melody is also a fine artist who likes to work in Acrylics, Oil Pastels and Colored Pencils. She insists that her career in computer graphics was only possible by learning the core basics of art, including drawing, painting and color theory. Without that knowledge, and expereince, it would have been very difficult. In the last 4 years, Melody received her teaching credentials in Art for grades K-12 and has taught every grade level as well as art for Special Needs children. Melody always tells her students that learning art is much like learning an instrument. You are not born being a rockin' guitar player, it takes practice and so does art! Even if you don't like art, Melody will figure out what your best medium is and explore your hidden talents. You can make art a successful career or a wonderful hobby that will last throughout your lifetime!