Vocal

Ellen Glikbarg Shea, Soprano, returned home to the Bay Area after receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Music from Pitzer College, and her Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Southern California. She has performed roles with West Bay Opera, Pocket Opera, Berkeley Opera, the Lamplighters, Golden Gate Opera and Opera San Jose. She has also performed with San Francisco Opera chorus, the Community Music Center Orchestra, and manages and sings with The Merrie Olde Christmas Carolers, the oldest and largest professional caroling organization in the country.

Bios of our teachers www.stepupmusicvallejo.com

I am a Marin County native currently residing in Santa Rosa. A 2002 semi-finalist of the Pacific Piano Competition for California Community College Pianists and a recipient of the Carolyn D. Witt Memorial Music Department Scholarship, I transferred to Sonoma State University where I studied general music and gave a senior piano recital in 2006.

MARK TUNING is Music Director of Voices of Musica Sacra and at Mt. Diablo Unitarian Universalist Church. He served as Assistant Director for the San Francisco City Chorus for seven years and on the music faculty of the Conservatory of Vocal and Instrumental Arts, a public K-8 charter school in Oakland. He sings tenor with Les Hommes, a men’s ensemble consisting of choral professionals.

I sing like I mean it every day of my life. I want to teach that ability to everyone who wants it. I teach primarily in a classical method, but with a style tailored for each student. The art of singing is intangible because it is reliant on the individual. What works for one student will not necessarily work for the next, so I teach to the needs, abilities, and desires of each person. I have been teaching privately since 2000 in the Humboldt region and in the Bay Area since 2005. I am currently accepting new students, and look forward to hearing from you!

Acclaimed by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung as "a commanding solo player, the most
supportive of accompanists, and a leader in chamber music," pianist Jeffrey Sykes has
performed across four continents and collaborates regularly with leading instrumentalists
and singers. Last fall he gave a recital on Chicago’s prestigious Dame Myra Hess concert
series, and he recently returned from a tour of France that culminated in performances of
French solo and chamber music at the Musée des Impressionismes in Giverny, home of
Claude Monet.

My goals as a teacher are twofold: to instill and support a love of making music in each student, and to successfully teach every student while honoring each individual's learning style. My many years as a journeyman singer, a piano player, a choir director and as a parent uniquely qualify me to teach. I teach beginning pianists of any age over 5 years, and singers at any level from the age of 10. My teaching style is warm and unintimidating but my standards are high and I am very serious about what I do.