About Our Instructors
In Person
Evangeline Athanasiou
Piano, Voice
Evangeline Athanasiou is a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in musicology (music history) at the CUNY Graduate Center and is thrilled to join the SUNY Dutchess music faculty teaching voice and piano. She received her M.A. in musicology from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2018 and her B.M. in Voice Performance from the Boston Conservatory in 2016. In the last two decades, Evangeline has played a variety of roles in operas, choirs, chamber ensembles, bands, and musical theatre productions. In addition to teaching, Evangeline’s research interests include music and Southern culture at the turn of the twentieth century, the relationship between literature and music, and the role of repertoire in music education.
Darius Beckford
Piano
Darius Beckford is a jazz pianist and composer with a background in classical. In 2023, they graduated from SUNY New Paltz with a bachelor’s in jazz performance. They currently play in multiple jazz, rock, and funk bands that play all over Hudson Valley and NYC. They have performed at multiple festivals, accompanied vocalists, directed ensembles, and composed for small films and podcasts. On top of this, they regularly host jazz jam sessions around the Hudson Valley. Additionally, they have played solo classical and jazz piano for numerous art galleries and wedding ceremonies.
As a teacher, Darius crafts the lessons to both their students’ needs and interests. They encourage their students to experiment and explore music in anything that may pique their interest throughout the day, even if it's strange or a little silly. Darius ensures that each student can connect with the music in ways that are fun, personal, and unique to them.
Lynnette Benner
Flute, Oboe
Lynnette Benner began playing flute at the ripe old age of eleven. An avid horse lover, she earned an A.A.S. Equine Science and worked in that field for eleven years while continuing to play and perform. Returning to college, she earned a B.S. Music Performance, Flute, from SUNY New Paltz. She studied with Marcia Gates, Lynn Cunningham, Sarah Trautman, and Gary Schocker. Lynnette teaches Flute, Oboe, Chamber Music, and Kindermusik. She also can be heard on movie soundtracks and CDs. Lynnette lives in Millerton, NY with her husband, stepson, four cats, two horses, and two dogs (all rescues!).
Rusty Boris
Guitar, Bass, Percussion (on sabbatical)
Best known for his signature bass solos in a variety of styles, from jazz to bluegrass, Rusty is in demand as a performer, teacher, songwriter and session player in the Hudson Valley. Education includes studies at Berklee College of Music and a B.A. from the Evergreen State College.
Peter Cody
Piano
Peter did his undergraduate work at SUNY New Paltz, where he earned his B.A. in Theory/Composition. He received a Masters in Composition from SUNY Binghamton in 2014. His studies have included piano, composition, and electronic music. Between 1992 and 1996 Peter was the composer-in-residence for the Bucks County Center for the Performing Arts, writing music for public programs as well as scenes for the resident actors. He also gave lessons in piano, composition and theory to the Center’s dancers and actors, as well as members of the community, and directed a composers’ forum for local and visiting composers. Peter has been teaching privately and in group settings for over thirty years in the Philadelphia and Hudson Valley areas. His teachers have included David Anker, George Sementovsky, and Marjorie Haimbach, piano, Daniel Davis and Clifford Taylor, composition, and Maurice Wright, electronic music. In 2012-2013 he was house pianist at the Uptown Art Gallery in Kingston, NY where he supplied the music for their monthly dinner galas as well as hosting a monthly salon for local performers. His compositions include songs, traditional works of piano and chamber music, as well as music for Sundanese gamelan.
Morgan Decker*
Trombone, Tuba, Trumpet, French Horn (*also available in Fishkill)
Morgan Decker is an avid music educator and performer based in the Hudson Valley.
She received her Bachelor of Music degrees in Music Education and Trombone Performance
with a minor in Theatre Studies and a concentration in Special Music Education from
the renowned Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam, and her Master of Music degree
in Instrumental Music Education from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green,
Ohio. She has studied trombone with Mark Hartman, Paul Bellino, Garth Simmons, Charles
Hopkins, and Brittany Lasch.
In addition to her teaching responsibilities at DCC, Ms. Decker is a full-time music
teacher with the Newburgh Enlarged City School District. Previously, she taught band
in Elmira, New York and Toledo, Ohio. She has experience teaching at the elementary,
secondary and college level. Ms. Decker is an active member of the New York State
School Music Association (NYSSMA), most recently serving as an assistant zone representative
and brass adjudicator. She also serves as the liaison for community ensembles for
the Orange County Music Educators Association (OCMEA). As a performer, Ms. Decker
is an in-demand trombonist, playing in various professional and community ensembles
across the Hudson Valley and NY Metro-Area.
