Faculty
abbottwc@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2883
Music 401: Classical Voice I (Italian)
Music 402: Classical Voice II (German)
Music 403: Classical Voice III (French)
Wesley Abbott, originally from Ohio and Iowa, has taught in the Music Department of Los Angeles City College for 35 years. His primary teaching area is voice, but he also has taught music fundamentals courses, and in the past he has taught one or more of the choral ensembles. He is also a vocal performer of considerable experience. Prior to coming to California he taught for twelve years at Luther College in Decorah, Iowa. During that time he presented many voice recitals, appeared as tenor soloist in oratorios throughout the upper Mid-Western United States, and was the vocal soloist with The Charles Pederson Early Music Consort. Since moving to Los Angeles he has appeared as tenor soloist in recital and oratorio performances throughout the Los Angeles area, and for twelve years was tenor soloist at Pasadena Presbyterian Church. He continues to appear in performances on the Los Angeles City College campus. He lives in Highland Park, has three children and three grand children.
blakecm@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2893
Music 111: Music Appreciation
Music 161: Introduction to Electronic Music
Music 250: Music Performance Workshop
Music 261: Electronic Music Workshop
Music 281-2: Commercial Music Techniques I-II
Music 291-294: MIDI Instruments Instruction I-IV
Marc Blake is a Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College.
blomqujk@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2894
Music 200: Introduction to Music Theory
Music 300: Introduction to Keyboard Harmony
Music 453: Musical Theater Repertoire
Mrs. Jane Blomquist has been at Los Angeles City College since 1980. While at LACC, she has directed Chamber Chorale, Concert Choir, and College Choir and has taught voice, piano, musicianship, and keyboard harmony classes. Mrs. Blomquist is originally from Minnesota and grew up playing piano, trumpet, and singing. She graduated from Concordia College (Moorhead, Minnesota) with a double major-Music Education and Elementary Education. After teaching Junior and Senior High School three years in Minnesota, she moved to New York City and sang and toured two years with the Norman Luboff Choir.
Mrs. Blomquist has a Masters of Music and has completed coursework for the doctorate in Choral Music from the University of Southern California. Before coming to LACC, she taught three years at USC as a teaching assistant in the Choral Music and Music Education Departments; and taught class piano at Compton College and voice and choir at West Los Angeles College. She served as Department Chair from January 1995 through June 2004. She retired from full-time teaching in June 2009.
Mrs. Blomquist has directed church choirs for over 25 years and has had a private voice and piano studio. She and her husband have been happily married for over 34 years. She has two step-daughters and four grandchildren. Besides family and music, she enjoys traveling, gardening, reading, and animals (especially cats!).
burgerm@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2897
Music 137: Music as a Business
Markus Burger is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College.
duttondl@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 111: Music Appreciation
Douglas Dutton is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College. Douglas Dutton received Bachelor of Arts degrees in English Literature and Music at The University of California, Santa Barbara, a Master of Arts degree from the University of California (Berkeley), and a Publishing Arts diploma from Stanford University. From 1984 until 2008, Dutton was the owner and director of Dutton’s Brentwood Books. He has served on the boards of The University of California Press, The Southern California Booksellers Associations, The American Booksellers for Freedom of Expression, and The Women’s National Book Network. In addition to a number of published pieces on music, Dutton scored the short-lived television series "Young Lives." Beyond his teaching assignments at Los Angeles City College, he also teaches music and humanities courses at Santa Monica College and The Colburn School Conservatory of Music.
gengarcl@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2884
Music 101: Fundamentals of Music
Music 111: Music Appreciation
Music 400: Voice Fundamentals
Music 431: Commercial Voice I
Music 432: Commercial Voice II
Music 433: Commercial Voice III
Christine Lee Gengaro has taught at Los Angeles City College since 2004. Hired as a full-time professor in 2006, she teaches voice, music theory, and music appreciation. Born and raised in Queens, New York, Dr. Gengaro has also taught at Pasadena City College and Santa Monica College. Previous to that, she completed three years as a middle school teacher in the New York City Public School system.
