Music Faculty and Staff
Music Therapy
Emily Yoder Frantz, MMT, MT-BC
Director of Music Therapy; Bassoon, Oboe
frantze@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- M.M.T., Music Therapy, Temple University
- B.M., Music Therapy and Oboe Performance, Temple University
- Board-Certified Music Therapist, the Certification Board for Music Therapists
Professional Experience
Mrs. Frantz was named the Interim Director of the Music Therapy program in July 2021, though she joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College as a clinical supervisor in 1999. She began teaching music therapy courses in 2011, and became Oboe Instructor in 2016. At Temple University she studied music therapy under the direction of Dr. Ken Bruscia and Dr. Cheryl Dileo. Mrs. Frantz studied oboe locally with Sherie Strohman, followed by instruction from Philadelphia Orchestra members Jonathan Blumenfeld and Peter Smith. Currently, Mrs. Frantz maintains a small music therapy practice serving a variety of clients, including typical and adaptive music instruction. She also enjoys working with double-reed students at Elizabethtown College Music Camp. From 1996 - 2006 she worked as a music therapist, clinical supervisor, and internship supervisor at Bethany Children’s Home for adolescents with trauma and delinquency issues.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Using music for supervision, self-awareness, self-care, and performance anxiety
- Music and imagery, music relaxation, and breathing techniques
- Oboe Reed-making
Mrs. Frantz has delivered presentations for the American Music Therapy Association, and the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association on use of music with troubled youth, supervision, self-care, self-awareness, and music and imagery. From 2000 - 2006 Mrs. Frantz served her country as a member of the Air National Guard Band of the Mid-Atlantic and is currently a featured member of the Perseverance Band of Lebanon. She was a featured soloist with this two groups as well as the Lebanon Valley College Honors Band. Mrs. Frantz works as a free-lance oboist throughout Berks, Lebanon, and Lancaster counties.
Service
Mrs. Frantz has served the Mid-Atlantic Region of the American Music Therapy Association as Secretary, Assembly Delegate, Newsletter Editor, Registration Chair, and as a local co-host of the Regional Conference held in Harrisburg, PA in 2016. She has served on Regional and National committees in service to the AMTA.
Elizabeth Ghiorzi M.A., MT-BC
kohlere@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- M.A., Music Therapy, Immaculata University
- B.S., Music Therapy, Elizabethtown College
Professional Experience
Elizabeth Ghiorzi grew up in York, PA and participated in band, choir and orchestra throughout high school. She attended college in Elizabethtown, PA receiving her undergraduate degree in Music Therapy in 2001. She worked as a Music Therapist for Living Unlimited in Harrisburg, PA, leading a weekly Vocational Rehabilitation Program and serving individual clients. While working at Living Unlimited she completed a graduate degree in Music Therapy from Immaculata University in 2007. Since that time, she has been working as an independent contractor for Tempo Music Therapy Services in West Chester, PA and has been supervising students as a Clinical Supervisor for Elizabethtown College.
Ann L. Dinsmore, MRcPk, MT-BC
dinsmorea@etown.edu
Credentials & Certifications
- Master of Recreation and Parks (Therapeutic Recreation option), Pennsylvania State University, 1993
- B.S., Music Therapy, Elizabethtown College
- Board Certified Music Therapist since 1985
Professional Experience
After 18 years as a combination music therapist/recreation services director in long term care, Ann created a Music Therapy program at Masonic Village in 1999; a program which currently serves 500 continuing care residents. She now supervises four MT-BCs, affiliate interns, and clinical and masters equivalency students from Elizabethtown College and several other universities. As an adjunct professor, she has taught several music therapy courses since 2000; and she has supervised Elizabethtown College clinical students since 1983.
Professional Activities and Interests
Ann has given presentations at the Mid-Atlantic Region and National Conferences of the American Music Therapy Association, presentations at the Pennsylvania Therapeutic Recreation Institute, Pennsylvania Recreation and Park Society, Pennsylvania Adult Day Services Association, and the Maryland Activity Directors Association. She also performs regularly as a violinist, pianist, and vocalist.
Clinical Supervisors
- Ann Dinsmore, MrcPK, MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) – Masonic Village, Elizabethtown
- Tina Myers, MMT, MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) – Penn State Hershey Medical Center, Hershey
- Beth Ghiorzi, MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) – Private Practice, Philadelphia Area
- Elizabeth Eargle, MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) - Masonic Village, Elizabethtown
- Kim Glass, MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) - Masonic Village, Elizabethtown
- Kathy Keener Shantz, M.A., MT-BC (Adjunct supervisor) - Masonic Village, Elizabethtown
Music Education
Kevin Shorner-Johnson
Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities; Professor of Music; Director of Music Education
shornerk@etown.edu | 717-361-1532
Credentials & Certifications
- Ed.D., Music Education, University of Georgia
- Educational Leadership Endorsement, University of Georgia
- M.M., Music Education, University of Georgia
- B.A., Music Education, Northwest Missouri State University
Professional Experience
Dr. Shorner-Johnson joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2010. He teaches world musics, survey of music education, music teaching and learning, general music methods, aural skills, fundamentals of the keyboard, and supervises field experiences and student teaching. Prior to his time at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Shorner-Johnson taught high school, middle school, and elementary band in Greenfield, Iowa and Athens, Georgia.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Music Education Philosophy
- Justice, Spirituality, and Peacebuilding
- Curricular Structures
- Qualitative and Action Research
Dr. Shorner-Johnson’s research has focused on the intersection of justice, spirituality, peacebuilding, and curricular structures. He has published articles in the Music Educators Journal, International Journal of Music Education, Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Journal, EDUCAUSE, and Advances in Music Education Research. He is well-known among students for his passion for philosophy and examining deeply-rooted questions of ethics and curricular design.
