Rebekah Barton
Born and raised in Santa Cruz, CA; she currently teaches voice and sings in the Bakersfield Community while pursuing her own career.
This Fall, Ms. Barton will be performing with Los Angeles's The Industry in the premiere of Hopscotch.
She recently returned from spending the summer in Verona, Italy where she participated in Opera Vivá's scene production of La Traviata where she sang under the direction and coaching of Joyce Fieldsend & William Ferarra.
She was the guest artist with the collaboration of the Penderecki String Quartet and Veronika Krauses in Los Angeles's Vision and Voices.
She also participated in the Oakland Temple Hill Interfaith Production of The Lamb of God as Mary Magdalene.
In the summer of 2013, she attended Bay Area Summer Opera Theatre Institute (BASOTI) in San Francisco. She sang the role of Alice Ford from Falstaff under the direction of Maestro Matthias Kuntzch. She also participated in the Scenes Program where she sang Marschallin (Der Rosenkavalier) and Mrs. Page (Sir John in Love).
She sang with Opera San Jose in their 2013-2014 ensemble where they performed Falstaff, Madame Butterfly, and Don Giovanni.
She earned her MM with an emphasis in Vocal Arts from University of Southern California in 2013. She received upon graduating the USC Thornton School of Music Opera Award. In May 2013 for USC Graduation Commencement Ceremony, she had the privilege of singing the National Anthem.
In 2013, she also sang the role of Madame Lidoine from Dialogues des carmélites by Frances Poulenc. In 2012 she had the opportunity to sing Jane Wingrave in the West Coast Premiere of Benjamin Britten’s opera Owen Wingrave under the direction of Ken Cazan and conducted by Brent McMunn. She studied voice under the direction of Elizabeth Hynes, as well as many other wonderful collaborative teachers.
In the winter of 2012, she was a guest artist at Los Angeles Hammer Museum Contemporary Opera Scenes where she collaborated with Conductor Christopher Roundtree and wild Up in The Mortal Thoughts of Lady Macbeth by Veronica Krauses. She was a guest artist at the winter gala for The Harlet Hair Salon in Venice Beach, CA.
In the Winter of 2011 Rebekah debuted her vocal career at Idaho Falls Opera Theatre Company in Suor Angelica.
She earned her BMA in Vocal Performance from Brigham Young University – Idaho in 2011. It was during her attendance in Idaho that she first gained her passion and love for opera, performance and teaching and studied voice under the guidance of Kristine Ciesinski. She had many wonderful opportunities to participate in the scenes programs, travel and compete in The Metropolitan Opera Grand Counsel Competitions. Her first full opera role was performed at BYU-Idaho; The Countess in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro in 2010.
She has participated in other scene programs where she was able to sing partial roles from La Traviata, Madame Butterfly, Faust, Cosi Fan Tutte, Don Giovanni, and The Crucible.
Kyle Burnham
Kyle Burnham is an active drummer and composer residing in Bakersfield, CA. He holds a MFA degree in jazz studies from UC Irvine and a BA in music composition from CSU Bakersfield.
Kyle has won several awards as a composer and drummer including first prize in the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra's Composer Contest (1997 and 2001), best composer/arranger at the UC Berklee Collegiate Jazz Competition (1997), and best big band drummer at the UC Berklee Collegiate Jazz Competition (1997, 1999, and 2001).
Kyle has had many exciting opportunities to play drums with several successful artists such as: Randy Brecker, Bill Watrous, Bob Mintzer, Conte Candoli, Terrance Blanchard, Dwight Trible, Ernie Watts, Ernie Andrews, Eric Marienthal, Blue Mother Tupelo, Kei Akagi, Darek Oles, Kyle Cook (Matchbox Twenty), Jon Coleman (Trace Adkins), Rebecca St. James, Phil Hummer, and many more....
His outstanding compositions and playing were featured most recently at the 2014 Bakersfield Jazz Festival. He has taught at the University of Tennessee in Nashville and is presently an instructor of the basic elements of music and music appreciation at Bakersfield College and Taft College.
James Dethlefson
In 1991, James Dethlefson became fascinated with songwriting. Putting down his trombone, he picked up the electric bass. This led to Fuzzhammer, a power trio that left a lasting impression on the Bakersfield scene by opening the pub at Jerry’s Pizza. After Fuzzhammer’s demise, James entered the Music program at CSUB and played double bass for numerous Jazz Jam and Coffee house events.
During his brief study with Double Bassists Tom Peters and Pete Scaffidi, James fell in love with Apple’s Macintosh and the freedom associated with digital music. With this new musical tool, James began work with Brian Sivesind’s theatre troupe Illusions of Grandeur contributing sound designs and setting Shakespeare texts to alternative music.
At the same time, he continued his trio work with musically diverse collaborations such as Outside the Head with Kris Tiner and Kevin Goodwin, Free Jazz Kamikazes with Kris Tiner and Brian Palla and the full realization of Shakespearean rock with Wil featuring Kyle Burnham and Joel Walton.
Continuing the work of Wil while incorporating award winning music and sound design from Roger Mathey’s production of Trainspotting, James formed yet another power trio Jamo with Paul Cartwright and Canaan McDuffie.
Since 2011 James, along with his wife Guinevere have run a performing arts production business dedicated to instructing and mentoring youth in live theatre.
Lately, they have expanded their course offerings to include classes on improv and stop-motion animation.
