Forte Music Studios
"Lessons for All ~ Learn to Play"
INSTRUCTORS: QUALIFIED, EXPERIENCED AND DIVERSE
Enthusiastic, professional, experienced, highly qualified: These characteristics describe the most important asset at Forte Music Studios -- our teachers. As musicians, they recognize and appreciate the need to constantly learn and share ideas. Our unique setting at Forte fosters excellent networking opportunities for both instructors and students.
The instructors at Forte -- who were born and grew up in places as varied as Virginia, California, Indiana, Pennsylvania, the Philippines and Hong Kong -- reflect that same variety in their wide range of musical specialties. From flute to French horn, violin to voice, lessons at Forte are taught by gifted musicians with diverse backgrounds.
We invite you to scroll lower on the page, where you will be able to review the biographies of all Forte instructors. Individually and collectively, their achievements and interests are impressive. We are fortunate that they have chosen to share their talents as musicians and educators with you -- or someone in your family -- when you enroll for lessons at Forte Music Studios.
Monika Turner-Beale
Birthplace: Washington, D.C.
Teaches at Forte: Clarinet, Oboe
INSTRUCTOR BIOGRAPHIES
(ALPHABETICAL BY LAST NAME)
John-Rine Zabanal, who was raised in Elyria, Ohio, is currently the Director of Orchestras at Riverbend High and Ni River Middle Schools in Spotsylvania County. He attended Ohio State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education. As an educator, he has assisted with the Columbus Symphony Chamber Strings Youth Orchestra, the Ohio State University Morning String Student Workshop, the Bexley Summer String Camp, as well as various orchestra programs throughout Ohio. After moving to Virginia, he has taught at Forte Music Studios and previously assisted with the Forte Youth Orchestra. As a performer, Mr. Zabanal started his violin studies at age four. He has since performed in various ensembles such as the Firelands Symphony Orchestra, the OSU Symphonic Orchestra, the Spotswood Community Orchestra and the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. In 2006, he had the privilege of playing in an orchestra with the rock band STYX, and he was able to perform throughout Austria with the Classical Musical Festival in 2009.
Brittany Frompovich
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Teaches at Forte: Bass, Guitar, Music Theory
Website: Click Here
John-Rine Zabanal
Birthplace: Manila, The Philippines
Teaches at Forte: Viola, Violin
Cynthia Richter
Birthplace: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Teaches at Forte: Viola, Violin
Elizabeth Piller
Birthplace: Buffalo, New York
Teaches at Forte: Viola, Violin
Ed Dickerson
Birthplace: Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Teaches at Forte: Guitar, Mandolin, Viola, Violin
Jacqueline Albright
Birthplace: Kokomo, Indiana
Teaches at Forte: Piano
Ron Barricklow
Birthplace: Crawfordsville, Indiana
Teaches at Forte: Viola, Violin
Damien Bollino
Birthplace: LaVale, Maryland
Teaches at Forte: French Horn, Music Theory, Piano, Trumpet
Shelby Brown
Birthplace: Charleston, West Virginia
Teaches at Forte: Drums
Tina Christie
Teaches at Forte: Flute
Young Devereaux
Birthplace: LeMars, Iowa
Teaches at Forte: Clarinet, Guitar, Piano, Saxophone
Forte Owner
Brian Donnelly
Birthplace: San Francisco, California
Teaches at Forte: Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone
Lane Drum
Birthplace: Lexington, North Carolina
Teaches at Forte: Guitar
Christine Hartigan
Teaches at Forte: Cello, Violin
Forte Founder, Artistic Director
D. Wesley Hockaday
Birthplace: Fredericksburg, Virginia
Teaches at Forte: Piano, Voice
Philip Joannou
Birthplace: Fairfax, Virginia
Teaches at Forte: Guitar, Piano
Lisa Leung
Birthplace: Richmond, Virginia
Teaches at Forte: Viola, Violin
Jennifer Lewis
Birthplace: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Teaches at Forte: Guitar, Piano, Trombone
Gil Cray
Birthplace: Erie, Pennsylvania
Teaches at Forte: Piano
Brian Donnelly, who was raised in Hong Kong and in Durham, N.C., is a versatile woodwind musician and performs in the Fredericksburg area in rock, jazz, classical and contemporary praise genres. He has played with the Psalm 150 orchestra, Fredericksburg Big Band, Rappahannock Pops, Fredericksburg Saxophone Ensemble, Total Praise and Sounds of Praise, as well as freelancing. He teaches beginning through advanced saxophone (soprano, alto, tenor, baritone), clarinet, flute, and electronic wind instruments (EWI or WX5). Mr. Donnelly incorporates a computer into his lessons to give students an interactive ensemble experience. Even more than creating better technicians out of his students, Mr. Donnelly is excited by developing a true love for music and teaching his students to be self reliant, dedicated and disciplined in their practice routines. "Practice does not make perfect," he says, "only perfect practice does!" Mr. Donnelly adds: "I am driven to motivate students to develop a lifelong passion to perform music. It's more than learning to play a particular instrument -- more like finding your musical inner voice. The musician must go beyond playing in school band and be motivated by bringing joy to others through performance. One of my memorable experiences goes back to high school and receiving a spontaneous standing ovation after a solo. It's not the ovation, but the happiness I was able to bring to a room of strangers that makes me want to perform."