Service
Dr. Shorner-Johnson is a member of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, National Association for Music Education, and the American Organization of Kodály Educators. He has facilitated workshops in educational leadership and world music drumming to schools in Maryland and Georgia. At Elizabethtown College, he served as an active member on the board of the Center for Global Understanding and Peacebuilding. Dr. Shorner-Johnson resides in Elizabethtown with his wife Amy (assistant chaplain at Elizabethtown College), daughter Leah, and son Joel.
Robert Spence, D.M.A.
Associate Professor
spencejr@etown.edu | 717-361-1178
Credentials & Certifications
- D.M.A., Wind Band Conducting, Michigan State University
- M.M., Trombone Performance, Syracuse University
- B.M., Music Education, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Professional Experience
Dr. Spence joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2007. He directs instrumental ensembles (symphonic band, college-community orchestra, chamber ensembles) and teaches conducting, brass methods, woodwind methods, percussion methods, composition and arranging, first year seminar, and instrumental methods. Prior to his time at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Spence’s teaching career includes experience in the Pennsylvania public schools as instrumental music instructor for the Westmont Hilltop and Oley Valley districts, plus college and university level teaching experience in New York, Michigan, Texas, Iowa and Pennsylvania.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Conducting Pedagogy
- Trombone Performance
- Guest Conducting / Clinics
Dr. Spence has prepared trombone recitals on the Elizabethtown campus featuring the music of Hindemith, Rimsky-Korsakov, Olson, Serocki, David, and Marcello. He has a strong interest in pedagogy and supporting the growth and development of future teachers. Dr. Spence is a frequent clinician, guest conductor, and adjudicator. He has guest directed numerous high school and middle school level honor bands and orchestras on county, district, and regional levels.
Service
Dr. Spence is a member of the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association, Maryland Music Educators Association, College Band Directors National Association and College Orchestra Directors Association. He served as host director for the 2015 Pennsylvania Music Educators Association All-State Wind Ensemble and the 2016 Pennsylvania Intercollegiate Band Festival. He serves as president of the Pennsylvania Collegiate BandMasters Association for the 2016-17 academic year.
Lisa Sempsey
Adjunct Professor
sempseyl@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- M.Ed., Leadership for Teaching and Learning, Millersville University
- World Music Drumming, Level 1, Elizabethtown College
- Orff-Schulwerk, Levels 1-3, plus supplemental courses, University of the Arts, George Mason University
- Kodaly, Levels 1-3, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, New England Conservatory of Music/Kodaly Music Institute
- B.S.E., Music Education, Millersville University
Professional Experience
Mrs. Sempsey is a veteran educator of 19 years and has taught kindergarten through sixth grade general music, elementary choruses, as well as elementary and middle school strings in Lower Dauphin and Conestoga Valley School Districts, as well as been the Artistic Director and Prelude Choir Director for the Children’s Choir of Lancaster from 2005-2012. Currently, she teaches kindergarten through sixth grade general music, chorus, and Orff, Drum & Strum Ensemble in Columbia Borough School District. She also serves as the K-12 Art & Music Curriculum Coordinator for the district.
Mrs. Sempsey joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2020 and will teach in the undergraduate music education “General Music Methods” course and the graduate courses: “Curriculum, Assessment and Measurement” and “Blending Methodologies.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- General/Classroom Music and Pedagogy
- Upper String Pedagogy
- Orchestral Music
- Choral Music
- Curriculum and Instruction
Mrs. Sempsey is a clinician, workshop presenter, and public school educator who loves to share and collaborate with her colleagues. She has presented workshops at the local, regional, and national levels across Pennsylvania and in Texas with sessions covering topics including classroom management, choral reading sessions, technology in the music classroom, movement and music curricular connections, Kodály Pedagogy in the modern elementary music class, curriculum development, lesson planning, and Orff-Schulwerk inspired elements in K-6 music classes. She is also a freelance violist who enjoys playing in contemporary orchestral settings.
Service
Mrs. Sempsey is the Elementary Representative on the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association District 7 board as well as a member of the Board of Directors for the American Center for Elemental Music and Movement where she serves as Co-Chair for the Communications Committee and Chair of the Professional Development Committee.
Colleen Haas
Adjunct Professor
haasc@etown.edu | 812-391-4068
Credentials & Certifications
- Ph.D., Ethnomusicology w/ African Studies minor from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN
- M.A., Ethnomusicology from Indiana University Bloomington, IN
- Orff-Schulwerk, Level 1, University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, MN
- Music Performance studies in Concert Percussion - received outstanding student in percussion studio. Department of Music, Winona State University, Winona, Minnesota.