Dr. Gengaro received a Masters degree in vocal performance from Hunter College (City University of New York) in 1997 and is a graduate of the Ph.D. program in music history at the University of Southern California. Her dissertation was on the novel, film, and play, A Clockwork Orange. She received the Faculty Learning Award in 2012, and in 2013, her first book, Listening to Stanley Kubrick: the Music in His Films, was published by Scarecrow Press. Dr. Gengaro has presented musicological papers in the U.S., England, France, and Malaysia. Dr. Gengaro’s work appears in The Journal of Popular Music and Society, The Journal of Film Music, Anthony Burgess and Modernity, and The Worlds of Back to the Future. Dr. Gengaro has written program notes for the Mozartwoche concert series in Vienna, the Ford Theatre Foundation, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Camerata Pacifica, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. In addition to acting as LACO’s program annotator, she currently writes a blog for the organization called, “Telling Tales” (ww.laco.org/blog/?c=7). Dr. Gengaro is also a member of the Los Angeles-based band, The Crazy Never Die.
hannitPG@elac.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2897
Music 313-314: Piano III-IV
Music 351: Piano Ensemble
Music 705: Chamber Music
Patricia Hannifan is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College.
henderll@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2888
Music 111: Music Appreciation
Music 135: African American Music
Music 611-614: String Instrument Instruction I-IV
Music 711: Rehearsal Orchestra
Music 725: Community Orchestra
Music 751: Wind Ensemble
Luther L. Henderson, III, son of the celebrated Broadway musical arranger, orchestrator, and pianist, Luther Henderson and Tealene Henderson, was born in New York City. After graduation from Dorsey High School in Los Angeles, he entered the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York. He earned the Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees with a major in music education. At Eastman he studied piano with Eugene List and Maria Faini. He also studied saxophone with William Osseck and conducting with Donald Hunsberger and Jonathan Sternberg. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in orchestral conducting at The University of Texas at Austin. His conducting teachers were A. Clyde Roller and Cornelius Eberhardt.
At the invitation of UCLA Jazz Program Director Kenny Burrell, Dr. Henderson appeared as one of the guest conductors for the UCLA Philharmonia Orchestra and Jazz Ensemble during UCLA’s Duke Ellington Centennial Celebration on April 30, 1999 at Royce Hall. The UCLA program featured artists Herbie Hancock, Lalo Schifrin, Milt Jackson, Billy Childs, Ray Brown, and Herman Riley among others. Dr. Henderson recently appeared as the orchestra conductor on the popular Dr. Dre music video "Been There, Done That." He conducted the Detroit Symphony Orchestra accompanying internationally renowned flutist Hubert Laws at the Hollywood Bowl. He appeared as guest conductor with THE MILWAUKEE MUSIC UNDER THE STARS ORCHESTRA. The program included works by Ellington, Copland, Bernstein, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. He has appeared as guest conductor and pianist with the (LOS ANGELES) SOUTHEAST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA on several occasions. He conducted the orchestra in a "Salute to Black Composers" presenting works by Samuel Coleridge Taylor and William Dawson with special guest artist Miss Nancy Wilson at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. During his tenure as Music Director and Conductor with the SOUTHEAST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA he conducted the orchestra in its gala fortieth anniversary concert at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with special Sony/CBS Records recording artists Grover Washington, Jr., Hubert Laws, Kent and Marlon Jordan. He was the orchestra conductor for the Los Angeles Production of Duke Ellington's SOPHISTICATED LADIES, starring Gregory Hines, Paula Kelly and Dee Dee Bridgewater, at The Shubert Theater. He has also guest conducted the GRAMMY AWARDS Television Show (CBS), THE TONIGHT SHOW starring Johnny Carson (NBC), THE MERV GRIFFIN SHOW, and THE EASTER SEAL TELETHON with Pat Boone. He has served as a guest conductor for the DANCE THEATRE OF HARLEM's performances at the London Coliseum, London Gala Orchestra, London, England; the Los Angeles Olympic Arts Festival in Pasadena, California; Brooklyn College with members of The Brooklyn (NY) Philharmonic Orchestra; and San Diego, California. He has also worked as an orchestrator and arranger on the GRAMMY AWARDS Television Show, and the EMMY AWARDS Television Show. Dr. Henderson was the associate conductor/director of educational activities for The Foundation for New American Music. He implemented the STUDIO WORKSHOP INSTITUTE, which provided training and experience to qualified professional level minority musicians who were actively pursuing careers in the motion picture, television, and recording industries in Los Angeles.
