Instructors

(In alphabetical order)

Bretta Alexander

Gospel Singing

Bretta has sung in gospel choirs since the age of five including six years with the award-winning Excelsior Chorale Ensemble. She currently directs the United Deliverance Temple Mass Choir in Minneapolis and is enrolled in the church music degree program at North Central University.

Anna Bendickson

Musikgarten

Having spent most of her childhood playing duets, trios and quartets with her 3 sisters, Anna brings a wealth of family music experience to her Musikgarten classroom. She’s a licensed Musikgarten instructor who’s also taught at Step-by Step Montessori School and Treks and Trails Preschool.  Anna lives in NE Minneapolis and teaches at New Visions Academy.  She recently received her Master of Arts in Elementary Education degree from the University of St. Thomas.

David DeGennaro

Drum Set, Rock ‘n Roll
Dave has played drum set in a variety of settings (Cajun/zydeco, rock, orchestral, funk) for 23 years, and studied under Chet Doboe. He has been teaching private lessons since 2000, and taught at The Music Shoppe and East Metro Music Academy before coming to CMS. Dave also plays piano and is an award-winning children’s theater composer.

Dave is the CMS Associate Administrator (or co-conspirator as we prefer to call him).

Andrea DeOtis

Woodwinds

Andrea started playing the clarinet and singing in choir when she was in 5th grade.  She went on to receive her Bachelor of Science degree in Instrumental and General Music Education from Minnesota State University, Mankato where she played with the Concert Wind Ensemble and the Mankato Symphony Orchestra.  Currently, Andrea plays in the Robbinsdale City Concert and Marching Bands and is an instrumentalist and vocal soloist at the Church of the Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale.  A life-long learner herself, Andrea encourages you to “Never stop learning.  Try to learn something new everyday.”

Nelson Devereaux

CMS/Waite Park Community School After-School Band Program

Nelson’s been involved in music since the age of 8 when he first began playing the saxophone.  He participated in many, varied musical projects and ensembles in the Milwaukee area and studied jazz at the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.  He recently graduated from the U of M with a Bachelor of Music in Saxophone Performance and a Bachelor of Music Education.  You can see Nelson performing in the Twin Cities with “Alicia Steele and the Endeavors”, “Hustle Rose”, “The Tasty Tones”, “The Adam Meckler Orchestra”, “The Brass Barn Polka Band” as well as many other collaborations.

Annie Frohlich

Musikgarten
Annie is a licensed Musikgarten instructor who’s been teaching and assisting in Musikgarten classes for over 10 years. She’s also a preschool and kindergarten teacher at Hand in Hand Christian Montessori School, as well as a singer and professional harpist who enjoys performing for events in the Twin Cities.

Katy Hays

Camp Komoniwannarock – Vocal/Staging Coach
Katy is a Twin Cities singer/actor who has performed at the Guthrie, the Guthrie Lab, The Music Box Theatre and Hey City. Most recently Katy starred in the rock ‘n roll musical, Power Balladz which is now running Off-Broadway. Katy is also an Artist-in-Residence with Minneapolis Public Schools where she teaches music to kids in grades K-8.

Bruce Jackson

Piano, Harmonica, Banjo, Mandolin, Accordion

Bruce has shared his knowledge of the piano by teaching in his own studio and at Evan’s Music for the last 11 years.  Teaching piano improvisation is one of his specialties, which he honed under the direction of the great Manfredo Fest.  He also plays and enjoys teaching harmonica, banjo, mando and accordion.  Bruce performs with legendary Twin Cities acts Ipso Facto, The New Primitives and his own band, Bruce Jackson & The Moondogs88 Band, among many others.  Bruce recently moved to the Victory Neighborhood in North Minneapolis and is excited to give back to the music community by teaching at Camden Music School.

Prudence Johnson

Voice, Group Singing

Prudence has spent over thirty years as a full-time performing, recording and teaching artist working in musical theater, film, radio and on concertstages across the US, Europe and Canada. She’s been a music director at Stepping Stone Theatre for Youth Development since 1996 and has taught private voice lessons as well as group singing classes in Community Education at MCTC.  Now, Prudence wants teaching to be a more significant part of her career mix.  She’s ready to build a singing program and is eager to pass on what she’s learned.

Matthew Mindeman

Violin, Viola

Matthew has 10 years of private teaching experience, and he enjoys teaching students of all ages and abilities.  His overall goals are to help students find their own musical voices, to build good practicing skills, and to enjoy playing with ease and comfort.   Matthew is currently studying for his Doctorate of Musical Arts at the University of Minnesota.  He received his Bachelors of Music in Viola Performance from Concordia College in Moorhead (his hometown).  Matthew also has a Masters of Music in Viola Performance Degree and a Performer Diploma in Viola from Indiana University’s Jacob School of Music.

Chico Perez

Hand Drums
Chico is an Afro-Caribbean percussionist, artist, instructor and drum maker who taught for 10 years at the Cultural Center of Minnesota. He’s also taught at North High, Lucy Laney, Sheridan, Waite Park and Northeast Middle School among many others.  He plays professionally with New Primitives and regularly participates in studio recording projects.

Rick Sellen

Piano, Voice

Rick Sellen is an accomplished teacher, pianist, singer and choral conductor who received his BA in music from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.  One of his teaching goals is to cultivate enthusiasm, pride and an attitude of possibility in his students so they can realize their full potential.  Rick moved to Minneapolis from Ames, Iowa where he taught piano for 9 years, directed a 23-voice adult church choir.  He’s taught voice and piano, and practiced the art of reaching people in meaningful ways through music at CMS for the past two years.  He is also a member of the American Choral Directors Association.

Nancy VanKampen

Musikgarten, Musikgarten Keyboard
Nancy received her BS degree in Music Education from Case Western Reserve University. She’s taught Musikgarten classes as a licensed instructor for 7 years, and has been teaching piano and directing children’s church music programs for over 20 years.

Ginna Watson

Violin, Viola

Ginna really enjoys teaching “all ages of students and all styles of music!”  She’s taught private lessons locally for 20 years and is currently the violin instructor at Hamline University.  She’s also taught at Breck School, Minnesota State University – Moorhead and was a sectional coach for the Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies.  In addition, Ginna is an early music specialist, performing with The Rose Ensemble, the Lyra Baroque Orchestra, and others.  She received her Bachelor of Music degree in Music Performance from Michigan State University and has completed graduate work in musicology at the University of Michigan and the U of M.

Jeffrey Willkomm

Guitar, Bass Guitar, Music Theory, Rock ‘n Roll
Jeffrey is a professional bassist/guitarist/vocalist with over 30 years of experience in teaching, live performance, theater, arranging, workshop development and recording. He studied for 2 years with Jeff Berlin and received certification at The Player’s School of Music in Clearwater, Florida.  You can see him perform with Exotik-A-GoGo on weekends at Psycho Suzi’s Motor Lounge in NE Minneapolis.

Daniel Zamzow

Cello

Daniel counts adaptability, flexibility and versatility among his strengths as a teacher.  He’s inspired by students, enjoys the interaction with them and looks forward to teaching CMS students in our neighborhood settings.  Daniel received his BA in Music (Cello) from the University of Northern Iowa and also has an AAS degree in audio production and engineering from the Institute of Production & Recording in Minneapolis.  He’s been teaching cello privately for five years and at Schmitt Music since 2009.  Daniel plays cello in Cloud Cult and Liminal Phase, among other bands, and manages a steady stream of independent musical projects as well.