- Applied World Music Studies – Percussion- West African and Afro-Brazilian Specialization, various research trips, programs and teachers including: Sowah Mensah; Bernard Woma; José Ricardo de Souza, Music Director for Balé Folclórica da Bahia; and Neguinho do Samba world renown performer, collaborator
- B.A., Fine Art and Education, St. Catherine University, St. Paul, MN
Professional Experience
Dr. Colleen Haas is an ethnomusicologist, as well as a seasoned performer, accompanist and educator in World Percussion and related areas of expressive culture (poetry, dance, and masking arts) from Africa and the African diaspora.
Previous to her graduate work she ran an active teaching studio in percussion in St. Paul, Minnesota, provided studio recording work and freelanced as a composer for modern dance in Minneapolis. Haas founded two all women percussion ensembles specializing in Afro-Brazilian carnival music: Women’s DrumHeart (Director 1990 – 2000, now under new leadership) and Women of Mass Percussion (Director, 2002-2018). In addition, Colleen taught Elementary and Middle School General Music in private and public schools, as well as Montessori environments.
Since 2011 Colleen has been teaching full time in the African and African American Studies Program at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. Course she teaches at ISU include: “African Cultural Traditions,” “The African Diaspora,” “Music in Africa,” “Intro to African Art,” and “Topics in African Art: African Masks”.
Dr. Haas joined the faculty of Elizabethtown College in 2021 where she teaches the undergraduate course, “MU 205 World Music” and graduate courses in the Music Education and Peacebuilding program specifically: “Music of the African Diasporas” and “Form And Analysis of Diverse Musics”.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Afro-Brazilian carnival music and 20th-century social movements
- African and Afro-Brazilian music pedagogy
- The expressive arts and human development
Colleen’s research has focused on Afro-Brazilian religious, folk and carnival music; theoretical frameworks in diaspora scholarship and communities of practice, and the role of creativity in human development.
In addition to collegiate teaching, Haas works as a consultant and artist-in-residence for university percussion programs, provides workshops in World percussion for schools and community centers, and provides percussion performance assistance through studio recording and accompanying services for choral groups in the Bloomington community.
Dr. Haas remains active as a presenter both Nationally and Internationally. Recent presentations of note are:
- CONNECTING ‘LITTLE TUNES’ INTO LIVE DIALOGUES: THE ARTISTRY OF TRADITIONAL DRUM ENSEMBLES FROM GHANA, Colloquium Speaker Series, African Studies Program in the Hamilton Lugar School of International Studies, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana
- Guest Lecturer on “The Role of Percussion in Accompanying Choral Music Performances,” for the course Composition Techniques in African Music at Karbarak University (Nakuru, Kenya) Department of Music and Dance. Instructor: Dr. Wilson Shitandi.
- Guest Lecturer on “Samba-reggae Music and Afro-Brazilian Youth: a case study in personal, cultural and social renewal in Brazil,” for the course Artistic Peacebuilding at Elizabethtown College, Elizabethtown, PA. Instructors: Dr. Vanessa Borilot and Prof. Naomi Kraenbring.
- ESTANDARTE! BRAZILIAN M.A.RACATU AND CARNIVAL BANNERS, Public lecture on Afro-Brazilian Culture and Carnival Customs, sponsored by the Lotus Education and Art Foundation at the Mather’s Museum of Culture, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana.
Service
Chair of the Assessment for African and African American Studies, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, Indiana
Active Member of the World Percussion Committee and the Pedagogy sub-group for the Percussive Arts Society while currently serving as the managing editor for The Compendium of Global Arts Organizations
Master Clinician for the Smithsonian Folkways World Music Pedagogy Certification (Summer Graduate Program), Indiana University - Bloomington
Exhibit consultant for THE RHYTHM DISCOVERY CENTER, Instrument Museum of the Percussive Arts Society, Indianapolis, Indiana
Hayden Denesha
Credentials & Certifications
- D.M.A. University of South Carolina
- G.P.D. Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University
- M.M. State University of New York at Fredonia
- B.M. State University of New York at Fredonia
Professional Experience
A native of Buffalo, New York, Hayden Denesha is a passionate conductor known for his intensity and his dedication to the education of audiences and young musicians. In addition to teaching at Elizabethtown College, he presently serves as Associate Conductor of the Loudoun Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the Loudoun Symphony Youth Orchestras. Under his tenure with the Loudoun Symphony, the Youth Orchestra program has grown to now serve over 200 students in Northern Virginia becoming a premiere program in the state. Hayden most recently served as Assistant Conductor for the Peabody Youth Orchestra and worked as an Assistant Conductor and Youth Orchestra Conductor for the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra.
As an advocate for contemporary programming, Hayden has premiered numerous commissions and has been relied upon for his expertise in multimedia collaboration. He recently worked on the U.S. premiere of Du Yun’s Where We Lost Our Shadows at the Kennedy Center and served as an Assistant Conductor for a Baltimore city-wide production of Leonard Bernstein’s Mass under the baton of Marin Alsop. He is also one of the few conductors in the world trained in accompanying silent films with live orchestra. In 2018 he was invited to Indiana University to present the original score of Phantom of the Opera (1925) with renowned organ soloist Dennis James.
