Rocky Tejada, Voice Instruction

Rocky Tejada began studying voice when he joined the local children’s choir in the third grade, when he lived in New York City. While in New York, he performed leading roles in various musical theatre productions, including the tin man in the Wizard of Oz, Motel the tailor in Fiddler on The Roof, The teen angel in Grease, and Tommy in The Music Man. He also performed in the vocal ensembles at his junior high school, Pace Academy. He began voice lessons and piano lessons under Frank Roman, who headed the music department at Aquinas High School, in New York City. At the age of fifteen, he arrived in Alabaster, Alabama, where he attended high school. Mr. Tejada continued his study in solo voice under Monica Zerbe from the University of Montevallo. During his high school years, he performed with the Alabama All-State choir from 1998 - 2000. He also performed with the Alabama All-State show choir in 2000, and won second place as outstanding choral student for his district. He is currently a junior at Jacksonville State University, where he is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in music education. While in college, he has studied voice under Dr. Samuel Brown, and is currently under Dr. Richard Armstrong. Mr. Tejada’s mission is to reach out to other lovers of classical music, and help keep it alive, through music education.

Candace Coleman, Violin Instructor

Candace Coleman, a twenty-year old native of Gadsden, is currently a sophomore at Jacksonville State University, where her major is in music education with primary focus on violin. Under the direction and guidance of Michael Gagliardo, Candace participated in the Etowah Youth symphony Orchestra in 1999 until her graduation in 2002. While in the EYO, she toured Philadelphia, New Haven, Boston, St. Louis, and New Orleans. She performed in the pit orchestra for the production of The Sound of Music, also played solos as concertmaster at Carnegie Hall, and the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center. Candace also performed with Bruce Hornsby and served as opening act for James Taylor. In 2002 Candace graduated high school and received the Coca Cola Fine Arts Award, she also received a Bottimore Strings Scholarship to the University of North Alabama, where she taught violin as an undergraduate teaching assistant at Hibbit Middle School, and participated in the Shoals Symphony Orchestra and served as first violin soloist on the Corelli Christmas Concerto. Candace is currently attending Jacksonville State University on a full strings scholarship, where she is acting as co-concertmaster for the JSU Chamber Orchestra. She recently volunteered at the Alabama All State Orchestra Festival held in Mobile, AL and became a member of the American String Teachers Association.

Carl H.C. Anderson

A native of Williston, North Dakota, Mr. Anderson holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance and Woodwinds and Master of Music in Clarinet Performance from Louisiana State University. He has also studied at Oberlin Conservatory and Northwestern University. His teachers have included Domenic DeCaprio, Paul Dirksmeyer, Gorge Waln and Robert Marcellus. Mr. Anderson retired from Jacksonville State University in 1996 after 33 years as Professor of Clarinet. He is the principal clarinetist of the Gadsden Symphony Orchestra, a co-founder and clarinetist with the Cheaha Chamber Players and is a frequent soloist, clinician and adjudicator throughout the Southeast.

Kristina Handler

Kristina Handler has been teaching violin and viola for over twenty years. She began violin at age eight, and by age twelve decided she really loved music, Her serious education started in Boston , where she attended the New England Conservatory Extension Division, and Tanglewood Institute. She then attended the University of Michigan, received degrees from Rice's Shepherd School of Music and Kent State University, where she maintained an assistantship. In Ohio, she performed with the Canton, Akron, and West Virginia Symphonies. Currently, Ms. Handler is performing with the Alabama and Tuscaloosa Symphonies, and is a member of the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra.

David Handler

David Handler began his study of music on the piano at age 6, and later took up the violin "for fun". He continued his violin studies at the Indiana University School of Music, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and at Meadowmount. He joined the Alabama Symphony in 1977 as its youngest member at the time, has been serving as Assistant Principal Second Violin since 1997, and served as acting principal for the 1993-4 season. He is also a member of the New Hampshire Music Festival Orchestra. Mr. Handler performs on and teaches both violin and viola.

Terry Williams - Guitar Instructor

Terry lives in Rainbow City with his wife Eileen and their two sons Devin and Dylan. He decided early in life that music would be his vocation. He has played with several popular local groups such as Smokin', Forever, and Wild Horses. Terry has two degrees from Gadsden Community College, an Associate Degree in Music plus an Applied degree in Clinical Science. He also holds Bachelors and Masters degrees from UAB in Clinical Science. Terry has sixteen years teaching experience. He enjoys Classical, Rock, Country, Funk, and Jazz and teaches all types of Guitar. He has appeared with the Etowah Youth Orchestra and the Jacksonville Community Symphony. He currently plays lead guitar for the popular duo "Rick and Tad" and has just completed his first Concerto for Guitar.

Truong Nguyen - Violin Instructor

nguyenquoctruong@gmail.com

Education

New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, MA

Master of Music in Violin Performance, 2003

Graduated with Performance Distinction and Academic Honors

Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance, 2001

Teaching Experience

New England Conservatory Preparatory School, Boston, MA 2000-2003

Coach, rehearsal conductor, and violin instructor

Private violin studio, age 9-16, Boston, MA 2001-2003

New England Conservatory, Boston, music history teaching assistant

Orchestral Experience

New World Symphony, Miami Beach, FL, 2003-present

Tanglewood Music Center Orchestra, Lenox, MA, 2002 & 2003

Symphony Pro Musica, concertmaster, Hudson, MA, 1997-2003

Gardner Museum Chamber Orchestra, concertmaster and principal, Boston, MA

Indian Hill Symphony Orchestra, MA, 2002-2003

Solo Performances

Ho Chi Minh City Symphony Orchestra, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, 2004 – 05

Both as a violin soloist and a conductor

Symphony Pro Musica, Hudson, MA, 2003, as a conductor

Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra, Hanoi, Vietnam, 1993, 2001

Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory Symphony Orchestra, 1989, 1990

Solo Recitals, Williams and Brown Halls, NEC, Boston, 1998, 2001, 2003

Solo Recital, Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory Concert Hall, Vietnam, 2001

Awards/Honors

Performance Distinction & Academic Honors, NEC, Boston, MA 2003

Scholarship, New England Conservatory, Boston, MA 1998-2003

Prizewinner, Autumn National Music Competition, Hanoi, Vietnam, 1990 - 1993

Awarded solo performance with the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra

Festivals

Tanglewood, fellowship , Lenox, MA 2002, 2003

International Musical Arts Institute, Fryeburg, ME, 2000