Damien Bollino's interest in music was influenced by his grandmother, a classical pianist. He earmed a Bachelor of Music in performance at West Virginia University, where he received a full tuition scholarship and studied with Dr. Virginia Thompson. He also studied with William (Bill) Caballero at Duquesne University. There he earned a Master of Music in performance/pedagogy and was awarded a John Hunter endowment and assistantship. He taught two years of musianship/theory at Duquesne and was an active clinician and adjudicator. He participated in the Duquesne Wind Symphony -- including a performance at Carnegie Hall -- as well as the Symphony Orchestra, Contemporary Ensemble and Chamber Ensemble. At WVU he performed with the Horn Choir, the Wind Symphony, Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Winds Ensemble and Jazz Band. Mr. Bollino also played with the International Horn Society Collegiate Horn Choir, Potomac Concert Band, Johnstown Symphony Orchestra, Seneca Chamber Winds and Arion Band. He has performed with the Mary Washington Orchestra, the Spotswood Community Orchestra, the Friday Morning Music Club Orchestra and the Fairfax Symphony. On various occasions he has taken part in performances at the Kennedy Center in Washington. Mr. Bollino is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony, St. George's Chamber Ensemble, Ars Nova Chamber Orchestra and the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. He is principal horn with the Washington Sinfonietta and performs regularly with the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. Mr. Bollino auditioned with performers from around the nation and was selected to play principal horn with the American Musical Ambassadors European Concert Tour. During six weeks with the tour, he took part in concerts in London, Paris, Milan, Venice, Belgium and other parts of Europe. "A favorite quote to sum up my philosophy," says Mr. Bollino, is: 'In a moment of crisis, you will not rise to the challenge. Rather, you will default to your level of preparation.' I'm not sure who said it, but I love it." As a teacher, he adds: "I focus on simplicity and drill the fundamentals, because if you learn to master the instrument and everything it can do, making music with it is easy!"
Young Devereaux grew up in Northern Virginia, where he took an early interest in music. His father, now also his business partner at Forte, remembers: "One Sunday when Young was still in junior high, he marched up to the front of the sanctuary at Fairfax Methodist Church and played a flawless saxophone solo that surprised everyone -- especially his mom and me. After that, we stopped complaining about the cost of music lessons." Later he went on to study saxophone with Rick Parrell of the United States Army Band and with Doug Gately, a former member and featured soloist with the USAF's Airmen of Note. Since 1996, Mr. Devereaux has been teaching privately and performing professionally. He taught band at Fredericksburg Academy from 2005 to 2007, and he has performed with the Mid-Atlantic Wind Symphony. Mr. Devereaux has studied at James Madison University and at the University of Mary Washington. In 2011 he assumed day-to-day management responsibilities as the co-owner of Forte Music Studios. Mr. Devereaux believes: "Music education is extremely valuable to any individual. The language of music crosses all cultural and linguistic boundaries. The study of music reinforces and develops both math and language skills. Music gives an individual an unparalleled sense of accomplishment and a solid grasp of teamwork."
