Instructor List
Brian Widder: Owner and Piano Instructor
Brian Widder received a Bachelor of Arts in Music degree from
the UW-Platteville, and has a Master of Music degree in
Piano Performance and Pedagogy from the UW-Madison. He
has been teaching piano privately for over 20 years. He
is also an active performer in the Madison area for
weddings, receptions, dinner parties, & other special
events.
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Chris Allen: Guitar,
Banjo, Mandolin, and Ukulele Instructor
Chris Allen has been teaching students age five and
up since 1998. Chris received both a Master of Arts and
Bachelor of Arts degrees in classical guitar performance
from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (SUIC).
Chris was active in the SUIC Jazz Ensemble, and has been
performing in other ensembles with established musicians
in Southern Illinois. Chris is currently pursuing a
Doctorate in classical guitar performance with a minor
in jazz studies at the UW-Madison.
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Stacey Binder: Violin Instructor
Stacey Binder received the Master of Music degree
in violin performance from the UW-Madison, where she was
a student of Vartan Manoogian. In addition to teaching
private lessons for 14 years, Stacey was an Upper
Strings Sectional Coach and a chamber music coach for
the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestra (WYSO). She also
has served as a judge for WYSO and for WSMA's Solo and
Ensemble Festivals. Stacey has been a substitute
violinist for the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has
performed in productions by the Four Seasons
Theatre. Stacey has an interest in teaching the violin
to the visually impaired. Her article "Rewards and
Challenges of Teaching Blind String Students" was
published in the February 2002 issue of the American
String Teacher.
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Christopher Cramer: Guitar Instructor
Classical guitarist Christopher Cramer began his
music studies at the UW-Manitowoc, where he won a number
of awards including the UW-Manitowoc County Fine Arts
Award in the Area of Music. He went on to complete his
undergraduate training at the UW-Milwaukee and the
Wisconsin Conservatory of Music, where he won first
place in the annual WCM scholarship competition in
classical guitar. Continuing his studies at the
UW-Madison, Dr. Cramer earned both his masters and
doctorate degrees in music performance under the
direction of renowned guitarist Javier Calderon.
While at the UW-Madison, Dr. Cramer undertook an
intensive study of instrumental conducting with
respected conductor and pedagogue David E. Becker,
ultimately leading to a doctoral minor in the discipline
and the opportunity to work with the UW-Madison Symphony
Orchestra.
From college campuses to performing arts centers, Dr.
Cramer has performed in the United States, Canada, and
Taiwan. In addition to performing as a solo recitalist
and as a soloist with orchestra, Dr. Cramer is also an
active chamber musician collaborating with various
instrumentalists and singers. In the fall of 2008, Dr.
Cramer joined the faculty at Beloit College where he
teaches studio guitar lessons and directs the guitar
ensemble program. He also teaches guitar related courses
at the UW-Madison and the UW-Rock County. Former faculty
engagements have included Edgewood College and the
UW-Manitowoc.
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Steven Ethington:
Violin, Viola, Cello, String Bass, Electric Bass
Steven Ethington received his Bachelor of Music
Education in Instrumental and General Music from the UW
- Eau Claire in 2009 and is a certified teacher in the
state of Wisconsin. He has been teaching one-on-one and
group lessons in strings for over three years, and also
worked with multiple elementary, middle, and high school
music programs throughout Wisconsin. Steven is a string
specialist, and is certified in teaching many other
instruments as well. He brings a passion and enthusiasm
to each of his lessons by using humor, positive
reinforcement, and fostering a relationship of mutual
respect with each of his students.
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Melissa Gregory-Simon: Viola and
Violin Instructor
Melissa Gregory-Simon, the enthusiastic WYSO
viola sectional coach and chamber music coach, comes to
us from Chicago with over 20 years of teaching experience. She has a Bachelors from DePaul
University and a Masters degree from Roosevelt
University, both in Viola Performance. She studied
extensively with Li-Kuo Chang, assistant principal
violist of the Chicago Symphony. During her 10 years in
the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, she worked with many
notable conductors and artists including Daniel Barenboim, Sir Georg Solti, Luciano Pavarotti, and Gidon
Kramer. She occasionally
plays for the Madison Symphony and the Wisconsin Chamber
Orchestra. Melissa's teaching methods combine
Suzuki with traditional methods. She also has extensive experience working with
children with special needs.
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Timm Gould: Piano, Saxophone,
Flute, and Clarinet
Instructor
Timm Gould has over 36 years of teaching and performing
experience. Timm holds a Bachelor of Music Education
degree from the University of Northern Iowa, and a
Masters in Performance from the UW-Madison. Timm has
played second clarinet in the Wisconsin Chamber
Orchestra since 1986 and also plays in the Caravan Gypsy
Swing Ensemble. His experience with other musical forms
includes playing clarinet and saxophone with Yid Vicious
(Klezmer), the Reptile Palace Orchestra (world music),
and clarinet with The Music Fix (contemporary trio).
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Kriss Hamilton: Piano, Flute,
Saxophone, and Clarinet Instructor
Kriss Hamilton was born and raised in Wisconsin. She received
a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the UW-Eau
Claire and a Master of Music degree in Piano Performance
and Pedagogy from the Wichita
State University. She has taught private music lessons
in a wide variety of settings, including homes, music
stores, and schools.
