artistic staff
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COLE THOMASON-REDUS, Upper Division Director
cole@marinchorus.org A two-time GRAMMY Award Winning choral artist, Mr. Cole is a 5th-generation San Franciscan with twenty-four years of experience teaching music to young minds. He began singing at the age of seven in the San Francisco Boys Chorus and went on to serve as their Assistant Conductor, in addition to numerous other positions with organizations such as Chanticleer, Ragazzi Boys Chorus, San Francisco Arts Education Project and Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts. READ MORE
As a choral composer, his works have been enjoyed internationally, including performances by Cantus and the San Francisco Symphony Chorus. Additionally, Cole held a seven-year tenure as Curator of Classical Music at iTunes and APPLE MUSIC and was one of five classical musicologists employed by Pandora Media Inc. as part of the Music Genome Project. He is currently also on staff at the National Children’s Chorus and develops educational content and programming for the Department of Diversity, Equity and Community at San Francisco Opera. Check out Cole's website, including recordings of his compositions, here. |
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AMANDA HAHN, Lower Division Director & Summer Camp Director
amanda@marinchorus.org Amanda Hahn, Lower Division Director, has been teaching for the Marin Girls Chorus since 2011. She also has been having a blast directing our Summer Sings! music camp for the last 10 summers. A certified Orff-Schulwerk teacher of Music and Movement, Amanda has been teaching music through a variety of Bay Area school settings and youth choruses for 22 years, with her home base in the San Rafael City Schools most recently. In her classes, students joyfully participate in songs and games from around the world, exploring rhythm and movement. She looks for ways to reach every student through her thoughtful and playful style, enjoying their eagerness to explore music creatively and really do their best.
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A native of Wilmington, Delaware, she received a Bachelor of Music degree from Boston University and a Master of Music degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. Since completing her Orff teaching certification, Amanda has participated in intensive training courses with internationally renowned teachers to help round out her work, including Integrating the Arts, Orff for All Ages, and a Kodály conducting course at the Kodaly Center at Holy Names University. She freelances as a flutist and choral conductor, working with adult community choruses; one project culminated in conducting the International Space Orchestra Chorus at the Hollywood Bowl. She is also a devoted private teacher of her flute, piano, ukulele, and voice students.
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NICOLE SMITH, Lower Division Teacher
nicole@marinchorus.org Nicole Smith was born in Palo Alto, California and raised in San Mateo. She attended the Nueva School, where she began studying classical piano at age 5, earning a Menuhin Music Scholarship shortly thereafter. At age 9 she added flute to her music studies, and by the end of high school was participating in multiple choral ensembles, band, and a folk/rock style small group ensemble. By the time she was graduating high school, becoming a professional musician was high on her list of potential careers.
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While earning a double degree at Atlanta’s Emory University, Nicole played with several local musicians, concentrating on her guitar studies and playing local clubs. Upon graduation she returned to the San Francisco Bay Area and became active in the local music scene, playing many genres of music but eventually settling into playing and singing Salsa and Latin Jazz almost exclusively. Nicole remains an active professional musician. Nicole has completed several courses of study in Orff-Schulwerk through the AOSA National Conferences and also the San Francisco Orff Course. She has been teaching in the Ross Valley School District since 2011 and lives in Fairfax with her husband, son, and an assortment of animals. Nicole has taught our Tuesday Fresco and Giocoso classes in San Anselmo since Fall 2018. |
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Cathy Lenz, Lower Division Teacher
cathy@marinchorus.org Cathy Lenz has been teaching elementary school music in the San Rafael City School District for 20 years. In that capacity, she has led numerous choral performances and festivals. Cathy is a certified Orff Schulwerk teacher and uses a variety of engaging, child-friendly activities, including movement and games to get the best out of each of her students. She considers her first instrument her voice but also plays ukulele and banjo. Cathy has performed as a jazz and blues vocalist and has also participated in various adult choirs. She is currently a member of the Mayflower Chorus as well as the Marin Symphony Chorus.
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STAFF
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Laurel Roberts-Meese, Interim Director of Operations
laurel@marinchorus.org Laurel started singing with Marin Girls Chorus when she was 7 years old, and has been associated with the chorus on and off since then. Since she aged out of the program, she has served in multiple capacities, including Board President. She lives in Los Angeles and runs a private therapy practice. She currently sings with Vox Femina Los Angeles. |
Founder
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MARTHA WALL
Martha Wall, Founder of Marin Girls Chorus, has taught and directed music in Marin County since 1980. A native Californian, Ms. Wall received her Bachelor of Arts in Music from University of California at Berkeley, where she studied conducting with Michael Senturia. She received her Masters in Music Education from Holy Names College in Oakland, with emphasis on the Kodály approach to children's music education. Ms. Wall began studying piano at age seven and soon realized she wanted to become a music teacher. She gained her first experience toward that goal at age sixteen, teaching piano in private lessons and discovering how individual children learn.
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She holds a California Teaching Credential and has taught teaching elementary general music for over 25 years. She has worked with children's choirs for almost 30 years and has been a guest clinician and conductor of honor choirs around the State. Her unique teaching style includes techniques from the Kodály method, standard methodology, games and movement, humor and silliness, and materials that are carefully selected for age appropriateness and inherent quality. For over fifteen years Ms. Wall was Associate Director for Consort Chorale, a Marin County adult choral ensemble in which she also sings, and she was Director of Music for First Presbyterian Church, San Anselmo for seven years. She currently sings with the Marin Symphony Chorus. Her other field of expertise is handbells, for which she has been a conductor, workshop clinician, and solo bell ringer. She has two CD recordings with Sonos Handbell Ensemble of Berkeley, CA. Martha retired as MGC's Artistic Director in 2013 although she still loves teaching private piano lessons, and keeps her private studio filled with students. |
BOARD
board@marinchorus.org
board@marinchorus.org
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Sally Aaron, MGC Parent
Jane Chaplain, President, MGC Parent
Emma Cockerton, MGC Parent
Alice Cummings, MGC Parent
Mariana Magdeleno, MGC Parent
Steve Maxwell, MGC Parent
Nicole Schaefer, MGC Parent
Skye Thompson, Community Member
ADVISORY BOARD
Nancy Neu, MGC Grandparent
Amy Parsley, MGC Parent
Laurel Roberts-Meese, MGC Alumna
Martha Wall, MGC Founder
Nancy Neu, MGC Grandparent
Amy Parsley, MGC Parent
Laurel Roberts-Meese, MGC Alumna
Martha Wall, MGC Founder