Hayden holds conducting degrees from the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, the University of South Carolina, and the State University of New York at Fredonia. He has also trained and performed at music festivals such as the Eastern Music Festival, Pierre Monteux School, Miami Summer Music Festival, and the PRISM.A. Festival in Western Canada. His principal teachers have included Marin Alsop, Joseph Young, Scott Weiss and David Rudge. Hayden is equally at home as a performer on viola having earned his undergraduate degree in Viola Performance & Music Education. He has held viola section positions with the South Carolina Philharmonic, Aiken Symphony Orchestra, and the Carolina Ballet. He presently resides in Baltimore, MD with his wife Mary Kate and is an avid Buffalo Bills fan.
Erin Price-Hamilton
Adjunct Instructor of Music Education and Trauma Studies
Erin Price-Hamilton, DM.A., is a trauma researcher, music educator, and equity advocate based in the greater Harrisburg, PA area. Dr. Price-Hamilton serves the field of trauma and music education in various capacities, including Adjunct Professor positions at Elizabethtown College and West Chester University of Pennsylvania and elementary general music and video production roles at Commonwealth Charter Academy. Dr. Price-Hamilton holds a BM in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania and MM and DM.A. Music Education degrees from Boston University.
A champion for access in music education, Dr. Price-Hamilton engages with underserved populations in alternative education settings, specializing in music instruction for schools affiliated with residential psychiatric treatment facilities. In the field of edutainment, Dr. Price-Hamilton serves as a subject matter expert on trauma-informed media and a producer on conscious media art projects. She writes frequently for national peer-reviewed publications and edited works, most recently contributing to the Oxford Handbook of Care in Music Education (Oxford). Dr. Price-Hamilton frequently presents her research on trauma-informed pedagogies and the intersections of trauma and emotional/behavioral disorders at national and international conferences, university lectures, and professional development seminars.
In her free time, Dr. Price-Hamilton volunteers in her community with special interests in child advocacy, trauma response, women’s health, and elder support. She is often seen with her shadow, a three-year-old Bernese mountain dog named River, who is an ATD Volunteer Therapy Dog.
Mark Yingling
Adjunct Instructor
Band and Orchestra Music
Choral Music
Matthew P. Fritz, D.M.A.
Professor of Music
fritzm@etown.edu | 717-361-1112
Credentials & Certifications
- D.M.A., Choral Conducting, The Conservatory of Music, University of Missouri–Kansas City
- M.M., Choral Conducting, Florida State University
- B.M., Music Education, Westminster Choir College
Professional Experience
Dr. Fritz joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2001. He directs choral activities (concert choir, community chorus) and teaches coursework in conducting, choral methods, applied voice, and music technology. He also serves as advisor to the College's student chapter of the Pennsylvannia Collegiate Music Educators Association. Prior to his time at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Fritz taught public school choral music in New Jersey and Florida.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Conducting Pedagogy
- Music Technology
- Database Systems
- Group Vocal Technique
- International Cultural Exchanges
Dr. Fritz has delivered presentations for the Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities, The International Society for the Study of European Ideas, the Florida Music Educator's Association and the American Choral Director's Association on topics of historical interest, group vocal develpment, conducting, and the use of technology in choral music. He is also Director of Traditional Worship Music at Lancaster Church of the Brethren in Lancaster, PA where he directs the adult Chancel Choir, the Carillon Bell Choir, and oversees music for the traditional worship services.
Service
Dr. Fritz has served on nearly every faculty council and committee at Elizabethtown College including serving as chair for the Judicial Council and the Resources and Strategic Planning Committee. In addition, he is a former state president of the Pennsylvania American Choral Directors Association. Blending professional activities and service, he has been an active clinician, adjudicator, conductor and performer having conducted high school, junior high and elementary honor choirs and all-state choruses in Alaska, North Dakota, Missouri, Kansas, Maryland and Pennsylvania. Dr. Fritz organizes international and national trips for the Elizabethtown College Concert Choir and Jazz Band. Groups under his direction have performed in Brazil, Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Wales.
Brass
Leon Hillard
Adjunct Instructor of Trumpet
hillardl@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- B.M., Music Education, Elizabethtown College
- M.M., Music Education, West Chester University
Professional Experience
Mr. Hillard teaches trumpet at Elizabethtown College. Prior to his time at Elizabethtown, Mr. Hillard taught music in public schools in Central Pennsylvania. Mr. Hillard is currently the assistant conductor, personnel manager, principal trumpet, and soloist of the New Holland Band. He is also a member of the Dave Stahl Sacred Orchestra.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Big Band Jazz
- Trumpet Performance
- Trumpet Pedagogy
Mr. Hillard was an associate music instructor for the All American Youth Honors Band in the 1980's with performances throughout Europe, Hawaii, and Mexico. He has performed in show bands up and down the east coast. Bands have included Custers Last Band(CLB), the Del-Chords, the Magnificent Men, the Dave Stahl Sacred Orchestra, the New Holland Swing Band, and the New Holland Combo Band.
