Who We Are
Our mission to make music a part of every child's education is achieved through the collaborative efforts of ETM's
Booker White, Chairman
Patrick Cole, Chairman Emeritus
Vincent Houser, Secretary
Nancy Smith, Treasurer
Lola Debney
Gregory L. Gutierrez
Larry Kohorn
Henry Lee
Michele Nardone
Austin Wintory
Christopher Young
Ayke Agus
John Avila
Leni Boorstin
Daniel Catan
James Dooley
Kerry Farrell
Jesus Florido
Michael Giacchino
Susan Helfter
Angelica Loa
Yeou-Cheng Ma
Misha Piatigorsky
Eric Whitacre
Anthony White
Jeremy Zhu
Victoria Lanier, Executive Director
Aliza Pearl Kennerly, Program Associate
Clifton Chang, Finance Associate
Angie Solomon, Public Relations Intern
Elizabeth Wright, Field Supervisor
Jonathan Beard, Field Supervisor
Elzabeth Megan Fong, Field Supervisor
Victoria Young Lanier, Executive Director, studied violin at Juilliard, graduated with honors from Princeton University, and received her Masters of Music Education from Teachers College, Columbia University. While in New York, she developed a passion for working with youth and ensuring that all children receive equal opportunities for music education. Ms. Lanier was a Program Coordinator for Education Through Music (1999-2003) and taught violin, mentored teaching artists, and designed an integrated string curriculum. In 2004, she was chosen for the Ralph Lauren Polo Jeans G.I.V.E. Campaign (Get Involved. Volunteer. Exceed.) through her work with ETM. Ms. Lanier's involvement with other music education programs include coordinating and teaching high school music for Carnegie Hall's Weill Institute Seminar. She taught violin at the Mannes College of Music Prep Division and instructed violin to inner-city Newark youth through NJ Symphony's Outreach Program.
Since moving to Los Angeles in 2003 Ms. Lanier has worked to bring music and music education to the underserved. She helped coordinate the HMI Community Outreach Initiative and also served as the Music Education Manager for the Da Camera Society. As a collaborating founder for Education Through Music-Los Angeles, she is thrilled about the expansion of ETM to LA - the first national affiliate - in order to see that every child receives equitable, excellent music education. Her experience as a professional violinist includes studio film and television recordings including Fox Simpsons and Spiderman III, performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, Weill Recital Hall, Hollywood Bowl, and Walt Disney Concert Hall with diverse artists and groups from the Ahn Trio, Pacific Symphony, Il Divo, John Williams, Long Beach Opera, Kanye West, Misha Dichter, and Josh Groban to Stevie Wonder and Christina Aguilera.
Elizabeth Wright, Field Supervisor is a native of North Carolina and received her BA in cello performance from the University of California, Los Angeles with Ronald Leonard. She performs regularly with the Santa Barbara Symphony, Mozart Classical Orchestra, as well as the Mladi Chamber Orchestra. She is an active studio and chamber musician and performs with the Jacaranda Series in Santa Monica, CA. Ms. Wright has worked with Zubin Mehta, Michael Tilson-Thomas, David Zinman, Ivan Fischer, John Williams, John Clayton, Vince Mendoza, David Newman, Jerry Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, Christian McBride, Tony Bennett, Johnny Mandel, Terence Blanchard, Billy Childs and Ben Harper.
Ms. Wright has designed and implemented educational outreach programs for the Young Musicians Foundation, as well as the Pasadena Pops Orchestra. She has taught violin, cello, and general music for the YMF Youth Mentor Artist Program, Childrens' Music Workshop, the American Youth Symphony String Project and the Henry Mancini Institute. Ms. Wright is a dedicated music educator and has taught within the LAUSD and Santa Monica-Malibu School districts. She is a Suzuki cello teacher and maintains a private studio on the West Side of Los Angeles.
Aliza Pearl Kennerly, Program Associate, is a recent graduate of Princeton University, where she majored in Comparative Literature and minored in Theater and Dance, as well as East Asian Studies. She is also a singer-songwriter (ASCAP member), guitarist, actor and writer, and has led musical theater master classes and workshops for children from elementary school to high school in conjunction with professional theater performances. She has performed in acclaimed productions at McCarter Theater and Berkeley Repertory Theater, and has toured nationally in theater productions. She can be seen in various independent films.
