Our Team
ABOUT
Our Team
Documentary Songwriters wouldn’t be able to offer the service it does without the creativity and contributions of its staff and supporters.
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DOCSONGLEADERSHIP BOARD
MEMBERS TEACHING
ARTISTS PROGRAM
ADVISORS STRATEGIC
PARTNERS
DOCUMENTARY SONGWRITERS
Leadership
EMAILCaroline Rex-Waller
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Caroline serves as Executive Director of DocSong and is a teacher, facilitator, and writer with over twelve years of experience in non-profit administration and education.
FULL BIOCaroline Rex-Waller is a teacher, facilitator, and writer with over twelve years of experience in non-profit administration and education. After getting connected with DocSong in 2014, Caroline partnered with DocSong Teaching Artists to pioneer the first group documentary songwriting workshop. She went on to collaborate with DocSong founder Malcolm Brooks to design the curriculum now used to teach the Documentary Songwriting Method to future Teaching Artists. She received her M.A. in Teaching for Social Justice from Marlboro College in 2015, and her M.A. in English Language and Literature from Middlebury’s Bread Loaf School of English in 2020.
Caroline’s professional career has focused on the power of storytelling to build empathy and connection between individuals and communities. She is excited to continue the work of Malcolm and Nora, ensuring DocSong’s continued financial stability and supporting our growing community of talented Teaching Artists.
Caroline now lives in Wenatchee, WA with her partner, John, and two kids, Charlie and Mabel. When she’s not chatting you up about the power of Documentary Songwriting, you can find her singing pop numbers in her local community chorus, trail running, or reading dystopian fiction after her kids are asleep.
EMAILMalcolm Brooks
FOUNDER
Dr. Malcolm Brooks first published the Documentary Songwriting Method as part of his Doctoral dissertation. He founded Documentary Songwriters, as a nonprofit in 2018 and currently serves the organization as an advisor.
FULL BIOMalcolm Brooks, PhD, is a composer and documentary songwriter. His work is heard on PBS, NOVA and the History Channel. He has written music for films that have won honors, including two Emmy nominations and a Peabody award. He serves on the faculty at Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School and holds degrees from Columbia, Berkeley, and Prescott. He has led documentary songwriting workshops in many settings, from prisons to recovery clinics to scholar’s conferences. Malcolm is currently working with incarcerated people and parolees, writing documentary songs with them and arranging the songs for choirs.
DOCUMENTARY SONGWRITERS
Board of Directors
Halley Elwell
SECRETARY
Halley is an accomplished bi-coastal singer-songwriter and teacher, at home on stage and in the studio. In addition to performing internationally, has been named by Nashville Songwriter’s Association as “One to Watch.”
FULL BIOHalley Elwell is an accomplished bi-coastal singer-songwriter and teacher, at home on stage and in the studio. In addition to performing internationally, she has been awarded the ASCAP Young Jazz Composers award and has been named by Nashville Songwriter’s Association as “One to Watch.” Originally from Hallowell, Maine, Halley earned her music degree in Jazz and African American Music Studies from the University of Massachusetts Amherst where she studied with Catherine Jensen-Hole (Norah Jones), gospel singer Horace Boyer, NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, and jazz pianist David Berkman. Upon graduating, she moved to San Francisco and performed in the club circuit, while studying with jazz vocalist and educator Kitty Margolis, and songwriter Bonnie Hayes. During her time there she recorded her first album, “Last Spring” and helped build the education program for the SFJAZZ Center. In 2016 Halley returned to her East Coast roots and began pursuing her love of teaching and songwriting full-time in Massachusetts.She continues to perform and write original music while teaching privately. Halley’s newest recording project, “Last of What I Know,” is due for release in 2021.
Will Foote
BOARD MEMBER & TEACHING ARTIST EDUCATOR
Will is a vocalist and songwriter. He has been instrumental in bringing documentary songs to venues ranging from folk festivals to intimate settings. He has also demonstrated composing melodic themes live on radio.
FULL BIOWill Foote is a vocalist and songwriter. He has been instrumental in bringing documentary songs to venues ranging from folk festivals to intimate settings. In the role of a participant, he has composed melodic themes live on radio. In rural upstate New York, Will worked to document the emotions and experiences of contemporary farmers through music. He traveled to a center in Antwerp, Belgium to listen and write songs with people seeking asylum. Along with writing and performing, Will also teaches the documentary songwriting method in various ways, from high schools to internships. He is a graduate of Brewster Academy and of St. Lawrence University. Will wants to write documentary songs with people who have learning differences, as well as people who feel alienated in their communities.
EMAILRachel Kribbs
Board President
Rachel Kribbs has over a decade of experience working in the arts & culture and nonprofit sectors. She’s held positions at some of Cleveland’s legacy arts organizations including The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Institute of Music. In these roles she managed and garnered support for a myriad of community programs and initiatives, working alongside world-renowned musicians to guide and support their efforts in the community.
FULL BIORachel Kribbs has over a decade of experience working in the arts & culture and nonprofit sectors. She’s held positions at some of Cleveland’s legacy arts organizations including The Cleveland Orchestra and Cleveland Institute of Music. In these roles she managed and garnered support for a myriad of community programs and initiatives, working alongside world-renowned musicians to guide and support their efforts in the community.
Ms. Kribbs was part of the inaugural entrepreneurship program at Cleveland Institute of Music where she deployed its first-ever career advising program, transformed community initiatives to better align with the curriculum, and held a faculty position teaching conservatory undergraduate and graduate students career-preparedness.
She transferred her community relations, communications, teaching, and advising skills to an Account Executive role at The FORM Group in February 2020 where she happily continues to serve nonprofits every day.
Since joining FORM, Ms. Kribbs has been a sought-after public speaker and workshop presenter, and is a regular blog contributor on topics ranging from communications and fundraising to digital engagement best practices. Volunteerism and fostering inclusive communities has always been a passion of Ms. Kribbs, and in 2018, she was awarded a “Northeast Ohio Mover & Shaker Award” by the Cleveland 20/30 Club. A classically-trained bassoonist and music educator, Ms. Kribbs holds degrees from the
Catholic University of America and Cleveland Institute of Music. Currently, she lives in
Lakewood, OH with her husband and two sons, and is an active volunteer with her local CDC, LakewoodAlive. In her rare moments of spare time, Ms. Kribbs can be found playing the drums, cooking for her family, watching Ru Paul’s Drag Race, or playing video games.
