Lonnie Root – Cello

Background:
Lonnie originally hails from Fairfield, Connecticut. He was immediately drawn to the natural beauty and cultural diversity of Charleston and felt equally about the College of Charleston. He became immediately active within the college as he moved up to co-principal of the orchestra and participated in their chamber groups, concerts, and various master classes under the master tutelage of his teacher Natalia Khoma. His work spread to the community as he began playing weddings, church services, and was given a seat with the Piccolo Spoleto Festival Orchestra under the great maestro Donald Portnoy. Lonnie finished out his last full semester of school playing to a sold out Sottile Theatre of 800 people featuring the works of young composers / arrangers Andrew Walker and Lee Marchbanks featuring their brainchild of Radiohead arrangements for a classical ensemble. He is currently either teaching, or playing in various ensembles and festivals around Charleston as he remains very active in the classical music scene, performing for weddings and private events with the Palmetto Strings.

Qualifications:
BA in Music, College of Charleston
Five years teaching experience
Active performer in the Charleston area

Associations:
Cellist for the Palmetto Strings
Cellist for Milhouse Band
Substitute Cellist for the Charleston Symphony

Bob Williams – Guitar

Background:
Bob Williams has been a performer and educator for over 30 years. After receiving a bachelor of music degree from Methodist University he participated in master classes with Michael Lorimer, a student of Segovia. He has developed classical guitar programs at two colleges in North Carolina and has written two method books which have sold over 4000 copies. Besides performing classical works with chamber groups and the symphonic setting, he has arranged scores of popular arrangements for the classical guitar. These pieces can be heard at the Sanctuary Hotel on Kiawah Island and the Charleston Grill in Charleston Place Hotel downtown where he performs weekly. Many of Bob’s students have gone on to major in classical guitar at various colleges and schools of music as well as attend the Governor’s School guitar program in North and South Carolina. You may also read about his Modern Method Book for Guitar.

Qualifications:
BA in Music
30 years teaching experience
Band Director for 8 years
Active performer for Saxophone & Guitar

Associations:
In-House Musician – Charleston Grill & Jasmine Porch restaurants
Principle Guitarist for the Palmetto Strings

JoAnne Killingsworth – Piano

Background:

JoAnne Killingsworth is a native Charlestonian with twenty-five years of teaching experience.

She is the music director of St. Benedict Catholic Church and performs weekly at the Thoroughbred Club located within the Charleston Place Hotel. Past experience includes twenty three years as a pianist for the restaurant Roberts of Charleston. Students have the opportunity to hear their teacher perform at the Thoroughbred Club every Sunday and Thursday evenings.

Qualifications
25 years teaching experience.

Associations
In-House Musician – Thoroughbred Club at Charleston Place
Music Director of St. Benedict Catholic Church

Andrew Walker – Piano / Keys

Background:
A native of Columbia South Carolina, Andrew Walker transferred to the College of Charleston in 2004 after finishing just one semester studying theatre on a full scholarship at Otterbein College in Columbus, Ohio. As a senior theatre student at the South Carolina Governor’s School for the Arts, Andrew discovered a passion for playing the piano by ear. After having his first piano lesson ever, upon arriving at the College of Charleston, Andrew declared his major in Jazz Performance Piano. He would later shift his focus to Music Theory and Composition, in which he received his degree in 2008.

After graduating from the College of Charleston, Andrew created an arts organization called “Entropy Ensemble” whose mission is to create and present art in a process that is unrestricted by artificial boundaries. Andrew is the musical director, chief arranger and pianist for the group.

When not touring with Entropy Ensemnble, Andrew resides in Charleston, SC where he enjoys teaching piano and music to students of all ages. His approach to teaching begins with the student’s interests in music. Andrew prefers to teach the fundamentals of music through pieces that the student chooses, rather than starting with a beginner piano book. Students wanting to learn how to transcribe, improvise and compose will greatly benefit from Andrew’s approach and will also gain a greater understanding and overview of western music.

Qualifications
5 years teaching experience
B.A. Music Theory and Composition

Associations:
Founder and Executive Director of Entropy Ensemble – www.entropyensemble.com

Jessica Minahan – Piano

Background:
Born in Pennsylvania, Jessica enjoys calling Charleston home. She has been pursuing music from the early age of four when she began taking piano lessons from her mother.

Jessica serves as the church musician at Nativity Catholic Church on James Island, and enjoys actively collaborating with other music artists in the area for concerts, musicals, and special events. She developed her passion for studio piano instruction in high school, teaching after school hours to young children, and has been teaching ever since.

Qualifications:
~Studied Piano Pedagogy 2004-2006 at Northland International University
~Classical Piano Performance Certification through the Carnegie Hall-Royal Conservatory Achievement Program
~10 years of teaching experience and training

Associations:
Conceiver and Producer of the Island Side Concert Series
Music Director at Nativity Catholic Church
SCMTA (South Carolina Music Teachers Association)

Ben Wells – Upright / Electric Bass

Background
Ben Wells was born and raised in Asheville, NC where his interest in music
developed while studying piano at an early age. He was first introduced to
Jazz while attending the Fine Arts Center of Greenville under nationally
recognized instructor Steve Watson. Ben studied Jazz Bass with Frank Duvall
at The College of Charleston earning a Bachelors Degree and an Artist
Certificate in Jazz Performance. Since then, Ben has made a career out of
playing music in venues throughout the Charleston area. His musical career
has taken him to cities along the east coast including New York City and
Washington DC. He has performed in Paris, France with the United States
Musical Ambassadors and also received two “Outstanding Soloist” awards as
well as “Outstanding Musicianship” at the 2008 and 2009 Athens Twilight Jazz
Festival.
Qualifications:
5 Years Teaching Experience
B.A. in Music Performance for Bass / Electric Bass
Active performer in the Charleston area every week

