Adam Donohue
Professor Adam Donohue received his Bachelor of Music from Berklee College of Music in Boston. He then began an eight-year tenure as a musical director in the cruise line industry, after which he went on to earn a Master of Arts in music from Washington State University with an emphasis in jazz composition and saxophone.
Pamela Grooms
Pamela Grooms has been an active music educator since 1986. She presently serves as Music Department chair, professor of choral music education, professor of piano, and music director for all musical theatre productions at Lindenwood University.
Matt Hoormann
A versatile and respected performer, clinician, and educator, Dr. Matt Hoormann received both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of California Los Angeles, all in trombone performance.
Adjunct Faculty
- Keely O’Hara Abeln – Private French Horn
- Leslie Allnatt, DMA – History of Western Music I and II, Private Voice, Vocal Pedagogy and Literature – Dr. Leslie Allnatt is an adjunct professor at Lindenwood University where she teaches applied voice and music history. She has previously taught at the University of Louisville and at the University of Iowa as well as maintaining a private voice studio. Dr. Allnatt has performed in choirs and operas in the United States, Austria, Poland, and England.
- Bob Baker – Guerilla Music Marketing, Case Studies in the Music Industry – Bob Baker is an author, speaker, musician, and former music magazine editor dedicated to showing musicians of all kinds how to get exposure, connect with fans, sell more music, and increase their incomes through their artistic passions. He is the author of the highly acclaimed Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook and created the Music Marketing 101 course for Berklee Online. He is one of the most widely recognized authorities on music marketing and has been called the “Godfather of Independent Music Marketing”.
-
Gary Brandes – Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, The Lion Pride Marching Band, Advanced Conducting, Band & Orchestra Techniques, Brass Techniques – Gary W. Brandes is currently part-time professor at Lindenwood University where he conducts the Wind Ensemble/Symphonic Band and the Lion Pride Marching Band. Prior to his tenure at the University of Missouri–St. Louis from 2006 to 2020, Brandes taught for 28 years in Missouri public schools, most recently as director of bands at Fort Zumwalt South High School.
- Sebastian Buhts, DMA – Private Percussion, Percussion Ensemble, Lion Pride Drumline – Sebastian Buhts is a solo, chamber, and orchestral percussionist based in St. Louis, MO. He currently teaches percussion at Lindenwood University and has appeared as a recitalist and clinician throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. Sebastian enjoys collaborating with chamber ensembles and composers to foster new music. Sebastian is a proud artist endorser for Marimba One and Black Swamp Percussion instruments.
- Ryan Curtis, EdD – Private Tuba, graduate courses in Master of Music Education – Dr. Ryan Curtis received a Bachelor of Science in Education from Missouri State University, a Master of Music Education from the University of Missouri–St. Louis, and a Doctor of Education (EdD) in Instructional Leadership from Lindenwood University.
- Justin DiCenzo – Private Bass Guitar, Modern Music Ensemble, Improvisation – Justin DiCenzo is a bassist, producer, and music technician who works on film/tv soundtracks, and video games. Justin spent 10+ years honing his craft and skills in Los Angeles with the film/tv industry around composers David Schwartz, Gabriel Mann, Ludwig Goransson, Freddy Scott, and Michael Abels. Credits include second engineering for Lady Gaga, Robin Thicke, Bloodpop, a studio build and tech for Snoop Dogg and DJ Pooh, and engineering for Anderson Paak, Miguel Atwood-Furgeson, Ronnie Laws, Thomas Chase, David Schwartz, and Clayton Studios.
- Cara Dineen – Private Jazz and Contemporary Voice – American jazz and contemporary vocalist Cara Dineen performed extensively throughout the NYC-metro area from 2012-2020, as solo vocalist, founder, band manager, booking agent, and musical/creative director for her bands: BELLATONIC (jazz/pop), The Brooklyn Sugar Stompers (traditional jazz & blues 1920’s-1930’s), and her original music project ANAAM. Under this moniker, Ms. Dineen creates solo-vocal improvisations with a loop/effects pedal and writes multi-layered electro-acoustic voice compositions.
- Shawn Harrel – Instrumental and Choral Composition and Arranging – Shawn Harrel is a multi-talented digital media technology educator with a wide range of experiences in education, audio/video production, instrumental music, composition & arranging, and radio. Mr. Harrel is an adjunct professor at Lindenwood, an Ed. D. student in instructional design and performance technology at Baker University, and a part-time announcer at KCUR 89.3 FM, NPR in Kansas City.
- Rebecca Hill – Music in America, Private Clarinet, Woodwind Techniques – Rebecca Hill is an active freelance musician and music educator in the St. Louis area. She is 2nd clarinet for the Paducah (KY) Symphony Orchestra and performs with many recognized ensembles in St. Louis. As an educator, she teaches clarinet, saxophone, and piano lessons, in addition to music appreciation and American popular music.
- Stephanie Hunt – Private Cello – Stephanie Hunt has gained international recognition as a performer on both the cello and the baroque cello. In addition to teaching at Lindenwood and the Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville Suzuki program, she performs with the Perseid String Quartet, Chamber Project St. Louis, and La Petite Brise, an early music ensemble.