Gil Cray was Pianist, Assistant Conductor and Arranger for The Airmen of Note, the premier Air Force jazz ensemble, giving him the opportunity to perform for three U.S. presidents and at thousands of concerts and festivals around the world. His playing and arrangements were featured on numerous Airmen of Note and Symphony in Blue recordings. Mr. Cray worked with legends including Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughn, Joe Williams and Rosemary Clooney, and toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra. As an instructor, he specializes in teaching beginning piano and fundamentals of jazz piano to students age 16 and older. They are able to take advantage of the versatility he has acquired during a fascinating career of arranging, performing and conducting. "The thing I like best about teaching is the satisfaction I get from watching a young, interested student develop over time into a skilled, knowledgeable and mature player," says Mr. Cray. "There are so many aspects to music; it's math, history, art, physical coordination. I feel the principal value in the study of music is that, like learning a foreign language, it can help develop motor and comprehension skills in young students. It's also fun!"
Ed Dickerson grew up playing music with his father, and he later earned a Bachelor of Arts in music performance at the University of Mary Washington. In 2009 he was voted the area's best music teacher in a readers' poll conducted by Parent and Family magazine of Fredericksburg. "I enjoy teaching all styles of music," says Mr. Dickerson. "Improvisation is a form of free expression that can be translated to the instrument. Learning to improvise opens the door to being able to play with others and make music in the moment. Learning to play by ear as well as by rote invites greater opportunity and expands the student's musical language. I thoroughly enjoy teaching students how to improvise and make music!" According to Mr. Dickerson, his preferences in musical styles range from bluegrass to blues, funk, rock, jazz and reggae.
Philip Joannou has been surrounded by music his entire life. Having many influences from his own family, he grew up listening to everything from classical piano to Al Green to Led Zeppelin. Starting with piano, he tackled a wide variety of instruments while focusing on his voice for four years with choral director Kay Greene. He continued classical training on the piano until the age of 14 when he picked up a guitar to pursue other areas of music creativity. Mr. Joannou has performed in a number of bands in the greater Washington metropolitan area and also has hosted open mics. He has been teaching guitar, intermediate piano and beginning bass for the past 12 years. Mr. Joannou characterizes himself as, "a utility musician with a great passion for music." He adds: "As a student myself, as is every musician throughout history, I believe it has nothing to do with our musical ability. It has everything to do with how we think, whether we think and what we're feeling emotionally about ourselves when we practice -- oh, and I almost forgot, to have fun!"
Jackie Albright began studying classical piano and music theory with private instructors when she was seven years old and continued through high school. Since she was 12, she has played in various Christian worship bands. She completed the Year of Your Life program at Hatfield Training Centre in Pretoria, South Africa, after which she earned an Associate's Degree in liberal arts at Germanna Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in world religion at the University of Mary Washington. For more than ten years in the Fredericksburg area, she has performed for weddings and parties, as well as playing as an accompanist for shows. "Teaching piano lessons was my first job as a 14-year-old homeschooler," Ms. Albright says. "I taught lessons within my community home school group, and to neighborhood children. I love to foster creativity in my students, to see them compose and create their own music. I believe firmly in establishing a strong foundation in music theory and technique, but for the purpose of using both in the original composition process."
Lisa Leung, Orchestra Director at Freedom Middle School in Spotsylvania County, is a graduate of the University of Mary Washington with a B.A. in music. She received two UMW awards in 2011 -- the award for Excellence in Student Teaching and the Making the Difference Award. She is a member of the American String Teachers Association and the National Association for Music Education. She performs with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra and with the praise team at her church. About teaching, Miss Leung says: "I most enjoy getting to know my students and watching them develop as musicians and as individuals. In sharing music, I see students acquire self-confidence, poise and strength. One principal value I hold, and have always been taught, is that music is a gift which must be shared. So perform, teach, practice ... whatever you do, make sure you share the gift."
