Music Faculty
Department Chair, Fine & Performing Arts
Music Program Director
Coordinator of Music Theory, Composition, and Music Technology Studies
While primarily a composer of chamber works and intermedia pieces, Dr. Schindler has received numerous commissions from the Western Illinois University Theatre Department for music for their Mainstage productions, including Life is a Dream, The Tempest, Comedy of Errors, The Shadow Box, and many others), and from Phoenix College’s Theatre Program (Blood Wedding, Measure for Measure, She Kills Monsters, and others). In addition, he has been the resident music director for PC’s musical theatre productions since 2011.
Dr. Schindler’s primary focus is the exploration of the theatrical side of concert music. To this end, he has created intermedia pieces that incorporate multiple slide projectors, lighting effects, and require a certain level of theatrics from the musicians involved. His first piece in this “multimedia cantata” genre, the enthusiastically received The War Poems, used five slide projectors with hundreds of World War I era photos, synchronized to his musical setting of poems by Siegfried Sassoon. The second large-scale work in this genre was based on texts from Edgar Lee Master's Spoon River Anthology, entitled Ghost Voices: Songs from a Cemetery.
Karl Schindler has won Distinguished Teaching Awards from Phoenix College and Arizona State University.
Courses Taught: Music Theory, Aural Perception, Electronic Music I-III, Sound Synthesis, Sound Design, Survey of Broadway Musicals, Music Composition private instruction
Degrees: BM, University of North Texas; MM, University of North Texas; DMA, Arizona State University
Coordinator of Instrumental Studies
Dr. Rose French is the founder of the Mill Ave Chamber Players, a chamber ensemble that has been recognized locally and nationally for its work over the past 15 years. She has been a contributing artist at the International Horn Symposiums in Ithaca, Los Angeles, London, Natal (Brazil), Brisbane (Australia), and Cape Town (South Africa), where she also won the Dorothy Frizelle International Horn Excerpt Competition. In the Southwest, Rose is principal horn of the West Valley Symphony and performs with the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, Tucson Symphony, Flagstaff Symphony, Orquestra Sinfonica de Monterrey, Orquestra de Baja California, and has toured China twice as principal horn of the American Festival Orchestra. Rose has been a guest artist and chamber music coach at the Saarburg International Chamber Music Festival (Germany), Interlochen Center for the Arts, and the Arizona Chamber Music Experience.
She served as Exhibits and Advertising Coordinator for the International Horn Society, maintains a private studio, and teaches at Rosie's House: a non-profit music academy that provides free instruction and instruments to under-served youth. She has published two books, Rangesongs (2012) and Horn Player’s Songbook (2015), both published by Mountain Peak Music.
Courses Taught: Survey of American Music, Survey of Music History, Community Band, French Horn private instruction
Degrees: BS & BM, Duquesne University; MM, Arizona State University; DMA, Arizona State University
Coordinator of Vocal Studies
Honors Program Director
Dr. Kenny Miller joined Phoenix College as the Coordinator of Vocal Studies and director of the Choirs at Phoenix College in 2008. With the choirs, he has prepared and conducted Mozart's Vesperae solennes de confessore, Vaughan William's In Windsor Forest, Rutter's Requiem, Thompson's Frostiana, Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy, and many others, including the Arizona premier of Gene Koshinski's Concerto for Marimba and Choir with Percussion.
Dr. Miller is also the founder, Executive Director, and singer with the early music ensemble HELIOS: a modern renaissance. Their first album, à7, was released in 2021 and can be streamed and purchased on all of the major streaming services. He is a former singer and an assistant conductor of the Grammy Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, with whom he recorded the highly acclaimed album Northern Lights, released on the Chandos label in 2012 and the 2016 Grammy Award Winning Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil. Additionally, he is the co-founder of ArtSong Rising, which aims to continue the tradition of art song throughout the west coast region of the US. In 2019, Kenny was featured as a singer and arranger on internationally acclaimed guitarist Nils Lofgren’s recording Blue with Lou.