Richard Devens
Piano
Richard Devens received a BS from Brooklyn College, where he studied with Augustin Anievas and Michale Rogers. His MM was from The University of Arizona, where he studied with Nicholas Zumbro. He also studied privately with Richard Fabre, and he has performed at Bargemusic, Alice Tully Hall, and Glinka Choir College in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is active as a vocal and instrumental accompanist, and also plays for weddings, parties, fundraisers, black-tie affairs and corporate events. In addition to performing and teaching, Richard is a writer whose articles have appeared in Clavier and Piano Guild Notes. He has also written three books which have received multiple awards
Choi Fairbanks
Cello, Piano, Violin
Originally from Seoul, Korea, Choi received numerous awards from national classical music competition at a young age. She holds dual master's degrees in Classical and Jazz Performances from the University of South Florida. As a multifaceted instrumentalist and composer, Choi has built her career through extensive worldwide touring. Performing primarily as a world renowned cellist, her proficiencies extend to performances as a pianist, violinist, bassist and composer. Served as the principal cellist of Henry Mancini Institute, offered a full scholarship as a doctoral program candidate from University of Miami, selected as USC Principal scholarship and Roe Excellence Cellist Scholarship.
After moving to NYC, she played with Organic Orchestra, New York Jazz Symphony Orchestra, toured with David Binney Ensemble, performed with Christian Howes, Billy Contreras and among others. Her jazz/classical string quartet played at Fat Cat in Greenwich Village for over 5 years as a house string quartet, created a Rhythm ‘n things and Asian and jazz fusion band “Jayu” (freedom in Korean) and received an emerging artist award on 2008 from Queens Council on the Arts.
She founded Beacon Chamber Ensemble and is hosting monthly reading sessions and holds multiple public concerts. She resides in Beacon with two beautiful boys and a wonderful husband and is looking forward to sharing her love for music and passion for teaching young children and creating more music!
From teaching private in-home lessons to creating an after-school music center, Choi has built an incredible community of students, teachers and connections in the NYC area called Queens Music Academy. She is not only fluent on cello but on piano, violin, viola and bass as well as guitar, ukulele and singing, as she has been playing piano at her local church for many years and taught orchestra programs in public and private school system for many years.
Sandra Grebs*
Piano (*also available in Fishkill)
Sandy started taking piano lessons at age 5 and has always had a passion for performing and teaching. She started accompanying the choir in elementary through high school. She graduated from Wilkes University with a BA degree in music performance as well as a BA in in Art. After working at an advertising agency for a couple of years Sandy pursued a Music Certification degree from West Chester University so she could teach K-12 in both public and private schools. She has consistently accompanied dozens of her students to perform at Carnegie Hall while she was affiliated with the Northeast Piano Teachers Association. Her special connection that she makes with students is evident when her students choose from a varied repertoire and then showcase their performance skills.
Mary Hastings
Trumpet
She received her Bachelor of Music degree at Manhattan School of Music and her Master
of Music degree at The Juilliard School both in Trumpet Performance. Mary’s performance
career includes recitals throughout France, England and Germany as well as performing
in over 15 Broadway shows. In 1986 Mary received the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Foundation
Award to support an intensive three-year study in Paris with a focus on French contemporary
trumpet literature.
Alongside her performance career Mary is an active fundraiser for arts and education,
having served as Executive Director of the American London Symphony Orchestra Foundation,
Acting Chief Development Officer for The Boys’ Club of New York, Director of Development
for The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music and The New School for Drama, Director
of Special Events for The Foundation for Jewish Culture, and Director of Education
and Community Outreach at the Bloomingdale School of Music.
Mary was the on-set trumpet coach for the film Like Sunday, Like Rain starring Leighton
Meester, J. Smith-Cameron, and Debra Messing. She was also the voice of Sugar the
Babasaurus for the children’s book / CD, The Laughing Ground.