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Jeff Larsen:
Guitar, Electric Guitar, Music Theory/Composition Instructor
Jeff Larsen has been performing with bands and doing
solo guitar concerts for over thirty years, and has been
teaching students for over twenty years. He plays most
styles of music, and specializes in jazz, progressive
rock, classical, and fingerstyle solo guitar. He has
released three CDs, including Spirits of St. Paul --
the score to a musical play he composed; Threads
-- a jazz-rock mixture of covers and originals; and
most recently, Jeff Larsen plays Emerson, Lake, and
Palmer -- solo fingerstyle arrangements of ELP's
best. He won a 2009 MAMA (Madison Area Music Award) for
Best Classical Piece of the Year, Suite for Two Guitars.
Having written over 100 pieces of music, he is able to
help guitarists become composers as well as players.
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Jennifer
Lloyd-Jones: Voice Instructor
Jenafer Lloyd-Jones, Soprano, holds a Bachelor of
Music in vocal performance from the University of
Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. She has taught
voice privately since 1993. She has enjoyed performing
in various places through out the U.S. Favorite roles
include: the Countess from Marriage of Figaro, Tatiana
in Eugene Onegin, and Butterfly in Madame Butterfly.
Since moving to Wisconsin in 2000, she no longer travels
extensively but still sings often in the Madison/Spring
Green area. Jenafer believes that everyone can sing and
one of her greatest joys is helping students discover
their own voice.
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Laura Mericle:
Violin Instructor
Laura Mericle holds a Master of Music degree in
violin performance from the University of Wisconsin,
where she studied with David Perry. Laura received her
Bachelor of Arts degree from Barnard College, where she
studied music and economics. While a student at Barnard
she studied violin at the Manhattan School of Music with
Peter Winograd. An active orchestral and chamber
musician, Laura has played with the Madison Symphony
Orchestra, the Dubuque Symphony Orchestra, the Columbia
University Bach Society, and several chamber ensembles. She is currently a chamber music and orchestra coach for
the Wisconsin Youth Symphony Orchestras and works
closely with violin pedagogue Bonnie Greene.
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J. Adam Shelton: Voice
Instructor
J. Adam Shelton, lyric tenor, has performed twice as
an apprentice with Des Moines Metro Opera where he
performed the role of “Elder Gleaton” in Susannah with
composer Carlisle Floyd in attendance. During his first
season, Mr. Shelton sang “Rinuccio” in Gianni Schicchi for
the one-act festival. He is a three time recipient of
the Ratcliffe award in the Southern Arizona Opera
Guild's "Quest for the Best" competition as well as the
grand prize winner of the Amelia Reiman Opera
Competition, and the second prize winner of the Battle
of the Tucson Tenors. Additionally, he has performed the
roles of The Magician in The Consul, “Ferrando” in Così
fan tutte, “Lyric Tenor” in Argento’s Postcard from
Morocco, the title role in Mascagni’s L’amico
Fritz, “Leicester” in Maria Stuarda, and “Nemorino” in
Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore. Audiences have also heard
Mr. Shelton perform the tenor solos in oratorio and
concert settings including: Handel’s Messiah,
Handel’s Esther, Britten’s St. Nicolas, and
Britten’s The Company of Heaven. He is also noted for
his recital appearances locally and nationally for
charities, fundraisers, and arts organizations.
Adam's students have gone on to receive high honors,
awards, and solos in regional all-state ensembles,
achieve leading roles in musicals and operas, as well as
pursue careers and degrees in music. He strives to meet
the desires and needs of each student on an individual
basis teaching across all genres of music by building a
strong, solid technical foundation in exercises and
applying them to the repertoire of choice in lessons.
A native of Knoxville, Tennessee, Adam completed his
master’s degree at the University of Arizona, and is
currently a dissertator at the University of Wisconsin
studying with Ms. Julia Faulkner as the Wisconsin
Distinguished Graduate Fellow in Voice 2009 - 2011.
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Joseph Spoelstra:
Guitar, Bass Guitar, and Ukulele Instructor
Joseph Spoelstra holds a Master of Music
in classical guitar performance from the University of
Southern California and a Bachelor of Music in classical
guitar performance from the University of Minnesota,
where he was awarded the John Chatterton Scholarship.
His primary teachers have been William Kanengiser
(founding member of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet),
Jeffrey Van, and Brian Head. Joseph has also had the
opportunity to study in classes and privately with
guitarists David Russell, Scott Tennant, Sharon Isbin,
Dusan Bogdanovic, and Pepe Romero.
Since returning to the Midwest in 2008, Joseph performs
regularly as a soloist in the region and can also be
heard in a variety of ensemble settings: performing in
the orchestra at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis;
with the Twin Cities based contemporary music group,
Renegade Ensemble; in chamber groups with vocalists and
instrumentalists; and accompanying choral groups.
As a teacher, Joe enjoys
working with students of all ages from the very young to
older adult students. He is beginning certification in
the Suzuki Method to better work with young students (4
years and up). His experience as a teacher and performer
in L.A. and Minneapolis have lead to a variety of
teaching opportunities in many styles of guitar:
classical, rock, jazz, and blues. An enthusiastic and
adaptable instructor, Joe wants to help everyone achieve
their musical goals and become a well-rounded musician
and music lover.
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Tracy Wundrock:
Guitar Instructor (Currently on Sabbatical)
Tracy Wundrock studied piano, guitar, voice, and
music theory under the direction of private music
instructors for 15 years collectively, and is
currently pursuing a Bachelor of Music degree in
guitar performance at UW-Madison. Tracy has taught
individual and group guitar and piano lessons for
several years, specializing in classical, folk, and
popular styles.
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