The Dream Winds and Dream Strings programs are provided through the joint collaboration between the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District and the Santa Monica Education Foundation. Music students at the district's four Title I elementary schools as well as instrumentalists at John Adams and Lincoln Middle Schools receive weekly coaching sessions to supplement the curricular instruction and rehearsals.
2021 - 22 DREAM WINDS CLINICIANS
Emily Senchuk, originally from Detroit, is a versatile woodwind performer and teacher, who performs in a variety of musical styles ranging from symphony orchestra and chamber ensembles to musical theatre and jazz big bands. She earned a Bachelors Degree in Music Composition from Wayne State University where she also studied flute, clarinet, saxophone and piano with Detroit Symphony musicians such as Clement Barone and Theodore Oien, along with top jazz performers in the Metro Detroit area like Chris Collins. Emily has performed with Johnny Mathis, Steve Lawrence & Edie Gourmet, the Fox Theatre Motown Revival, Rick Marghiza, and many ensembles including Torrance and Antelope Valley Symphonies, Composers Ensemble of Los Angeles, and has been a featured soloist with the Palisades Symphony. Emily performs regularly with several ensembles including the Golden State Pops Orchestra and the Orchestra Santa Monica Woodwind Quintet which brings educational programs to hundreds of school children each year and promotes new music by local composers in their chamber music concerts. She also performs with, manages and composes for the Los Angeles Flute Orchestra. Many of her works for flute ensemble have been performed at the National Flute Association’s National Conventions and have received honors in the NFA’s Newly Published Music Competition.
Her love of teaching is equal to that of performing and she has taught privately and in many schools in Michigan and California for over fifteen years. Like her performance resume, her teaching experience is multifaceted and includes private lessons, small group lessons, general music classes, chamber ensemble coaching, and band and orchestra classes. She is a member of Music Teachers’ Association of Calfornia and in addition to teaching privately, she also teaches instrumental music classes at the UCLA Lab School and is a woodwind coach for St. Matthew’s School and the Elemental Band program.
Mrs. Senchuk demonstrates her versatility with two performances - one on the concert flute, and the other on the alto flute. (Fantasia by G. P. Telemann)
A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Dr. Meghan Turner completed her initial schooling in the Pacific Northwest. Dr. Turner received a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Victoria, a Master of Music degree from the University of British Columbia, and an Artist Diploma from the Vancouver Academy of Music. In 2002, Meghan moved to Los Angeles to pursue a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, which she completed in 2006. As part of the UCLA Trumpet Ensemble, Meghan won First Place in the trumpet ensemble division in the 2005 National Trumpet Competition. Meghan was an artist in residence at the famed Banff Centre for the Arts during the summers from 2002-2006. Here she had the pleasure of performing with renowned artists, as well as premiering solo works. For her current project, Meghan has commissioned five new works for trumpet, french horn and piano. She will be premiering them in concert in 2013.
Currently, Meghan is a freelance musician, teaching and performing in the Los Angeles area. As well, she is a member and founder of the "Resonance" brass quintet.
A versatile performer, Meghan has played in a variety of ensembles ranging from jazz and salsa bands, orchestras, chamber music and solo appearances. An advocate for music education, Meghan has been involved in music outreach programs through both UCLA and the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District. In the SMMUSD, Meghan is a Dream Winds instructor at Muir/SMASH, McKinley, Rogers and Edison Elementary Schools as well as being a temporary assistant at Lincoln Middle School. Meghan is excited to be starting her first year as the high brass coach at John Adams Middle School.
In her spare time, Meghan enjoys volunteering at the Seal Beach Animal Care Center.
Dr. Turner impresses our students with her double-tonguing technique, performing Concert Etude by Alexander Goedecke.
Born in Taiwan and raised in Southern California, trombonist Fuchou Chiang began playing the trombone in middle school in Los Angeles, California, where he also attended the Hamilton High School Academy of Music. After graduating from Covina High School in Covina, CA, he began his musical career as a member of the U. S. Marine Corps Bands in 29 Palms, California and Okinawa, Japan. He then earned his Bachelor of Music (2002) and Master of Music (2004) degrees in trombone performance at California State University, Long Beach where he studied with Jeffrey Reynolds, former bass trombonist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. After studying briefly at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, he completed his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in 2009 from the University of Southern California under the tutelage of Dr. Terry Cravens, where he was the recipient of the Robert Marsteller Memorial Scholarship.
