Karee has taught Music Together since 1997. She is a licensed Center Director and Certified Level II instructor with Music Together. She has her B.A. in vocal performance and M.A. in music history and literature. She received her M.A. at the University of Denver where she met her husband Steve while he was working on his M.M. in classical guitar performance. Karee loves bringing music to families and helping them discover the joy of music. She has two children who keep her "jumpin, and a dancin' and a cookin' in the kitchen!"

Steve has been teaching Music Together since 2000 when Karee was with child (Ella). He is a licensed Center Director and Certified Level II Music Together teacher. Steve has music degrees from Wilfred Laurier in Waterloo, Ontario and from the University of Denver, both degrees in classical guitar. When he isn't teaching Music Together, he is also known as a Suzuki Guitar instructor!

Javan Carson has been playing the violin for 33 years, having started as a Suzuki student at the age of 2 ½. She earned her degree in violin performance from the University of Denver on a full scholarship and began playing professionally with the Denver Chamber Orchestra while still in college. She has played in a string quartet for 11 years and has performed with countless orchestras, including the Colorado Ballet Orchestra and the Colorado Symphony. Javan has played with such performers as Doc Severinsen, Mel Torme, Kathy Lee Gifford, Manheim Steamroller, Stevie Wonder and Brian Wilson (Beach Boys). She has been teaching private lessons for more than 16 years, has instructed Suzuki group classes for 9 years and has taught string classes in 4 metro area school districts. Javan was the conductor of the Sinfonia at Colorado Youth Symphony Orchestras for 5 years. She also was the Music Director and Conductor of Eklectika Youth Ensembles, a youth orchestra that she founded. She is in demand as an adjudicator, clinician and chamber coach throughout the Front Range region.

Ilana has childhood memories of singing everywhere and any time, with her parents, sister, and extended family. She has played the flute since she was 9 years old, and spent much time during her high school and college years performing solo and in orchestras, bands, and small ensembles, including Denver's Young Artists Orchestra. She loves singing, and has enjoyed being a Music Together parent since 2002, with her children, Ely, Hannah, and Shira. Watching and listening to them sing together brings her incredible joy. Ilana has taught Music Together for six years, and enjoys bringing her love of music to young children and their families. She especially savors watching families discover the joy of making music together, and she strives to create opportunities for individuals to experience and revel in their unique musical potential, within a nurturing and supportive group setting.  In 2009, Ilana was awarded Music Together Certification Level I.

This is Becca’s first year teaching Music Together. She fell in love with Music Together after her first babies’ class with her now one-year old daughter, Lulu. Becca has always had a passion for music from silly songs about “banana hair” with her mom to family talent shows, musical theater, and all through high school choir. Teaching is a perfect fit for her with her experience as an early childhood teacher, nanny, ex-theater major, TouchpointsTM trainer, Public Health Nurse and Mom! She currently works part-time as a trainer for the Arapahoe County Touchpoints Team. Her passion is working with young children and their parents/caregivers, and she can’t wait to sing with you and your children!

Flutist and Dalcroze instructor Emma Shubin is a native of Rochester, NY and began her musical studies at the age of eight. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy where she studied music, photography and creative writing, Emma attended the Conservatory at the Longy School of Music in Boston as a student of Robert Willoughby. She has participated in various music festivals, including Apple Hill Center for Chamber Music, Aria International Music Festival and Bowdoin International Summer Music Festival.

A proponent of holistic music education, Emma first became captured by Dalcroze Eurhythmics during her studies at the Longy School of Music. A Level I Certified Dalcroze instructor, she has studied this method of teaching music though movement with veteran Dalcroze instructors Lisa Parker and Anne Farber. In 2006 Emma relocated to Colorado to assist colleague Dr. Jeremy Dittus and the Colorado Dalcroze Society in forming a satellite program to certify Dalcroze teachers in the Rocky Mountain region. Most recently, Emma was invited to perform at the 2007 International Dalcroze Congress in Geneva, Switzerland and gave a presentation about Dalcroze Eurhythmics with Dr. Dittus at the 2007 National Flute Association’s Convention. She teaches Dalcroze classes to young children throughout the Denver metro, Louisville and Lafayette areas. Her enthusiasm for early childhood music education has also led her to become a registered Music Together instructor in 2008, and she currently teaches with Twinkle Together in Denver. As a flute instructor, she maintains a private flute studio ranging from ages 9-27 and directs the CU Boulder flute choir. Emma is a student of Christina Jennings at The University of Colorado at Boulder where she is pursuing degrees in both flute performance and biology.

I love music! For as long as I can remember I have loved music of all kinds. When I was growing up I was always singing and dancing to anything that had a beat-even the dishwasher!  This is my first year teaching Music Together, and it is a dream come true. I fell in love with the program while nannying in Charlotte NC. I started taking the little boy I took care of to classes and watched him grow leaps and bounds in his love and understanding of music. My passion is providing a safe and creative atmosphere for children to let their creativity flow. I am also an aspiring ukulele player.