Teaching Artists
Nick Alvarez, Cello & Violin
Jonathan Beard, Cello
Christine D'Alexander, Cello & Violin
Christina Eng, Violin
Elizabeth Megan Fong, Violin
Timothy Hagen, Recorder
Amanda Johnson, Guitar, Chorus, General Music
Emily Kubitskey, Recorder
Andrew Leonard, Recorder
Audrey Salmon, Violin
John Storie, Guitar
Lindsey Strand-Polyak, Violin
Chris Thomas, General Music
Nick Alvarez (Cello and Violin) is new to Los Angeles, and performs as an orchestral, solo, and chamber musician as well as a music educator. Prior to arriving in California, he was a member of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra and assistant principal cellist of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago. He was also performed regularly in Phoenix with the Phoenix Symphony, Arizona Opera, the Downtown Chamber Series, and the Red Rocks Festival in Sedona. In September of 2008 he toured western Canada with a chamber orchestra to celebrate the seventy-fifth anniversary of the Banff Centre. Alvarez's recent projects have included collaborations with composer Louis Andriessen, and a soon to be released recording of Leo Ornstein’s complete works for cello and piano with pianist Keith Kirchoff. He has taught cello at Arizona State University, Rosie’s House - a pre-college music academy in Phoenix. Alvarez holds a Master of Music from the Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University, a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas, and is currently completing a Doctor of Musical Arts in cello performance at Arizona State University where he served as Thomas Landschoot’s Teaching Assistant.
Jonathan Beard (Cello) holds degrees in music from Stanford and UCLA, and is a 2006 recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Henry Mancini Composer Scholarship. An accomplished cellist and educator, he teaches for the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Young Musicians Foundation, and performs with local music groups and for recordings. He is also a talented composer, having recently completed a PBS documentary film "California's Lost Tribes," and contributing music for the TV pilot "Secrets of a Hollywood Nurse." He is assisting John Frizzell in Hollywood on the score for the upcoming film, "The Reaping", and Universal Publishing will be publishing a rock version of Beard's "Silent Night".
Christine D'Alexander (Cello and Violin) has studied viola for over 20 years. She has been an active music educator in California and Illinois, teaching public school orchestra, adjudicating competitions and working with various Outreach programs throughout the country. In 2002, she received her BMA in Viola Performance from Arizona State University, and received her MM in Music Education from the University of Southern California in 2010. She currently resides in Culver City and continues to teach strings as well as to pursue her DMA in Music Education.
Christina Eng (Violin) is a violinist and educator originally from the New York area. She continued her professional studies receiving a Bachelors of Music from Boston University. Her international performance experiences extend to Europe and Asia and include artists such as Yo-Yo Ma, Sarah Chang, and Emmanuel Ax. She currently teaches violin, viola and cello at various music schools in the Los Angeles area while maintaining a private studio. In addition, Christina has a Masters of Arts in Theology with an emphasis in theology and the arts.
Elizabeth Megan Fong (Violin) has studied violin for eighteen years. She has studied and played many different styles and forms of Western, American and World Music. In 2001 she received her BFA from Sarah Lawrence College and began teaching for Education Through Music Inc. in New York City. She now resides in East LA pursuing her career as a music educator and artistic collaborator of performance and composition.
Timothy Hagen (Recorder) is a flutist, composer, and educator who is making waves across America and around the world. In 2007 he was a semifinalist in the Jeunesses Musicales International Flute Competition in Belgrade, Serbia, as well as the only American invited to compete. He was also the first flutist to receive the coveted Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarship and has received awards from the Pasadena Showcase House Instrumental Competition and the Leni Fe Bland Foundation. In addition to his positions as Principal Flute of the American Youth Symphony and founding member of the Tonoi Ensemble, he maintains a large private flute studio and serves on the teaching artist faculties of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Education Through Music-Los Angeles, and the Arts Council of Long Beach. His work as a composer was recognized in 2008 with a Meet the Composer grant from MetLife Creative Connections, and he is looking forward to the publication of his AdventurEtudes for young flutists.
Emily Kubitskey (Recorder) has been a pianist and clarinetist for over 18 years and just recently moved to Los Angeles after completing her degrees at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. She received her Bachelors in Music (clarinet and organ performance) and her Masters in Secondary Education. She has taught and performed internationally, most recently in Guangzhou, China, working with elementary through college-age students. She now resides in the Los Angeles area where she teaches general music through ETM-LA and has private students as well.