- Wendy Hymes, DMA – Private Flute – Wendy Hymes is known to exert definitive interpretations of standard repertoire from the Baroque era to modern composers. She sets the pace in intercultural music, especially non-European composers from Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, having been a featured soloist at the Compositions in Africa & the Diaspora symposia and the Festival of African & African American Music., now Intercultural Music Initiative Festival. Dr. Hymes has performed with the St. Louis Philharmonic, Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, Union Avenue Opera, and has collaborated with numerous chamber groups with violinist Rachel Barton Pine, harpists Amy Camie and Elisabeth Chardonnet, and the late organist Dr. Lucius Weathersby, with whom she collaborated on the album, Spiritual Fantasy (Albany Records).
- Christopher Jackson – Private Bassoon – Staff Sergeant Christopher Jackson is a bassoonist with United States Air Force. Sergeant Jackson is a native of Atlanta, GA. Prior to enlisting in the Air Force, Sergeant Jackson received his Bachelor and Master of Music degrees from the Eastman School of Music and University of Memphis, respectively.
- Darcie Johnson – Class Voice, Private Voice – Darcie Johnson has been an active performer and teacher in the St. Louis since 2008. She is Soprano I section leader for Bach Society of St. Louis and The Church of St. Michael and St. George. She has also been a featured soloist with Bach Society, the St. Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, and Manchester United Methodist Church.
- Ken Kehner – Private Jazz Piano – Ken Kehner holds a degree in Piano Performance from Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. He has backed such noted artists as Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Buddy DeFranco, Pete Christlieb, Eric Marienthal, Louie Bellson and Clark Terry. Ken is also a member of Elsie Parker’s group, the Poor People of Paris, and can be heard on that group’s CD entitled Live!
- Brett Kristofferson – Private Voice, Music Theory for Non-Majors
- Darren LaCour, PhD – Music Theory I, II, III, IV – Dr. Darren LaCour has served as Lindenwood’s music theory coordinator since 2016 and teaches at Washington University and Webster University. Trained as a guitarist, his primary research focuses on the music of Duke Ellington, recorded sound, and music theory pedagogy.
- Debbie Lennon – Jazz and Contemporary Voice – A member of the St. Louis Symphony Chorus for thirty-two seasons, Debby Lennon made her solo debut with the St. Louis Symphony
Orchestra in the 1992 Carnegie Hall premiere of William Bolcom's "Songs of Innocence and Experience." The Boston Globe called her "brassily irresistible." From 1992-1999, Ms. Lennon recorded and performed with the nationally known a cappella group "Pieces of 8" of which she was a founding member. Ms. Lennon is active in the St. Louis opera scene having performed in Winter Opera's 2012 production of La Boheme, and with Union Avenue Opera (UAO) in their productions of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera and Puccini's Madama Butterfly. She played Annina in La Traviata and Giovanna in Rigoletto directed by Tim Ocel, and Mrs. Mullen in Carousel directed by Ken Page at UAO. She made her Opera Theater of St. Louis debut in the ensemble of Dialogues of the Carmelites. - Bernard Long, Jr. – Private Drum Set – Bernard Long, Jr. is an accomplished jazz drum set artist, having performed with and directed several notable groups and toured with many recognized jazz musicians. He is currently the band director at Madison High School and is active throughout the community as a musician and an educator. Mr. Long is a Zildjian cymbals Education Artist.
- Jessica Platt, DA – Orchestra, Private Violin/Viola, String Ensemble - Dr. Platt holds undergraduate, masters, and doctorate degrees in Violin Performance from Boston University and Ball State University, with a minor in Vocal Performance. She has performed in orchestras across the United States and Europe. Currently, she is the concertmaster of the Saint Louis Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gateway Festival Orchestra, and the Edwardsville Symphony.
- Robert Redmond – Private Trumpet – Originally from St. Louis, MO, Robert Redmond graduated from Southeast Missouri State University in 2005 with his Bachelor of Music Education Degree where he studied trumpet under Dr. Marc Fulgham. In 2008, Robert accepted a graduate performance assistantship at the Wanda L. Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University where he studied trumpet under professor Michael Anderson. During this time, Robert worked as a freelance musician throughout central Oklahoma, and taught private brass lessons from his home studio and for a local private school music program. After graduation, he worked as an elementary music teacher, band director, church music director, and professional musician in St. Louis.
- Season Summers, DMA – Private Oboe
- Mathew von Doran – Private Guitar, Guitar Ensemble – Matthew Von Doran’s career highlights include the release of his acclaimed modern jazz album of original compositions, In This Present Moment, featuring Jimmy Haslip, Peter Erskine, Larry Goldings, Bob Sheppard, James Genus, Terri Lyne Carrington, (and more) as well as a world tour with La Quinta Estacion, winner of the 2010 Grammy for Best Latin Pop Album, and has recorded with numerous artists. Von Doran is the creator of The 99 Decisions Guitar Program, a comprehensive online instructional video course and served as ten years as an instructor at the Grammy Foundation’s Summer Music Camp in Los Angeles, California.