He was requested to participate as a judge on a distinguished panel of entertainment professionals (judges included among others pianist George Duke, entertainer Nancy Wilson, actor Louis Gossett, Jr.) by Sony Corporation of America for its Sony Innovators Awards Program, a national competition that encourages talented African- Americans to enter their best work in the music or film/video categories.
Dr. Henderson currently holds the academic rank of Professor of Music and Humanities at Los Angeles City College and is the conductor of the LACC Orchestra. He has served for thirteen years as the elected Treasurer of the Los Angeles Community College District Academic Senate which represents over 3,200 faculty members. Dr. Henderson has taught at Pasadena City College; Los Angeles Mission College; Beverly Hills (CA) High School; and Mount Vernon Junior High School in Los Angeles.
Dr. Henderson has also been active as a free lance pianist, arranger, and conductor in the Los Angeles area. He has performed professionally as conductor and pianist for recording artist Freda Payne. He has also performed as music director, pianist, and arranger for the Bi-Lingual Foundation of the Arts production Wanted: Experienced Operators staged at the Los Angeles Inner-City Cultural Center. While attending The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Henderson was invited to participate as pianist in three "Monster Concerts" in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of Louis Moreau Gottschalk. These concerts were staged at New York City's Carnegie Hall; UCLA's Royce Hall, and The White House.
kimij@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2885
Ms. Irene Kim joined the LACC music faculty in Fall 2000 as the director of choirs. She currently teaches the College Choir, Chamber Chorale, Introduction to Music Theory and beginning piano courses.
Prior to her position at LACC, she spent three years at San Gabriel High School directing four choral ensembles and teaching a piano class. Under Ms. Kim’s direction, the choirs participated in over 20 performances a year and received numerous awards. In her last year, the choir organized a performance trip to Florida and returned with first and second prizes in vocal competition.
Her other previous teaching positions were at various private and public institutions with students arranging from grades K through 12. For over 10 years, she has also directed church and community choirs, most recently, the University Campus Choir at UCLA.
A graduate of UCLA, Ms. Kim received her bachelor’s degree in piano performance and music education and a master’s degree in choral conducting. While working on her master’s degree, she served as a teaching assistant to all UCLA choral ensembles.
Ms. Kim resides in the San Gabriel Valley with her husband Ron and their two children.
kellykj@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2889
Music 101: Fundamentals of Music
Music 200: Introduction to Music Theory
Music 300: Introduction to Keyboard Harmony
Music 223: Twentieth Century Compositional Techniques
Kevin Kelly is full-time faculty member at Los Angeles City College.
kozubem@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 650: Beginning Guitar
Michael Kozubek is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College. He received his Bachelor of Music Degree in music education with a minor in guitar performance from DePaul University in Chicago. He was presented with the honor of being on the Dean’s List upon graduation in 1972.
In 1974 Michael graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master of Music Degree in classical guitar performance during which time he was awarded the Jack Marshall Memorial Scholarship, granted a teaching assistantship to Duke Miller and was inducted to Pi Kappa Lamda’s honorary music society before graduating in 1977.
Michael was awarded another teaching assistantship under Tom Patterson at the University of Arizona where he enrolled in the D.M.A. program and completed two semesters of study before having to leave for medical reasons.
He has contributed articles to the Guitar Foundation of America’s quarterly Soundboard and is an active member of the G.F.A. as well as the American Guitar Society. He has performed with community orchestras, chamber music ensembles and as a soloist throughout the Southern California area. He has developed guitar programs at no less than seven community colleges and universities in his pedagogical career.
In a teaching capacity, Mr. Kozubek has developed countless students who have won top honors in guitar competitions as well as gone on to graduate schools at major universities in the United States and Canada. He is a consultant to many of the guitar instructors at colleges and universities in the southland.