Amanda Heaton
Violin, Viola, Cello
Amanda Heaton has been playing the violin since the fourth grade. She grew up in Poughkeepsie and attended school in the Arlington School District, where she found her love of music. She started taking private lessons in sixth grade from master violinist/violist Charlotte Dinwiddie and continued throughout her college years. Amanda graduated in 2017 with honors from The Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam with a bachelor’s degree in Music Education and graduated with distinction in 2018 from the Crane School with a master’s degree in Music Education. While at Crane she taught private lessons and orchestra. Amanda has performed as a soloist in her church and still plays every Sunday at Mass, performed private violin recitals at Crane and in her hometown, and violin studio classes at Crane. She has performed as a first and second violinist in string quartets/quintets and orchestra at Crane as well. Amanda currently teaches middle school orchestra full time in Kingston. She also teaches private string and piano lessons, and group music classes at different music locations in Poughkeepsie. Her passion for teaching continues every day, and she's beyond blessed to be surrounded by her wonderful students.
Krista Libertino
Voice
Krista Libertino has spent over 20 years studying and performing music. She is a Dutchess Community College vocal performance alumna and seasoned performer. She currently teaches Kindermusik and provides voice lessons at various schools around the Hudson Valley, as well as at her own private studio based in LaGrangeville, NY. She enjoys working with students of all ages and abilities. Versed in both contemporary and classical vocal techniques, Krista is able to work with singers of all types of genres. As an educator, she strives to teach each student as individual, focusing on their own personal strengths and unique learning styles to guide their learning experiences. When she isn’t working, Krista enjoys spending time with her spouse and two kids, cooking, and listening to podcasts.
Joshua Long
Brass
Dr. Joshua E. Long holds degrees in adult education (PhD), band/wind ensemble conducting (MM), music education (MM, BS), and euphonium performance (MM). Currently, he is a music lecturer, virtual education instructor, serves on dissertation committees, qualitative research methodology and design instructor, college and community band director, active clinician and instrument repair technician specializing in brass. Dr. Long has taught elementary through high school music in Pennsylvania and remotely for secondary schools in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina, New Jersey, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. He also has research interests in community music ensembles, nutrition for musicians, instrument repair and historical bands.
Ted Messerschmidt
Trombone, Low Brass, Music Theory and Composition
Originally from the Washington D.C. area, Edward “Ted” Messerschmidt is a versatile
musician who has been recognized in national and international contests in composition,
conducting and performance. His original compositions, published by Cimarron Music
Press and Warwick Music Publishing (forthcoming), have been performed by musicians
and ensembles including Andy Akiho, Charley Brighton, Harry Watters, and the United
States Army Orchestra. Recently, he was one of fifty composers whose music was selected
for performance at the 2022 International Composers Festival in Bexhill-on-Sea, England.
Additionally, some of his works for brass will be included on an upcoming release
by Navona Records.
As a performer, Ted has subbed with professional orchestras and ensembles and has
shared the stage with performers including Zuill Bailey, Leon Bates, and Phil Smith.
He has also done session recording for SubFamily Records and sideline work on trombone
for the Emmy-nominated HBO series The Gilded Age. As a conductor, Ted has guest conducted
ensembles in the Washington D.C. area and in New York. He has also worked as an adjunct
lecturer at Marist College, where he served as the associate director of bands (2007-2013)
and orchestra director (2012-2018). An advocate of criminal-legal reform, Ted has
explored the topic of music education in prisons in scholarly articles and has presented
his research at conferences in Austria, The Republic of Georgia, Germany and the United
States. In 2017, Ted earned his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from
Boston University, examining attitudes toward incarcerated people following experiences
with a prison choir. Ted also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in German Literature
and Music from the College of William and Mary and a Master of Music in Composition
from George Mason University. Ted is currently the music director and arts department
chair at Oakwood Friends School in Poughkeepsie, and he volunteers with Rising Hope,
Inc., occasionally teaching college-level courses at Fishkill Correctional Facility
in Fishkill.
Russell McCook
Voice, Cello, Piano
As a professional actor and musician, Russell McCook showcases his talents across diverse venues and musical styles nationwide, ranging from masses to musicals and everything in between. Originally from Texas, Russell earned his bachelor's degree in Music Theatre from Oklahoma City University, followed by a master's degree in Music Education from the Steinhardt School at New York University.
Beyond his performances in musical theatre, Russell frequently assumes the role of music director, playing piano and cello. With training in both classical and commercial vocal techniques, Russell can mentor students with varied skill sets and musical aspirations.