Kenny’s performance studies have led him to work with Ian Partridge of London’s Royal Academy of Music and Stephen Banfield of Bristol University, England. His conducting and performance practice studies have included the involvement of such musicians as Siegbert Rampe and Stanly Ritchie.
Courses Taught: Survey of Music History, Concert Choir, Chamber Choir, Community Choir, Voice private instruction
Degrees: BM, Arizona State University; MM, Arizona State University; DMA, Arizona State University
Program Director, Music Industry Studies
Multi-platinum award winning engineer, producer and musician, Jamison Weddle, has worked with major-label artists ranging from SoulFly to DMX.
After graduating from The Recording Workshop in Ohio, Jamison came back to his home state of Arizona. He soon began working as an engineer for one of the state’s leading sound recording facilities, Chaton Studios, where he gained the opportunity to work on projects like DMX’s albums “Grand Champ” & “The Great Depression.”
Over the years Jamison has also worked on projects including artists: SoulFly, Kenny Rogers, Nils Lofgren, Joey Defrancesco, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Dave Grohl’s Probot, David Crosby and Grahm Nash, Willie Nelson, Caesar Bach, and many more.
Courses Taught: Studio Music Recording I-III, Audio Mixing Techniques
Coordinator of Piano Studies
Pianist Jessica J. Yam, DMA has developed an international career as soloist, chamber artist, masterclass teacher, lecturer, juror, and director of various artistic programs. Accolades include the Chopin Foundation of the United States Scholarship as one of two national recipients of her generation and orchestral engagements with Baltimore, MusicaNova, New England Philharmonic, Young People Symphony orchestras, among others. Æterna Sirius, her duo with Swedish-American pianist Elias-Axel Pettersson, has concertized and given masterclasses across North America.
Jessica is Artistic Director of distinguished Arizona Piano Institute and co-directs Southwest Piano Festival in Albuquerque. She is on faculty at Adamant Music School in Vermont alongside a globally-renowned roster, teaching at their summer festival for gifted preparatory to doctoral level pianists.
Dr. Yam has been on faculty at Arizona State University; the Maricopa Community Colleges; Southwestern College; Rosie’s House, a music academy for socioeconomically-underprivileged students, where she co-chairs the piano department; and served on staff at San Francisco Conservatory Preparatory and Adult Extension Divisions. Yam maintains a private piano studio in Tempe, Arizona. Her students have won numerous prizes from local to international levels and gone on to prestigious programs.
Courses Taught: Class Piano, Intro to Music Theory, Survey of American Music, Private piano instruction
Degrees: BM, Eastman School of Music; MM, San Francisco Conservatory of Music; DMA, Arizona State University
Ryan Anthony is a jazz percussionist with an active career as a live performer, recording artist, composer, arranger, and educator in the greater Phoenix area. A versatile musician conversant in a wide range of styles, Ryan has worked with Bob Mintzer, Bert Dalton, Chris Calloway, Rick DellaRatta, Glenn White, Michael Kocour, Mary Petrich, Will Goble, Armand Boatman, Mike Crotty, and many others. As a member of the Scottsdale Community College Jazz Orchestra, Ryan has performed on stage with John Clayton, John Hollenbeck, Meguel Zenon, and Marshall Gilkes. He is also a performer and composer in the Phoenix-based band Running From Bears (Edgetone Records) and Union32. Ryan has an abiding interest in many forms of popular music and enjoys working with students who are new to improvisation.
Courses Taught: Large Jazz Ensemble
Degrees: BM, Arizona State University; MM, Arizona State University
Born and raised in Phoenix, Rachael Bastien has enjoyed an extensive performance career, singing multiple operatic, musical theater roles, concerts, and recitals in the U.S., Mexico, and Europe. She has represented Arizona as a regional finalist in the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, been a finalist in the Palm Springs Opera Guild Competition, and an honoree in the Manhattan School of Music Concerto Competition. Mrs. Bastien continues to enjoy a rich performing career paired with her passion for teaching and helping others reach their artistic and educational goals.
