Instructors

Daniel Ferland  

Youth Orchestra Conductor

Daniel earned his Bachelors of Music Education at Georgia Southern University and a Masters in Educational Leadership at Troy University.  He also earned his certification in Orff Schulwerk Music at University of Nevada Las Vegas.  He completed his practicum under Col. Don Schofield, who is currently the commander and conductor of The United States Air Force Band, Washington DC.  He received additional mentoring in conducting from Bruce Dinkns, Music_for_All Hall of Fame inductee and former music director at James Bowie HS.


Daniel currently teaches band and orchestra at Port Townsend HS as well as serving as Fine Arts Coordinator for the Port Townsend School District. While at PTHS, ensembles under his direction have participated in the ASTA Festival at Western Washington University, the Northwest Orchestra Festival in Oregon, CBC Jazz Festival, music clinics at University of British Columbia, University of Oregon, San Francisco Conservatory of Music and participation in the Disney Performing Arts clinic in Disneyland. These groups have been awarded multiple superior and placement ratings in Washington State, Oregon and California. 


Previously, Mr. Ferland taught in both Georgia and South Carolina and had many ensembles participate in regional and national festivals and events. Highlights include a South Carolina state championship from the United States Scholastic Bands Association, a first and second placement award at the National Outback Bowl festival, superior ratings at the Great Smoky Mountain Music Festival, a superior and first place award at the Peach Bowl Concert Festival, superior ratings at Music in the Parks Music Festival and many others. 


His professional associations include Washington Music Educators Association and the National Association for Music Education. Past affiliations have included the Georgia Music Educators Association and South Carolina Music Educators Association. Mr. Ferland has had many distinctions including being named conductor for the Richmond County Youth Honor Orchestra and guest conducting the SINEM Youth Orchestra in Grecia, Costa Rica as well as serving on staff for multiple DCI drum and bugle corps.


He is very excited to take on his role with the YEA Music! Program.

Matt  McBride-Daline

Chamber Ensemble

Matthew received the Bachelor of Music degree from The Juilliard School where he served as Teaching Assistant, and the Master of Music degree at Yale University. While pursuing the Doctor of Musical Arts at The State University of New York, Daline served as a Teaching Assistant for the Department of Music.


He is currently Associate Professor of viola and Coordinator of String Area at Bowling Green State University.  Professor Daline enjoys an international career as a chamber musician, violin and viola soloist, and educator. He began his violin studies with Michele Auclair of the Paris Conservatory, and continued his studies on the viola with Marcus Thompson and Martha Strongin Katz at the New England Conservatory, Boston. Since making his New York solo recital debut in Carnegie Hall as the winner of the Artists International Competition, Matthew Daline has performed worldwide as a chamber musician and viola soloist. 


Prior to his appointment as Associate Professor of Viola at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, he has served as Assistant Professor of Viola at Louisiana State University. Professor Daline performs at music festivals such as The Banff Center (Canada), The Montecito Music Festival (California, USA), Spoleto Festival (Italy), Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival (Vermont, USA), Brazilian Virtuosi (Recife, Brazil), The Washington International Music Festival (WA, USA), and has held viola master classes and lectures at Yale University, The Juilliard School, The University of Michigan, Yonsei University (Korea), Conservatory of Music "George Enescu” (Romania), National Conservatory of Music (Costa Rica), and the Central Conservatory of China, Beijing.


Professor Daline has recently performed and recorded world premieres of new works on the Mark Masters, and MSR Classics labels, and frequently lectures on music technology and new music. He performs on a Brescian viola circa 1560.

www.matthewdaline.com

Pei- Hsuan Chung

Piano

Dr. Chung earned her Master of Music Degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Performance from Louisiana State University.


She is in great demand as a soloist, chamber musician, and educator. Dr. Chung has toured and performed as a soloist and collaborative pianist throughout North America and Asia. 


She is a versatile musician who performs numerous concerts with wide-ranging interests. Since 2013 she has worked with the Summer Music Institutes at Bowling Green State University, Ohio; The Double Reed Day Competition, Faculty Concerts, and The Lima Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, Ohio. Besides solo and chamber music performances, Dr. Chung enjoys teaching her studio piano class and arranging master classes at international venues.

Marge Rosen

Band

Marge Rosen earned a masters degree in music education from Ithaca College in New York.

She plays lead trumpet for the Seattle Woman's Jazz Orchestra and served as the Executive Director.  On the North Olympic Peninsula, she plays lead trumpet and drum set for the Peninsula College Jazz Band, trumpet with the Port Angeles Symphony Orchestra and conducts the Port Townsend Summer Band.

Marge is a previous member of the United States Navy Band.  She has over 10 years experience teaching band and k-12 music in public schools in Washington, New York and Maryland.


Mike McLeron

Staff Coordinator

Mike has a Bachelor’s of Music degree in Performance Studies from the University of Oregon School of Music.

Growing up in Spokane, Washington where he began musical studies at an early age. By the end of high school, he had received several awards and participated in numerous ensembles including the Spokane Junior Symphony, Junior Jazz Society, All-State Honor Band, All-Northwest Honor Band, and the McDonald’s All-American High School Band. 

After graduating from U of O, Mike went on to teach music as a professional career in Oregon Public Schools for 31 years. He has experience teaching instrumental and vocal music at all levels from elementary school through high school. 

Mike has a son and two daughters. After retiring from full-time teaching, he and his wife Natasha moved to Port Ludlow. Mike currently plays tuba in the Port Townsend Summer Band, string bass in the Port Townsend Symphony Orchestra, substitute teach in Port Townsend and Chimacum School Districts and is involved in promoting music education in Port Townsend through YEA Music.


