Founding Members
Daniel Trahey
Founder & Creative Director, Teaching Artist
Daniel Trahey is a musician, educator, innovator, and social entrepreneur. He co-created Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s “OrchKids” program, and founded the El Sistema-inspired program “Tuned-In” at the Peabody Institute where he teaches creative composition and community engagement. Dan plays Tuba for the Archipelago Project and the Austria based RET Brass Band and has performed worldwide for hundreds of thousands of children, specifically targeting impoverished areas with little access to live performance.
Dan is a consultant for programs desiring to use music as a vehicle for social change. He has helped start El Sistema-inspired programs in places such as Charlotte, Chicago, Ft.Worth, Innsbruck, Allentown, Waterbury, Alexandria, Kalamazoo, and Miami. Over the past decade, he has developed a vehicle for nurturing youth voice called Collective Composition, facilitating large-scale compositions with organizations around the world. Dan holds a M.M. from Yale and a B.M.E from Peabody.
Pete Tashjian
Music Director, Teaching Artist
Earning a Downbeat Award for his High School jazz combo as well as the Louis Armstrong Award, Pete attended the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University where he studied with 7 time Grammy Award winner Paul Wertico, Ed Harrison (Lyric Opera), as well as Reuben Alvarez (LP).
Since graduating in 2010, Pete has been actively involved in El Sistema US and music education for social change. Working with the Tuned-In Program (Peabody Institute) and ORCHkids (Baltimore Symphony Orchestra) in Baltimore and El Sistema Ravinia and the YOURS Project in Chicago. He currently leads a bucket band program at SHIFT: Englewood on the southside of Chicago.
Pete is also an active member of the Chicago music scene performing with Miss Remember, the Goran Ivanovic Trio, the Localvores and has been a featured soloist with the Indianapolis Symphony, the Grand Rapids Symphony and the Alexandria Symphony.
Amy Owens
Director of Public Relations, Teaching Artist
Amy Owens is an award-winning soprano, enjoying a diverse career in concert work, opera, new music, alternative pop, and jazz. She has appeared in venues ranging from the Blues Tent in New Orleans (Jazz Fest 2019) to Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center with renowned orchestras and opera countries across the world, including the National Symphony, Utah Symphony, Santa Fe Opera, Wolf Trap Opera, Dallas Opera, and Houston Grand Opera. She released her debut album of original alternative music, HAETHOR, last year. As an emerging industry leader and conductor, she has participated in the Hart Institute for Women Conductors at Dallas Opera and the International Conducting Workshop Festival in Bulgaria. She is a founder and artistic director of Bel Canto Productions in Westwood, New Jersey, and project manager for Access Opera. She is a sought-after project consultant and developer of new musical works.
Garrett Mendez
Ensemble Arranging with Music Technology Tools, Teaching Artist
Garrett Mendez is the Director of Instrumental Music at King School, in Stamford. Additionally, he is the founding Artistic Director of Project Music, an intensive after-school program for underserved youth, and the Artistic Director of the Archipelago Project, an acclaimed chamber music ensemble and organization that is dedicated to advocating the musical arts through performance, residency, and consultation. As an active performer, Garrett tours with Archipelago around the world and is currently the bass trombonist with the Bridgeport and Waterbury Symphonies. He has played with prestigious ensembles throughout the Midwest such as the Detroit Chamber Winds and performed with groups including the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Sigmund Romberg Orchestra, and Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra. An active educator as well as a performer, Garrett has been the Adjunct Professor of Trombone at Albion College in Albion, MI, as well as serving as a sabbatical replacement for Elliot Chasnov’s University of Illinois Trombone Studio in 2005. Garrett received has an ABD in Musical Arts from the University of Illinois, and has received Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Trombone Performance and Chamber Music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
Armand Hall
Co-Director of Teacher Training, Teaching Artist
Armand Hall is Executive and Artistic Director of the ROCmusic Collaborative in Rochester, NY. This program is designed to offer access to access instrumental music instruction for students in Rochester. Armand Arrived in Rochester from the University of Memphis, where for six years he was Associate Director of Bands and Coordinator of Instrumental Music Education. Dr. Hall has taught, adjudicated, and been a clinician at the middle school and high school levels, in addition to collegiate teaching, and worked as a teaching artist in El Sistema-inspired community music programs around the country. It was a trip to Acarigua Portuguesa, Venezuela as a guest artist in 2009 with Roberto Zambrano created a paradigm shift in his teaching and purpose; this experience solidified his desire to work in El Sistema-inspired community work. He earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Michigan, and a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Wind Conducting from Michigan State University. As a conductor and clarinetist, Dr. Hall is very interested in the pedagogy “how” and purpose “why” we teach, ready to help anyone explore how to be more passionate and effective in the music we make together.
