Dr. Eun-Joo Kwak, Faculty Advisor
- BM Seoul National University, Korea
- MM, Chicago Musical College, Roosevelt University, Chicago
- DMA, Northwestern University
Kwak continues to be in great demand as clinician, adjudicator and lecturer. Twice she was a judge for the International Smetana Piano Competition (Czech Republic), and has been an invited guest of the Isidor Bajic Conservatory (Serbia), Shin-Zhu Teachers University (Taiwan), Music Teachers National Association, PianoArts of Milwaukee National Competition, New York State School Music Association, UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, Wisconsin Music Teachers Association, Pennsylvania Music Teachers Association, and many other organizations.
After completing the Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from Seoul National University, Kwak emigrated to the United States, where she earned the Master of Music from Roosevelt University and Doctor of Music from Northwestern University. She studied with Jeong-Joo Oh, Kui-Hyun Kim, Pawel Checinski, David Kaiserman, Sylvia Wang, and took master classes with such artists as Robert Levin, Ursula Oppens, and Garrick Ohlsson. Professor Kwak previously taught at Truman State University, Northwestern University, Carthage College, Cardinal Stritch University, and is now Keyboard Area Chair/Assistant Professor of Piano at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Sheryl Monkelien, Financial Advisor
- BM, Iowa State University
- MM, PhD, University of Nebraska
Dr. Monkelien is an experienced jazz singer, conductor and clinician. Her vocal jazz ensembles have performed at numerous festivals, state and regional, national and international conferences including the Tenth Annual Vocal Jazz Festival at Carnegie Hall with guest conductor Phil Mattson (2006); the World Choir Games in Graz, Austria (2008) where they were named World Champions in the Jazz Vocal A Capella category; the Eastern Division ACDA Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2010); the ACDA National Conference in Dallas, Texas (2013) the New York City Jazz Festival at the Apollo Theatre (2015) and in 2018 performed again at the Apollo Theatre with the Real Group.
Dr. Monkelien has presented sessions at PMEA, NYSSMA, ACDA, and IAJE conferences, has guest conducted district and all-county vocal jazz ensembles in Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut and Maryland, has conducted the 2007 and 2018 Pennsylvania All-State Vocal Jazz Ensembles and the 2010 ACDA Eastern Division Jazz Honor Choir. She has presented research at the 2007 Hawaii International Conference on Arts and Humanities and her paper The Influence of Phil Mattson on Vocal Jazz Education in America was published in the IAJE 2004 Jazz Research Proceedings Yearbook. Dr. Monkelien spent summer 2016 and 2017 in Scotland on sabbatical. She presented clinics on vocal improvisation, worked with vocal jazz ensembles and taught choral educators about vocal jazz in both Edinburgh and Glasgow. She also was a student in the Richard Michael Summer Jazz Course in Perth in both 2016 and 2017.