Grant W. Moore, II
Adjunct Professor of Music, Jazz Band Director, Director of the Preparatory Division & Low Brass
mooreg@etown.edu | 717-361-1114
Credentials & Certifications
- B.A., Music, Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Professional Experience
Mr. Moore teaches low brass, brass ensemble, jazz band, and directs the Preparatory Division (community music) and summer music camp at Elizabethtown College. As a freelance musician, tuba soloist and chamber musician; Grant Moore founded the highly acclaimed Philadelphia Brass. With this group, he has performed throughout the United States and Europe. Grant is the former principal tuba player of both the Harrisburg and Lancaster Symphonies. He has also served as the principal tuba of the famed River City Brass Band in Pittsburgh, PA.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Low Brass Pedagogy
- Jazz Ensemble
- Brass Ensemble
In demand as a recitalist, soloist and clinician, Mr. Moore has traveled throughout the country performing and lecturing at many of the nation’s leading music universities, conservatories and music conferences. Such appearances include, but are not limited to, the Juilliard School of Music, Penn State University, Lehigh University of Pennsylvania, St. Olaf College of Minnesota, The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association Conventions and the Kinhaven Summer Music Festival of Weston, Vermont.
Cheryl Staherski
Adjunct Professor of Horn
717-361-1178
Credentials & Certifications
- B.M., Music Education, Millersville University
Professional Experience
Ms. Staherski teaches horn at Elizabethtown College and Millersville University. Her prior teachers include performers in the Baltimore and Philadelphia Orchestras. She studies with Mary Bisson at the Peabody Conservatory of Music.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Orchestral Performance
- Chamber Music
- Pit Orchestras
- Brass Quintets
Ms. Staherski performed with the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra for over 34 years. For 30 of those years, Ms.Staherski was the principal horn with the orchestra. Mrs. Staherski has also performed with the Delaware Symphony, Reading Symphony, Lancaster Pops Orchestra, and Susquehanna Brass Quintet. She currently performs with the York Symphony Orchestra and is in her 28th year with the Fulton Theatre pit orchestra.
Music History
E. Douglas Bomberger, Ph.D.
Professor of Musicology
bombergere@etown.edu | 717-361-1115
Credentials & Certifications
- Ph.D., Historical Musicology, University of Maryland
- DAAD Stipendiat, University of Mainz, Germany
- M.M., Piano Performance, University of North Carolina
- B.A., Music and French, Goshen College
Professional Experience
Dr. Bomberger joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2005. He teaches music history courses, a seminar in musicology, repertoire class, and applied piano. In repertoire class, Dr. Bomberger mentors students on professional presence, performance practice, and music literature. His music history classes connect music of all eras and genres with the persons who created them and perform them today.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- 19th-Century American Music
- Piano literature
- Transatlantic musical connections
Dr. Bomberger has published seven books and over 100 articles on subjects as diverse as the medieval origins of the keyboard mechanism and the ragtime-inspired compositions of Stravinsky and Hindemith. His most recent book is The Cambridge Companion to Amy Beach (Cambridge University Press, 2023), which was completed with the help of a SCARP grant in Summer 2022. He served as senior editor for nineteenth-century concert music for the New Grove Dictionary of American Music (2013), editing 450 articles and writing 40. He was the recipient of Elizabethtown College’s Ranck Prize for Research Excellence in 2018–2019.
Service
Dr. Bomberger serves as President of the Society for American Music and is an active member of the American Musicological Society and the College Music Society. On campus, he has served as the president of Faculty Assembly, Chair of the Division of Fine and Performing Arts, and Music Program Chair. In addition to his scholarly activities, he performs regularly with his wife, soprano Teresa Bomberger.
Piano
Justin Badgerow
Professor of Music
badgerowj@etown.edu | 717-361-3668 | Website
Credentials & Certifications
- DM.A., University of Colorado at Boulder
- M.M., University of Texas at Austin
- BM, Music, University of Central Florida
Professional Experience
Dr. Badgerow joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2010. He teaches coursework in aural skills, keyboard class, and applied piano. In addition, he serves as a collaborative pianist, providing support for students and faculty in recitals and performances.
Dr. Badgerow has performed nationally in thirteen states. He has performed internationally in Mexico, South Africa, Ireland, and Brazil. Dr. Badgerow has performed solo concerto performances with the Imperial Symphony and Kennett Symphony. He has worked in collaborative performance with such artists as Patrick Mason, James Bunte, and Eddie Daniels. His primary teachers include Gary Wolf, Nancy Garrett, and Andrew Cooperstock. He has had additional collaborative coaching with Anne Epperson and Robert Spillman.
Justin released his debut solo album, Reminiscences of Brazil, in 2020. The album can be purchased on a variety of online retailers and at Divine Art Records. A collaborative album with music for combinations of voice, saxophone, and piano will be released with Centaur Records in 2022. For more information, visit www.justinbadgerowpiano.com
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Musical theatre and opera
- Brazilian piano music
- “Indianist” music of America
- Improvisation, jazz, and commercial music
Dr. Badgerow has been a performer and presenter at meetings of Music Teachers National Association, Texas Music Teachers Association, National Conference for Keyboard Pedagogy, and the College Music Society.
Service
Dr. Badgerow serves in various roles within the Music Teachers National Association, including as the Secretary on the Executive Board of Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association, an adjudicator for local and state competitions, as well as a conference committee member at the state level. Dr. Badgerow serves as advisor to Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Society on campus and has served on the board of Gretna Music, a non-profit performing arts organization in Central Pennsylvania.