Courses Taught: Class Voice, Voice private instruction, Jazz History, Hip-Hop Music & Culture, Music & Culture
Degrees: BA, Northern Arizona University; MA, Manhattan School of Music
Kevin Bock is an active freelance musician and educator in the greater Phoenix area. Mr. Bock has been fortunate to perform all over the world as an orchestral musician in Europe, Asia, North, and South America. He has performed with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra, Colorado Music Festival, Arizona Opera, Castleton Opera Orchestra, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, New World Symphony, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Boston Pops, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and frequently with the Phoenix Symphony. Mr. Bock has shared the stage with some of the world’s finest conductors, including Frederick Fennell, John Rutter, Leonard Slatkin, Lorin Maazel, and Simon Rattle, among others. As a chamber musician, Mr. Bock has performed at the International Trumpet Guild's Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, the International Horn Society's Conference in Natal, Brazil, and the International Tuba-Euphonium Conference in Tucson, AZ. In 2012 he joined members of the Dallas and Phoenix Symphonies for a brass quintet concert series in Trinidad and Tobago.
Courses Taught: Tuba & Euphonium private instruction
Degrees: BM, Arizona State University; MM, Arizona State University; GD, New England Conservatory
Mike Bolenbach is a music producer and audio engineer with more than 30 years experience, as well as the owner of Full Well Recording Studio in Phoenix AZ. Music production and audio recording are his passions and he brings that excitement into every session. Mike has worked in one capacity or another with mega producers and platinum selling artists such as Bob Ezrin, Rupert Hine, Bobby Taylor, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Slash, Steve Hunter, Don Felder, Joan Jett, and many more.
Courses Taught: Studio Music Recording I, Digital Audio Workstation
Kendra D'Ercole began her musical career as a piano accompanist and theater musician. She has since taught music theory and ear training extensively for over two decades and has been a professor at Phoenix College since 2004. As a composer, she views all music as valuable, and she enjoys discovering the worthy aspects of each piece with her students. Her own creative interests center predominantly around vocal music, inspired by the emotional capacity of text. Her recent song cycle, Laughs and Sighs: Four Songs on English Poetry, was released by Albany Records on baritone Robert Barefield's 2018 album, Light Enough. Having directed the music programs for several elementary schools in Southern California, Dr. D'Ercole is also very enthusiastic about early music education and creating music for young ears. Continually inspired by her two children, she is currently focusing on a collaborative album of fun songs which highlight music theory concepts for kids.
Courses Taught: Music Theory I-IV, Aural Perception I-IV
Degrees: AA, Rancho Santiago College; BFA, University of California at Irvine; MM, Northwestern University; DMA, Arizona State University
Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mike Dominguez has taught mariachi music at the elementary, middle, and high school level in the valley since 2003. He began his career with Cartwright Elementary School District Mariachi Serenata, which was comprised of students from Justine Spitalny and Starlight Park Elementary. In 2008, he started Mariachi Las Pumas at Raul H. Castro Middle School in the Cartwright Elementary School District. Mr. Dominguez has been the Director of Bands, Orchestra, and Mariachi at Maryvale High School in the Phoenix Union High School District since 2015. In 2016, Mr. Dominguez, with the help of his students, created Phoenix Union’s only select mariachi ensemble, Mariachi Panteras de Oro. Mr. Dominguez’s students have performed for the Arizona School Board and Arizona Latino School Board Associations, the Arizona State Senate, American Blood Association, Luke Air Force Base, Heard Museum, Phoenix Cinco de Mayo Celebration, many community events including weddings, and twice as an honor group performance at the Arizona Music Educators Association Conference.
Courses Taught: Mariachi Ensemble
Degrees: BME, New Mexico State University; MEL, Northern Arizona University.