Currently an active performer and teacher based in the Los Angeles area, Dr. Chiang has performed at many different venues across Southern California, including the Walt Disney Concert Hall, Wilshire Ebell Theater, Ford Amphitheater, Warner Brothers Studios, and Sony Picture Studios. His performing experience includes appearances with the Debut Orchestra, American Youth Symphony, Torrance Civic Chorale, Golden State Pops Orchestra, Whittier Regional Symphony, Brentwood-Westwood Symphony, Los Angeles Jewish Symphony, Antelope Valley Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. His teaching experiences include the Harvard-Westlake School for the Performing Arts, Whittier Christian High School, and California State University, Long Beach.
Our students enjoy Dr. Chiang's performance from one of J.S. Bach's Cello Suites.
Chris Parise began playing the drums at the age of 11. He attended John Adams Middle School and Santa Monica High School where he was active in the respective music programs. Since then, he has played at a variety of concert venues ranging from the Jazz Bakery to Walt Disney Concert Hall. His resume includes performances with the Young Musicians Foundation Debut Orchestra, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, the American Youth Symphony, the UCLA Wind Ensemble, and Grammy-nominated baritone Jubilant Sykes (also a JAMS alumnus). In 2010, Chris received his Bachelor of Arts in percussion performance from UCLA under the guidance of Mitchell Peters. Aside from performing and teaching music privately, Chris currently has a residency with the Q-Bet Quartet at the world famous Culver Hotel in Culver City.
Mr. Parise takes a "tour" of our percussion section, highlighting the various textures and sounds of each instrument.
2021 - 22 DREAM STRINGS CLINICIANS
Emily Call is a violinist and performer of contemporary music, with a special interest in cultivating collaborative relationships with composers. She is a founding member of the Isaura String Quartet and has performed with various groups across Los Angeles, including wild Up, the Dog Star Orchestra, Wordless Music, Now Hear Ensemble, Equal Sound, and Synchromy, where she was a featured soloist. Emily has performed on many popular LA concert series, including Monday Evening Concerts and the LA Philharmonic's Noon to Midnight new music marathon.
In addition to her work as a violinist, Emily is a dedicated teacher. She coaches strings in SMMUSD elementary and middle schools and teaches beginning string classes at Crossroads School. She also holds multiple roles with Santa Monica nonprofit Elemental Music, where she directs the beginning string ensemble Prelude, coaches violin for the Elemental Strings ensemble, and works as Marketing & Communications Director. Emily holds degrees from the California Institute of the Arts and Bennington College.
Ms. Call serenades our students with "Summertime" from George Gershwin's acclaimed opera, Porgy and Bess.
Betsy Rettig is a cellist and educator dedicated to innovation and experimentation in musical practice. Equally active in music performance and education, Betsy maintains a private cello studio while also coaching chamber music and sectional strings through organizations including Millikan Middle School Performing Arts Magnet, Elemental Music and the Neighborhood Community Music School. She is a founding member of the Isaura String Quartet, and has collaborated with diverse composers and artists including Sofia Gubaidulina (The Journey Back to the Beginning, presented with the composer at REDCAT), Alan Smith (Vignettes: Covered Wagon Woman at USC), Lily Hadyn (video performance for Kashmir, Lobsterfest), and Jose Gurria’s Gurrisonic Orchestra (Angel City Jazz Festival at the Ford Amphitheater). As cello soloist, she has recently created and performed the music for the opening exhibition of Circa Trilogy by celebrated conceptual artist Mary Kelly with artist collective My Barbarian and BESSIE LECTURE by multimedia artist Ursula Brookbank, a live performance from her She World Archive series. Betsy is featured on the albums of Malachi (Milwaukee) Universalia Jane (Humboldt) and can be heard on the upcoming albums of LA-based bands Man Man and Chances. Betsy holds a Master of Fine Arts from California Institute of the Arts (2013) and a Bachelor of Music from Cleveland State University (2005).
Ms. Rettig shares her performance of "Julie-O" composed by Turtle Island Quartet co-founder and cellist, Mark Summer.
Elissa Moser Linowes grew up in Wisconsin where she began studying piano at age 6 and started playing upright bass in the school strings program at the age of 9. She played in the Wisconsin Youth Orchestra throughout middle school and high school. After receiving a BA in Drama/Dance at Bard College, she moved to NYC as a modern dancer. Picking up electric bass as well as upright bass, Elissa performed with varied rock bands and cabaret acts at venues ranging from CBGB’s, La Mama, The City Winery, to performing at the Kennedy Center.
Elissa now plays both upright bass and electric bass around LA. She is a member of the Santa Monica Symphony, plays in the band Abby and the Myth, and sits in with such venerable blues musicians as Rick Holmstrom and Jeff Turmes. As a private bass teacher, she feels strongly that classical bass players learn theory and often teaches it through a jazz/rock lens. Elissa is delighted to be working with the bass players at JAMS.
