Meet Our Team
Get to know our instructors, teaching this semester
CEDRIC THOMAS
DRUMS, PIANO
Cedric Thomas is a musician and producer who has played, preformed, and directed music his entire life.
He studied music performance and theory at shoreline community college and has worked with multiple groups such as the Eriam sisters Michelle Lang and Stillwater. When he is not producing music you cam always find Cedric playing for multiple churches and various events around Seattle . He has also been apart of the summer musical programs at Langston for the past 5 years. Cedric is a dedicated person who loves music and to work with young people. Most of all Cedric believes that to achieve your goals you must work hard, be reliable and work with a smile because Gods got it |
BRIDGET HERMANO
VOICEBridget Hermano is a Private Voice instructor born and raised in Seattle, WA. Starting early, she was enrolled into the Seattle Girls' Choir at the age of 10. She then became a vocal student of popular singer/songwriter of the Philippines, Cecile Azarcon Inocentes for 7 years.
Throughout the years Bridget received additional vocal training at the University of Washington and with vocal coach, Craig Derry in New York City. She became involved in local music ministries and worship teams and has entered and won several singing and songwriting competitions. Her popular accolades include Kiro 7's televised singing competition Seattle's Stars as a Viewer's Choice finalist and recently making the girls Top 20 contenders in FOX's American Idol 2013. "Voice lessons empowered and uplifted my life at a young age and I'd love to do the same for others. It's always a blessing to participate in competitions and events but there is no joy comparable to helping students reach their goals vocally." - Bridget |
ZACH TRANDUM
VOICEZach Trandum planted his roots in Jazz, but is well versed in multiple styles and genres. He’s spent 4 years studying jazz and vocal performance at Bellevue College, soaking up experience performing in their elite vocal ensemble, Celebration.
Zach has had nearly a decade performing professionally as a singer/songwriter in various venues and churches around the greater Seattle area, sharing the stage with the likes of Allen Stone, NBC’s The Sing Off finalists Groove For Thought, and some of today’s heavy hitting jazzers like Wally Gator Watson, Christian Fabien, and Kuni Mikami, who frequent the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival near Pulman Washington. Zach's love for songwriting drives his his passion to see peoples creativity stirred by music. He has a particular passion for young people and seeing them dig in to what they truly love. “I believe our gifts should be used to stir the gifts in those we come in contact with.” A CD is available on ITunes. |
NATHANIEL DYBEVIK
PIANONathaniel Dybevik is a piano accompanist and performer residing in Tacoma Washington. He began playing the piano at the age of 7, studying classical and jazz piano with Scott Reed in Issaquah Washington.
Continuing his study of music at Washington State University, he studied classical piano with Margaret Brink, and jazz with Charles Argersinger, and began to experiment with different genres of music, playing with various blues and rock and roll groups as a keyboardist. Currently, Nathaniel accompanies at the Tacoma City Ballet, Harbor Dance and is a sub at various churches in Tacoma. When he is not accompanying or performing, he works as a piano technician and tuner for the south sound region, and as a music instructor. Nathaniel is an active pupal of Obi Manteufel and has been studying piano performance and piano rebuilding under his instruction for the past 5 years. |
KEN JACOBSEN
GUITARS/UKULELE/CELLO/ MANDOLINKen Jacobsen is a guitarist, cellist, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer who currently lives in Tacoma WA and teaches there as well as Vashon Island. He has a degree in classical guitar performance and has performed and recorded many different classical styles including Renaissance, Baroque, Spanish/Flamenco, Brazilian guitar, Tango and modern music. He performs regularly as a solo guitarist and with various ensembles including Tacomas's Verde ensemble and the Vashon-Maury Island Chamber Orchestra. He also loves playing Jazz guitar, everything from Duke Ellington to Miles Davis and John Coltrane, Bossa Nova, and Cuban Son. Ken has been playing cello as well for many years, beginning in college with an irresistible urge to learn the Bach Cello Suites, and currently performs regularly on electric cello with loops and effects, creating multi-layered ambient soundscapes. His love of world and folk music led him to the Middle Eastern Oud, Hammered Dulcimer, Mandolin and Djembe.
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ELENA MAQUE (SAXOPHONE)
Growing up in a rich cultural center of Russia, St.-Petersburg , Elena Maque was always drawn to art. . Elena`s first instrument was piano, which she started playing at the age six. By her teenage years Elena became fascinated with jazz music which eventually determined her switch to saxophone. Great passion for jazz as she entered Mussorgsky College of Music in St.Petersburg gave way to many musical collaborations and projects in the future. Being a student of legendary russian jazz giant Gennady Golshtein she was offered to join his big band "Saxophones of St.Petersburg" which carried in it some of the finest musicians of the city.
Alongside school and jazz band , Elena was consistently playing in a local church band where she would develop her skills in gospel and funk styles. Her interest in funk grew as she was mentored by a renowned saxophonist, her inspirator and a good friend in Latvia,Riga - Dennis Pashkevich.
After moving to the US Elena Maque continued her music journey. Here she was deeply influenced by her new friend and mentor, Alexey Nikolaev. Elena has been playing with various Seattle musicians as well as working on her own compositions and teaching saxophone for the past several years.
Elena Maque has always worked on developing and evolving her individuality in music. Desire to create music that would show her european roots, deep love for jazz and vast experience in electro sound inspired Elena to form her current band, MaqueAttack.
