Claire Aronson (Voice, Beginner Piano & Musical Theater Assistant Director)

Claire just received her Bachelors in Music this past year from Butler University, where she studied music education and vocal jazz in “Jordan Jazz”. When Claire isn’t giving a voice lesson or teaching a musical rehearsal, she is teaching PS-5 grade General Music and choir at St. Joan of Arc in Evanston. Through Music Makers Claire has assisted in the directing many Broadway-acclaimed shows including: High School Musical Jr., Bye Bye Birdie, Guys and Dolls Jr., and The Wiz. She been singing and performing since she was in children’s choir at St. Francis Xavier in La Grange and some of the productions she has been in are Sweeney Todd:The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Sugar (Based on the film Some Like it Hot. She also sings as a cantor for St. Francis masses and weddings.

Keith Bertrand (Voice & Instrumental)

Keith earned his Bachelors in Music Education from Elmhurst College, and Masters degree in Vocal Pedagogy from Northeastern Illinois University. He is currently teaching private voice and instrumental students in Western Springs.  Keith feels it is very important for an educator to also be an active performer.  He is one of the founding members of “The Lakeside Singers”, a professional 24 voice choral group based out of Evanston, IL, and a group called “Vox Jazz”, a smaller 8-12 vocal jazz ensemble out of Mt. Prospect.  When music festival season comes along, he works with the Chicago Public Schools, as well as the surrounding suburbs, as an adjudicator and clinician.  When time allows, Keith enjoys playing with the Joliet Junior College Jazz ensemble as a trumpet player, and continues his love of music as an audiophile by repairing vintage audio gear.  Yes, he loves tubes, and still buys vinyl.  Originally from Matteson, IL, Keith now resides in Bolingbrook.

 

Ann Bourjaily-Maney (Musical Music Director)

 

Micki Doherty (Musical Director & Voice)

Micki earned her bachelors degree in Production of Musical Theater from The University of Illinois, with a triple minor in vocal performance, theater and business.  For 7 years she was a talent agent with The Arlene Wilson Agency.  Here she learned about the business while booking and casting performers for movies, television and stage.  She was finally able to combine her passion for musical theater and her love of kids at Music Makers of Western Springs.  For 12 years she has been thrilled and privileged to run the musical theater program, teach Kindermusik and voice.  Nothing gives her greater joy that to watch someone who thinks they can’t realize they can!! Micki has also had the honor to direct the St. Francis Spirit Choir with Jeremy Michor for the past 13 years.  When she’s not directing and teaching she is usually chauffeuring one of her three kids, Jack, Kate and Abby to one of their many activities.  She wouldn’t have it any other way!

 

Phil Doyle (Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute, Piano, & Jazz Piano)

Since his very first piano lesson at 4 years old, Phil Doyle began his music career at the University of Miami, where he performed as the lead tenor saxophonist and featured soloist in the world-renowned Concert Jazz Band. He has recorded on several projects including a Grammy-nominated album “Romances” with composer Maria Schneider, and has performed with a wide array of artist such as David Leibman, Vince Mendoza, James Moody and Jim McNeely.
At age 20, he toured with the popular K.C. and The Sunshine Band, as a featured soloist for 2 years. While on tour, he also performed with The Trammps, Martha Wash, and Gloria Gaynor at venues such as the Hollywood Bowl in L.A. and the Sydney Entertainment Center in Australia.
Phil has performed live on the NBC Today Show, the Ellen Degeneres show, PBS and has played all across Italy, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Hawaii, Kauai, the Cayman Islands, as well as most of the United States. He works frequently in the Chicago land area as a freelance musician and holds a Masters Degree in Music from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is available for piano, saxophone, flute, and clarinet lessons. His teaching philosophy is established upon what always must come first; the joy of music.

 

Ysrealia Garbutt (Piano & Voice)

Ysraelia Garbutt earned her B.A. in Music (minor; Special Education) from Mundelein College of Loyola University in Chicago in 1992, and subsequently studied the harpsichord under world-renowned artist Professor David Schrader at Roosevelt University’s College of the Performing Arts.