Elizabeth Piller grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire, in a family where her parents and her sisters were musicians. Today she and her youngest sister are both music teachers. Miss Piller earned a Bachelor of Music in music education from the State University of New York at Fredonia and a Master of Music in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University. She actively participates in ensembles throughout the region, including most recently the Rappahannock Pops, St. George's Chamber Ensemble and Piedmont Symphony Orchestra. She has also performed with the University of Mary Washington Symphony Orchestra and Spotswood Community Orchestra. When she was a university student in New York, she played with both the Fredonia College Symphony Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra, the Western New York Chamber Orchestra and the Orchard Park Symphony Orchestra. Currently Miss Piller teaches middle school orchestra in Stafford County. "I like to teach music," she says, "because it allows me to keep sharing (and even learning) something I have loved since I was a child."
Ron Barricklow, a teacher for 17 years in Stafford County schools, is now Orchestra Director at Brooke Point High School and Stafford Middle School. He is a violinist with the Fredericksburg String Quartet and was a founding director of the Rappahannock Youth Symphony (1996-2008). Mr. Barricklow earned a Bachelor's degree in music performance from Shenandoah College and Conservatory and a Master's degree in music education from the Hartt School at the University of Hartford. "What I like best about teaching," he says, is "working with students over the course of years and watching them mature as unique individuals and musicians."
Monika Turner-Beale grew up in the Fredericksburg area where she began playing the clarinet in middle school and continued her studies through high school and college. She went on to receive a Bachelor of Arts in music from the University of Mary Washington. There she participated in the clarinet ensemble, sang in the MWC chorus, and studied both choral and orchestral conducting. Ms. Turner-Beale sang as a member of the Maranatha Touring Choir throughout high and college and later with The Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg. She also taught at H.H. Poole Middle School where she was an assistant band director for five years. She currently enjoys singing in her church choir, teaching clarinet and oboe at Forte Music Studios, and directing the Maranatha Gospel Choir. "What I like best about teaching is that I get to share my passion and excitement for music," states Ms. Turner-Beale. "There is nothing that I enjoy more than seeing the light in my student's eyes when they finally master a piece of music that they have been working on for weeks or maybe even months, or they conquer their nerves and do well at an audition. If I can teach a student that there is not only joy in mastering a skill, but in the challenge itself, then I feel that I have done my job. By doing this, I feel that I have contributed in some small way to the world."
Wesley Hockaday performs regularly with several local opera companies, both as vocalist and conductor. He graduated with Highest Distinction from the University of Mary Washington, earning a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in music. He is Assistant Conductor of the UMW Fredericksburg Singers, Assistant to the Music Director of Immanuel Church-on-the-Hill (Episcopal) in Alexandria and piano substitute with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra. His passion for teaching has resulted in inspiring several students to pursue music studies in higher education. He describes his mission in these words: "To inspire in others a love for the art of creating music, to build musical foundations in young musicians, and to encourage students to take responsibility in their musical practice, studies and ensemble participation."
Jennifer Lewis holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Grove City College in Pennsylvania, and she is an active member of the Spotswood Baptist Church Orchestra. She teaches music at Chancellor Middle School in Spotsylvania County. Mrs. Lewis describes herself as "a brass player at heart," but emphasizes that she "enjoys teaching piano and guitar students as well! Music is a skill you have for your whole life. Once you've learned to read and count, no matter how long it's been since the last time you played, you still have it!"
Tina Christie has served as a clinician in schools in Hawaii and Virginia and has been a faculty member of the Rappahannock Summer Music Camp. She was an alternate finalist for the YouTube Symphony competition in 2009 and was one of the winners of the National Flute Association's Convention Performers Competition in 2006. She performs regularly as soloist and in chamber ensembles for recitals that have benefited the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's disease) Association, Presbyterian Disaster Assistance and the American Red Cross. She plays a Mateki flute that is expertly maintained by Alberto Grossi. Mrs. Christie has performed numerous concerts with the Virginia Grand Military Band (Sudler Silver Scroll Recipient, 2000), as well as performing with the band on the soundtrack for the Bill Moyers PBS documentary, "America's First River, the Hudson." She is principal flute for the Spotswood Community Orchestra and a member of the Piedmont Symphony Orchestra flute section. She has performed with the St. George's Chamber Music Series and served as series co-director. She toured Australia and New Zealand with the Marine Forces Pacific Band in Hawaii, also serving as woodwind section commander and flute soloist. Mrs. Christie studied Alexander Technique with Karen Loving, and she studied with flutist Jean Ferrandis at Accademia Internazionale di Musica di Cagliari in 2007. She was a student of Thomas Robertello, Joel Behrens, Jean Harling and Lynn Hertel, and she has studied in masterclasses and lessons with Gary Schocker, Laurie Sokoloff, Tadeo Coelho, William Montgomery and Robert Willoughby. Mrs. Christie earned a Bachelor of Science in music education from Millersville University.