Amanda Johnson (Guitar, Chorus, & General Music) is a teaching, performing, and touring musician from Hollywood, California. She graduated from Citrus College where she established connections in the Southern California music community. She has performed internationally with a jazz band and has taken an original rock group on tour throughout the United States. Currently she performs every week with various cover and original bands. For over ten years Ms. Johnson has been teaching guitar, bass, piano and flute to children of all ages.
Andrew Leonard (Recorder) is a clarinetist who has soloed with the Pasadena Pops, the Torrance Symphony, and performed as prizewinner of the Redlands Starlight Bowl. After earning degrees from Juilliard and USC, he is now developing his career as a recording musician and chamber musician in Los Angeles.
Audrey Salmon (Violin) has performed with the award-winning Blue Rose Trio in the USA, Israel, China, Hong Kong, Brazil and France. A classical violinist and Miss Alaska 2000, Audrey is also a two-time Alaska State Fiddling Champion. She began her violin study in Anchorage, Alaska with Beverly Beheim, her mother. She was mentored by Moscow Conservatory pianist, Svetlana Velichtko. She has a Young Artist Certificate and Bachelors from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where she studied with Linda and David Cerone. Her Masters and Graduate Certificate are from the University of Southern California, where she studied with Robert Lipsett and dove deep into the world of chamber music with Lars Hoefs, Rose Chen, and coaches Peter Marsh, and Kevin Fitzgerald. Audrey won the ASTA state solo competition in Alaska, Anchorage Festival’s “Young Alaskan Artist” award, the Talent Award at Miss America, and won top prizes in the Coleman and MTNA National Chamber Music Competitions, as well as the International Peninsula Chamber Competition with her trio. Audrey also records for movies, albums, TV, and performs live and tours with pop artists. Audrey also teaches for the Harmony Project and coaches for the Junior Chamber Music Society. Every summer, Audrey performs and teaches at chamber festivals and workshops in Texas and Alaska. Audrey lives in Los Angeles with her husband, Gavin Salmon.
John Storie (Guitar) has been an active contributor to the jazz and classical music scenes of Portland, OR and Los Angeles, CA for over a decade. As a founding member of such groups as the Portland Youth Jazz Orchestra, Tyme Quartet, and New West, John has performed across the country and gained recognition as a leading figure among young musicians. Over the years, he has been recognized by the Downbeat Student Music Awards, the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts, Jazz Society of Oregon, Cascade Festival of Music, Guitar Foundation of America, and Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz. In 2005, John was selected as one of 10 semi-finalists in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Guitar Competition. His performances with "New West" - a guitar trio based in Los Angles - have taken him to Japan, Canada, and Germany. Currently, John performs with Renee Olstead, Spencer Day, Al Jarreau, Steve Miller, and Randy Newman.
Lindsey Strand-Polyak (Violin) has been sharing her love of music with students of all ages for over a decade. She has worked with numerous music outreach programs throughout the Los Angeles area as well as maintaining her own private violin studio. As a performer, she has appeared as a soloist and in recital throughout North America and Europe. She is currently a Ph.D. and MM candidate in Musicology and Music at UCLA, where she researches early violin history and is a Teaching Assistant in music history.
Chris Thomas (General Music) attended the University of Oregon, obtaining degrees in Music Composition and Political Science. He attended the prestigious Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television graduate program at the University of Southern California, where he studied with Chris Young, Pete Anthony, John Frizzell, Jon Erlich, Freddie Wiedmann, Kenneth Hall, Joel McNeely, Richard Kraft, Chris Brooks, and Eric Schmidt. At age 16, Mr. Thomas began writing his first theatrical, ballet and film music scores. His professional experience ranges from street performer to concert cellist to orchestral film composer, and has also been involved with Balinese gamelan and Chinese opera. He currently composes, orchestrates and edits feature film scores in his Culver City studio. Music is the love of his life!
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Upcoming Events
Saturday, August 28th
4:00 pm to
7:00 pm
Summer Soiree Fundraiser
ETM-LA Students
Quotes
I want to thank you for the chance to learn to play an instrument. I felt excited to play the violin. I bought a violin to practice at home.
-Castelar School 3rd Grade Student
Our Wish List
$25
Recorders for an entire class
$75
Entire semester of music for 1 child
$150 - ADOPT A CHILD
1 full year of music for 1 child
$1000
An entire semester of music for 15 kids
ADOPT A SCHOOL
$5,000 Level
$10,000 Level
2009-2010
Partnerships with 8 schools serving over 2,000 children in LA!
