Jamie Fair

 

Read what patch.com had to say...

Jamie Fair is a classically trained vocalist and actor who may be playing her most important role yet as a musical theater teacher for children at 

Wilkins School Community Center.

 

“I was working a lot in this area doing theater, opera and commercial work, and all of a sudden after three or four years of that, it seemed like opportunities to teach were falling in my lap,” Fair of Forest Hills said.

A voice major who graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, Fair comes from a family of public educators. Deciding to start her own junior musical theater classes for kids seemed like a natural progression of her career.

Every Tuesday, she teaches the junior musical theater class for children in second to fourth grade from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m., while every Thursday she teaches musical theater classes to fourth through sixth grade children.

“Enrollment is ongoing—a lot of places want you to commit to 8 to 10 classes, but since today’s kids are so involved in so many extracurricular activities, I think it works better if we keep it to a month-to-month basis,” Fair said. “If you’re really busy in October, you can come back in November.”

Classes are divided into three sections—an acting warm-up with improvisation games, vocal warm-ups and music, then scene rehearsal, which can involve a few students working on a scene and getting feedback from peers or the whole class working on choreography.

“The kids’ enthusiasm is just infectious,” Fair said. “You cannot help but get a smile on your face at least a dozen times each class with the observations they come up with, and it certainly makes me go out and learn more about theatrical repertoire.”

Right now, the classes are working on scenes and songs from the musical, “You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown.”

For this coming year, she would like to incorporate in-class performances for friends and family.

“It gets them used to being onstage and it’s something they need to practice—even if it’s an audience of grandparents, brothers and sisters and friends,” Fair said.

The most rewarding part of the job—watching the children transform.

“To see their confidence grow and see how they become more sure of themselves, which may translate into them standing up for themselves in school—it’s been wonderful to watch them grow and to hope that maybe I had a tiny role in that,” she said.

For more information an to get involved, visit www.eastendperformingarts.org or call 412-327-1753.

 

BIO - JOANN LEARDI PORTNOY

 

JOANN LEARDI PORTNOY, A NATIVE OF NEW JERSEY, IS A FLORAL

WATERCOLORIST WHOSE PAINTING STYLE RANGES FROM STYLISTIC

REALISM TO PAINTERLY IMPRESSIONISM. ALTHOUGH OBTAINING HER

DEGREE IN ART HISTORY FROM ALLEGHENY COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HER

PAINTING SKILLS ARE SELF-TAUGHT. FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS, SHE HAS

TAUGHT THE ART OF FLORAL WATERCOLOR PAINTING AT PHIPPS GARDEN

CENTER, THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AND AT SEVERAL LOCAL ART

LEAGUES. SHE IS A MEMBER AND FORMER OFFICER OF THE PITTSBURGH

WATERCOLOR SOCIETY AND THE ARTISTS’ AND CRAFTSMENS’ GUILD OF

PITTSBURGH

Marci Evancho Mason Watercolorist

 

As my eyes wonder from the sky to the ground below, my mind is racing thinking of the projected colors.  The melted colors of watercolor are by far my favorite.An artist with a natural gift, I began my artistry at a young age and formally and informally studied throughout the years.My early chosen field was not in art although I always enjoyed drawing, painting and crafts as a hobby. I am a member of many local art groups and a member of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society.  My accomplishments include numerous place ribbons,Eat n' Park Golden Sable for watercolor excellence and Best of Show ribbons.  I currently teach the art program at Trinity Christian School, teach adult watercolor classes in Monroeville, WSCC in Regent Square, Turtle Creek, Penn-Trafford and Latrobe and coach private students.  I also work part time as a dental assistant and work consistently on commission requests. I show my original art in group shows as well as individual venues on a regular basis.My paintings hang in corporate and private collections locally and nationally and are available for purchase in Morninglory Gifts in Murrysville, , Alexandra's Tea House in Springdale and the Latrobe Art Center in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.Thank you for enjoying my work.  That is my greatest compliment.  http://www.marciart.net

Joann Leardi Portnoy Floral Water Colorist

Joann is a natie of New Jersey, is a floral watercolorist whose painting style ranges from stylistic realism to painterly impressionism. Although obtaining her degree in art history form Allegheny College, her painting skills are self-taught. For the past 20 years she has toguht the art of floral watercolor painting at Phipps Garden Center, the University of Pittsburgh and as several local art leagues. She is a member and former officer of the Pittsburgh Watercolor Society and the Artists' and Craftmens' Guild of Pittsburgh. 