Laura Simna
BOARD MEMBER
Laura Simna is a versatile violinist and educator, blending Suzuki and Dalcroze methods to inspire students while performing across genres in the Cleveland area. As Assistant Director of Baldwin Wallace’s Suzuki program, she teaches, collaborates, and brings music to life both in the classroom and on stage.
FULL BIOLaura Simna is a music educator and freelance violinist with an MM in Violin Performance (The Ohio State University), an MA in String Pedagogy (The Ohio State University), and a BA in Violin Performance (Case Western Reserve University). As an educator, she is credentialed in both Suzuki violin instruction and Dalcroze Eurhythmics. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Suzuki program at Baldwin Wallace University, teaches movement-based music classes for Cleveland area schools, and maintains a private violin studio. As a performer, she plays for events and concerts in the greater Cleveland area, and she collaborates with instrumentalists across many genres, both live and in studio.
EMAILKhalid Taylor
TREASURER & TEACHING ARTIST EDUCATOR
Khalid Taylor (he/they) is a queer Afrolatinx speaker, personal growth and development consultant, singer, and documentary songwriter. His focus continues to remain centered on cultivating mindful spaces for people to intentionally re-shape the conversations they have internally with themselves and externally in the relationships they have with their community.
FULL BIOKhalid Taylor (he/they) is a queer Afrolatinx speaker, personal growth and development consultant, singer, and documentary songwriter. After receiving his bachelor’s in Musical Studies from Oberlin College and Conservatory, he worked at his alma mater as a Student Life Program Coordinator in the Multicultural Resource Center, supporting students from marginalized communities through mentorship and community building programs. He then launched his own personal growth and development consultation business, Life Liberated, providing individual coaching sessions, delivering keynotes, and facilitating independent school workshops in the Northeast. Most recently, Khalid was a lecturer for the Geffren School of Drama at Yale, co-teaching the course, Towards an Antiracist Theater Practice. He currently hosts and produces the podcast, ‘Songs Through Their Eyes’, interviewing individuals who captured meaningful lived experiences through song using the documentary songwriting process. His focus continues to remain centered on cultivating mindful spaces for people to intentionally re-shape the conversations they have internally with themselves and externally in the relationships they have with their community.
Sara Trunzo
BOARD MEMBER
Maine-based singer-songwriter and community organizer Sara Trunzo crafts raw, thought-provoking country music that has earned praise from Adobe and Teardrops and Lonesome Highway. Having collaborated with legends like Darrell Scott and Mary Gauthier, she’s shared stages with Suzy Bogguss and Carlene Carter while championing social justice and food security in her home state.
FULL BIOSara Trunzo is a Maine-based independent singer-songwriter, community organizer, and creator and host of “Country & Northeastern” on WERU Community Radio. Lonesome Highway said her last record, Cabin Fever Dream, was “loaded with truly touching lyrics and provide[s] a glimpse of an unquestionably talented artist.” She has collaborated with songwriting legends Darrell Scott (Great Day to Be Alive; Long Time Gone; You’ll Never Leave Harlan Alive) and Mary Gauthier (I Drink; Mercy Now). Adobe and Teardrops called “Taking My Power Back” her latest single “political country music at its finest” and it was featured by Gems on VHS. Trunzo has shared stages with the likes of Suzy Bogguss, Carlene Carter, and Malcolm Holcombe; and played venues such as The Bluebird, Rockwood Music Hall, Club Passim, and the Birthplace of Country Music Museum. She has been a Joseph A. Fiore fellow, a Music to Life juried artist, and has received honors from Maine Songwriters Association, International Acoustic Music Awards, New England Songwriting Competition, Tennessee Songwriters’ Week, and the Hazel Dickens Songwriting Competition. Her debut EP, Thanks Birdie, was released in 2017, followed by the LP, Dirigo Attitude (2019), which reached #22 on the Folk Alliance International chart. The lead single “Food and Medicine” reached #3 on the FAI chart and won 1st prize at 2018 Maine Songwriters Association contest. Her most recent release “Taking My Power Back,” produced by Rachael Moore (T Bone Burnett, Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Showtime’s George & Tammy) came out as a single in Fall of 2023. As an organizer, she co-founded and led food security organizations Veggies For All and Waldo County Bounty, and has worked on energy democracy and social justice campaigns (Pine Tree Power, Maine Climate Action Now, etc.) in Maine.
LaRaun Clayton
EMERITUS MEMBER
LaRaun Clayton is a United States Army Veteran with 10+ years of Nonprofit Leadership experience. He is currently the Director of a 122- bed Homeless and Mental Health Residential Treatment facility for veterans experiencing homelessness and/or addiction.
FULL BIOLaRaun Clayton is a United States Army Veteran with 10+ years of Nonprofit Leadership experience. He is currently the Director of a 122- bed Homeless and Mental Health Residential Treatment facility for veterans experiencing homelessness and/or addiction. Most of his personal and professional life has been dedicated to supporting/Advocating for underserved and vulnerable populations including the LGBTQIA community, People living with HIV/AIDS and Veterans.
Stanford Thompson
EMERITUS MEMBER
Stanford is a musician and educator who serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Play On Philly and Founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA – bringing music education to students in underserved areas.
FULL BIOStanford Thompson is a musician and educator who serves as the Founder and Executive Director of Play On Philly and Founding Board Chairman of El Sistema USA, bringing music education to students in underserved areas throughout Philadelphia and beyond. Recognized as a TED Fellow, Stanford believes that music education is a powerful tool for positive personal and community change. Mr. Thompson serves on the faculty of the Global Leaders Program and regularly presents at major universities and music conservatories about leadership, entrepreneurship and social justice. As a consultant, he has guided the development of dozens of music programs across the United States and collaborated with major orchestras, higher education institutions, and arts organizations to develop new strategies and initiatives that help provide equitable access to the arts. As a professional trumpeter, Stanford has performed as a soloist and member with major orchestras around the world and continues to perform chamber music and jazz. Stanford is a native of Atlanta, GA, a graduate of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra’s Talent Development Program and holds degrees from The Curtis Institute of Music and the New England Conservatory’s Sistema Fellows Program.
Josie Davis
EMERITUS MEMBER
Josie has performed in a wide range of venues, from Carnegie Hall to the Monte Music Festival in India. She is interested in how music can be used as a form of cultural empowerment to build bridges and strengthen communities.
FULL BIOJosie Davis serves as President of the board of DocSong. She has performed in a wide range of venues from Carnegie Hall in New York to the Monte Music Festival in India. She is interested in how music can be used as a form of cultural empowerment to build bridges and strengthen communities. Her teaching has brought her to Panama, India, and Community MusicWorks in Rhode Island. Josie is the founder and director of summer programs in Maine and Connecticut. She is thrilled to have recently moved back to Maine, where she splits her time between playing in Palaver Strings and Halcyon String Quartet and working at Bay Chamber Concerts & Music School. Josie holds degrees from Oberlin and Harvard.