As an educator, Russell is committed to individualized instruction, tailoring his teaching methodologies to align with each student's unique strengths and preferences. This ensures an enriching learning journey for all his students.
Lindsay O'Neil
Voice
Lindsay O’Neil holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in classical voice performance from Manhattan School of Music and Eastman School of Music, respectively. Professionally, Lindsay has performed on Broadway, The Metropolitan Opera, off Broadway, national tours and regionally in both musical theater and opera. In addition to being an active performer Lindsay is also a passionate voice teacher. She has taught voice privately and collegiately for over a decade to students of all ages. Lindsay’s teaching focuses on building a sustainable vocal technique that blends seamlessly with song interpretation.
Beverly Poyerd*
Piano (*also available in Fishkill)
Beverly Poyerd began her music training at age five and studied piano, performance
and theory at the Henry Street Settlement School and the Brooklyn Conservatory of
Music in New York City.
After a career in the brokerage industry, she continued her musical studies, graduating
Summa Cum Laude from SUNY New Paltz with a degree in Piano Performance in 2005. She
performs as a soloist and accompanist in both the classical and jazz genres. She is
a member of the MTNA, NGPT and Suzuki Association of the Americas.
Nicholas Salomone
Guitar, Community Jazz Combo
Nicholas Salomone is a tubist, guitarist, music educator, and administrator from Poughkeepsie. Outside of his duties as the Academy of Music Assistant, he teaches the Community Jazz Combo. Although his formal education is largely grounded in Western classical music and low brass, Nick is also an active jazz musician. He regularly works with several bands based in Brooklyn, performing and recording original music and jazz standards. He has received his bachelor’s degree in Music Performance with a minor in Jazz Studies from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam.
Rich Simons
Conducting, Cello, Double Bass, Music Theory and Composition
Richard Simons is conductor of the Mid-Hudson Community Orchestra at SUNY Dutchess Community College, The SUNY Orange Community College Orchestra, and the Cortlandt Chamber Orchestra— a group which he founded in 1992. He is also a railroad conductor for Metro-North Railroad— which means that he has the exceedingly unique distinction of being one of the world's very few conductor-conductors. He holds music performance degrees from the University of South Carolina, and the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford. He is an active professional musician, and plays double bass and cello, as well as writing and arranging music. When time permits, he plays with Hudson Valley ensembles, including the Newburgh Symphony, Northern Westchester Symphony, Hudson Opera Theatre, and a new double bass quartet, called BBQ.
Janet Salt-Frommer
Piano
Janet Salt-Frommer teaches piano privately and for the Academy of Music at Dutchess Community College. She accompanies the DCC chorus, vocal repertoire class, and Suzuki recitals. She is part-time organist at St. Andrews. She served as musical director and accompanist for Ninety Miles Off Broadway and the New Paltz High School musicals: "Meet Me in St. Louis," "Nunsense," "You're a Good Man Charlie Brown," "Birds of Paradise," "Pippin," and "Footloose." With director Judy Elliot, she writes and directs original children's musicals each summer. She studied with Harry Jensen at SUNY New Paltz. Other teachers include John Esposito and Eteri Andjaparidze.
Dan Stevens
Guitar, Ukulele, Mandolin
Dan Stevens has a masters degree in classical guitar performance from Purchase College
and is an experienced teacher and performer of a variety of styles including electric,
steel string acoustic and classical guitar. He performs both classical and contemporary
music on solo nylon string guitar at weddings, corporate functions, holiday parties
and community events. He has worked for over 15 years as a guitar teacher, in music
schools, and at private residences; including teaching at the college level for over
10 years. He is well versed in preparing students for solo and group recitals and
other public performances.
He is a member of the Mid-Hudson Classical Guitar Society and works at promoting appreciation
of the classical music genre in the Hudson Valley. He feels strongly about giving
back to the local community, so when awarded the Dutchess County Arts Council Fellowship,
he used the grant to donate a recital to the Morton Memorial Library. He has also
donated his services and played pro bono for a fundraiser for the Mill Street loft
and supports fundraising events for Music Link.
Dan has created and distributed 2 CDs of classical composers and a CD of original
compositions. He has performed at clubs, bars, art exhibits, cocktail parties, weddings,
holiday events, restaurants, dinner parties, historic sites, church services and recitals.