Kristin Smith

Camp Coordinator

Kristin Smith has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Music Performance from the University of Montana.  She grew up in western Montana and was fortunate to hear Salish-Kootenai singing and drumming, Norwegian folk dance music, country fiddling and many symphony and chamber music concerts and recordings. She trained as a classical violinist and left Montana for a symphony job where she played a concert every week and encountered the folk music of the Canadian prairies.

After coming to Port Townsend in 1978 she began teaching in earnest and tackled the process of retraining as a fiddler. She considers it a blessing to be comfortable in two musical languages.

Her formal education includes piano lessons with her grandmother, voice lessons with her uncle, elementary and high school orchestras and music camps and , 1969. Centrum’s Fiddle Tunes Festival is her continuing education mainstay.

Teaching and playing, especially string quartets and fiddle tunes, are some of her happiest musical moments.


Pat Yearian

Violin & Viola

Pat Yearian has a BA from Evergreen State College with a concentration in music, mostly women composers.  She began her career playing violin in a public school elementary strings program.  

Pat has been teaching strings privately in the Port Townsend area for over forty years. Plus she has worked in the Port Townsend School District assisting string directors by coaching string ensembles and as remedial music assistance. Pat has been string director for ten years at Sunfield Waldorf School. During the summer she has been part of the faculty at Fiddle Tunes teaching beginners in the KidsTrack program. 

She was the violist in the Port Townsend String Quartet for 35 years. For many decades she has been a member of the violin and viola sections in the Bremerton Symphony and the Port Angeles and Port Townsend Symphony Orchestras.


Bobbi Nikles

Fiddle

Port Townsend, Washington based fiddler Bobbi Nikles is an acclaimed force in the music scene. With projects ranging from creating the successful music camp Fiddlekids, to performing in a wide array of bands: Irish, Old-time, contradance and Jazz combos, her presence abounds. Her luscious fiddling and driving rhythm add fuel to every project she's with: Wake the Dead, Melanie O'Reilly Aishling, Black Brothers Band and many more. 


She has been a contributor to Strings magazine with articles on bowing technique and instrument evaluation. A sought after teacher at camps, workshops and in her private studio, Bobbi's creative and nurturing style naturally incorporates her depth of knowledge and her experience as a teacher for over 30 years. Bobbi is a sought after teacher, attracting fiddle students of all ages and levels. She teaches privately at her home studio as well as conducting workshops and classes at music camps.

www.bobbinikles.com 

Emma Eliason

Band & Vocal

Emma graduated from Western Washington University in 2017 with a degree in Music Education.  While at WWU, she performed with the bands, symphony orchestra, jazz ensembles, choirs, and opera scenes, and completed her internship with a high school choir at the American International School in Vienna, Austria.


Emma Eliason has taught K-12 Music at Quilcene School District since 2019. Previously, Emma taught K-12 Music at North Beach School District in Ocean Shores and played trombone and tuba with the Grays Harbor Symphony and community bands. She grew up in Mount Vernon and loves jamming with friends and exploring the peninsula.  She is excited to spend time in Port Townsend helping out with the YEA music camp this summer!

Leif Gearhart-Hall

Trumpet/Jazz Studies

Leif graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor's Degree in Jazz Studies where he studied under Etienne Charles. Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Leif has been living in Port Townsend since 2017. He performs locally with the Shaky Barbers, Lowire, Leif & the Long Tones, and many other local acts.


Leif has been teaching trumpet and music since high school where he worked as the music coordinator at Camp Tavor summer camp. Leif was the Music Coordinator for the Port Townsend Farmers Market in 2018. The highlight of the summer was being able to bring the PT high school jazz band to play at the farmers market. Bringing  music to the community is an important part of Leif's music beliefs.


He currently works for Cascade Community Connections as a Community Engagement Specialist and Olympic Neighbors as a Caregiver. Leif lives in Port Townsend with his fiancé Stephanie and Moody the cat.

Chris Miller

Saxophone

Grammy Nominated saxophonist Chris Miller likes ending up in musically unexpected places. Growing up in Florida he attended public schools and studied jazz, eventually earning a Bachelors from University of North Florida and going on to a Masters from SUNY Purchase. At the same time his wide-ranging taste brought him to bluegrass festivals and playing in everything from jam bands to classical orchestras to accompanying pop & R&B singers. Chris eventually joining up with Cajun/zydeco supergroup the Revelers (Louisiana) and picked up a Grammy nomination for their 2015 album "Get Ready". Now a multi-instrumentalist playing woodwinds, dobro, and banjo, its still his deeply evocative saxophone playing that he's most known for, from soaring improvisations to mind-bending Celtic fiddle tunes and seemingly everything in between. He splits his time between playing with a wide range of musicians around his home in Port Townsend, Washington, touring with the Revelers and his own ‘groove-grass’ trio The Faux Paws, which released their debut album in 2021 to critical acclaim.  Aside from performing Chris loves teaching music and building community through music, food, and dance.  

Josué Ramierz

Viola

Josué is a Venezuelan Violist and product of El Sistema, a massive musical project focused on music interpretation, as well as the Cecilio Acosta University (Maracaibo, Venezuela), where he received a degree in Music with a more choral approach. He started at the age of 17 and by his 20's he had already started a career as a Viola and Violin teacher inside with El Sistema. He was also part of the founding generation of musicians that integrated the Zulia Lake East Coast Youth Orchestra (Orquesta Juvenil de la Costa Oriental de Lago), where he played as the 1st Viola from 2014 to 2016.


Josué currently resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he continues to work as a private music teacher.  He is currently working on a degree on Orchestral Interpretation at the Superior Institute of Arts of the Colon Theater, having earned a spot in the Academic Orchestra of one of the most important Theaters in the world.