Jody Kerchner
EMERITUS MEMBER
Jody is a professor at Oberlin College. She specializes in secondary school music and choral music education She has presented keynotes, papers, and led workshops nationally and internationally.
FULL BIOJody Kerchner is a professor at Oberlin College. She specializes in secondary school music and choral music education She was awarded the Oberlin College Excellence in Teaching Award in 2011. She is founder and conductor of Oberlin Music at Grafton, a prison choir at the Grafton Correctional Institution. Prior to teaching at the collegiate level, Kerchner taught K-8 general and choral music in Swarthmore, Pa., and Winnetka, Il., and was conductor of the Oberlin Youth Chorale. An active clinician, she has presented keynote addresses, research papers, and pedagogy workshops nationally and internationally at conferences in North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Kerchner also frequently serves as guest choral conductor for elementary, middle, and high school honors choral festivals.
Lisa Whitfield
EMERITUS MEMBER
Lisa is a classically trained violist, improviser, and vocalist who has been an active orchestral and chamber musician in the Cleveland area for over a decade after having spending nearly 20 years performing in New York.
FULL BIOLisa Whitfield has been an active orchestral and chamber musician in the Cleveland area for over a decade, after having spent nearly 20 years performing in the NYC metropolitan area. She is a classically trained violist who has also performed as a vocalist and improvising violist. In 2017, Ms. Whitfield was appointed as the inaugural Talent Development Program Officer at the Cleveland Institute of Music. During her tenure, she oversaw the Musical Pathway Fellowship, a program developed to find and cultivate classical musicians from the African American and Latinx community in the Cleveland area. Ms. Whitfield was on the solfege faculty of the Juilliard Pre-College, Juilliard’s MAP Program, and was a teaching fellow in the college division at Juilliard for 3 years. She is on the faculty of the Chamber Music Conference Chamber Music Conference (at Colgate University, formerly at Bennington College), where she has served as a faculty representative to the board of directors, and she is currently serving as the co-chair of the board’s DEI working group. She was privileged to sit on the music panel of the NY State Council on the Arts and she taught at the Third Street Music School Settlement for fourteen years.
Monica Kelly
EMERITUS MEMBER
Monica serves as Executive Director of Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School. She is also the founder of the Odeon Orchestra, the first youth orchestra for young instrumentalists in the midcoast of Maine.
FULL BIOMonica Kelly serves as Executive Director of Bay Chamber Concerts and Music School. She is also the founder of the Odeon Orchestra, the first youth orchestra for young instrumentalists in the midcoast of Maine. She is graduate of Bowdoin College, with a major in Visual Arts and Art History.
Chris Finn
EMERITUS MEMBER
Chris Finn has sung and played in churches since childhood, spending 13 years leading a Los Angeles based contemporary music church band. He led the Songs of Oswald Chambers project for DocSong.
FULL BIOChris Finn has sung and played in churches since childhood, spending 13 years leading a Los Angeles based contemporary music church band. He led the Songs of Oswald Chambers project for DocSong.
Read more about that project and others here.
Anastasia Fischer
EMERITUS MEMBER
Anastasia serves as president of U.S. Harbors in Rockland, Maine. She also lads her own design firm, the Fischer Design Group. She is a graduate of Bowdoin College with a major in history.
FULL BIOAnastasia Fischer serves as president of U.S. Harbors in Rockland, Maine. She also lads her own design firm, the Fischer Design Group. Anastasia graduated Magna Cum Laud from Bowdoin College with a major in history.
DOCUMENTARY SONGWRITERS
Program Advisors
Gina Dobson
Survivor Stories Program Advisor
Gina Dobson is an actor, screenwriter, and mother of two. She is also a survivor and a wrongly accused felon who is committed to promoting support for abuse victims. She is the co-founder of BAB on 3.
FULL BIOGina Dobson is an actor, a screenwriter, and the mother of two grown children. She is also a survivor. In 1998 she escaped years of violent and emotional abuse with only her one-year-old son and a piggy bank of change. Two weeks after her escape, Gina was arrested for murder due to a false report by her ex-boyfriend who claimed the miscarriage she had five years earlier was actually murder. As a wrongly accused felon, Gina seeks to spread the message of female empowerment and joyful healing.
Since an abusive relationship led to her arrest, she does radio and news interviews, podcasts, and PSAs to increase awareness of domestic violence and promote supportive resources for abuse victims.
Gina also co-founded BAB on 3, a female-driven film production team that embraces authenticity, encourages underrepresented people in filmmaking, and delivers the message that women need support from other women. Learn more about Gina at ginadobson.com.
Prince Mubake
New Mainer Program Advisor
Prince Mubake has a bachelor’s degree in Economics and a master’s degree in Business Administration. He has experience in investment banking, financial service technologies, and auditing. Currently, he is pursuing a program to become a certified Maine educator.
FULL BIOPrince Mubake’s life journey began in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). He holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Protestant University of Congo in the DRC, as well as a master’s degree in Business Administration from Frankfurt School of Finance & Management in Germany. With a wealth of experience spanning approximately sixteen years, Prince has worked in various fields including investment banking, financial service technologies, and auditing. He has a strong passion for education and firmly believes in its transformative power. Currently, Prince is pursuing a program to become a certified Maine educator by June 2024. In addition, he sees songwriting as a means to express his true self and to share stories and messages that have the potential to enrich life in our communities.
Parivash Rohani
New Mainer Program Advisor
Parivash Rohani is an ICU nurse in Portland who was born and raised in Iran. She emigrated to the US in 1985 and is actively involved in humanitarian, environmental, and interfaith projects. Parivash volunteers for many community works and received the Trailblazer Award in 2017.
FULL BIOParivash Rohani was born and raised in Iran. After the advent of the Islamic Revolution in 1979, she left Iran for India. After 6 years of living in India she, along with her husband and her newly-born daughter, emigrated to the United States in 1985. She currently lives in Portland. Professionally, Parivash is an ICU registered nurse. She has been involved with many humanitarian, environmental, and interfaith projects. Her involvement in the international human rights campaigns “Education Is Not A Crime” and #ourstoryisone is due to her firm conviction that change happens organically at the grassroots level, and justice demands universal participation. Parivash
DOCUMENTARY SONGWRITERS
Teaching Artists
Alexander Adams
Alex Adams is a middle school music teacher, guitarist, bassist, banjo player, and puppeteer. He lives and works in southern Maine where he focuses on bringing new educational experiences into music classrooms and spreads the message that music is for everyone.
