ARTISTIC STAFF

Katherine Plank, Artistic Director

Ms. Plank is the founder and music director of the Oberlin Choristers. A graduate of the University of Louisville, she brought over 20 years of experience as a director of school, church, and community choirs to the Choristers. Ms Plank is trained in Kodaly, Orff Schulwerk, and Dalcroze Eurythmics. Besides Ohio, she has taught and performed in Kentucky and Missouri, and is a frequent clinician at conferences and workshops, drawing on her experience as a choral director and classroom music specialist. Ms. Plank directs the Primary, Concert, and Touring Choirs.

Jennifer Call, Intermediate Choir Director

Jennifer Call is the Choral Director at Olmsted Falls Middle School in Olmsted Falls, OH, where she directs both training and performing choirs for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students. She also directs the Children's Choir at Westlake United Methodist Church that regularly performs for worship and special events. A frequently requested guest conductor, Jennifer served as Children's Choir clinician for North Central Jurisdictiional Conference of the Fellowship of United Methodists in Music and Worship Arts. Jennifer holds a BME from the Ohio State University and is a degree candidate at the University of Akron. She is an active member of Choristers Guild, the American Choral Directors Association, and the Ohio Music Education Association. Jennifer resides in Westlake with her husband Andy and sons Wesley and Eliot.

Valerie Miller, Voice Instructor

Ms. Miller is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Music with a degree in Vocal Performance. She has perfromed with the Opera de Lille in Lille, France, and was a member of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Chorale. She is the Children's Choir instructor at the Arts Academy's in Lorain, teaching both private voice and Kodaly-based General Music classes. Valerie is Kodaly Level I certified. She served as Music Librarian for the Oberlin Choristers for two years.

Cathy Nicholson, Kindermusik™ Teacher

Ms. Nicholson is an Ohio native and has studied voice and music for over 17 years. She holds her Masters of Fine Arts from Ohio University. As an actress, she has performed at many of the area theatres such as the Great Lakes Theatre and the Cleveland Playhouse. Her experience with children involves teaching Kindermusik™ since 2000 and teaching theatre to children at the Cleveland Playhouse, Karamu Theatre, and the Weathervane Theatre in Akron. In addition to teaching with Choristers she has established a private Kindermusik™ studio.

Mark Skladan, Youth Chorale Director

Mr. Skladan graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1986 with a Bachelors of Music Education. He is the current Director of Choral Activities at Amherst Steele High School and Nord Middle School and is adjunct voice instructor at LCCC. He has served on the Oberlin Choristers Board of Directors and substituted as Touring Choir director during Katherine Plank's sabbatical in 2001. He a member of the American Choral Directors Association and Ohio Music Educators Association. The Northeastern Ohio PTA has honored him as Teacher of the Year

Nick Crowther, Youth Chorale Accompanist

Mr. Crowther is the Choral Director for the Oberlin City Schools teaching grades 3-12. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Bowling Green State University. At BSU he specialized in voice and opera performance. He also serves as the pianist and assistant Music Director for the Woodville United Methodist Church in Woodville, Ohio.

Lee Ann Dickerson, Touring Choir Accompanist

Ms Dickerson began studying piano at the age of five in Nashville, Tennessee. She continued piano performance study through high school and studied briefly under Dr. David Petersen at Memphis State University. She has worked with children and adult choirs as both director and accompanist in various church settings and has written and arranged music for children's performances. Currently, Ms Dickerson serves on the worship team at Harvest Ridge Assembly of God in North Ridgeville and maintains a private studio.

Sandra Neiding, Intermediate Choir Accompanist

Ms Neiding is a graduate of Kent State University with a B.A. and Masters in Library Science. She retired from the Vermilion Schools after 30 years of being an elementary school librarian. She then worked part-time for WVIZ/PBS for eight years as an area representative. Ms Neiding began accompanying choirs in high school and has been the organist at Trinity Lutheran Church in Vermilion for 40 years. She and husband, Jerry, also call Vermilion their home.

Joan Van Wormer, Concert Choir Accompanist

A graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory with a degree in Music Education, Joan Van Wormer taught for 35 years in the Elyria public schools, kindergarten through sixth grade. This will be her 9th year as accompanist for the Concert Choir. She is also the music director for St. Andrews Episcopal Church in Elyria where she directs an adult and youth choir and plays the organ.