Alongside school and jazz band , Elena was consistently playing in a local church band where she would develop her skills in gospel and funk styles. Her interest in funk grew as she was mentored by a renowned saxophonist, her inspirator and a good friend in Latvia,Riga - Dennis Pashkevich.
After moving to the US Elena Maque continued her music journey. Here she was deeply influenced by her new friend and mentor, Alexey Nikolaev. Elena has been playing with various Seattle musicians as well as working on her own compositions and teaching saxophone for the past several years.
Elena Maque has always worked on developing and evolving her individuality in music. Desire to create music that would show her european roots, deep love for jazz and vast experience in electro sound inspired Elena to form her current band, MaqueAttack.
ADAM SYED (VIOLIN)
Adam Syed eAdam Syed has devoted himself to teaching and performing the violin for more than a decade. He is new to the Pacific Northwest and originally hails from Ohio. Himself a child of the Suzuki Violin Method, Mr. Syed began his first violin lessons at age 3 at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music.
Mr. Syed began his undergraduate training at the Ohio State University, where he studied under the late Michael Davis, who was first prize winner of the Carl Flesch Violin Competition, as well as concertmaster of both the Scottish National Orchestra and the Columbus Symphony. After three years, Mr. Syed transferred overseas to his teacher's own Alma Mater, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied with the world renowned pedagogue Yfrah Neaman and completed his B. Mus. degree with Honors. His Masters studies brought him home to Ohio, where he received the tutelage of David Updegraff at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Since completing college, Mr. Syed has performed in orchestras, and taught, extensively. He recently completed a decade's worth of tenure with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as a core member of the violin section. In addition to also performing regularly with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, he has performed with the Ohio orchestras of Canton, Youngstown, Opera Columbus, Opera Circle Cleveland, Mansfield, Ohio Valley Symphony, and River City Symphony as well as Huntington WV. In 2004, Mr. Syed embarked on a 3-week tour of Taiwan as a member of the Atlanta Pops Orchestra.
Mr. Syed has personal friends and professional contacts in the Pacific Northwest, and in 2014 decided his life needed some new adventure, and from the flat wheat fields of Ohio, the mountains and Puget Sound appeared very appealing, and, realizing that one can play and teach violin anywhere, decided to embark upon a new chapter of life's journey. In his short time so far in Seattle, Mr. Syed has performed with the orchestras of Tacoma, Yakima, Lake Washington, Federal Way, Pacific Northwest Lyric Opera, in addition to chamber ensembles for weddings and other events. In addition to being a new faculty member of PNSM, Mr. Syed has been regularly serving as orchestra violin coach in the music program at Bellevue's Newport High School.
Mr. Syed is thrilled to be in a position to artistically serve the musical communities and programs of this most beautiful and culturally diverse part of our country.
Mr. Syed began his undergraduate training at the Ohio State University, where he studied under the late Michael Davis, who was first prize winner of the Carl Flesch Violin Competition, as well as concertmaster of both the Scottish National Orchestra and the Columbus Symphony. After three years, Mr. Syed transferred overseas to his teacher's own Alma Mater, the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, where he studied with the world renowned pedagogue Yfrah Neaman and completed his B. Mus. degree with Honors. His Masters studies brought him home to Ohio, where he received the tutelage of David Updegraff at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
Since completing college, Mr. Syed has performed in orchestras, and taught, extensively. He recently completed a decade's worth of tenure with the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as a core member of the violin section. In addition to also performing regularly with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, he has performed with the Ohio orchestras of Canton, Youngstown, Opera Columbus, Opera Circle Cleveland, Mansfield, Ohio Valley Symphony, and River City Symphony as well as Huntington WV. In 2004, Mr. Syed embarked on a 3-week tour of Taiwan as a member of the Atlanta Pops Orchestra.
Mr. Syed has personal friends and professional contacts in the Pacific Northwest, and in 2014 decided his life needed some new adventure, and from the flat wheat fields of Ohio, the mountains and Puget Sound appeared very appealing, and, realizing that one can play and teach violin anywhere, decided to embark upon a new chapter of life's journey. In his short time so far in Seattle, Mr. Syed has performed with the orchestras of Tacoma, Yakima, Lake Washington, Federal Way, Pacific Northwest Lyric Opera, in addition to chamber ensembles for weddings and other events. In addition to being a new faculty member of PNSM, Mr. Syed has been regularly serving as orchestra violin coach in the music program at Bellevue's Newport High School.
Mr. Syed is thrilled to be in a position to artistically serve the musical communities and programs of this most beautiful and culturally diverse part of our country.
ELAINA MALCOLM
PIANO, GUITARElaina has taught music for almost twenty years, working mostly as an elementary music specialist for the Highline Public Schools where she now teaches choir.
She studied Music Education at Seattle Pacific University (1998) and has a Master’s in Education from Lesley University (2003). Her musical experience includes leading worship in local area churches, teaching individual and group lessons in piano, voice and guitar, singing with her church choir, and occasionally at open mic nights. |
CHAZ ROGERS
GUITARSChaz Rogers graduated magna cum laude from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Music in Guitar Performance in 2010. At the university, Chaz studied with Steve Novacek and Michael Partington, and performed in masterclasses with David Russell, Paul Galbraith, Eduardo Fernandez, and others.
Chaz won second prize at the 2008 Northwest Guitar Festival competition held in Seattle. Chaz is currently living in Olympia, where he performs and teaches. |
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Michael Podupeyko is a saxophonist and
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