FULL BIOAlex Adams is a middle school music teacher, guitarist, bassist, banjo player, and puppeteer. He lives and works in southern Maine where he focuses on bringing new educational experiences into music classrooms and spreads the message that music is for everyone. Named as Outstanding New Music Educator for the state of Maine by the Maine Music Educators Asssociation 2019-2020, Alex dedicated much of his classroom time to exploring composition and expression in music and is looking to incorporate Documentary Songwriting as part of that mission. You can also find him playing music for swing dancers in his traditional swing group The Copacetic Collective around Portland and playing snare in The Ideal Maine Social Aid and Sanctuary Band, a New Orleans inspired and socially conscious secondline parade band.
Whit Arau
Whit is an environmental chemist with experience in writing, music composition, and podcast production. Whit is interested in documentary songs with queer people and those dealing with chronic health problems.
FULL BIOWhit Arau (they/them/their) handles whatever needs doing at DocSong. Whit has a Bachelor’s of Science in environmental chemistry from Gordon College, graduating with honors in August 2019. They have worked for various labs funded by the Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation, and various international sources. However Whit is not only a scientist, they are also experienced in science writing, music composition, and podcast production. Whit is interested in writing documentary songs with queer people and people who have chronic health problems.
Emily Bergen
Emily studies at Oberlin Conservatory with a concentration in bass and trained as a Documentary Songwriting Teaching Artist in 2024.
FULL BIOEmily studies at Oberlin Conservatory with a concentration in bass and trained as a Documentary Songwriting Teaching Artist in 2024.
Mimi Bornstein
Mimi Bornstein is a choral director, composer, and documentary songwriter. Choruses under Mimi’s direction have performed with noted musicians including the Grammy Award-winning Paul Winter Consort, Paul Sullivan, Theresa Thomason, and Jonathan Edwards. Her compositions have been performed nationally and internationally.
FULL BIOMimi Bornstein is a choral director, composer, and documentary songwriter. Choruses under Mimi’s direction have performed with noted musicians including the Grammy Award-winning Paul Winter Consort, Paul Sullivan, Theresa Thomason, and Jonathan Edwards. Her compositions have been performed nationally and internationally.
In Maine, Mimi served as founder and artistic director of Midcoast Community Chorus, a non-profit community arts organization hosting a 140-voice non-auditioned multigenerational chorus. Since moving to Washington, DC in 2017, Mimi’s work has focused on creating musical connections to promote equality, opportunity and inclusion. Most recently, Mimi has been working with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, collaborating with them to write documentary songs and arranging and performing these songs in choral settings.
Zoë Brush
Zoë Brush is from Georgetown Maine. She is in her first year at Oberlin College, where she is a prospective Comparative American Studies major. She loves listening to music and singing, and is currently trying to learn banjo!
FULL BIOZoë Brush is from Georgetown Maine. She is in her first year at Oberlin College, where she is a prospective Comparative American Studies major. She loves listening to music and singing, and is currently trying to learn banjo!
Andre Jamal Cardine
Andre Jamal Cardine is a singer-songwriter, music producer, instrumentalist, research scholar, activist, and arranger from Chicago’s south suburbs. He is currently pursuing a PhD program at Indiana University in Ethnomusicology.
FULL BIOAndre Jamal Cardine is a singer-songwriter, music producer, instrumentalist, research scholar, activist, and arranger from Chicago’s south suburbs. After graduating from Oberlin College in 2018, he moved back home to teach music at both Gallery 37 Center for the Arts and at St. Margaret of Scotland school on Chicago’s south side for one year. Andre recently received his Master of Arts In Teaching degree from Longy School of Music in Los Angeles. Andre currently teaches voice and piano lessons, and is producing his own music. Andre is currently pursuing a PhD program at Indiana University in Ethnomusicology.
Joaquin Contreras
Joaquin is a multi-instrumentalist and documentary songwriter. He focuses on writing documentary songs with families and communities in order to help them preserve their histories and cultures.
FULL BIOJoaquin Contreras is a multi-instrumentalist and documentary songwriter. He focuses on writing documentary songs with families and communities in order to help them preserve their histories and cultures. He is a graduate of Bennington College, where he studied composition, theory, and musical performance. He also works with a student-led organization called Ganas, which provides support to Latinx migrant workers in southern Vermont. Joaquin is interested in collaborating with young musicians in disadvantaged areas.
Phil Cotter
Phil Cotter is an Emmy-nominated composer/producer, whose clients include Cincinnati Ballet, Playhouse in the Park and PBS.
FULL BIOPhil Cotter aims to create immersive art pieces (in-person installations and/or recorded works) that tell stories from marginalized perspectives. He is particularly interested in learning from immigrants from Latin America, but is open to learning from any and all experiences. Phil envisions highly collaborative works, not just in the songwriting process but from a performance and production perspective as well.
Hazel Delehey
Hazel is a documentary songwriter and studio vocalist. She pioneered the first documentary song for a documentary film, a project for the High Mountain Institute in Colorado.
FULL BIOHazel Delehey is a documentary songwriter and studio vocalist. She pioneered the first documentary song for a documentary film for the High Mountain Institute in Colorado. She is also the first to offer her voice to represent women in the #Songs of MeToo project. Additionally, Hazel is interested in writing songs with people who look to nature to guide them through struggle.
Caleb Edwards
Caleb is a composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist. He has created and recorded vocal, string, and percussion arrangements for numerous artists. He attends the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
FULL BIOCaleb Edwards is a composer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist. He has created and recorded vocal, string, and percussion arrangements for numerous artists. His voice is featured in the duet “Where My Eyes Should Go,” a DocSong release that can be heard on Spotify and iTunes. This fall he will be attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Sean GoLightly
Arizona-born, Golightly cut his teeth first in church, then on the street. Now, he makes a sound somewhere between country, folk, blues, and soul on stages of all sizes. Best described as americana, Golightly’s music emphasizes story and live performance.