Teaching Artist Curators
Daniel Trahey- Tuba, Founder-OrchKids, Peabody Tuned-In, The Archipelago Project
Pete Tashjian- Director of Percussion-SHIFT Englewood
Natalie Frakes- Violin, Detroit Public Schools
Garrett Mendez- Trombone, Arranging, Founder- Project Music, The Archipelago Project
Armand Hall- Conductor, Rehearsal Influencer, Clarinet, Music Teacher Training Specialist, Director of ROC Music
Aja Black- Social Activist, Hip Hop Artist
Producers
Jim Tashjian- Guitarist, Composer
Ben Hoyt- acoustic and electronic violin, music production and recording arts
Osi Atikpoh- Tuba, Producer
Steve Hackman- Conductor/Composer
Julian Wild- Songwriter, Coach, Producer, Singer, Guitarist
Chelsey Green- Violinist, The Green Project
Paul Bedal- Pianist, Composer
Charles Williams
Student Producers and Student Workshop Leaders
Lowrider James
Keyona Carrington
Neema Robinson
Jelil Missouri
Brayden Edwards
Jayden Moore
Lewis Boyd
Tyree Huddelston
Cultural Ambassadors
Josh Moshier- Composer, “Looney Tunes”
Goran Ivanovic- Guitarist, Composer
Thornetta Davis- Blues Singer
Carlton Washington- Blues Guitarist
Emily Smith- Voice, Arts Integration, Former Director-Alexandria Symphony Orchestra’s Sympatico
Ruben Hernandez Diaz- Percussion, ESL Specialist, San Diego Youth Symphony
Amy Owens- Soprano, Entrepreneur, Artistic Director-Bel Canto Productions
Michael Kelly- Baritone, RISE, Song Fusion
Jorge Soto- Conductor,
Devron Dennis-Percussion, OrchKids
Ayriole Frost-Viola, Director SHIFT Englewood
Kayin Scanterbury- Percussion- Tuned In
Ethan Lucas- Percussion Teacher-Harmony Program
Mateen Milan- Bassoonist, Founding Member-Tuned In
Mollie Westbrook- OrchKids
Joe Hamm- Soundscapes
Murray Piper- OrchKids
Chris Baker- Drummer, Recording Artist, Financial Literacy Specialist
Gabriel Globus-Honich- International Drumming Teacher, Recording Artist
Roberto Zambrano- Founding Cellist-Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Director-Dallas Symphony Sistema
Ashley Summer Baker- Canadian Jazz Bassist- Bass Teacher- Merritt School of Chicago
Calida Jones- Violinist, Diversity Specialist, Hartt School of Music
Tia Harvey- Percussion, Early Childhood Specialist with focus in Restorative Justice, Teacher-Accent Pontiac
Patrick Whelan- Multi-Instrumentalist, Teacher- Cary Grove High School
Gabriel Gutierez- Former Trumpet-Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Teacher- Miami Music Project
Phil Blackman- Director of Music Business, Ithaca College
Monique Van Willing- Director of Arts in Teaching, Longy School of Music
Joseph Young- Conductor/Director of Conducting Studies, Peabody Conservatory
Fiona Cunningham-Director of Sistema England
Jacomo Bairos- Conductor, Nu Deco Ensemble
Katie Wyatt- Executive Director of El Sistema USA
Xavier Verna- Executive Director-Ramsdell Regional Center for the Arts
Mike Angell- Director of Performing Arts Grants at Paul M. Angell Family Foundation
Lauren Rausch- Conservatory Director, San Diego Youth Symphony
Chris Baker- Drummer, Recording Artist, Financial Literacy Specialist
Eric Booth- Facilitator, Teaching Artist Trainer
Sandra Ragusa- Conductor, flutist, educator
Stanford Thompson- Founder-Play on Philly
Brian Prechtl- Percussion, Percussionist, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra.
Ned Sparrow- Author, Poet, Professor of Literature MICA
Yoshi Horiguchi- Peabody Bass Works
Myka Miller- CEO, Harmony Project
Rosendo Pena- Percussion, KidzNotes
Hakeem Bilal- Bass Trombone, River CIty Brass Band
Lorrie Murray- Founder, Executive Director- Bay Area Music Project
Ron Davis Alverez- Founder-Dream Orchestra, Artistic Director-El Sistema Sweden
Tricia Tunstall- Author, Musician
Eliza Minster- Education program manager, Kimmel Center
Verna Kaunisto-Feodorow- Violinist, Sistema Europe Board Member
Jake Bernsten- CEO, keyboardist, and producer of Beauty Slap
Bonny Tynch- Associate Director at Strathmore Children’s Chorus, co-founder BRIDGES: Harmony through Music
Leland Shaw- cellist
DeTrece Lavender- Vocal/Choral Teaching artist-OrchKids, Director of Counseling and Mental Health-Saint Frances Academy
Aristides Rivas - Cello Faculty, California Baptist University/YOLA
Kyle Masson- Vocalist, Historical Musicology, Opera and Choral Arts
Etienne Abelin- Violin, Music: Eyes, music animation
Benjamin Wamocho- percussion, guitar, flute, orchestral librarian, arrangements, transcriptions
Lindsay Bobyak- Strings, Brass, String Instrument Technology, Aspen Music Festival, Jazz Aspen Snowmass
Leah McGray- Conductor
Jay Colwell- Singing Body Clinic
Cemiyon Barber- dancer
Carlton Ford- Baritone, Pedagogue
Wellness Advisors
Natalie Frakes- Mindfulness Instructor
Gabriel Colby- Life Skills Coach/Trombonist, Beauty Slap
Ari Urban- Violist, Artist Empowerment Coach
Amy Owens- Soprano, Holistic Wellness Advocate
Parent Advisors
Lynette Fields, Baltimore, MD
Ebony Simms-Peoples, Pontiac, MI
Carol Moore, Baltimore, MD