Shelby Brown has played in bands and ensembles in a variety of musical styles -- metal, jazz, fusion, country, rock and Brazilian. He has extensive chart reading skills in all major styles of music. He holds an Associate of Applied Science in music performance from McNally Smith College of Music in Minnesota, and he has studied with world class teachers such as Dom Famularo and Gordy Kundtson. Mr. Brown says he especially likes sharing his musical knowledge with "students that are eager to learn. I believe the principal value to the study of music is being able to gain the tools to enjoy and express oneself artistically." With an honest mixture of sincerity and humor, Mr. Brown recounts an earlier music-related experience that he obviously remembers well: "I was driving home from being in the studio all night with a band, and I fell asleep at the wheel. As I was flying through the air, I proceeded to hit the brakes -- as if that would help when flying through the air. After I landed and came to a stop, I praised Jesus for not letting me die! Needless to say, at that point I was very much awake. Talk about giving your all for your music!"
Cynthia Richter, who grew up outside Boston, started violin lessons at the age of six. In the fifth grade she began learning the viola in her middle school orchestra. By the time she reached high school, she had decided to play the viola full time. In middle and high school she played with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra and the Longy School of Music. Her private teacher at that time was Gillian Rogell, founder of the Heart of Chamber Music and a teacher at the New England Conservatory in Boston. While in college at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Ms. Richter studied with Johanna Beaver, the UMW viola/violin instructor and a founding member of the Afton String Quartet. Ms. Richter also played with the UMW Philharmonic Orchestra and was the principal of the viola section during her senior year of college. After graduating from UMW, she taught orchestra at Stafford High School for a year and is now the administrator and director of the strings program at South Stafford Christian School. When she isn't busy teaching, Ms. Richter enjoys performing with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, and others groups in the greater Fredericksburg area.
Ashleigh Chevalier
Birthplace: King George, Virginia
Teaches at Forte: Voice, Introductory Piano and Guitar
Website: Click Here
Bass
Brittany Frompovich
Clarinet
Brian Donnelly
Young Devereaux
Monika Turner-Beale
Flute
Tina Christie
Brian Donnelly
French Horn
Damien Bollino
Music Theory
Damien Bollino
Brittany Frompovich
Oboe
Monika Turner-Beale
Guitar
Ashleigh Chevalier
Ed Dickerson
Lane Drum
Young Devereaux
Brittany Frompovich
Philip Joannou
Jennifer Lewis
Piano
Jacqueline Albright
Damien Bollino
Gil Cray
Young Devereaux
Wesley Hockaday
Philip Joannou
Jennifer Lewis
Saxophone
Young Devereaux
Brian Donnelly
Trombone
Jennifer Lewis
Trumpet
Damien Bollino
Voice
Ashleigh Chevalier
Wesley Hockaday
Viola / Violin
Ron Barricklow
Ed Dickerson
Christine Hartigan
Lisa Leung
Jason Lewis
Elizabeth Piller
Cynthia Richter
John-Rine Zabanal
Mandolin
Ed Dickerson
Drums
Shelby Brown
Cello
Christine Hartigan
Lane Drum received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he participated in Master Class with Eliot Fisk. Mr. Drum later studied jazz performance at Berklee College of Music, after which he lived and performed solo classical, jazz, rock and blues in New York for six years. He also privately taught more than 100 students in New York. He studied with Mike Stern, Peter Bernstein, Adam Rafferty and Joe Giglio. In the Fredericksburg area, Mr. Drum teaches more than 100 private students. His areas of instructional focus include classical, jazz, blues, rock and contemporary. He is the guitar instructor for Fredericksburg Area Young Musicians, a local home school music program, and he instructs jazz and classical guitar ensembles at Forte Music Studios. His teaching emphasizes music theory, improvisation, ear training and sight reading. Mr. Drum has a passion for music that is evident in his teaching. His own excitement and enthusiasm for music and instruction are demonstrated in his love for teaching. Many of his former students have gone on to study music in the college setting, including at Berklee College of Music. Mr. Drum gigs with local groups in the Fredericksburg area in all musical styles.