Ysraelia used music as therapy for many years, first working with special needs children and then with alzheimers/dementia patients; she is currently a pianist at St. Francis Xavier Church in LaGrange, as well as organist and choir director for three suburban Episcopal churches. She has performed in numerous musical theatre productions throughout Chicagoland. She performs each year in the chorus of the annual musical “Too Hot to Handel” at the Auditorium Theatre, starring tenor Rodrick Dixon (of Cook, Dixon & Young, formerly of the original “3 Mo’ Tenors”). She is also a member of the locally popular band Hidden Village.

 

Rob Hynes (Guitar & Bass)

Robert Hynes has been an instructor at Music Makers Of Western Springs for over ten years, and enjoys the chance to share his love of music through private & semi-private lessons, guitar ensemble, and Rock Band.  Instruction is available for all styles of guitar including classical, jazz, rock, blues, slide/bottleneck, country/bluegrass, pop.  Other instruments offered are bass guitar, ukulele, banjo and mandolin.  Skills taught will be sight reading, ear training, chord comping, transcribing songs and solos, technique development and songwriting.   Robert is also responsible for guitar repair at the studio.

Having written music & performed with a wide variety of groups throughout the Chicagoland area for almost 20 years, Robert has built an impressive live performance resume including stops at the Taste of Chicago, Park West,  and House of Blues.  The Robert Hynes Band, a group featuring his original compositions, has shared the stage with acclaimed national acts such as Buckwheat Zydeco, the Mighty Blue Kings, Rusted Root Trio, Leo Nocontelli (guitarist of the Meters), and CJ Chenier.  He has performed in wedding bands, jazz ensembles, blues bands, cover bands, and done studio work for other acts as well.

Robert first learned guitar and piano at a very young age from his father, a self taught muti-instrumentalist.  Piano, guitar, singing and viola lessons were continued next-door at the neighbors who was an instructor and at school.  Robert has attended Downers Grove South Hight School, Davea Career Center (Media Technonlogy), The College of DuPage and received countless hours of private guitar instruction from the areas finest guitarists.

 

Sean Keenahan (Percussion)

 

 

Phillip Kleven (Strings)

 

Jeremy Michor

 

Marissa Ostrego (Piano)

Marissa Ostrego was born and raised in Western Springs, IL.  She attended St. Francis Xavier Grade School, Lyons Township High School, and North Central College.  Marissa was involved in music activities throughout her school career and was blessed to have studied under talented mentors.  She believes music has a unique ability to enrich people’s lives.  Marissa earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education and received her Type 10 Teaching Certificate from the Illinois State Board of Education in Spring 2010.  As an educator, Marissa hopes to inspire others to develop an appreciation for music and to strive to reach their musical potential.  She currently teaches beginner piano and voice lessons at Music Makers of Western Springs.

Justin Purtill

Justin Purtill has been an active member of the creative music scene for over ten years. He has performed, recorded, and toured with the likes of Gary Burton, Marco Benevento, Jerry Bergonzi, Hal Crook, George Garzone, Leo Genovese, Brian Godchaux, Donna Jean Godchaux, Joe Hunt, Steve Kimock, Eric Kloss, Rakalam Bob Moses, Tisziji Munoz, TigerOkoshi, Sandy Rothman, Melvin Seals and the JGB, Bill Goodwin, Esparanza Spalding, The Sewer Rats, Kendrick Scott, and Paul Wertico. Justin has released three CD’s of improvisational singer-songwriter music entitled “Permanent Mystery”, “Raw”, “Sore Eyes for Sight” on AYVA Records. He received his Bachelor’s in Music from Berklee College in ’03 and his Master’s Degree in Contemporary Improvisation from the New England Conservatory in ’07.