He is currently the director of guitar studies at Azusa Pacific University where he teaches on both the graduate and undergraduate level. He has developed a complete curriculum for the guitar program at APU that includes courses in guitar fingerboard harmony, guitar pedagogy, elementary guitar methods, guitar history & literature, applied lessons as well as directing the guitar ensemble. This program includes both classical and commercial guitar study where Mr. Kozubek coordinates the efforts of adjunct professors who teach electric guitar and electric bass guitar. He also teaches music fundamentals and music theory on several levels. His other duties at APU include tending to the needs of APU Artist Series guests, organizing interviews, and preparing students to perform in master classes by the guest artist. His most recent accomplishment is writing a textbook on guitar fingerboard harmony entitled Fingerboard Harmony: An approach to understanding common harmonic practice on the guitar fingerboard.
larongb@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 935-4000 Ext. 2897
Music 601-604: Brass Instrument Instruction I-IV
Music 781: Studio Jazz Band
Barbara Laronga, LACC Jazz Band Director and Brass Instructor, received her MM in Jazz Trumpet Performance from Manhattan School of Music. She has taught and continues to teach at several institutions and for many programs including Mt. San Antonio College, East Los Angeles College, The New York Pops, The United Nations International School, and for a groundbreaking jazz program funded by The Midori Foundation for The Landmark and Coalition School in New York City. Ms. Laronga has been an adjudicator, clinician, and performer at many jazz festivals throughout the nation.
During her tenure in New York, Barbara was a member of “Sherrie Maricle and the Diva Jazz Orchestra” and performed with such jazz giants as Dave Brubeck, Clark Terry, Joe Williams, Nancy Wilson, Herbie Mann, Slide Hampton, Marian McPartland, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and Diane Schuur. As a freelancer, she has performed with Dave Liebman, Bill Watrous, Aretha Franklin, Connie Francis, Johnny Mathis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Donnie Wahlberg and Mark Wahlberg. Ms. Laronga has performed at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, The Blue Note, Birdland, The Apollo Theater, and The Montreal Jazz Festival among other notable venues around the world. Her studio work includes “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, “What Happens in Vegas”, and “7th Heaven” as well as various recordings and live broadcasts. As a leader of her own group, Barbara released her debut jazz CD, “Love Never Dies” in 2006. She also enjoys other types of music and is co-founder of The Los Angeles Brass Choir.
Barbara is an avid New England Patriots fan!
mitchejd@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 631-634: Percussion Instrument Instruction I-IV
Music 765: Percussion Ensemble
Joseph Mitchell is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College.
murraysm@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2897
Music 400: Voice Fundamentals
Susannah Murray is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College. Originally from the Los Angeles area, her early opera roles include Leticia in The Old Maid and the Thief and Serpina in La Serva Padrona. She went on to appear on the USC stage as Adele in Die Fledermaus, Sarah Goode in The Crucible, and the Dew Fairy in Hansel and Gretel. Other performances with USC were in an opera showcase in the role of Madame Mao in Nixon in China and as La Fée in Massenet’s Cendrillon. She also sang the role of Pat Nixon in Nixon in China at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Ms. Murray has been the recipient of several awards, including the National Association of Teachers of Singing Young Artist Awards in both the Career and Apprentice divisions, and the Opera Buffs’ Encouragement Award.
Ms. Murray made her European debut in Croatia singing Villa-Lobos’ Bachianis Brasilieras at the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, which also featured such highly acclaimed artists as Denyce Graves. The performance was very well received; the Dubrovnik Journal wrote that “her crystal and soft voice was an exceptional surprise.” Following her success with the Dubrovnik Festival, she appeared on live Croatian television performing songs from the musical Kismet. Last December, she was featured as the soprano soloist in Handel's Messiah at the Center for the Arts at Pepperdine University. Ms. Murray received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Vocal Arts from the University of Southern California specializing in music education, vocal pedagogy, and early music performance. She also teaches at Biola and Pepperdine.
newtongp@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 651-654: Classical Guitar I-IV
Born in Los Angeles, GREGORY NEWTON began study of the guitar with Vahdah Olcott Bickford and attended the University of Southern California School of Music on scholarship, where he studied with Pepe Romero and from which he received B.M. and M.M. degrees with honors. His background also includes work with John Duarte in England, José Tomás in Spain, Alirio Diaz in Canada, classes with Andrés Segovia, flamenco studies with Luis Maravilla and jazz studies with Laurindo Almeida and Lee Ritenour. In 2007 he completed a doctoral degree under the direction of Dr. Peter Yates at the University of California, Los Angeles.