Associations:
Member of the Entropy Ensemble
Member of the Palmetto Strings Jazz Ensemble

Rebeca King – Vocal

Background:
Rebeca King is a prestigious musician, performer, and teacher based in Charleston, South Carolina. She grew up singing and performing in Los Angeles, California beginning with her singing at church from the age of 10. She had joined several ensembles during her Jr. High and High School years and further pursued her passion for music in college. Rebeca graduated with her BA from Vanguard University of Southern California in 2006. She studied music during that time focusing on vocal performance. Rebeca King was trained classically, but has an ability to sing and train others to sing in several genres including: musical theatre, opera, jazz, gospel, rock and pop. Rebeca King has been trained under Dr. James Melton, D.M.A. (University of Arizona) in repertoire study and conducting, Dr. Suzanne Reid, D.M.A. (University of Oklahoma) in voice, and Melody Rossi, M.M. (Cal State Fullerton) in voice.

Throughout her life, Rebeca King has sung with several ensembles performing in places like Carnegie Hall (2002 and 2006), New York, China, Korea, Spain, Guatemala, Israel, Costa Rica, Mexico, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Cuba, Peru, and throughout the U.S. She has sung in several barbershop quartets performing with The Master’s of Harmony Barbershop Chorus, The Westminister Chorus, The Harborlites Chorus, and the OC Times Quartet. She has currently been working with The Black Tie Swing Band based in Charleston and has recently performed at the renowned Riviera Theatre. Rebeca has done much studio recording as a featured soloist, as part of a quartet and part of a choir, as well as a background vocalist.

Qualifications:
6 Years Teaching Experience
Active performer in the Charleston area

Associations:
Lead Vocalist for the Black Tie Swing Band
Principle Vocalist for the Palmetto Strings

Jessica-Hull Dambaugh – Flute

Background:
Known for her technical expertise and rich tone, Jessica Hull-Dambaugh has quickly established herself as an avid orchestral flutist, chamber musician, and teacher. She is currently the Principal Flutist of the Charleston Symphony Orchestra in South Carolina, a position she has held since 2004. She has also spent her summers playing flute and piccolo with the Central City Opera Orchestra in Colorado and is an active member of the Charleston Chamber Players. Prior to her move to Charleston, Jessica held the position of Principal Flute with the Maryland Symphony Orchestra and has performed regularly with the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in Washington, D.C.

Jessica has most recently performed as a soloist with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra and was a featured artist in the 2009 Piccolo Spoleto Festival as part of their Spotlight concert series. She is a featured soloist on Carnegie Mellon’s Fanfare recording, which was compiled as a part of the Carnegie Corporation’s Centennial celebration and has also appeared as a soloist with Pittsburgh’s River City Brass Band as the first flutist ever to perform with the ensemble in their 25 year history. Jessica has also appeared as a soloist with the Long Island Philharmonic, among others. Upcoming solo engagements include the 2010 Piccolo Spoleto Festival, and the 2010 Bar Harbor Music Festival.

As an established teacher, Jessica has served as adjunct Flute faculty at Catholic University in Washington, D.C., has been an adjudicator for numerous competitions, and has taught master classes in both New York and in Washington, D.C. She currently maintains an active studio in Charleston and serves on the board of the South Carolina Flute Society.

Originally from Long Island, New York, Jessica received her B.M. in Flute Performance and Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam where she was a student of Ken Andrews. As a full scholarship and graduate assistantship recipient, she earned her M.M. in Flute Performance at Carnegie Mellon University where she was a student of Jeanne Baxtresser, Retired Principal Flutist of the N.Y. Philharmonic. Other former teachers include Alberto Almarza, Jennifer Conner, and Robert Bush. She plays a Miyazawa Boston Classic RH-9k Gold Flute with Silver Keys.

Qualifications:
10 Years Teaching Experience
B.M in Flute Performance

Associations:
Principle Flutist – Charleston Symphony Orchestra
Principle Flutist for the Palmetto Strings Wedding Ensembles
Member – Charleston Chamber Players

Susan Messersmith – Trumpet

Background:
Susan Sievert Messersmith, a native of northeast Ohio, is the daughter of two organists. She grew up in a very musical environment and began private trumpet studies in high school with Dr. Jack Gallagher at the College of Wooster.
She completed the Bachelor of Music Degree at the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music in 1990 (studying with James Darling and Mary Squire) and graduated summa cum laude, 1st in a class of 920 students. She also attended the Eastman School of Music (studying with Barbara Butler) where, in 1992, she earned a Master of Music in Performance and Literature, as well as the Performer’s Certificate. In 1993, Susan won national auditions for Second Trumpet positions in both the Tucson Symphony and the Charleston (SC) Symphony Orchestra. She signed a contract with the latter and began a 14-year tenure in that position.
In addition to her duties with the Charleston Symphony and CSO Brass Quintet, Ms. Messersmith has been an adjunct faculty member at Charleston Southern University since 1993 (where she teaches trumpet and directs the brass choir), and was a member and co-coordinator of the Spoleto Brass Quintet for many years.
In 2007, she decided to spend more time with family, and resigned from the CSO, though she can still often be seen on the stage with the orchestra, performing as needed. Additionally, she maintains a very busy freelancing and teaching schedule.

Qualifications:
17 Years Teaching Experience
Masters in Trumpet Performance

Associations:
Charleston Symphony Orchestra Member
Principle Trumpet for the Palmetto Strings Wedding Ensembles
Adjunct Faculty at Charleston Southern University