Junichi Sato (Piano)

Junichi Steven Sato is a multi-faceted musician who holds a Bachelor of Music degree (Honors) from DePaul University and a Master of Music degree from Indiana University.  As a pianist, he had won awards at numerous competitions and performs extensively in the United States and abroad.  As a composer, his works are performed internationally, some of which have been heard at Ravinia Festival and on National Public Radio.  As a publisher, his print music as well as his debut compact disc album of his solo piano transcriptions have been highly praised in journals and magazines.  A frequent adjudicator at piano and composition competitions, Junichi served as Chairman of the Jury for the Fifth “Këngët e Tokës” International Music Competition in Albania, chaired Illinois State Music Teachers Association’s Composition Competition from 2005 to 2007, and has been co-chair of Chicago Area Music Teachers Association’s Roberta Savler Piano Contest since 2003.

Junichi is currently on the faculty at DePaul University and at Music Makers of Western Springs.

 

Regina Sato (Piano)

Music Educator Regina Sato began studying the piano and singing in choirs during her early elementary years.  Her love for piano and voice brought her to pursue a Bachelor in Music Education at Millikin University.  She graduated in 1997 and went on to receive her Illinois music teaching certification.  She has taught general music at St. Michael’s School in Wheaton, Illinois, Hiawatha School in Berwyn, Illinois, and Pleasant Lane Elementary in Lombard, Illinois, and also directed the Glenn Westlake Middle School Chorus, Lombard, Illinois.  Regina has a strong interest in piano and vocal health, which compelled her to pursue and earn a teaching certificate in Alexander Technique in 2004 at the Alexander Technique Center of New England.

Regina has been a member of the faculty at Music Makers of Western Springs since 2004 where she teaches private piano and voice.  She also coordinates and teaches the Kinder-Keys classes, Beginning Keyboard classes, and Group Singing Exploration.

Regina has been a church cantor at St. Cletus Church in La Grange, Illinois, since 1990 and also accompanies and cantors at St. Patrick’s Residence in Naperville, Illinois.

Marc Riordan (piano, drum, and bass guitar)

Marc Riordan is a rock and jazz musician based in Chicago.  He is the drummer for a diverse number of ensembles, including the progressive punk band Wishgift, the electro-acoustic ensemble Breakway, and the D-beat band Apocalypse of Death.  Additionally, he plays piano in the Chicago based improvising trio Tres Hongos, whose debut record was released to critical praise in early 2012.  Marc holds a Bachelors in Music from the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, where he studied with Steve Lacy, Bob Moses, and Ran Blake.  He has performed, recorded, and toured internationally with Xiu Xiu, Jason Ajemian and the HighLife, Stew (of the Tony Award winning Broadway show, Passing Strange), Health & Beauty, and Josh Berman’s Old Idea.  Currently he is adapting the Ragtime piano music of Scott Joplin for quartet performance.

Kimberly Taylor (Piano)

Kimberly Taylor is a Pianist and Songwriter currently residing in Forest Park, Illinois.  She has been teaching piano privately and in group settings to students of all ages and levels since 2003.  Kimberly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education with a Concentration in Piano Performance from North Central College (Naperville, Illinois).  She is also an Illinois Certified K-12 Teacher in Music.  Her previous positions include General Music, Recorder and Keyboards at Maercker District 60 (Westmont, IL), Choir Conductor at Burr Ridge Middle School (Burr Ridge, IL) and Choir Conductor at Troy Middle School (Plainfield, IL).  She also holds Song Copyrights from the U.S. Library of Congress for an album she wrote in 2000.  Currently accompanies the Westmont Junior High Choir with Cathy DeLanoy, and teaches beginning to advanced piano lessons at Music Makers of Western Springs.

Kimberly is always looking for ways to make music lessons an active, engaging experience.  Students are encouraged to play but also encouraged to develop their other musical skills, such as counting, spelling, notating, listening, memorizing, harmonizing, and composing.  Each lesson feels like a bunch of mini-lessons where students can experience success and learn how to use their practice time wisely.  Each lesson has a special challenge assignment where students get a preview of the next lesson, and can try to solve it on their own to work ahead.  Students who complete challenges are more likely to pass songs at each lesson, making progress quick and learning fun.

In her spare time, Kimberly relaxes with her husband Ian, her daughter Sagan, and their two dogs Bella and Avery.