FULL BIOSean C. Golightly learned to write and play music as a child in his hometown church. From these beginnings he has explored the social and emotional capacities of music across a wide range – from street performance to film scoring, live theater, music therapy, religious ceremony, and more. His unbounded interest in connecting humanity is reflected in an education that includes a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a Master’s in Communication. Now based in the Flagstaff, AZ, Sean is a professional songwriter, performance artist, recording artist, and documentarian. He has been nominated for multiple awards by the Creative Flagstaff arts and science council, including Excellence as an Emerging Artist, Excellence in Music, and Excellence in the Performing Arts. As a Teaching Artist, Sean hopes to use his wealth of experience and training to help others communicate their own stories through music. For more, including links to his recorded work, check out seangolightlymusic.com
Kiyoshi Hayashi
Violinist Kiyoshi Hayashi is very passionate about using music as a means to bring individuals and communities together, to heal and positively uplift people’s lives, and to inspire others to follow their passions.
FULL BIOViolinist Kiyoshi Hayashi has performed in many notable concert halls around the world including Symphony Center in Chicago, Symphony Hall and Jordan Hall in Boston, the Kennedy Center, and Suntory Hall in Tokyo, Japan. He has performed with many notable ensembles around the New England area including Palaver Strings, the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, Cape Cod Chamber Orchestra, Juventas New Music Ensemble, Phoenix Orchestra, and A Far Cry Chamber Orchestra.
As a soloist, he has won prizes in various competitions around the US including the Midwest Young Artists Walgreens National Concerto Competition, the Stanger Young Artists Audition, and The Peter E. Tannenwald Concerto Competition.
In 2016, Kiyoshi received his B.M. in Violin Performance from the New England Conservatory of Music with “academic honors,” where he studied under the instruction of Nicholas Kitchen. Other primary teachers include Thomas Wermuth, and Almita Vamos. Additionally, Kiyoshi has attended various music festivals around the world including the Pacific Music Festival, the Chautauqua Music Festival, and the Bowdoin International Music Festival.
Kiyoshi is very passionate about using music as a means to bring individuals and communities together, to heal and positively uplift people’s lives, and to inspire others to follow their passions. Aside from music, Kiyoshi is very passionate about health and wellness. He is a certified personal trainer and integrative nutrition health coach and is the founder of his personal health and life coaching business, Train From Within.
Daniella Hope
Daniella is a jazz vocalist from the South Side of Chicago. She began her career in the Chicago Children’s Choir through which she was able to perform around the world in places including Italy, South Africa, and India.
FULL BIODaniella Hope is a jazz vocalist from the South Side of Chicago. She began her career in the Chicago Children’s Choir through which she was able to perform around the world in places including Italy, South Africa, and India. She has worked with artists including Chance the Rapper, and performed alongside artists including Bobby McFerrin, Sweet Honey and the Rock, Al Greene, Kurt Elling, and Yo-Yo Ma. A recent graduate of Oberlin College and Conservatory, Daniella received two degrees from the institution and became the first person to graduate with a BM in Jazz Voice from Oberlin Conservatory. She is currently pursuing her masters degree in jazz vocal performance at the Manhattan School of Music.
Victoria Humphreys
Victoria Humphreys is from a small, coastal town in North Carolina and recently graduated with an MA in Songwriting from the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. She looks forward to researching the benefits of documentary songwriting on society.
FULL BIOVictoria Humphreys is from a small, coastal town in North Carolina and recently graduated with an MA in Songwriting from the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance in London. She received her BA at East Carolina University in Music Administration. Victoria spent the first three years in the music therapy program and spent the last year in business courses. She has completed two internships within music therapy with an assisted living facility and a k-5 classroom with intellectual disabilities. She is an on air personality at Energy 92.1, has taught voice and piano lessons, and has performed solo gigs within North and South Carolina. Victoria has been writing songs since she was twelve and stumbled across documentary songwriting while studying in the UK. She looks forward to researching the benefits of documentary songwriting on society.
Isabel Hyman
Isabel Hyman (she/her) is a current student at Oberlin College in Ohio studying Music and Geosciences. She learned the Documentary Songwriting Method in the winter of 2024 and has written songs both with peers and the Find Our Voices (FOV) organization.
FULL BIOIsabel Hyman (she/her) is a current student at Oberlin College in Ohio studying Music and Geosciences. She plays the clarinet and is learning to compose. Isabel loves using music to convey emotions and meaning to reach an audience. She learned the Documentary Songwriting Method in the winter of 2024 and has written songs both with peers and the Find Our Voices (FOV) organization. She plans on continuing to work with FOV to help those who have gone through domestic abuse.
Chloë Isis
Chloë is a songwriter and vocalist who conducted the first-ever live documentary songwriting session on radio. She is interested in writing DocSongs with children, the deaf, and those processing grief.
FULL BIOChloë Isis is a songwriter and vocalist. In 2018, she composed and recorded with the Bay Chamber-Carnegie Hall Lullaby Project. Chloë conducted the first-ever live documentary songwriting session on radio. She is earning her undergraduate degree at Warren-Wilson College. Chloe is interested in writing documentary songs with people who are deaf, children, and people who are processing grief.
Stephanie Judy
Stephanie Judy is a musician living in Kaslo, British Columbia-a village (pop. 900) in the mountainous southeast corner of the province. Her life-long engagement in performing arts and arts education favours the participatory and inclusive.
FULL BIOStephanie Judy is a musician living in Kaslo, British Columbia-a village (pop. 900) in the mountainous southeast corner of the province. Her life-long engagement in performing arts and arts education favours the participatory and inclusive. She believes in place-based communities and in the resourcefulness of ordinary people. Stephanie was a founding member of the Symphony of the Kootenays (Cranbrook, BC) and the Selkirk Chamber Orchestra (Nelson, BC). She also has a background in ballet and choreography, and is a traditional dance caller (square dance and contradance). She is the author of Making Music for the Joy of It (Tarcher, 1990), and serves on the Columbia Kootenay Cultural Alliance, a regional arts granting organization. Currently, Stephanie is a full-time Suzuki violin and viola teacher, and conducts teen and adult amateur string ensembles. She shares her life with her husband David-a bass-baritone and classical guitarist-and with two cats and a Border collie.
Phoebe King
Phoebe is a singer-songwriter and Ukulele player. She lives in Jamaica with her husband and teaches Ukulele to all ages-in person and online. She spends her time as a mermaid swimming in the ocean and performing in her mermaid tail. She aims to spread joy and inspire a passion for music and the ocean.
FULL BIOPhoebe is a singer-songwriter and Ukulele player. From the ages of 18-28 Phoebe sang on 5 different continents as a college student, experiential educator and sailing Captain. In March of 2020 she moved to Jamaica to live on her mom’s sailboat for three months. During that time Phoebe started “The Mermaid Ukulele” teaching Ukulele lessons online. Those three months in Jamaica turned into over 2 years. She now lives on land with her husband (who she met in JA) and continues to teach Ukulele to all ages-in person and online. She spends her time as a mermaid swimming in the ocean and performing in her mermaid tail. She aims to spread joy and inspire a passion for music and the ocean.