Patrick Driscoll is a Front of House engineer, recording engineer, musician, and educator with over 20 years of experience working in the music industry. He has toured and produced live events across the United States, as well as internationally with artists such as Alice Cooper, Joan Jett, Bad Religion, NOFX, Xzibit, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Johnny Depp, Gin Blossoms, Blue Oyster Cult, and KISS. A professor of Live Sound and Stage Technology for five years, Patrick is active in the industry working on local and regional concert productions. As an advocate for collaboration, positivity, and teamwork, he values inclusivity and diversity as a major part of his production teams.
Courses Taught: Live Sound Reinforcement I-III
Wes Hawkins is a percussionist and music educator in the Phoenix area with a diverse array of experiences. Wes is the Regional Director for UpBeat Percussion, a hand drumming and rhythmic literacy program for Title I schools in Phoenix. He is the owner of the Rhythm Is Life Percussion Studio, and maintains an active roster of private students, many of whom have gone on to receive regional, state, and national accolades, or have gone on to earn graduate degrees, teach percussion at the college level, or become professional performers. Wes also leads the Rhythm Is Life Steel Band, and is in demand as a drummer/percussionist for several musical organizations in the Phoenix area.
Courses Taught: Jazz History, Percussion Ensemble, Steel Pan Ensemble, Percussion private instruction
Degrees: BM, University of Arizona; MM, Arizona State University
Dr. Sabrina Hu enjoys a versatile career as a performer, educator, and director. She has performed in many prestigious venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York City, the National Concert Hall in Ireland, and recitals throughout major halls in the U.S., Europe and Asia. Sabrina’s performances have been broadcast live on BBC, RTE and RTHK television and radio. Previous teaching positions have included Rhodes College in Memphis TN, Lycoming College in PA, and the National University of Ireland. Sabrina has performed in several orchestras, including the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, RTE National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, the Wexford Opera Orchestra, the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, and the Phoenix Symphony. As an avid chamber musician, Sabrina is a member of Trio Festivale and a Woodwind Quintet, the Mill Avenue Chamber Players in Phoenix, AZ. Sabrina is also founding Co-Artistic Director of the innovative chamber music festival in Europe, The Walled City Music Festival in Derry, Northern Ireland.
Courses Taught: Flute Choir, Flute private instruction
Degrees: BM, Mannes College of Music; MM, Royal Northern College of Music; DMA, Michigan State University
Matt Kirkpatrick was born and raised in San Diego, CA. He has been in the Marketing and Promotions Department of the Radio Industry for over 20 years, starting at Q106, Channel 93.3, and Magic 92.5. Kirkpatrick moved to Phoenix in November of 2000 to work at KKFR/Power 92.3 where he spent seven years as a Promotions Coordinator and later Promotions Director, also hosting an underground hip hop show called “Friday Night Flavas.” In 2007, Kirkpatrick left Power 98.3 to work at KZON/101.5 Jamz as the Marketing and Promotions Director for two years and started another underground hip hop show called “Rhyme and Reason.” He also worked as the Promotions Director for KAJM/Mega 104.3 and KNRJ/101.1 The Beat as well as in Artist Management and DJ’ing all over the Valley.
Courses Taught: Music Business, Music Industry Entrepreneurship, Self Promotion for Music
Laura Meador teaches guitar courses at Phoenix College. Additionally, she is a certified Instrumental Music Teacher with Phoenix Elementary School District No.1 and Education Coordinator with Guitar Foundation of America. Before pursuing her degrees at Arizona State University, she was also an alumna of MCCCD, having studied guitar chamber music and orchestra with Chuck Hulihan and private guitar with John Alverado. Masterclasses participated in are Roland Dyens, Odair Assad, Máximo Diego Pujol, amongst others. Laura has studied with Paul O'Dette at Fondazione Italiana per la Musica Antica in Italy and with Gerald Garcia at International Guitar Festival Iserlohn in Germany, and is a graduate of ASU Gammage's Teaching Artist Program (TAP) for Kennedy Center Arts Integration.