Currently, he serves as Music Technologist for the CSUB Music Department and adjunct Music Faculty at BC.
Scott Dirkse
Scott Dirkse holds a BA in music from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, an MM in piano pedagogy from the University of South Carolina, and a PhD in Musicology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Dr. Dirkse is recognized as a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music by the Music Teachers National Association and was the recipient of the 2013 UCSB Excellence in Teaching Award. His research focuses on the areas of music history pedagogy and piano pedagogy, and he has presented his work at the national conferences of the College Music Society, the Music Teachers National Association, the National Conference on Keyboard Pedagogy, and Teaching Music History Day. He has also published articles in Clavier Companion, American Music Teacher, the Journal of Music Theory Pedagogy, and the Journal of Music History Pedagogy.
Dirkse currently teaches music appreciation and piano at Bakersfield College and is the Associate Director of Instrumental Music at Stockdale High School. His previous teaching positions include Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and University of California, Santa Barbara. He remains active as a scholar, performer, and music educator in the Bakersfield area.
Ron Kean
Dr. Ronald Kean, Emeritus Professor of Music at Bakersfield College, recently retired after completing 30 years of teaching in California. His teaching opportunities included choral and world music, which he taught for 26 years in the Kern Community College District.
He was “Innovator of the Year” for instituting the first Multicultural Choral Music Festival in the United States in 1994, was the 2007 California Music Educators Association Multicultural Educator of the Year, and was awarded the Shirley Trembley Distinguished Teaching Award by his colleagues in 2013.
Professor Kean conducted the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra plus the combined Bakersfield College Choir and Chamber Singers at the inaugural concert of the Performing Arts Center Outdoor Theater in April, 2015. The Chamber Singers under his direction performed at state, division, and national ACDA conventions.
He is frequently called upon to adjudicate festivals, lecture, and to conduct workshops and honor choirs in the US and abroad.
Recent guest conducting and adjudicating opportunities include choral festivals in Bali, Hawaii, Ireland, USC, Cal Poly State University Pomona, and Santa Rosa Junior College.
Pavane Music Publishers features both the Ron Kean Choral Series and Multicultural Choral Series.
His compositions and arrangements are widely performed throughout the United States and abroad.
Peggy Sears
Soprano Peggy Sears has appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Opera Theater, Arizona Opera Theater, Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Tulare County Symphony, Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra, Bakersfield Musica da Camera, Carmel Bach Festival, Mozart Festival of San Luis Obispo, The Los Angeles Philharmonic Made in Los Angeles Festival, the Pasadena Chamber Orchestra and the Los Angeles Master Chorale at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion.
She has been a regional winner of both the San Francisco and Metropolitan Opera Auditions and has been active as a recitalist and oratorio performer in California, Arizona, and Hawaii.
Ms. Sears taught on the Voice Faculty at the University of Southern California for ten years.
She taught full-time on the faculty of California State University at Bakersfield for 20 years, where she had a studio of 20 voice students, directed the opera theatre and the jazz choir, taught class voice, diction for singers, Music Appreciation Online, and coached the singers for the musicals.
She retired from full time college work in 2013 and now is adjunct at CSUB and Bakersfield College in studio voice and opera.
Kris Tiner
Kris Tiner is a California-based trumpet player, composer, and improviser.
His music has been performed on five continents, his 50+ recordings have been enthusiastically reviewed in the international jazz press, and he has performance credits on MTV, NBC, PBS and Comedy Central. Tiner has been recognized with awards from ASCAP, IAJE, the American Composers Forum, Chamber Music America, Montalvo Arts Center, and the Kennedy Center.
He is a member of the acclaimed Empty Cage Quartet, and he collaborates with New York guitarist Mike Baggetta in the duo Tin/Bag. Tiner also performs regularly with the Industrial Jazz Group, Chris Schlarb’s Psychic Temple, pianist Cathlene Pineda, the Los Angeles Trumpet Quartet and the Bakersfield Symphony Orchestra.
He holds an MFA from California Institute of the Arts and a BA in Music from CSU Bakersfield. He has directed the Jazz Program at Bakersfield College since 2004, and serves as the trumpet instructor both at BC and at CSU, Bakersfield.
He has also taught at CalArts, Taft College, and the Academy of Creative Education in Los Angeles.
Tiner is the founder of Epigraph Records, an independent label dedicated to the documentation of new creative music recorded live in Bakersfield.
Jennifer M. Garrett is a professor of music and director of choral activities at Bakersfield College. She conducts the College Choir and Chamber Singers, teaches Music Appreciation, and is the director of the Applied Music Program for over forty instrumental and vocal students. Under her direction the Bakersfield College Chamber Singers represented the College on a performance tour of Rome, Florence, and Venice, Italy in June 2015.
Professor Gerhold has been teaching music theory and ear training at Bakersfield College since 1994 and is the current Performing Arts department chair. His textbook for beginning music theory entitled A Plain English Guide to Music Fundamentals: An Outcome Based Approach
Tim Heasley is a visual and performing arts educator based in Central California.
Robert Martinez has enjoyed musical success as a conductor, composer, musician, performer, and educator.
Josh Ottum holds B.A. degrees in Music and Psychology from Seattle Pacific University, an MFA in Integrated Composition Improvisation and Technology from UC Irvine, and a Ph.D in Interdisciplinary Arts from Ohio University.