Cheryl Faul Braun
Adjunct Professor of Piano
brauncf@etown.edu | 717-361-1120
Credentials & Certifications
- M.M. Piano Accompanying, University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
- B.S. Music Education, Piano, Gettysburg College
- Graduate studies in piano, pedagogy, and accompanying, Westminster Choir College
- Suzuki piano certification (SAA, Carole Bigler and Haruko Kataoka)
- MTNA Nationally Certified Teacher of Piano (NCTM)
Professional Activities
A piano instructor since 1982, Ms. Braun currently teaches piano at Elizabethtown College, Lancaster Country Day School and her home studio. She is the recipient of the 2010 Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association's Teacher of the Year Award, the LLMEA 2015 Independent Music Teacher Award, and a 2016 Steinway Top Teacher Award. At Elizabethtown College Ms. Braun teaches piano, class piano, and piano pedagogy, and collaborates in recital with students and faculty. She has special interest in collaborative piano and mentoring the developing piano teacher.
Service
Ms. Braun is active in the local, state, and national affiliates of the Music Teachers National Association, having served as President of Lancaster Music Teachers Association, as High School and Collegiate Competitions Chairs for Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association, and on the national advisory committee for the MTNA Independent Music Teachers' Forum. She has served on the founding board of Mennonite Children's Choir of Lancaster and the boards of Harrisburg Opera and Lancaster Musical Art Society. She has special interest in collaborative piano and mentoring the developing piano teacher.
Percussion
Brent Behrenshausen
Adjunct Instructor of Percussion
behrenshausenb@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- Master’s in Percussion Performance, Duquesne University, 2011
- B.M. in Music Education, West Chester University, 2008
Professional Experience
Brent Behrenshausen is a percussionist and educator residing in Reading, Pennsylvania. At Elizabethtown College, he teaches applied percussion, percussion for music therapy, and percussion ensemble. He is currently the drumline instructor and arranger for the Shippensburg University Drumline, and was instructor/arranger for the Wilson High School Marching Band/Indoor Drumline from 2011-2017. Mr. Behrenshausen often works as a consultant for Windish Music and Productions, through which he has been director and arranger for Hershey Park's two-time internationally award-winning (IAAPA Brass Ring Awards) drumming group, "Cocoa Rhythm Factory." In addition, his percussion arrangements can be heard at Amusement Parks such as Canobie Lake Park and Quassy Amusement Park. He is the director of the West Chester University High School Honors Percussion Ensemble: the Philadelphia region's only university-affiliated high school percussion ensemble. Mr. Behrenshausen has studied with Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra percussionists Andy Reamer (Principal Percussion) and Chris Allen (Section Percussion/Assistant Principal Timpani)
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Percussion Performance
- Drumline ensembles
- Percussion arranging
- Recording
Mr. Behrenshausen has performed with a variety of organizations and artists during his professional career including: Reading Symphony Orchestra, Bay Atlantic Symphony, The Pennsylvania Ballet, The Philadelphia Brass, Kennett Symphony, Northeastern PA Philharmonic (Scranton, PA), Lancaster Symphony, Westminster Brass, Symphony In 'C' (formerly the Haddenfield Symphony), Vox Ama Deus Orchestra (Phila. PA), Allentown Symphony Orchestra, Lehigh Choral Arts, Shippensburg Festival Orchestra, Hershey Park Entertainment and Resorts, The Celtic Woman Singers, Celtic Thunder, and Clay Aiken.
In 2008 Mr. Behrenshausen recorded percussion tracks for Def Jam Records' platinum-selling Hip-Hop artist LL Cool J for the Rapper's 2008 release, Exit 13, and has recorded percussion tracks for NFL Films' television series "Game of the Week. Mr. Behrenshausen is an endorser of Vic Firth Sticks and Mallets.
Strings
Devin Howell
Adjunct Instructor of String Bass
Devin Howell graduated with honors in performance from the New England Conservatory of Music (2000) where he studied with Don Palma of the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. He received his master’s degree from Carnegie Mellon University (2003) where he studied with Jeffrey Turner of the Pittsburgh Symphony. He currently performs as principal bassist of the Harrisburg Symphony, Lake Placid Sinfonietta, and as assistant principal bassist for the Allentown Symphony, Reading Symphony, Gettysburg Chamber Orchestra and as a section member of the York Symphony Orchestra. He has performed in various chamber ensembles throughout the region collaborating with musicians such as Stuart Malina, The Mendelssohn Trio and composer Jeremy Gill. Mr. Howell has appeared as a soloist with ensembles including the Lake Placid Sinfonietta and Harrisburg Symphony. He is currently instructor of double bass at Elizabethtown College and has taught students at Mount St. Mary’s University, Franklin & Marshall, and Gettysburg Colleges. He also teaches privately from his home in Harrisburg, PA.
In the past, Mr. Howell has performed as principal bassist of the Lancaster Symphony, as a section member of the Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony, Bach Sinfonia, Boston Philharmonic, Gardner Museum Chamber Orchestra, Harvard Baroque Orchestra and as a regular substitute bassist for the Pittsburgh Symphony, National Philharmonic, Princeton Symphony, and Kennett Symphony.
Greg Flury
Adjunct Instructor of Cello
Professional Experience:
Mr. Flury is an active performer throughout the central Pennsylvania region, having played with the Allegro Chamber Orchestra, Hershey Symphony Orchestra and Vivace Live. He has been teaching cello since 2010.