Brittany Frompovich is a well-respected bassist, multi-instrumentalist, vocalist, songwriter and music educator who has performed in the Mid-Atlantic region for 20 years. In addition to free-lance ensemble work as a bassist, she actively explores cutting edge bass concepts such as solo bass performance and looping. Mike Dimin, bassist, educator and author of The Art of Solo Bass and The Chordal Approach, says of Ms. Frompovich: "Brittany is a consummate musician and educator. Her commitment to the art and her students is unparalleled! The dedication she shows to her students as well as the bass community has set an example for many others to follow." Ms. Frompovich graduated Cum Laude from Bloomsburg University in Pennsylvania with a Bachelor of Arts in applied double-bass and audio recording. During a break from playing double bass due to a repetitive stress injury, she discovered the electric bass. It was the perfect medium to reconcile her backgrounds as a working guitarist and classically trained double bassist. She rapidly moved from fretted four string to playing fretless (successfully defretting the instrument herself), then to fretted four string. After healing, she gradually returned to the double bass as well. Ms. Frompovich has a gift for community building. She was instrumental in creating the Virginia Bass Forum, an organization that hosts events to build the local bass community and assist bass players in improving their craft. The Forum has hosted artists such as Stu Hamm, Bryan Beller, Adam Nitti, Michael Dimin, Kevin Walker, Steve Lawson and Dr. Donovan Stokes. She hosts, promotes and organizes every Forum event and teaches at least two Bass Forum clinics per year. Ms. Frompovich is the founder of "Kids Jamming For Kids," a yearly benefit concert raising donations for Guitars Not Guns and the Fredericksburg Food Bank. Ms. Frompovich is an exceptional teacher, her students wholeheartedly recommending her. She successfully teaches a range of students -- beginners, recreational music makers, teenagers who compete in regional or state orchestral competitions, adult "weekend warriors" who perform in bands, and serious students who become career musicians. She is a productive writer, blogging for the Music Teacher's Helper blog site (used by teachers internationally) and her own blog site at ladybassmusic.net. She has been published in Songwriter’s Monthly, Bassics and Bass Frontiers Magazine. She performs gigs on guitar, vocals, double bass and electric bass, covering genres that include solo bass, classical, Celtic rock, funk, Latin, classic and modern rock, adult acoustic alternative, folk, traditional Celtic, big band jazz, Renaissance music and pit work for musicals. In 2011, she performed an opening set for the legendary solo bassist Steve Lawson at his Virginia Bass Forum appearance. Her clients call her a consummate professional. Her band mates describe her playing as "highly creative," "solid" and "beautiful." Jazz luminary Gerald Veasley introduced her to bassist Jimmy Haslip as “a beautiful player on both electric bass and double bass.” She has performed and given clinics at NAMM, Gerald Veasley's Bass BootCamp, the Richmond “Girls Rock!” Camp, the Bass Coalition's Summer Bass Workshop at Shenandoah University, the Rappahannock Music Summer Camp, Alpha Music, the Virginia Bass Forum, house concerts and other events. Ms. Frompovich describes herself as being "passionate about music, music education and the bass," while always advancing her "creative journey as a musician and an educator." (To access Ms. Frompovich's website, ladybassmusic.com, click on the link beside her picture.)
Cellist and Founder of Forte Music Studios, Christine Hartigan has been an active musician in the greater Fredericksburg area for over 20 years. In addition to performing with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra, the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, the St. George's Chamber Series Program and other chamber ensembles throughout the region, Mrs. Hartigan volunteers on a regular basis as a visiting consultant providing music clinics in various schools in Fredericksburg and the surrounding region. Alongside her teaching and performance experience, Mrs. Hartigan taught strings at Fredericksburg Christian Schools, has worked with the Rappahannock Youth Symphony, served on numerous boards and committees, and has performed with the Spotswood Community Orchestra, University of Mary Washington Community Orchestra, Piedmont Symphony Orchestra, Old Bridge Chamber Orchestra and the Chamber Chorale of Fredericksburg, of which she is a founding member. Mrs. Hartigan teaches cello and violin at Forte Music Studios, where she is also Artistic Director.