In addition, he has provided musical background for many Off-Broadway productions
including Rent, TOMMY, Pippin, The Wiz, Evita and Fame.
Caitlan Truelove*
Violin
Caitlan Truelove is a classically-trained violinist with nearly two decades of experience
in solo, collaborative and orchestral performance. She has studied with Max Zorin,
Peter Povey and Giora Schmidt, and participated in performances in a variety of venues,
including Pittsburgh's Heinz Hall and Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. In addition to
Classical repertoire, she has experience in Irish fiddling, dubstep violin, jazz/improvisation,
opera, musical theater, and contradance.
Caitlan has recently been hired as a part-time instructor in the Art and Music Histories
Department at Syracuse University for the fall 2022 semester. She holds a Bachelor
of Music in Violin Performance from The Pennsylvania State University and a Master
of Music in Violin Performance from Syracuse University. She is currently a candidate
in the Musicology Ph.D. program at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory
of Music, where she also completed a violin performance cognate.
Campbell Youngblood
Percussion and Composition
Campbell Youngblood is a New York based drummer, composer, and educator. He plays regularly in the New York City area with his own band and a variety of projects as a sideman. His debut solo record, Dimensions, released in the fall of 2023.
Online
Joseph Gusmano
Trumpet, Music Theory and Composition
Joseph Gusmano is a composer and educator from the Hudson Valley. He received his BA from Vassar College in Music and Philosophy. He went on to complete an MM in Concert Composition and Theory at New York University, where he also taught an undergraduate composition course. Gusmano was an adjunct professor of music theory at DCC this past year and he will be moving to London this fall in order to pursue a Ph.D. in Practice-Based Research of microtonal composition. In addition to composing a variety of orchestral, chamber, and solo works for the concert stage, Gusmano has experience composing and performing for film, folk, rock, and big band groups. He has spent fifteen years studying the trumpet, ten years playing the guitar, and the last six years studying piano, including a year of self-guided study at the clavichord. Gusmano also worked as a substitute teacher in K-12 classrooms for five years at the Valley Central School District.
Tom Melito
Drumset
Tom Melito has been a mainstay on the New York City jazz scene for many years. His drumming has been heard behind such varied artists as Jerry Bergonzi, Harry Allen, Joe Lovano, Frank Wess, Lew Soloff, Bill Watrous, Dave Liebman, Bucky Pizzarelli, Harry "Sweets" Edison, John Pizzarelli and Lee Konitz. Tom has also performed with singers Stacy Kent, Sheila Jordan and Kenny Rankin. His talents have been in demand internationally, including numerous tours of Japan, Europe, and South America, and has given several master classes in Brazil, Chile, and China. Active in education, Tom is currently on the faculty at Central CT. University and Duchess Community College while continuing to give clinics on jazz drumming at schools around the country including Cornell University and Penn State.
Heeja Questad
Violin
Born as a music-loving native Korean, Heeja started violin in 5th grade and never stopped. She earned a B.A. and M.A. from Seoul National University, Korea, while playing as Assistant Concertmistress in The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. She earned her master’s degree in violin performance from Manhattan School of Music. Heeja has considerable solo and orchestral experience, including Radio City Music Hall, New York City Opera, Albany Symphony, Elmira Symphony, Down Town Singers, and Belleayre Summer Festival Orchestra. She served as Assistant Concertmistress of the Binghamton Philharmonic until 2008. She has always been an active chamber musician.
Dennis Yerry
Piano, Native American Flute
Dennis Yerry is a musician, composer, arranger and musical director whose career has
encompassed a myriad of musical genres. He composed and musical directed the theatrical
production of “Black Elk Speaks” in Denver, CO and L.A., in which he also performed.
His film and TV credits include performances for the Ken Burn’s documentaries, “Lewis
and Clark” and “The West.” He is currently the musical director and composer for “Unto
These Hills,” the outdoor drama in Cherokee, NC. As a jazz pianist, he has performed
extensively in NYC. Dennis has been teaching at DCC since 2004.