Dr. Jie Hyue Kim
Adjunct Instructor of Violin and Viola
kimj@etown.edu
Credentials & Certifications
- DM.A., Catholic University of America, Washington DC
- M.A., Queens College, C.U.N.Y, NY
- BM, Chunnam National University, Daejeon, Korea
Theory, Aural Skills, and Composition
James Haines '81
Professor of Music Emeritus & Distinguished Professor of Music
hainesjl@etown.edu | 717-361-1289
Credentials & Certifications
- Ph.D., 1989, Composition and Theory, University of Minnesota
- M.M., 1985, Composition, West Chester University of Pennsylvania
- B.S., 1981, Music Therapy, Elizabethtown College
Professional Experience
Dr. Haines joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 1994. He currently serves as the chair of the Fine and Performing Arts Department. He teaches coursework in music theory, aural skills, composition, and music therapy.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Composition
- Music theory and aural skill pedagogy
- Music skill development in the music therapy curriculum
Haines’ compositions have been performed in academic, concert and religious settings throughout the United States. Choral music and instrumental chamber music are predominant among his compositional output. His first opera, Las Madres de la Plaza was premiered in March 2008. Dr. Haines is a former director of the Music Therapy program at the college, and has presented at regional, national and international music therapy conferences and workshops.
Service
Dr. Haines is a member of the College Music Society and the American Music Therapy Association.
Voice
Anne Gross, D.M.A.
Associate Professor of Voice, Director of Voice
grossanne@etown.edu | 717-361-1116
Credentials & Certifications
- D.M.A., Voice, University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre, and Dance
- M.M., Music, Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music
- B.M., Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music
Professional Experience
Anne Gross, D.M.A., joined the faculty at Elizabethtown College in 2014. She teaches applied voice, Diction for Singers, vocal chamber ensemble, and conducts Fenice, a gender-inclusive Treble Choir. Dr. Gross has studied and taught diction in German, French, and Italian languages; she also coaches singers in Norwegian, Czech, and Russian. Prior to her time at Elizabethtown College, Dr. Gross taught voice at Anderson University School of Music, Whitman College, Oberlin Conservatory, and West Chester University College of Visual and Performing Arts. Dr. Gross began her musical studies at Oberlin as a piano performance major and often serves as a collaborative pianist for her voice students.
Her teachers have included Shirley Verrett, Patricia Berlin, Daune Mahy and William David Brown. She has coached and performed various solo and choral works with the composers in residence, most notably with Libby Larsen, Jose Maria Vitier and Alice Parker. While completing her doctoral degree, she coached extensive song and operatic repertoire with internationally-known collaborative pianist Martin Katz, performing in recital with many of his students. Dr. Gross joined with Mr. Katz to record the audio examples for his book The Complete Collaborator: The Pianist as Partner, published by Oxford University Press in May 2009.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Development of Lied (Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Marx, and Pfitzner)
- Song Repertoire of Female Composers
- Opera Coaching
- Collaborative Piano Coaching for Students
In demand internationally and throughout the United States as a recitalist, oratorio soloist and master clinician, Dr. Gross’ international experiences include invitations to perform and teach in Ireland, Australia, Northern Ireland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Spain, South Africa, and Havana, Cuba. Recent recitals and master classes in the United States were presented at West Chester University, the University of Notre Dame, Central Methodist University, Clarke University, Loras College, and the Oberlin Conservatory of Music.
Service
Dr. Gross has adjudicated choral festivals and taught voice master classes and choral workshops in both college and high school settings. She is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and the College Music Society and has coached numerous students for NATS Student Auditions.
Teresa Bomberger
Adjunct Instructor of Voice
bombergert@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- B.A. in Music, Goshen College
- B.A. in Theatre/Acting Bowling Green State University
Professional Experience
Winner of the Montpelier Recital Competition and the Lotte Lehmann Recital Contest, Ms. Bomberger has performed in opera, musical theater, and in concert throughout the United States. She has performed major roles with Hawaii Opera Theatre, Diamond Head Theatre, Maryland Lyric Opera, Cornell Savoyards, and Durham Savoyards. Favorite roles include Mother Abbess in Sound of Music, Mabel in Pirates of Penzance, Despina in Così fan tutte, and the title roles in Patience and Iolanthe. When she was young and energetic she spent a season as a featured singer in the Italian show at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. She also enjoyed performing for many years in summer stock theatre, singing leading roles for Huron Playhouse, Enchanted Hills Playhouse, Vincennes Summer Theatre, Canterbury Theatre, and the Maryland Shakespeare Festival. Ms. Bomberger is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS).
Professional Activities
Ms. Bomberger teaches applied voice at Elizabethtown College. She has taught private voice, class voice, and diction at the University of Hawai’i at Manoa, Goshen College, and Sweetbriar College. Teachers who were important in her vocal development were Penelope Jensen and Edward Crafts as well as vocal coach and pianist Beebe Freitas. Ms. Bomberger served as Vice President and Audition Coordinator of the Hawaii chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) and has been active as a judge in vocal competitions. She has also directed plays and musicals at area high schools. Teresa currently serves as Music Director for the Elizabethtown College musicals.