He has given concerts and masterclasses throughout Great Britain, the USA, Canada, South America, the Middle East, Scandinavia, and Western and Eastern Europe. He was the first American guitarist to perform in Poland, returning several times, and was honored with a special diploma from the Silesian Guitar Autumn Festival. He has been a frequent festival performer, with appearances including Oatridge, Edinburgh, Harrogate, Buxton, Huddersfield, Cannington, Walthamstow, Horncastle, Tecla Symposium and the City of London Festival (UK), Il de Re (France), Musikfestival in Altmühltal (Germany), Aalborg (Denmark), Brno (Czech Republic), Plovdiv (Bulgaria), Romania-America Music Days (Romania), Barquisimeto (Venezuela), Hermoupolis and Skopelos (Greece), Stradivari Series (Malta), Vrnjci Spa and Sabac (Serbia), Rust (Austria), Koscian and Tychy (Poland), Yizreel Valley (Israel) and the Guitar Foundation of America Festival (USA). Broadcasts include National Public Radio USA, United Airlines in-flight music, Digital Satellite Music Choice, Soundscapes television, BBC Radio, Bayerischen Rundfunk Bavaria, NRK Norwegian Radio, Danish Television, Serbia and Montenegro Radio and Television, Czech Television, Polish Radio and Television, Malta Radio, Telenews and TV Global (Brazil).
Although devoted to performance of music from around the world, Gregory Newton specializes in music of the North America, Asia and Africa, and frequently gives concerts devoted to these genres. He is also an active composer and arranger, and has had numerous works of other composers dedicated to him. He has several recordings to his credit, including the Los Angeles Chamber Singers’ Romancero Gitano, Jim Centorino’s Portraits of America and Three Dreams, Deon Nielsen Price’s SunRays, Filippo Voltaggio’s Reel Italian, Tannoz Bahremand’s The Feast of Lights, Elisabeth Waldo’s Land of Golden Dreams and Song for the New World Peoples (video), Frederic Rawson’s Le Guitare Magique and Le Flute Magique, World Disc’s holiday music sampler Crystal Winter, and Frederick Noad’s Solo Guitar Playing and Guitar Anthology series. He also performed the guitar solos for the CD accompanying The Music of William Foden, published by Mel Bay.
Dr. Newton is an Adjunct Associate Professor at Los Angeles City College, as well as a faculty member at Los Angeles Valley College and Glendale Community College. He is also the classical guitar instructor on videoguitarlessons.com, a new educational website. He is president of the American Guitar Society, director of the AGS International Concert Series, a member of the Board of Directors of the Guitar Foundation of America, has been a frequent contributor to guitar periodicals, and adjudicates on national and international competitions. In 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005 he was awarded with inclusion in Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, and in 2006 was included in Who’s Who in America.
parkcj@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2887
Music 212: Musicianship II
Music 213: Musicianship III
Music 302: Keyboard Harmony II
Music 313: Piano III
Music 314: Piano IV
Music 341: Intermediate Piano
Music 351: Piano Ensemble
Music 705: Chamber Music
Professor Christine Park is a full-time faculty in the Music Department at Los Angeles City College. Her education comes from California State University, Northridge, The Juilliard School in New York City, and the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence, Italy with Piano Performance, Music Education, Italian Baroque Musicology, and International Piano Pedagogy.
Professor Park teaches Chamber Music, Harmony, Musicianship, Keyboard Harmony and all levels of Piano courses at the Music Department.