 

Karen Sloneker, Teacher/Director, Music Together First Notes
Karen plays second trumpet with the Pittsburgh Ballet and Opera Orchestras. An active performing musician, her performance credits include the Pittsburgh Brass Quintet, Pittsburgh Symphony auxiliary and substitute trumpet, Westmoreland, McKeesport, and Wheeling Symphonies, and the Mendelssohn and Bach Choirs. She was solo cornetist with the River City Brass Band, and appeared as a featured soloist with the Westmoreland, McKeesport, and Carnegie Symphonies. As much as she loves performing, she also loves teaching and has spent all of her professional life teaching and learning. Karen has attended World Music Drumming workshops with Will Schmid, and recently attended Jim Donovan’s Drum Circle Facilitator workshop. A member of the faculty at the Rogers Middle School for the Arts from 1981 to 2009, she has also taught music at Carriage House Children’s Center in Squirrel Hill. Karen taught in the Music Departments at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and at Seton Hill College for 20 years. She holds Music Together Certification Level II, Early Childhood Music and Movement Association Certification Level II, and Orff Level One Certification. She has appeared as a presenter at the Pittsburgh Association of Educators of Young Children on several occasions, as well as at area childcare centers. She is the mother of two wonderful adolescents (seriously!), Ean, 15 and Marnie, 12. She’s been happily married to Steve Quick for 18 years, and is happy to claim his son Jason, 41, and his family – wife, Mary and son Silas, 5 – as her own.

 

Chris Forbes WIne Tasting 

Chris Forbes spent his working life in marketing and business development activities in commercial nuclear power and fuel cell development with Westinghouse and Siemens.  His lifetime interest in wine began when he graduated from comic books to wine books at high school.  He has conducted the wine classes at the Wilkins School Community Center in Regent Square since 2000.  He also conducts wine classes for OSHER at CMU and has participated in numerous other wine events in Pittsburgh and elsewhere, and frequently visits wineries in the US and Europe.

 

Patty and Stan Swartz Ta Chi

Stan Swartz has studied T’ai Chi Ch’uan since 1973 with four senior students of Grand Master Cheng Man-Ching: Robert W. Smith, Patrick Watson, Tam Gibbs, Benjamin Pang Jeng Lo.Stanhas taught in New York City, Florida, Europe and Puerto Rico. In 1983 he returned to Pittsburgh, offering beginning through advanced level classes.Patty Swartzhas been studying T’ai Chi with Stan since 1988, also participating in workshops with Ben Lo. Patty teaches the Eight Methods of T’ai Chi, Beginning Form Classes, private classes for students with physical limitations, and T’ai Chi workshops for equestrians.

Bob Patterson Nature & Wildlife Photography 

Bob Patterson is an award winning photographer who specializes in Nature and Wildlife images.  Bob is a self-taught photographer and has experience that goes back more than twenty years.  He started Patterson Images ten years ago as a freelance, stock photography studio and works full time as a professional photographer.  Bob travels around the country photographing wildlife such as wolves, cougars, deer, fox, and bear. His nature photography includes landscapes and scenics as well as florals and lighthouses.  He tries to incorporate a little bit for everyone in his portfolio.  Bob has won awards at numerous art shows and has been juried into the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Westmoreland Art Nationals, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts-Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley and at Loretto, and the Hoyt Institute of Fine Arts.  He, along with his wife Christine, has also had gallery showings at The Gallery Space at Monroeville Library, Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, Murrysville Municipal Building, Penn Hills Municipal Building, Penn Hills Library, S&T Bank in Penn Hills and at local private galleries. Bob is a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists, the past Vice-President of Penn Art Association, an active member of the East Suburban Artists League and the North American Nature Photography Association.

Joe Forman Swing Dance 

Joe Forman has been teaching dance for Coal Country Traditions for almost 10 years. He has taught swing dance at the Dance Alloy and Community College and also teaches private lessons.  He has taught beginner, intermediate, and advanced East Coast Swing, Waltz, and Lindy Charleston. Joe and his regular partner Leslie also teach lessons at parties, weddings, and other events.  They have worked with bands like The Boilermaker Jazz Band, Dr. Zoot,  Jimmy Sapienza's Five Guys Named Moe, and more.    Joe focuses on a social and fun style of dance in his lessons. Joe is a volunteer organizer for Coal Country Traditions which runs regular dances,  classes, workshop weekends, and dance weekends.  Joe is also an eclectic social dancer and can be seen out dancing at swing, contra, blues, square, Cajun , West Coast swing, English country, waltz, French traditional, and many other dances around the Pittsburgh area.