Lalia Mangione
One of 11 siblings, Lalia has been surrounded by chaos and competition her whole life. At a young age, Lalia turned to music as a way to find peace and order in between arm wrestling with her brothers (and winning) and trying to get a word in edgewise with her sisters (not winning). Although the chaos of a big family is joyful and fulfilling, she finds individuality and solace in music-a creative outlet full of beauty, order, and passion.
FULL BIOOne of 11 siblings, Lalia has been surrounded by chaos and competition her whole life. At a young age, Lalia turned to music as a way to find peace and order in between arm wrestling with her brothers (and winning) and trying to get a word in edgewise with her sisters (not winning). Although the chaos of a big family is joyful and fulfilling, she finds individuality and solace in music-a creative outlet full of beauty, order, and passion.
Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Lalia’s music making has taken her across the United States and as far away as Italy, Russia, and Lithuania. She has been concerto soloist with orchestras playing works by Lalo and Sibelius, and holds solo performance awards from the Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation and the Music Teachers National Association. As an orchestral musician, Lalia has been a member of the Winston-Salem Symphony, Greensboro Opera, Gate City Camerata, and the Greensboro Symphony Orchestra, amongst others.
Lalia has taught private lessons through music schools and her own private studio for over a decade. While in California Lalia was also the Strings Teacher for the Waldorf School of Santa Barbara and taught through the Santa Barbara Symphony’s education programs iCAN and BRAVO!.
Lalia attended summer festivals including Meadowmount, Credo Music, and the Eastern Music Festival, where she was awarded a fellowship, performed with the faculty orchestra under the baton of Maestro Gerry Schwarz, and played in a chamber ensemble with Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. Lalia holds a Master of Music in Violin Performance from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she studied under Marjorie Bagley and held a graduate assistantship as a member of the Graduate String Quartet. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Violin Performance from Westmont College in California.
Although music holds a key place in her heart, Lalia’s first joy is her faith in Jesus which is what ignited the desire to share her gift of music with others and drives her passion for life. Fueled by Jesus (and coffee), when she’s not making music you can find Lalia rock climbing at the gym, working a puzzle with a fuzzy blanket at home, or visiting her many family members across the country. She hopes that someday you’ll also be able to find her riding with a motorcycle gang and bungee jumping (she does have seven influential brothers after all). Lalia is excited to be ministering with her musical gifts here in Cleveland, and seeking God in all that she does. Lalia’s life mantra is from Psalm 94:18-19, which says, “I cried out, ‘I am slipping!’ But your unfailing love, O Lord, supported me. When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer.” (NLT)
Raphaël Meulemans
Raphaël is a Belgian cellist-he is an engaged musician and a passionate teacher. Raphaël performs mainly as a chamber musician and soloist. His musical experiences have led him to not only play classical music but also traditional folk and rock music.
FULL BIORaphaël is a Belgian cellist-he is an engaged musician and a passionate teacher.
Raphaël has studied with Martin Vink, Thomas’s Srahl, and most recently with Pieter Wispelwey in Germany.
Raphaël performs mainly as a chamber musician and soloist. His musical experiences have led him to not only play classical music but also traditional folk and rock music.
A dedicated animal-rights and environmental activist, Raphaël currently lives in an eco-village in Sweden where he uses music to build community and spark action.
Alex Millan
Alex Millan is a musician and educator based in Portland, Maine. As a songmaker, she performs & records under the moniker Juniper Ginger. Through Juniper Ginger, Alex weaves tales of intimacy, (dis)connection, navigating grief, and finding home.
FULL BIOAlex Millan is a musician and educator based in Portland, Maine. As a songmaker, she performs & records under the moniker Juniper Ginger. Through Juniper Ginger, Alex weaves tales of intimacy, (dis)connection, navigating grief, and finding home. When heard live, sparse accompaniment invites listeners to get lost in the poetry. Juniper Ginger’s latest album, Better Ever, was released in 2021.
Alex was a founding member of the folk group SnugHouse, and is busiest these days as a member of Dead Gowns. When not performing, you can find Alex teaching middle school, or puttering around her homestead with her partner and cat.
Melodi Var Öngel
Melodi is a humanitarian and musician. In 2019, she debuted her documentary songwriting project Songs Across Boundaries, and followed it with an acclaimed TEDx talk on her work on that project in Cyprus.
FULL BIOMelodi Var Öngel is a humanitarian and musician. In 2019, she gave an acclaimed TEDx talk on her documentary songwriting project in Cyprus: Songs Across Boundaries. She holds a B.A. from Bennington College and a Masters from the London School of Economics. Her goal is to use documentary songwriting as a way to increase communication and to construct alternative futures. She current resides in Geneva, Switzerland, and serves as in intern at the United Nations.
Keira Plotkin
Keira is a student at Oberlin College. She trained as Documentary Songwriting Teaching Artist in 2024.
FULL BIOKeira is a student at Oberlin College. She trained as Documentary Songwriting Teaching Artist in 2024.
Lisa Redfern
Lisa Redfern is a Maine-based singer and songwriter. For many years, she has taught songwriting with at-risk youth, and more recently made songs with African (and other international ESL students) seeking asylum here in Maine.
FULL BIOMaine based award-winning singer and songwriter Lisa Redfern has 11 solo recordings so far
(including original songs, jazz standards, hymns, lullabies and Christmas songs) and has opened for The Roches, Dave Mallett, Livingston Taylor, Cindy Kallet, and Pete Seeger. For 5 years she produced a “Songwriters in the Round” series. For many years, she has taught songwriting with at-risk youth, and more recently made songs with African (and other international ESL students) seeking asylum here in Maine. This fall Lisa wrote a talk called
“Ripple Effect: How Music in General and Songwriting in Particular Can Heal Us.” For more info: go to www.lisaredfern.com You can hear her music on most online streaming services, including Hymnstream.com
Genevieve Roby
A vocalist and songwriter, Genevieve attends Bennington College, where she studies the performing arts and creative writing. She is interested in the ways that music can be used as an means of human connection and understanding.
FULL BIOGenevieve Roby is a vocalist and documentary songwriter. From 2016 to 2018, she was a member of a band that covered songs to perform to the local community. In 2018 she and her bandmates, the group now titled RSB, produced a mini-album of original music called EPic. She attends Bennington College, where she studies the performing arts and creative writing. Genevieve is interested in the ways that music can be used as an inherent means of human connection and understanding.