She currently holds the position as the President of Music Association for California Community Colleges and as the Director of Staff & Organizational Development at Los Angeles City College.
petittj@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2897
Music 311: Piano I
Jacqueline Petitto is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College. She is an active soloist and chamber musician who has performed throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America. She received both Master of Music and Doctorate of Musical Arts degrees in piano performance from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and her Bachelor of Music cum laude from Santa Clara University. Dr. Petitto has studied with renowned pianists, among them Hans Boepple, James Bonn, and Antoinette Perry. She has participated in master classes with internationally acclaimed pianists Earl Wild, Alicia de Larrocha, John Perry (Aspen Music Festival) and Marc Durand (Orford Arts Centre, Canada). While at USC, Dr. Petitto was a graduate assistant in the Keyboard Arts Department and a USC Thornton School of Music Merit Scholarship recipient. She has premiered several new works from the USC Thornton Composition Department and the Aspen Center for Composition Studies at the Aspen Music Festival. Dr. Petitto has taught at USC and University of La Verne, and is on the faculties at Pasadena City College and the Colburn Conservatory of Music. At LACC, Dr. Petitto has taught several courses including all levels of class piano and applied piano, keyboard harmony and music fundamentals. She has collaborated with the LACC piano faculty in redesigning and updating the music department’s class piano curriculum. Dr. Petitto is a frequent solo and chamber performer in LACC’s Concert Series. In addition to her performing and teaching career, Dr. Petitto is often in demand as an adjudicator, and has been an active member in organizations such as the Pi Kappa Lambda National Music Honor Society, Music Teachers National Association and California Association of Professional Music Teachers.
pozzida@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 251: Jazz Improvisation
Music 621-624: Woodwind Instrument Instruction I-IV
David Pozzi is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College. He has been active in the Los Angeles music industry as a free-lance musician since 1977. He has recorded and/or performed with Henry Mancini, Mel Torme, Celine Dion, David Foster, Johnny Mathis, Jeff Hamilton, Rich Little, Charlie Shoemake, Marvin Stamm, Bobby Shew, Pete Christlieb, Don Menza, Roy McCurdy, Bob Cooper, Jeff Berlin, Diana Krall, Billy Childs, and others. Big band credits include Ray Anthony, Bob Crosby, Bill Watrous, Louie Bellson, Bob Florence and Doc Severinsen. He was invited and performed at the 1992 President's Inaugural Ball at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.
He is a featured jazz soloist on recordings with such artists as John Patitucci (Discovery Records), Nick Brignola (Discovery Records), Dick Berk (LRS and Discovery Records), Bob Magnusson (Sea Breeze Jazz), Ray Pizzi (Sea Breeze Jazz), Milcho Leviev (Magnolia Records). Other recording work includes radio and TV commercials, TV shows (The Osbournes, The George Lopez Show, The Wonder Years, The Ellen DeGeneres Show), and numerous demos and record dates (Juan Gabriel, Carlos Santana, Anastasia).
He holds a masters degree in music from California State University, Los Angeles. He is also on the faculty at California State University, Northridge and is the Dean of Academics at the Los Angeles Music Academy. His book, An Approach To Jazz Improvisation, was published by Hal Leonard in 1997.
stahldq@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 311: Piano I
Music 361: Commercial Piano Techniques
David Stahl has been has an adjunct professor of music at Los Angeles City College since 1996. Before that he taught Piano I through IV and Music Fundamentals at Harbor College since 1991. Since 1999 he has also worked as the full-time commercial voice accompanist at Los Angeles City College. Originally from Ohio, he received his Bachelor of Music degree from the College-Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in Piano Performance where he was the winner of the Van Cliburn scholarship. He later earned his Master of Fine Arts degree also in Piano Performance from UCLA. His teachers have included Aube Tzerko, Bela Siki, and David Bar-Illan. He works in both classical and commercial music, has composed music and lyrics for a stage musical, and has commercially recorded 3 cd’s which can be found at cdbaby.com/artist/davidstahl.
stuntzla@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
Music 781: Studio Jazz Band
Lori Stuntz is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College.
suovancr@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2886
Music 152: Current Musical Events
Music 181-183: Applied Music I-III
Music 650: Beginning Guitar
Music 651-654: Classical Guitar I-IV
Music 771: Guitar Ensemble
Mr. Suovanen received his bachelor’s degree in guitar performance and a master’s degree in music from California State University, Northridge.