Tamara, a native of Iowa, discovered her natural talent and love for the flute at age 8 through her mother, flutist Joanne Chadima. She received her M.M. Magna Cum Laude in Flute Performance from the University of Iowa where she studied with acclaimed soloist and clinician, Dr. Tadeu Coelho. Her other studies include San Jose State University, the Boxwood Music Festival in Rotorua, New Zealand, and the University of California at Santa Barbara. Tamara gave her Carnegie Hall Debut concert in September 2007 with her chamber ensemble, Areon Flutes. Areon recordings are currently available on iTunes and Areon is a proud member of the Miyazawa Flutes Artist Family. She currently teaches private flute students in the Denver area.

Tamara is a new resident of Denver and also a new mom. Having her first child this past November inspired her to return to teaching early childhood music. She has taught music classes in various settings for four years and is happy to join the Twinkle Together team.

Monica is currently completing a Master of Music degree in Opera Performance at the University of Denver and is looking forward to graduation in June of 2009. She sang the role of "Despina" in the Lamont School of Music 2008 performance of Cosi fan Tutte and most recently has appeared as "Papagena" (Die Zauberflote) in the 2008 Tuscia Summer Opera Festival in Viterbo, Italy.

Monica is interning with Twinkle Together this June and will begin teaching solo in the summer!

Giannina Ashe graduated Berklee College of Music in 2007 with a Bachelor’s in Music.

She has traveled and lived in a few different countries, her favorite was India.  Here is what Gia has to say about traveling,  "traveling is the classroom and teaching is my journal."

Gia gives private instruction in guitar, voice and piano; she is commited to creating a learning environment where each student is taught traditional forms of guitar, piano and voice while developing an aptitude for reading music. Many students want to be able to play a song they love. Her goal is to provide the necessary tools for each player to develop an ear and eye to decipher harmonic music of any style and genre. 

Gia is also a Singer Songwriter and is always collaborating with other artists to create music. She has worked to promote bands and artists in the music industry as well as behind the scenes of publishing for music placement within TV and film. She has also produced an album titled ‘Feeding Nemo’ which was recorded in Boston, MA.

Jilly began her life on stage as a ballerina. When told at the age of 5 that she was "too hyper" for ballet, her supportive parents brought her to an audition for a local theatre school. Creating wacky characters while singing and dancing suited her just fine, and the rest, they say-is history. She graduated from the Theatre Program at Fordham University’s Lincoln Center Campus in Manhattan. To support herself in the crazy place that is the Big Apple, Jilly juggled part-time nanny gigs and rehearsal. But she left that all behind to cross the county for some California dreamin’, caught the travel bug, and spent her days concert going, backpacking, and as a full time nanny in Beverly Hills.

Hence, music and children have been her life for well over a decade now. She discovered Music Together with her son Koa and one fine day, during an extra special Wiggle Wiggle, the light bulb went off in her head, and she knew teaching this wonderful program was perfect for her!

Wendy has enjoyed living in Denver with her husband for the past 24 years.  She majored in msucial theatre in college and holds a Master's degree in music from the University of Colorado in Boulder.  Wendy had the pleasure of teaching and directing a Music Together center in Lowry for four years before deciding to resurrect her career as a professional actress/singer - a career she enjoyed before starting a family (she has two children).  She believes that the Music Together program is designed to nurture the musical mind, body and spirit and is the perfect prelude to any traditional music education progarm a child experiences beyond the preschool years.

Jeremy Dittus enjoys a career as a pianist, theorist, and Dalcroze eurhythmics instructor.  An avid recitalist, he has performed solo and chamber programs in the United States, Switzerland, and Italy.  A former Lecturer in piano, theory, and solfège at the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory in Cleveland, he also has instructed undergraduate solfège, piano, and composition courses at the University of Colorado at Boulder as well as eurhythmics and solfège at L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in Geneva, Switzerland.  Dr. Dittus has presented Dalcroze workshops at home and abroad including the World Piano Conference, International Early Childhood Music and Movement Convention, National Flute Convention, Colorado Music Educators Association State Convention, Piano Celebration at Metro-State University in Denver, University of Louisville Piano Institute, in addition to several summer music institutes.  He completed a doctorate of musical arts in piano performance from the University of Colorado at Boulder; for the master of music, he studied piano performance and music theory at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. During his undergraduate work, he obtained bachelor degrees in piano performance and chemistry.  His Dalcroze License and Certificate comes from the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, while the Diplôme Supérieur (a doctoral equivalent in Switzerland) comes from the L’Institut Jaques-Dalcroze in conjunction with La Haute École de Musique de Genève and Le Conservatoire de Musique de Genève.  Teachers include Lisa Parker, Anne Farber, Ruth Gianadda, Marie-Laure Bachmann, Sylvia del Bianco, Sylvie Morgenegg, Laurent Sourisse, Andrew Cooperstock, Michael Chertock, Frank Weinstock, and George Cherry. 

For more information about Dalcroze eurhythmics, please contact Jeremy Dittus directly:

Jeremy Dittus

7790 Fairview Ave.

Denver, CO 80221

jeremydittus@gmail.com

www.dalcrozeusa.org

H: 303-429-3729

C: 614-395-4722