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Faculty Instructors
DR. DAVID LEDGERWOOD, DMus, has a B.S. in Music Education from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, an M.A. in Sacred Music from Pensacola Christian College, an M.A. in Music Theory and Composition from Indiana University in Pennsylvania, and a D.Mus. from Maranatha Baptist Bible College. In addition to his education, he has extensive experience as an accompanist, composer, arranger, and soloist. David has been teaching music since 1986 and has taught all ages and ranges of ability. “I look upon my teaching as a means to teach character qualities essential in the development of children, especially how to practice in order to get all of the details correct,” he says. “I also try to stress the importance of communicating the emotional context of the music.”
JANET TSCHIDA, M.A.M.E., NCTM, earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Music from Maranatha College in Watertown, WI and completed her Masters of Arts degree in Music Education with a concentration in Piano Pedagogy at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, MN. Janet is the director of Maranatha Piano Preparatory School, and she teaches pedagogy courses and private/group piano at her alma mater–Maranatha College. Janet maintains professional memberships with the National Federation of Music Clubs (Adjudicator), the American College of Musicians (Site Chairperson), the Music Teacher’s National Association, and the National Music Certificate Program (Site Chairperson). Janet is also a Nationally Certified Teacher of Music (NCTM). Her students have frequent performing opportunities both in recitals and in piano competitions/festivals such as the National Federation, National Guild, National Music Certificate Program, WACS, and local contests. Most importantly, Janet strives to meet the individual needs of her students by using various teaching strategies to adapt to each student’s unique learning style. Typical lessons include technique, theory, sight-reading, ear-training, improvisation, and educational repertoire. Additionally, she has developed a curriculum for teaching hymn improvisation for interested students. After completing her tenth year of teaching, Janet sums up her philosophy of teaching by stating, “I desire to provide the highest quality of comprehensive musical education to my students by expecting excellence, fostering fine musicianship, and developing creativity and imagination within a respectful and pleasant learning environment.”
MRS. RUTH BROWN, M.M., is a native of South Carolina. Ruth has a B.S. in Music Education (piano emphasis) and Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance from Bob Jones University. Over the last 25 years she has taught private piano lessons (classical and hymnplaying), conducted hymnplaying seminars and piano workshops, played for TV and radio advertisements, taught in music camps, and served as a National Piano Guild judge. Several of her high school students have placed first in the AACS National Competition and have gone on to major in piano or music education. At Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Ruth currently teaches college students majoring or minoring in Music Education, Piano Pedagogy, and Church Music. In addition to teaching private lessons, she also teaches courses such as Hymnplaying III, Accompanying, Fundamentals of Music Theory, and Curriculum and Methods in Music.
DR. RICK TOWNSEND, Ph.D, has a special love for early childhood music, which is shown by his broad involvement as a teacher, teacher educator, and clinician. He teaches the early childhood methods course at Maranatha and has taught infants through 4/5-year-olds at Kiddie Kampus for seven years. He is a frequent early childhood clinician at the Wisconsin Music Educator’s Association’s annual conference, and currently serves as managing director for the Early Childhood Music and Movement Association (ECMMA), a broad, international coalition of early childhood music and movement specialists. Dr. Townsend has studied early childhood music with Dr. Cynthia Taggart, coauthor of MusicPlay and the Jump Right In early childhood and elementary music curricula. He is certified in GIML early childhood music and in two Musikgarten levels, including Cycles and Music Makers at the Keyboard. He and his wife, Linda, have been teaching music at all levels for over 35 years.
EMILY HAYNES, B.A., graduated from Maranatha Baptist Bible College with a Bachelor’s degree in Piano Pedagogy. Emily has performed with a community civic theater and band. She has also been involved with music ministries at various churches. Emily completed a college teaching internship and then continued teaching in a private studio after graduation. She loves to help students learn music so they can love and appreciate music on a deeper level. Emily strongly believes that to develop a love of music making, students must simultaneously develop both musicianship and technical skills.
RUTH STEINBART
JUNE BRUS
Intern Instructors
KARA BURGESS
MELISSA AURAND
JESSICA GARRISON
BONNIE MILLS
ELIZABETH BOESE
AMBER PERKINS
JACOB DILLMAN
JOY PARKER
LEASHA FOLK