Clara Schneid
Clara is a community organizer, songwriter, educator, avid biker, and DocSong Teaching Artist in Portland, OR. TA trained since 2021, her projects have spanned from middle school classrooms, to recording for the DocSong Band, to more recent collaborations with domestic violence survivors in Maine.
FULL BIOClara is a community organizer, songwriter, educator, avid biker, and DocSong Teaching Artist in Portland, Oregon. Her projects have spanned from middle school classrooms, to recording for the DocSong Band, to more recent collaborations with domestic violence survivors in Maine.
Matt Smith
Cellist Matthew Smith, is equally active as a performer and educator. In the U.S., he has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D. C. and was a musician-in-residence at the Boston Center for the Arts as a member of the musician-led chamber orchestra, Palaver Strings.
FULL BIOCellist Matthew Smith, is equally active as a performer and educator. In the U.S., he has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D. C. and was a musician-in-residence at the Boston Center for the Arts as a member of the musician-led chamber orchestra, Palaver Strings. In China he has given performances at the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing as well as a full recital and masterclass with his duo partner, Peipei Song at Tianjin Conservatory.
As an educator, he has served as a Teaching Assistant at The Boston Conservatory, and most recently as a Music Educator and Teaching Artist Fellow through the Massachusetts Cultural Council. He is currently a Co-Artistic Director and Managing Director of Education with Palaver Strings.
Matthew has had the pleasure of working with Colin Carr, Gautier Capuçon, and Bernard Greenhouse and has studied chamber music with members of the St. Lawrence String Quartet and Brentano String Quartet. He received a Master of Music degree from The Boston Conservatory at Berklee, where he studied with Andrew Mark, and a Bachelor of Music degree from Arizona State University, where he studied with Thomas Landschoot and graduated summa cum laude.
Rebecca Shasberger
Praised for the “maturity and sensitivity” of her playing (Casa Magazine), Cleveland-based cellist Rebecca Shasberger is passionate about loving people and pursuing justice through music. To this end she founded Renovare Music in 2018, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together Rebecca’s extensive experience as a performer, worship leader, and teacher.
FULL BIOPraised for the “maturity and sensitivity” of her playing (Casa Magazine), Cleveland-based cellist Rebecca Shasberger is passionate about loving people and pursuing justice through music. To this end she founded Renovare Music in 2018, a 501(c)3 nonprofit that brings together Rebecca’s extensive experience as a performer, worship leader, and teacher. Rebecca gained nonprofit experience working at the Ojai Music Festival and Credo Music prior to founding Renovare, and has received nonprofit leadership training from Praxis Academy and Mission Increase.
Rebecca has presented solo performances and concerti with orchestras from California to New York, in Canada, China, and across Europe. Her chamber music performances have taken her across the United States and Canada and have been broadcast by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Particularly memorable chamber music collaborators include James Ehnes, Jonathan Crow, Martin Beaver, Antonio Lysy, Keith and Kristyn Getty, and Fernando Ortega. In the orchestral realm she has appeared with the Akron Symphony, Canton Symphony, West Coast Symphony and Chamber Orchestras, the Lancaster Festival Orchestra, and as principal cellist with Cleveland’s Heights and Suburban Symphonies. Rebecca spent summers at festivals including Aspen, Banff, Credo, Toronto Summer Music, and the McGill International String Quartet Academy. While her formal training is in classical music, Rebecca also performs music from genres including jazz, pop, fiddle, and hip hop.
Rebecca previously served as the worship leader of Bethany Covenant Church, and has a lifetime of involvement in planning and leading worship in various schools and churches. She first planned a worship service in 8th grade, a role she reprised on a weekly basis in high school, and has been part of church choirs and/or bands since she was four.
In addition to teaching violin, viola and cello at the Grafton Correctional Institution through her work with Renovare, Rebecca maintains a private studio of cellists. She has previously taught at the Cleveland School of the Arts, Thrive Arts Center, the Aurora School of Music, and the Westmont Academy for Young Artists, amongst other programs and schools. Rebecca has also served as Visiting Instructor at the Oberlin Conservatory. In this role she taught undergraduate string students pedagogical approaches and introduced them to realities of the prison system, then led them in helping teach at the Grafton Correctional Institution.
Rebecca completed her Masters in Cello Performance and Suzuki Pedagogy at the Cleveland Institute of Music (CIM) in the studio of Sharon Robinson and her Bachelors in Music with a minor in Religious Studies at Westmont College. Additional cello teachers include Trevor Handy, John Sant’Ambrogio, and Dr. Nona Pyron. Rebecca also earned an Executive Graduate Certificate in Social Entrepreneurship, Cultural Agency, Community Development, Organization Management, Design Thinking & Education Leadership from the Ivy league-curated Global Leaders Program.
Rebecca loves exploring Cleveland, drinking tea, reading, hiking, and swing dancing, having recently had her TV lindy hop debut.
Ruby Spencer
Ruby is from Charlottesville, Virginia and is a student at Oberlin College. When not working on songs, they have a passion for writing short pieces of fiction and poetry
FULL BIORuby is from Charlottesville, Virginia and is a student at Oberlin College. When not working on songs, they have a passion for writing short pieces of fiction and poetry
Hannah Stone
Hannah is a cellist and multimedia artist. She’s currently pursuing a BM in cello at Oberlin Conservatory, with minors in TIMARA (technology in music and related arts), improvisation, dance, and musicology. She loves engaging with and creating relevant, accessible musical experiences through collaboration.
FULL BIOHannah Stone is a cellist and multimedia artist. She’s currently pursuing a BM in cello at Oberlin Conservatory, with minors in TIMARA (technology in music and related arts), improvisation, dance, and musicology. She loves engaging with and creating relevant, accessible musical experiences through collaboration.
Cecelia Swanson
Cecelia is a cellist dedicated to using her performing and teaching as a way to build stronger bonds in her community. She is currently pursuing post-graduate studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music, playing with the award-winning Elless String Quartet, and teaching at the Aurora School of Music.
FULL BIOCecelia Swanson is a 2021 graduate of the master’s in cello performance and Suzuki Pedagogy program at Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studies with Sharon Robinson. Cecelia received her B.M. in cello performance from Univ of Colorado, Boulder, under Judith Glyde. At CU Boulder, she helped form the Ethos String Quartet which played in venues in Boulder and Denver, Colorado. Notably, Ethos was invited to premiere Daniel Cox’s String Quartet No.1 at a pre-concert event for the Kronos Quartet. In her final year at CU Boulder, she worked with interim cello professor, Thomas Heinrich (Colorado Symphony).