Courses Taught: Class Guitar, Private guitar instruction<
Degrees: BA, Arizona State University; MM (Music Education), Arizona State University; MM (Guitar Performance), Arizona State University;
Saxophonist Mary Petrich enjoys a vibrant career as performer and teacher. Her deep love for creativity and improvisation has led her to explore traditional and non-traditional approaches which have developed into a very personalized style of playing and teaching music. Her education focus includes improvisation for all players and saxophone study in both jazz and classical repertoire. She is co-founder/leader of Phoenix Jazz Girls Rising, a project in collaboration with The Nash, that supports youth jazz education for girls. As a performer, Mary has been pursuing her own vision in large and small group settings, with a special love for intimate collaboration of small group settings. She performs locally with The Phoenix Symphony, and has performed at the Twin Cities Jazz Festival and the MIM with Patty Peterson and the Jazz-Women All Stars. Additionally, she has worked with The Temptations, The AZ Music Festival Orchestra, Phoenix Chorale, and Charles Lewis, among others.
Courses Taught: Jazz Combos, Jazz Improvisation, Saxophone private instruction
Degrees: BM, Indiana University; MM, Arizona State University
Sarah Schreffler has an extensive background as a recitalist, chamber musician, and orchestral performer. She is a founding member of the Burn City String Quartet and its sibling ensemble, the violin duo Broke Fiddles. With BCSQ and Broke Fiddles, Dr. Schreffler enjoys the depth of string chamber music repertoire paired with a special focus on the music of Arizona. As a member of BCSQ, she performs as a collaborative artist and soloist with the Cactus Chamber Musicians, who serve the Phoenix area with multifaceted, imaginative programs. She has collaborated on currently available and forthcoming orchestral and chamber music recordings, available on the Con Brio and Summit labels, and is a frequent collaborator in sessions with a variety of recording artists. She holds performance degrees from The Cleveland Institute of Music and Arizona State University, and is currently pursuing certification to teach Dalcroze Eurhythmics from the Dalcroze School of the Rockies.
Courses Taught: Intro to Music Theory, Violin private instruction
Degrees: BM, The Cleveland Institute of Music; MM, The Cleveland Institute of Music; DMA, Arizona State University
Ray Thiry is a musician and educator based in Phoenix, AZ. In addition to teaching at Phoenix College, he teaches guitar classes at Carl Hayden High School and Rosie's House Music Academy. Mr. Thiry keeps an active performance schedule around the Phoenix area and he is happily married with four children.
Courses Taught: Class Guitar
Degrees: BM, Arizona State University; MM, Arizona State University
Danya Tiller has been performing, conducting and teaching in the Phoenix Valley with choirs of all age ranges and levels for the past 20 years. For ten years, Ms. Tiller was the Artistic Director of the Phoenix Girls Chorus, and served as a member of the AzACDA board for seven years. She made her conducting debut at Carnegie Hall in 2016 with Vivaldi’s Gloria and 200 singers from across the USA, and has toured extensively performing with choirs both in this country and worldwide. Danya is an accomplished vocalist and a founding member of Helios, a professional early music ensemble, beginning its seventh season and releasing its first recording this fall. She is also embarking on her seventeenth season singing with the Grammy Award-Winning Phoenix Chorale.
Courses Taught: Treble Choir
Degrees: BM, University of Alabama; MM, University of Alabama
A resident of downtown Phoenix, violist Allyson Wuenschel is honored to be a part of a thriving musical and cultural center. Her passion ignites through performing and teaching; she believes in music as a means for connection, communication and expression and her greatest joy is sharing this with others. An active freelance musician in the Valley, Allyson performs with West Valley Symphony and MusicaNova and is a founding member of the Oracle Piano Quartet and the Burn City String Quartet.
Courses Taught: Viola private instruction
Degrees: BM, Boise State University; MM, San Francisco Conservatory of Music