Matthew’s passion is making music with people who don’t think of themselves as musicians.

Kids who have never sung in groups. Seniors who haven’t sung since high school. Tourists who had no idea they were walking into a Beer Choir.

Really, no one is safe from singing around him.

In addition to undergraduate degrees in the arts of persuasion (Advertising Copywriting and Social Psychology), he has a master’s degree in vocal performance and pedagogy (where his thesis research focused on the power of cultural tourism to revitalize rural communities) and a doctoral degree (ABD) in choral conducting. His current research is centered on the community development applications of music: how it can be used to build educational equity, civic engagement, health and wellness. He’s part of the inaugural cohort of the Teaching Artist Training Institute, and is particularly passionate about the El Sistema approach to empowering children through music.

In 2019 he made his Carnegie Hall debut leading two non-auditioned youth and adult ensembles in a world-premiere choral cantata commissioned for the occasion. The Shelton, Washington performance of that work, “Borders” by John Muehleisen, won second in the community division of the 2019-20 American Prize: Ernst Bacon Award for the Performance of American Music. But even before this, community ensembles he’s either led or managed have shown a strong propensity for getting Lincoln Center and White House invitations.

Music has been a constant in Laura’s life from a young age. Growing up in Oregon, and also while a college student at Pacific Lutheran University, she was a violinist in the orchestra and sang in several school choirs.

Laura earned her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, summa cum laude, from PLU and worked on several archaeological projects in Belize, Southern Oregon, and finally, Colombia, the last from which she brought home a puppy, who is now her eldest dog, Luna.

For the next 10 years, she held administrative support, office management, and compliance roles in the financial services industry. Most recently, as an Investment Adviser Compliance Consultant, working remotely from her home in Lilliwaup, where she lives with her two dogs and two cats.

Laura moved to Mason County in early 2020, on a little lake property that belonged to her grandparents and where she had many happy memories from visits growing up. Covid kept her from meeting many people or getting too involved in the community until joining the Great Bend Chorale last year. She is excited to serve as Great Bend’s Business Manager and Development Coordinator.

Julia Aguilar Jerez holds a Bachelor of Arts in Ethnomusicology with a minor in Visual and Performing Arts Education from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Master of Arts in Music Education from the University of Washington. She has over a decade of experience in arts education and arts administration in schools across California, Washington, Spain, and China. Her main instrument is the clarinet but she also has several years of experience in world music ensembles playing music from North and South America, Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Her work reflects the belief that everyone is intrinsically musical. Her goal is to encourage lifelong learning and help students of all ages connect with the joy that music brings. Her passion for teaching stems from interdisciplinary approaches to music education, community engagement, and social justice. She also spends time crafting, learning languages, and visiting museums.

Alessandra has been involved in music for as long as she can remember- from playing piano to singing in choirs and playing in bands and orchestras (she’s an oboist). She received a Bachelor of Music Education with a Spanish Emphasis from the University of Northern Colorado. She taught elementary music for two years in Pahrump, Nevada and K-8 music and Spanish for five years in Las Vegas. She is currently the music leader at her church over the elementary aged children.

Alessandra loves traveling and has lived in South America (Peru and Bolivia) for two years. She currently lives in Chandler, Arizona with her husband and daughter. In their free time you can find them playing together, reading, making crafts, and exploring all the city has to offer.