In the fall of 2019, Cecelia formed the Elless Quartet with violinists Ju-Eun Lee and Megan Lin and violist Marcus Stevenson. In spring 2020, they were accepted into the Advanced String Quartet program and have since been coached by Si-Yan Lee, Philip Setzer, Todd Phillips, and Steve Rose, and participated in masterclasses with members of the Emerson, Orion String, Dover, and Miami Quartets. In March 2020, they took home the Grand Prize at the 7th Coltman Chamber Music Competition (Austin, TX) and were semifinalists in the 47th Fischoff Chamber Music Competition.
Cecelia loves tendng to her house plants, hanging out with her cat, Bert, and playing videogames.
Jenny Van West
Americana artist Jenny Van West is the founder of the IMC Portland which builds community with recent immigrants through music, and the International Open Mic at Mayo Street Arts. She also produces the twice-weekly national music podcast Postcards. She lives and works with her husband in Portland, Maine.
FULL BIO“As a singer she could easily succeed at any vocal style she pursued and would destroy (in a good way) the great American Songbook if she chose to.” (Charlie Ricci, Bloggerhythms) Portland, ME-based Americana artist, Jenny Van West’s critically-acclaimed April 2018 release Happiness To Burn, fuses folk, rock, swing, and country in this follow-up to her award-winning 2015 album, Something Real. Happiness to Burn spent three months on the EuroAmericana Chart, peaking at #7. She’s the founder of the IMC Portland which builds community with recent immigrants through music, and the International Open Mic at Mayo Street Arts. She also produces the twice-weekly national music podcast Postcards. She lives and works with her husband in Portland, Maine.
Jonny Westhorp
Jonny is an English guitarist and songwriter currently living and working in Belgium. He is interested in using music as a way of uniting and integrating marginalized members of society into the community.
FULL BIOJonny Westhorp is a guitarist and documentary songwriter from Manchester, England, living and working in Belgium. He holds popular and jazz music degrees from the University of Salford, UK, and the Royal Conservatory of Antwerp, Belgium. He is currently studying for his masters in Jazz guitar. Having trained in community music with Musicians Without Borders, Jonny is interested in using music as a way of uniting and integrating marginalised members of society into the community.
Celeste Wicks
Celeste is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from San Francisco, California, with roots in Portland, Maine. She studied Documentary Songwriting at Oberlin College.
FULL BIOCeleste is a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from San Francisco, California, with roots in Portland, Maine. She studied Documentary Songwriting at Oberlin College. She is an advocate for prison reform, housing-first policies, and medical debt forgiveness. She has studied the role of creativity and community in post traumatic growth, and is passionate about helping others grow and heal in creative collaboration.
Alex Wilder
Alex is a songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist from Maine, currently based in Nashville. In addition to freelance performance work, he has produced numerous collaborations with DocSong.
FULL BIOAlex Wilder is a songwriter, producer, audio engineer, and multi-instrumentalist from Maine, currently based in Nashville, TN. Alex writes and produces songs that use spoken stories as their basis with DocSong. He also performs freelance work. Alex’s work can be heard on recordings from Elsie Gawler, the Push Farther Project, Oshima Brothers, and others. He has recorded for Bay Chamber Concerts and Oberlin Conservatory. You can read more about Alex at alexwilder.com.
Nora Willauer
Nora is a passionate musician and educator, devoted to the relationship between music and community. She is the founder of “Songs of #MeToo” and served as the Executive Director of Documentary Songwriters from 2020-2022. Read more at her website: emwillauer.com
FULL BIONora Willauer is a passionate musician, devoted not only to her instrument, but also to the relationship between music and community. Her love for teaching has recently led her to pursue a doctoral degree program at the Cleveland Institute of Music with Dr. Melissa Kraut. Nora holds a Masters Degree in Cello Performance and Pedagogy, and a Professional Studies Certificate from CIM. She serves as cello faculty at the University of Akron and maintains a private cello studio. This past summer she taught at Interlochen Center for the Arts.
Nora can be found performing locally with the Cleveland Pops, as well as various chamber groups from CIM. She also tours nationally with “Love Finds Judy Garland,” a genre-bending trio featuring CIM faculty and alumni.
Nora believes that musicians have the power to change our world through projects that challenge and inspire audiences. This belief has guided her work over the past decade as a Teaching Artist Educator for Documentary Songwriters, an internationally recognized non-profit organization devoted to bearing witness through authentic songwriting based on spoken word stories. Nora currently runs Documentary Songwriting programming at Oberlin College and Conservatory, and contributes to on-going work writing and performing songs co-written with domestic violence survivors across the country.
As a teacher, Nora leans on her multidisciplinary background to create a well-rounded curriculum that gives her students a strong technical foundation, helps them develop convincing musical ideas, and also sets them up to excel in our rapidly changing world. Musicians today need to not only be excellent players-they need to be able to communicate effectively, market themselves, and create exciting new projects that will help shape the future of music.
Lena Yang
Lena (Huizhou) Yang is currently studying Musical Studies and Cognitive Science at Oberlin College and Conservatory, expected to graduate in May 2024. As a musician, she is dedicated to doing musicological and ethnomusicological research, playing the accordion, composing, and doing music administration.
FULL BIOLena (Huizhou) Yang is currently studying Musical Studies and Cognitive Science at Oberlin College and Conservatory, expected to graduate in May 2024. As a musician, she is dedicated to doing musicological and ethnomusicological research, playing the accordion, composing, and doing music administration. At Oberlin College and Conservatory, she was awarded as one of the Oberlin Undergraduate Research (OUR) Featured Researchers 2022-23 and has completed her humanity senior capstone project “What is the Most Effective and Creative Way To Revive Old-Time Music in the Twenty-first Century?”
As an accordionist, Lena has participated in diverse musical projects besides Documentary Songwriting. During the DocSong winter term project, Lena was an accordionist, accompanist who encouraged singers, storytellers to express their stories musically. She is also an active ensemble member in Oberlin Creative Music Lab and Silent Film Scores ensemble at Oberlin.
Besides research and performing experiences, Lena has also been active in music administration in both the US and her native Shanghai, China. She is currently having a remote internship at Symposium Production position at College Music Society, and she also facilitated in conference operation at the 66th National Conference of the College Music Society. Before coming to Oberlin, Lena had internships at Shanghai Concert Hall and Shanghai Classical FM 94.7, in which she assisted in editing and concert running.
DOCUMENTARY SONGWRITERS
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