Ashleigh Chevalier believes strongly in the healing power of music, and the Suzuki method. "Each person has an inner musical voice and expressive musical arm," she explains. "I teach ways to be aware of your body and instrument, develop your voice, musical sense, and expand your creative mind. My classical foundation and pedagogical approach is both practical and applicable to all ages, levels of development and expertise." Ms. Chevalier incorporates healthy exercises, theory, other instruments and performance techniques into her flexible weekly lessons. The goal is for students to develop and grow comfortable within their own creative skin and learn to develop, explore and grow in music independently. She is available to help prepare for auditions, stage performances, recording, and offers single vocal coach sessions. Ms. Chevalier has been singing and performing since the age of six. She has studied classical vocal performance, art song, musical theater and drama at George Mason University, The College of William and Mary and under A House Opera vets Carla Rae Cook, Dr. Rick Novak, Debbie Wenner, Sandra Wallace and Alice Wamsley. Through the years she has won many competitions, including placing in well known competitions of the National Association of Teachers of Singing. Though she has performed everything from Gilbert & Sullivan to Mozart and Henry Purcell, Ms. Chevalier chooses to share her soul on stage belting rockin’ blues and boppin’ traditional jazz. She has been joined and shared the stage with musical greats such as Rockabilly/Blues guitar player Billy Hancock, Dave Elliot, Claude Arthur, Steve Jarrell & The Sons of the Beach, and Sandra Bears of James Brown’s fabulous Jewels. Ms. Chevalier has also performed with the band The Bruthers, legendary blues guitarist Linwood Taylor, legendary tenor sax player Ron Holloway, D.C. WAMMIE winner Ted Garber, WAMMIE winner Tony Fazio, NBC Idol Winner Anthony Campbell and Modern Yesterday’s Andrew Hellier. She has performed in clubs, at private events and at festivals for thousands, including the 2010 and 2011 Chili Cook-off -- where she opened for the rock band, Kansas -- the Virginia State Fair, the historic Fredericksburg Downtown Dog Fair (2009-2011) and many more. She has also had the honor of opening for Devon Allman’s Honeytribe several times regionally, and taking part in the Salvation Army "Benefit Army of Stars" performance with Steve Jarrell, Anthony Campbell, Jon Carroll, Debra Silver and others. Ms. Chevalier is currently performing and recording with international guitar legend and eleven-time WAMMIE nominee Bruce Middle. Ms. Chevalier recently recorded her debut album for release in the fall of 2012. It was produced by Grammy winner Jon Carroll, with Grammy wining engineer Bob Dawson, at BIAS Studios. The album features Paul Langosch (bassist with Tony Bennett), Dan Hovey, Jon Carroll and John Thomakos, with guest appearances by Ron Holloway and national slide guitar champion Hunter Wolfe. (To access Ms. Chevalier's website, ashleighchevalier.com, click on the link beside her picture.)
" The House on the Corner ...
... At the Crossroads of Music"
Where Route 3 Meets Highway 1 in Fredericksburg
540-899-OPUS (540-899-6787)
To return to the top of this
page at any time,
click on one of the horizontal
lines between biographies.
Jason Lewis
Birthplace: Atlantic City, New Jersey
Teaches at Forte: Violin
Jason Lewis, who teaches strings in Stafford County schools, graduated Cum Laude with a degree in music education from Liberty University. He has participated in concerts with the Rappahannock Pops Orchestra and the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra, and he performs on various occasions in the Fredericksburg-Stafford area. In discussing his philosophy of music, Mr. Lewis says: "Music is the medium through which all academic boundaries are transcended. It is capable of expressing the feelings and bringing people of all cultures together. Music exercises the mind and yet is capable of providing an outlet for one's present condition." He adds: "Do I think the study of music is important? Absolutely."
