Nolan Petote is a freelance musician and teacher based in Pittsburgh. He has performed numerous times with the orchestras of Charleston (SC), Albany (NY), South Florida, Wheeling, Westmoreland, and Johnstown and is an active chamber musician with the Bel Suono Ensemble. Nolan maintains a large private clarinet and saxophone studio at two locations in the Pittsburgh area and through teaching online lessons. He is also the woodwind coordinator of the Pittsburgh Youth Concert Orchestra and director of the PYCO Wind Symphony. Nolan holds a Masters in Music Performance and Advanced Music Studies Degrees from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelors of Music Performance Degree from Duquesne University.
Dan Parasky is a passionate flutist and dedicated educator. Founder of The Parasky Flute Studios (est. 1999), his students have achieved success in numerous competitions and performed internationally. He is an adjunct faculty member at Duquesne University.
A sought-after clinician, Mr. Parasky has presented at national/international flute conferences and at universities nationwide covering pedagogy, flute choir, studio management, giving master classes and has been the featured artist at flute day forums/festivals.
As an active performer, Mr. Parasky is a soloist, chamber musician, and guest conductor with a focus on contemporary music. He has performed with the National Flute Association (NFA) Professional Flute Choir, the International Low Flute Choir and as a guest soloist with the TRYPO Wind Ensemble. He has guest-conducted various honor flute ensembles for the Flute Society of Washington D.C. and the NFA. During his tenure as the Convention Flute Choir Coordinator for the NFA annual conventions, he initiated and significantly expanded the Flute Ensemble Festival.
Mr. Parasky holds degrees from Boston University and Duquesne University and resides in Pittsburgh, PA. He is a Wm. S. Haynes Artist, performing on a custom 10k/14k gold flute and an alto flute and piccolo from the Haynes-Amadeus line.
Originally from near Muncie, Indiana, Rick graduated in 1979 from Ball State University (Music Perf/Music Ed). After one semester of graduate studies at the University of Iowa, he was offered a position as principal trumpet in the Veracruz Symphony Orchestra in Veracruz, Mexico. Since returning to the U.S., Rick has won positions in many different orchestras and festivals including Quad Cities, IA; Cedar Rapids, IA; Binghamton, NY; Tucson, AZ; Sun Valley, ID and Bedford Springs, PA. Moving to Pittsburgh in 1990, Rick has played with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra many times. Highlights include: performing Mahler's 6th Symphony in Carnegie Hall with Loren Maazel; the PSO Pops under Marvin Hamlisch; the Pittsburgh Opera under the direction of Anthony Walker as well as Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre's Charles Barker.
Philip VanOuse is a graduate of Cincinnati College- Conservatory of Music (B.M.) and Carnegie Mellon University (M.M.) and is the principal tuba player for the Pittsburgh Opera and Ballet Orchestras. He is a longtime member of Eastern Watershed Quartet, the Pittsburgh Ceremonial Brass and is bass trombonist with the Tuesday Night Big Band. He is an active clinician of low brass and serves on the faculties of Slippery Rock University, Duquesne University and the Carnegie Mellon precollege program.
Dan Blumenfeld holds a BFA plus a certificate in music education from Carnegie Mellon University where he earned School of Music and University Honors. He also holds an M. Ed. in Music Education from Duquesne University. While at CMU, Dan studied trumpet performance under the tutelage of Neal Berntsen, second trumpet of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He won the Harry G. Archer Award from the Carnegie Mellon School of Music for Most Outstanding Junior and won the same award the subsequent year for Most Outstanding Senior. Dan currently directs the band program for the Intermediate School in the Franklin Regional School District.
Nick Nutter graduated from Penn State University with an undergraduate degree in music education and holds a Master of Music in Jazz Performance from Duquesne University. While attending Penn State he performed with various ensembles included the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Centre Dimensions Jazz Ensemble, and numerous Jazz Combos. Outside of teaching, Nick is an active musician in the Pittsburgh area performing with “The Wally Ginger's Orchestra,” “Murphy's Music Center Big Band,” and pit orchestras for many stage productions. Nick currently directs the band program for the High School in the Franklin Regional School District.
Amaya Williams is a Senior in the Music Education program at Duquesne University, where she studies violin under Rachel Stegeman. During her time at Duquesne, Amaya has been actively involved in the university chapter of the American String Teachers Association and has performed with the Duquesne Symphony Orchestra and the Duke's Music Baroque ensemble. She also works with Three Rivers Young Peoples Orchestra (TRYPO) as a Program Assistant. Outside of her musical endeavors, Amaya is a Resident Assistant at Duquesne, where she is a liaison between students and the residence life community on campus. Amaya wants to support young musicians to reach their full potential and is thrilled to begin her private teaching career with NMA.
Becky Gard was raised in Western New York and began playing music at the young age of four, beginning on Violin and Piano. She learned Piano along with all of her siblings and cousins taught by their Grandmother. At age six, she began Harp lessons. In her teen years she would also add Clarinet, Bassoon and Organ to list of musical abilities. She, and her family, were heavily involved in the music programs at their church, singing, ringing Handbells, offering accompaniments and performing solos. Growing up in a household immersed in music, with many relatives being music educators, along with her lifelong love for music, led her to pursue a degree in music.
Prior to college, Becky participated in every musical opportunity offered including band, orchestra and chorus. She routinely accompanied choirs and participated in musicals, either on stage or in the pit orchestras. Outside of school organizations she was also active in Buffalo area youth orchestras. She competed in all county and all state competitions and was a recipient of the Erie County Music Educators Scholarship.
She was also fortunate to receive a scholarship to spend a summer at Chautauqua Institute participating in the Orchestras there, which was a pivotal and truly unique experience. Becky completed her Bachelors of Arts in Music Education at Duquesne University in 2003. Following graduation, she freelanced as a Harpist providing music for churches, gatherings and weddings.
In 2010, Becky felt called back to church music. She took a position as Organist at Elizabeth United Methodist where she served for three years. She then held the position of Organist and 8:30 Music Director at Newlonsburg Presbyterian Church from 2013 to 2022. She continues sharing her love of music teaching private piano lessons as well as freelance work as a harpist and substitute organist.