On Sabbatical
John Howell
Vocals
John Howell, tenor, has sung throughout the United States, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, and Sydney, encompassing opera, oratorio, and choral . In 2005, he was a recipient of the prestigious J. William Fulbright Award and studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in Sydney, Australia in 2005-06. He has performed with New York City Opera, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Bard Summer Festival, New York Virtuoso Singers, Santa Fe Desert Chorale, The Philadelphia Singers, and Seraphic Fire. He was a regular member of the Choir of Men and Boys at St. Thomas Fifth Avenue in New York City from 2010-12. He is currently an Instructor of Music and Supervisor of the PFAMusic Program in the Performing, Visual Arts & Communications Department at Dutchess Community College
Gary Ljungquist
Music Production
Gary Ljungquist received his bachelors from the College of Saint Rose in Music Industry and his masters from Middlesex University in Creative Media focusing in Audio Technology. He has been active in many facets of the industry. A multi instrumentalist, he has recorded and toured with a number of acts including playing bass guitar on select recording sessions with 9x Grammy winner Lauryn Hill. The majority of his career centered in production, from jingle composition and record production (receiving credit on Billboard to 200 charters), live production DVD releases (with legendary acts like Jethro Tull’s Martin Barre, Savoy Brown and Sister Hazel), to touring with the likes of Rock and Roll Hall of famers Hall and Oates. He was a member of the production team for 7 seasons of “Live from Daryl’s House” (MTV/ VH1) with artists such as Joe Walsh, Darius Rucker, Chris Daughtry, Aloe Blacc, Grace Potter and more. He worked 4 years and well over 1,000 shows at the famed “Daryl’s House Club,” with acts such as The Wailers, The Revivalists, Max Weinberg, Vanilla Fudge, Aaron Carter, Bernie Williams and the English Beat to name a few. His work has also taken him to larger venues with artists such as Gavin Degraw.
Joe North
Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute
Joe North received his bachelors degree in Music Education from SUNY Fredonia, where he studied saxophone with Wildy Zumwalt. He then received his Masters of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he studied with Don Glanden. He is currently the director of bands at Poughkeepsie High School as well as a part-time teacher at Dutchess Community College. As well as being an educator, he is a freelance saxophonist in the Hudson Valley area. As a native to the Hudson Valley, North loves having the opportunity to teach and perform in the area he grew up in.
About our Advisory Board
Ben Basile
Ben Basile is an electric/double bassist, educator, and composer from New York's Hudson Valley. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Jazz Studies from SUNY New Paltz as well as a Music Performance Certificate from DCC. Basile has performed in over 30 countries across 6 contents, averaging 150 performances a year. Basile is also a founding member of “The Poughkeepsie Jazz Project,” a group which has hosted a weekly jazz jam session in Poughkeepsie for over nine years running. www.benbasile.com
Debbie Contini
Deborah (Debbie) Contini earned a Bachelor of Music Education from the University of Utah, a Master of Music Education from Ithaca College and a Master of Special Education from SUNY New Paltz. She has shared her love of music with students from preschool through college and continues to do so even now in retirement. She was a member of the Army National Guard in both Utah and New York. Deborah was the first woman to command a National Guard Band as bandmaster. After 32 years of service, Debbie retired at the rank of Chief Warrant Officer Three. She is currently a member of a number of local musical performance groups and is on the board of several music organizations. But she is most proud of and grateful for her loving family and wonderful friends.
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas
Melissa Dvozenja-Thomas holds a BA in Acting for Theatre, a BA in Music Performance, as well as a Master’s in Public Administration and a Master’s Certificate from the International Institute of Event Management. After undergrad, she performed all over the East Coast before settling back down in the Hudson Valley to grow her family. Melissa is currently the director of development and marketing for Arts Mid-Hudson. She lives in LaGrange with her husband and two children. Her home is full of music, whether it be from the most recent Broadway show, her love of crooners like Tony Bennett or the latest Disney soundtrack.
Jennifer Henion
Jennifer Henion brings a wealth of business experience to her advisory capacity with the DCC Academy of Music. She plays in several musical ensembles, including Mid-Hudson Community Orchestra and more recently Jazz Band at DCC and Southern Dutchess Concert Band. Her current instruments include trumpet, violin, piano, and French horn.
She also serves on several nonprofit boards and is a founding member and current board vice president of Northern Dutchess Symphony Orchestra. She represents the area as vice chair and community engagement chair of the Upstate NY Board of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Jennifer has a long history with DCC, having grown up in the area. She is a proud graduate of the DCC Nursery School as well as having taken classes at DCC prior to Vassar College.