His primary teachers were the guitar faculty at CSUN under the leadership of Dr. Ronald Purcell. He furthered his education thru master classes under the direction of Carlos Barbosa-Lima, Alirio Diaz, Elliot Fisk, Robert Guthrie, Oscar Ghiglia, John Mills, John Duarte, Alice Artz and Manuel Barrueco. In 1977 he was selected from among his classmates to perform for the great Spanish guitarist Andres Segovia.
Mr. Suovanen and the other outstanding guitar faculty of LACC have developed one of the most comprehensive classical guitar programs found in any community college district in the state of California.
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2897
sweeneyc@email.laccd.edu
Music 313-314: Piano III-IV
Dr. Cecily Sweeney began piano studies in Detroit, Michigan at 6. By 13 she gave her first solo piano recital. Her teacher was a student of Elisabeth Johnson, pupil of the famous piano teacher Theodore Leschitisky, pupil of Karl Czerny, one of Beethoven’s noted students. At 14 Cecily began studies with Henry Lichtwardt at the Detroit Conservatory of Music a student of Emil von Sauer of Berlin, one of Franz Liszt’s students who also was a student of Czerny. At 16 Cecily won a scholarship from Sigma Alpha Iota, National Women’s Fraternity, to solo with the Detroit Conservatory of Music Orchestra under Frank Murch, later of Wayne State University, in the Chopin Concerto No. 1 in e minor. After taking the full complement of studies at the conservatory including harmony, counterpoint, history, and composition, she received her BM at age 19 and Artist’s Diploma in piano. Concurrently at Wayne State, she was chosen to debut with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra by associate conductor, Valter Poole in Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 in Eb. After intensive study in Poole’s chamber music class, was again invited to play the keyboard solo in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 as well as the Liszt Concerto with the Wayne Orchestra. She received a BA degree magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. After a summer at Aspen Institute of Music in Colorado, she transferred to UCLA studying chamber music and musicology and was also asked to join the coaching staff of the UCLA Opera Workshop by director, Jan Popper. Her Master’s thesis was on “The Piano Music of Carlos Chavez.” Piano studies continued under Guy Maier, Leo Smit, Wilbur Chenoweth, Ethel Bartlett-Robertson, and Johana Harris. After teaching at Santa Monica and Bakersfield Colleges, Dr. Sweeney returned to UCLA studying with well-known musicologists Robert Stevenson, Gustave Reese, Walter Rubsamen, and Gilbert Reaney, considered the world’s leading medieval scholar, under whose guidance she edited medieval manuscript treatises on music, published under the auspices of the American Institute of Musicology, including her dissertation on the musical theory of Cistercian Chant by Johannes Wylde. After that, Dr. Sweeney taught at LACC, LAMC, and musicology at USC, as well as eight years as being director of the PACE program at LASC. She became a member of the Oceano Chamber Players and was soloist with the Palisades Symphony Orchestra in the Beethoven Triple Concerto. She has also been studio accompanist for Nadine Conner of the Metropolitan Opera Company among others. At present she continues teaching humanities and music theory online and a piano class at LACC.
wannerda@lacitycollege.edu
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2892
Music 121 and 122: Music History and Literature I and II
Music 202 and 203: Harmony II and III
Music 212 and 213: Musicianship II and III
Music 302 and 303: Keyboard Harmony II and III
Daniel Wanner received his master’s degree in music and doctorate of musical arts in composition from Columbia University in New York City. Following the completion of his studies, he worked as a music editor; published articles on music, film and art; wrote numerous orchestral and chamber works; and served as president of the League of Composers/ISCM.
He is currently a professor of music and chair of the music department at Los Angeles City College, where he has taught since 2001. He is president-elect of the Music Association of California Community Colleges (MACCC), which represents and supports all community college music departments across the state.
(323) 953-4000 Ext. 2890
willialp@lacitycollege.edu
Music 312: Piano II
Page Williams is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Los Angeles City College