Alison Roth Mekeel
Adjunct Instructor of Voice
mekeela@etown.edu | 717-361-1212
Credentials & Certifications
- M.M., Voice Performance, New England Conservatory
- B.M., Voice Performance, Oberlin College Conservatory of Music
Professional Experience
Mrs. Mekeel holds the Master of Music in Voice Performance from New England Conservatory, where she studied with Rita Beatie, and the Bachelor of Music in Voice Performance from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Dr. Daune Mahy. After graduation, she continued her voice studies with Dr. Thomas H. Houser for more than 20 years.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Voice Pedagogy
- Vocal Performance
Mrs. Mekeel is a frequent soloist in recital and oratorio, and a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. She has performed opera roles, including Susanna in the Marriage of Figaro with the Lancaster Opera Company and Las Madres de la Plaza (composed by Dr. Jame Haines) at Elizabethtown College. She has also performed soprano oratorio roles in the Great C minor Mass, and has offered frequent recitals. Mrs. Mekeel also maintains a private voice studio in Lancaster, PA.
Sarah Shafer
Adjunct Instructor of Voice
shafers@etown.edu
Professional Experience
Praised by the New York Times for her "luminous voice" and "intensely expressive interpretations," and named "remarkable, artistically mature" and "a singer to watch" by Opera News, American soprano Sarah Shafer performs with opera companies including The Metropolitan Opera, San Francisco Opera, Glyndebourne, Opera Philadelphia, San Diego Opera, Cincinnati Opera, and Tulsa Opera. Equally at home in standard and contemporary repertoire, she has created leading roles in world premiere productions with San Francisco Opera, and debuted works by renowned composers Richard Danielpour, John Harbison, and Poul Ruders. She has appeared in concert with many orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the San Antonio Symphony, the Utah Symphony, the National Orchestra of Mexico, and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
An avid chamber musician and recitalist, she regularly collaborates with pianist Richard Goode at venues including Carnegie Hall and Atlanta’s Spivey Hall, and sings at prominent festivals throughout the United States and abroad, including the Oregon Bach Festival, Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival, the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago, Bard Music Festival, and the Liszt Academy in Budapest, Hungary. Sarah was a 2014 Astral Artists winner. She spent five summers as a resident artist at the Marlboro Music Festival. Recordings include the debut of Richard Danielpour’s chamber work, "Talking to Aphrodite" with Naxos Records, Poul Ruder's opera The Thirteenth Child with Bridge Records, and works of Benjamin C.S. Boyle with Lyric Fest and Navona Records
Woodwinds
Paula Nelson
Adjunct Instructor of Flute
nelsonp@etown.edu | 717-361-1113
Credentials & Certifications
- D.M.A, Flute Performance, University of North Texas
- M.M., Flute Performance, University of North Texas
- B.A., Music, University of Maryland
Professional Experience
Dr. Nelson joined the faculty of Elizabethtown College as adjunct instructor of flute in 2005. At Elizabethtown College, she teaches applied flute and directs the Arioso Flute Choir. She also serves as adjunct instructor of flute at Immaculata University, and master faculty with distinction at The Music School of Delaware. She has taught at West Chester University and the University of Delaware. Her teachers include Mary Karen Clardy, William Montgomery, Kathleen Chastain, and Jim Walker.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Flute Performance
- Chamber Music
- Flute Choir
- Orchestral Performance
A former member of the Irving (Texas) Symphony Orchestra, Dr. Nelson has performed with the Allentown and Pottstown Symphony Orchestras, the Pennsylvania Sinfonia Orchestra, and the Bethlehem Bach Festival Orchestra. She has appeared as a soloist with the Lansdowne Symphony Orchestra and the Wilmington Community Orchestra. Dr. Nelson has performed at the National Flute Association Convention as well as in various solo and chamber music recitals in the greater Philadelphia area, including with the Nelson-Sessler flute and classical guitar duo. She appeared in recital at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia and at the International Institute of Culture. Dr. Nelson conducted the 2015 High School Honors Flute Choir of the Flute Society of Greater Philadelphia. She has published articles in Flute Talk magazine.
Faith Shiffer, M.M.
Adjunct Instructor of Clarinet and Saxophone
shifferf@etown.edu | 717-361-1119
Credentials & Certifications
- M.M., Clarinet Performance, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Summa Cum Laude
- B.M., Clarinet Performance, Millikin University, Summa Cum Laude
Professional Experience
Mrs. Shiffer has taught clarinet and saxophone at Elizabethtown College since 2003. She has taught private clarinet, saxophone, and flute lessons, in Lancaster County for over 20 years.
Professional Activities
Interests:
- Clarinet/Saxophone Performance
- Dixieland Bands
- Big Bands
- Pit Orchestras
- Orchestral Performance
Mrs. Shiffer has toured nationally with musical productions of Sunday In the Park With George, Chicago, and South Pacific. Throughout Central Pennsylvania, she has also performed with the Harrisburg Symphony, Theatre Harrisburg, Pride of the Susquehanna Riverboat Band, Reading Civic Opera, The Buzz Jones Big Band, The Spring Garden Big Band, The Salem Six Dixieland Band, Dixieland Express, The Cat’s Pajamas Dixieland Band, Rue DeLaPompe, The Tom Pontz Project, Ben Mauger’s Roaring 20’s Orchestra, The Shiffer Trio, Ossia Duo, Allenberry Theatre, Hershey Area Playhouse, Mount Gretna Theatre, Dutch Apple Dinner Theater, and The Fulton Theatre.