 

Fred Galati Driver's Education

Mr. Galati is PA Dept. of Education certified teacher for driving instructionwith more than 20 years experience teaching classroom driving theory and practicalbehind the wheel driver education. His instruction includes teen, adult, andinternational students in all aspects of safe and defensive driving contentand performance for driver education as required by PA Dept. of Education.

 

Barbara Litt Aikido

barbara Litt, head instructor of Aikido Kokikai Pittsburgh, 4th dan, has taught Aikido at the WSCC since 1997. She began Aikido in 1988 in Princeton, NJ, and is now a senior student of Sensei Shuji Maruyama, of Nagoya, Japan, whom she sees several times a year, usually in the US. She teaches Aikido because the art has improved her life immeasurably and she wants to share this. Besides, it's really fun! She has also taught Japanese language and culture in public schools and currently at Carnegie Mellon.

Carol Scheftic Silver Clay Workshops

Carol Scheftic is, along with anything else she does, an educator. Over the years, she has taught subjects she found interesting in both formal and informal settings at all levels from pre-kindergarten through post-graduate professional education. She has also led both in-person and on-line courses for those wishing to learn how to begin and / or improve their own teaching.  Metal clay was first introduced to the art world in 1998. Carol began working with it in 2006. received her first formal certificate as a "Metal Clay Artisan" in 2007, and served as a co-founder of the Western PA Metal Clay Guild. Her work—in silver, bronze, copper, steel, and gold, plus occasional bits of crystal, glass, gemstone, or other materials—has been featured in local art shows, regional galleries, and even a few international publications. Since 2008, she has focused her teaching on the art and craft of making jewelry and other small metal adornments, to help spread the word about how much fun this newly-accessible art-form can be. She is also an avid gardener who has spent a decade each in Florida and California. If you bring an orange to one of Carol's workshops at WSCC, she'll be glad to show you how to peel it to reveal a "secret" (one that your geometry teacher may have known but probably never mentioned) about triangles and other polygons that you might even want to use in your jewelry designs! Carol can help you to make connections that matter to you too, and to find ways to express them in your jewelry.

 

Amy Stubbs    Private Percussion and Piano  lessons                                                                                                                                      

Amy Stubbs enjoys a varied career performing as timpanist and percussionist on both coasts. Timpanist with Pittsburgh Baroque Ensemble, Amy is also Principal Timpanist with Napa Valley Symphony and Principal Percussionist with Sacramento Philharmonic Orchestra. Amy has also performed with the San Francisco Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, Berkeley Symphony, McKeesport Symphony, and toured with River City Brass Band and USAF Heritage of America Band.  Ms. Stubbs has appeared as a soloist with the New Century Chamber Orchestra and Newton Mid-Kansas Symphony. Guest artist appearances include San Francisco’s Bay Brass, the Empyrean Ensemble and Left Coast Ensemble along with back-up orchestras for the Moody Blues, Ray Charles, Luciano Pavarotti and Styx’s Dennis DeYoung. Recordings include the 2005 Grammy nominated operacorpus Evitaby Carlos Franzetti as a member of the San Francisco Camerata.A passionate educator, Amy maintains a thriving private practice in Pittsburgh, sharing her musical enthusiasm with percussion and piano students of all ages. Previously she taught at the University of California Davis, mentored in Oakland East Bay Symphony’s Muse project, and coached the Oakland (CA) Youth Symphony. A noted expert on timpani mallet construction, Ms. Stubbs has presented master classes at Manhattan School of Music; Universities of Maryland, Southern California, Washington, Wichita State; and Interlochen Arts Academy. An honors graduate of Interlochen Arts Academy, Amy went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree from the Manhattan School of Music as a scholarship student of Duncan Patton and a Master of Music degree from Carnegie Mellon University as a student of Timothy K. Adams.  Additional studies with Cloyd Duff, Christopher Lamb, Mike Crusoe, Richard Holmes and Thomas Stubbs.In addition to her performing and teaching activities, Ms. Stubbs is internationally known for designing innovative percussion and timpani accessories through her business, A.Stubbs Percussion (www.stubbspercussion.com), which are sold exclusively at percussionsource.com. 

 There are many other highly qualified and engaging instructors also a part of the WSCC.........watch for additional biographical desciptions for those mentioned below.

 

Kay Wetzel Kay Wetzel