Suzuki Program

ADJUNCT AND GROUP CLASS TEACHERS

Daniel Mieloch moved to Illinois in 2003 to attend SIUE and earn his Master's Degree in Conducting after attaining his Bachelor's Degrees in Music Education and Violin Performance from Lebanon Valley College.  Daniel Mieloch is Director of Orchestras at Fort Zumwalt West High School.  Daniel has been honored to work with the SIUE Suzuki Department since the spring of 2010 and is the Principal Conductor of the Edwardsville Youth Orchestra

Vera Parkin, pianist, made her debut under the auspices of the Artist Presentation Society in 1985.  Educated at Northwestern University, Southern Illinois University, and Washington University, her teachers have included Ruth Slenczynska and Seth Carlin.  Vera has been a keyboardist with the St. Louis Symphony since 1986, and is a frequent participant in the orchestra’s Community Partnerships outreach concerts.  As a pedagogue, Vera is the founding director and Artistic Director of the Preparatory Program for gifted music students at the Community Music School of Webster University. During the summer months, she is the Director of Student Life and a teaching artist at the Innsbrook Institute and Festival.

Courtney King, a native of Oswego, Illinois, holds a Bachelor of Flute Performance from DePaul University (2000) in Chicago where she studied under Mary Stolper, soloist and chamber performer and regularly performed for Donald Peck, former principal flutist in the CSO.  She was a member of the US Air Force Band of Flight stationed at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base until 2004. She also performed with the US Air Force Band of Mid-America at Scott AFB for recordings and touring until 2007.  Courtney has played for Presidents, U.S. and foreign dignitaries, veterans and Americans of all ages!  Even with all that excitement, she decided staying home with her children was way more fun! Today, she is a homeschooling mother of 3 amazing kids (all in this program!) She holds a small flute studio from her home and performs Flute/Piccolo in the Belleville Philharmonic.

Graduate Students—2012-2013

Mariana Wood is originally from Sao Paulo – Brazil. She initiated her violin studies in 1999 with the renowned violinist Renata Jaffe, through the Method Jaffe of Strings. Mrs. Wood is a former member of the String Orchestra Acorde para as Cordas of Sao Paulo, which performed about 25 concerts a year. For two years Mariana was member of the Camerata Sao Paulo, performing classical, jazz, and pop music in a number of different States of Brazil. In 2006 she moved to the U.S. to continue her music studies. Mrs. Wood graduated with a bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the University of Missouri-St Louis, where she studied under the Arianna String Quartet. Mariana Wood is currently a student of Dr. Lenora Anop at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; she is pursuing a Masters Degree in Violin Performance and Suzuki pedagogy. Upon graduation, Mrs. Wood plans to continue growing as a musician, expanding her private studio, contributing to existing music projects, and possibly creating her own string program in the Saint Louis area.

Emily Rockers began her violin studies at the age of three at the Community Music School (CMS) at Webster University. Along with workshops and group classes at CMS,  Emily was also a member of the CMS String Orchestra, Young People's Concert Orchestra, and Young People's Symphonic Orchestra. She then went on to perform with the St. Louis Symphony Youth Orchestra (200-2004).

While obtaining her Bachelor's Degree from University of Missouri-St. Louis, Emily performed with the Lincoln Symphony in Nebraska and did recording work-one that was a charity CD project with all of the profits going to Catholic Urban Programs in East St. Louis.

Most recently Emily went on tour with the New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players and performed a concert alongside the Black Eyed Peas that became a TV special that featured the 'I Am First' Robotics Tournament at the end of April 2011.

As a child, Emily attended numerous Suzuki workshops in Missouri, Illinois, and Tennessee. She had the privileged opportunity to have two private lessons with John Kendall. Emily has studied with Rose Martin (1989-2000); Manuel Ramos (2000-2004); David Neely (2004-2005); John McGrosso, David Gillham, and the Arianna String Quartet (2005-2010).

Gretchen Grube graduated with a Bachelor of Music in Violin Performance with an emphasis in Suzuki Pedagogy from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) in May 2012.She performed with the UWSP Symphony Orchestra and Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra. Gretchen was concert mistress of the UWSP Symphony Orchestra for two years.She was involved in the Very Young Composers Project of Stevens Point. The program is led by Jon Deak (New York Philharmonic Bassist) and Robert Rosen (Faculty of UWSP). The Very Young Composers Project teaches music composition to 4^th and 5^th grade students.

Gretchen also enjoys scrapbooking, playing with her cat, and eating ice cream!

Khrystyne Steele began playing violin when she was five years old for the Southern Illinois Saluki Suzuki Program in Carbondale, Illinois. Prior to attending Lindenwood University, she was a member of the Mellado Conservatory for twelve years. During her college career at Lindenwood, she served in the Lindenwood University String Ensemble, Lindenwood Trio, Missouri All-Collegiate Orchestra and was concertmaster of the Lindenwood Symphonic Orchestra. Outside of her academic work, she actively maintained the office of Treasurer of the Collegiate Music Educators National Conference (CMENC) and served as President of the Kappa Nu Chapter of the Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity for women. She is also a member of the national honor society Alpha Lambda Delta. Khrystyne is a member of the St. Louis Civic Orchestra and the Saint Louis Philharmonic Orchestra.

Renita Luehrman grew up in the St. Louis area and began violin lessons at the age of four. In 2009, she graduated from the University of Missouri- St. Louis where she received a Bachelor’s of Music degree focusing on violin performance. While there, she had the opportunity to study under the Arianna String Quartet and developed a passion for working with under-served areas, sharing her love for and knowledge of music with communities all around the St. Louis area. She looks forward to her time at SIUE, simultaneously learning and teaching in the Suzuki program!

Kindermusik

Ellen Singh has had a lifelong joy of and experience with music and young children.  She has been a licensed Kindermusik educator since 2004.  A graduate of both the University of Evansville (B.S. in Sociology and Interpersonal Communications) and the University of Illinois (Master's Degree in Social Work), she has a broad spectrum of educational and clinical experiences including child development, group dynamics, and relationship building which are essential in teaching music to children and their families. 

Musically, she has her foundations in many years of piano and flute lessons as well as having taught herself to play electric bass guitar.  She has performed in various groups throughout high school and college.  Additionally, she has enjoyed the opportunities of performing (flute) in her church and in various community orchestras throughout the country. 

As a licensed Kindermusik educator, Ellen brings the love of music, movement, and learning to children and families in this community, in partnership with the SIUE Suzuki program, in her Kindermusik classes. Her greatest love is being a mother of her four young children.