Faculty Page

The music faculty at Adrian College is made up of highly trained professional musicians who exemplify excellent teaching. Our faculty regularly perform recitals and concerts both on and off the Adrian College campus. All faculty hold graduate degrees in performance and/or music education from some of the finest conservatories in the United States, including: The Eastman School of Music, The Cincinnati College Conservatory of Music, The Peabody Conservatory of Music, Teachers College Columbia, The University of Indiana at Bloomington, Westminster Choir College, and The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Feel free to e-mail any of our instructors regarding their specific areas of expertise.

Lori Bitz lori_bitz@msn.com teaches trumpet, Brass Ensemble and Brass Methods at Adrian College. She holds a Master of Music degree in trumpet performance from Bowling Green State University, where she was a student with Edwin Betts. She serves as brass faculty member at the University of Findlay and Adrian College. Lori is an active performer and holds the principal trumpet position in the Adrian Symphony. In addition to her teaching, Lori serves as Minister of Music at Hope Lutheran Church in Toledo, Ohio, where she directs the Chancel, Children's, Hand Bell, Chime and Trumpet Choirs.

Colleen Conway conwaycm@umich.edu is the horn instructor at Adrian College and fourth horn in the Adrian Symphony Orchestra. She is also Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies in Music Education at The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. She holds bachelors and masters degrees in horn performance and music education from the Eastman School of Music and a doctorate in music education from Teachers College, Columbia University. Dr. Conway has made recordings with the Eastman Wind Ensemble, the Greater Rochester Women’s Philharmonic, and the Penfield, NY Symphony. She was the principal horn of the Heidleburg Germany summer festival orchestra in 1987. Dr. Conway is the author of more than 40 articles and books on beginning music teachers. Her most recent publication Handbook for the Beginning Music Teacher co-authored with Adrian College Professor Tom Hodgman was released by GIA Publications in January 2006.

John Dodson jdodson@adrian.edu serves as the Artistic Director and Conductor of the Adrian Symphony Orchestra and is an associate professor of music at Adrian College where he teaches Music History, Orchestration, Musical Form, and Conducting. He has held previous music directorships with Bryan Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra New York, the Philharmonia Orchestra of Tucson and the Coronado Music Festival. Mr. Dodson also conducts the Ballet Theatre of Toledo Orchestra and has guest conducted the Budapest Philharmonic, National Symphony Orchestra of the Dominican Republic, National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia, National Symphony Orchestra of Bashkortostan, Omsk Philharmonic, Russia, State Symphony Orchestra of Irkutsk, Russia, Bialystok Philharmonic (Poland), Orquesta Sinfonica UANL, (Mexico), Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and Tucson Symphony Orchestra. He holds the Master of Music degree in Orchestral Conducting from the Peabody Conservatory of Music, a Bachelor’s in Music from Tennessee Technological University and pursued additional conducting studies at the Aspen Music School.

Shannon Ford shannonford@buckeye-express.com teaches saxophone and clarinet at Adrian College and coaches the Woodwind Quintet. She has been active as a freelancer and private teacher of both classical and jazz styles in the Toledo area since 1991. As a saxophonist she has performed throughout the Midwest and recorded with the saxophone quartet Sax 4th Avenue, recorded two Suites for Tenor Saxophone and Strings with the Alec Wilder Project, worked with the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, the Toledo Symphony, the Toledo Concert Band, and is a member of the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra. As a clarinetist she has held the co-principal clarinet position with the Lima Symphony Orchestra since 2000 (and has been a featured soloist with that orchestra on clarinet, saxophone, and with Sax 4th Avenue). She has enjoyed additional engagements with the Adrian Symphony, Toledo Opera, and Michigan Opera Theatre, and performs often with the Toledo Symphony. As a woodwind doubler she has worked shows with national tours of “Chicago,” “Evita,” “Hairspray,” and “The Producers” as well as with such notable artists as Harry Connick, Jr., Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, J. J. Johnson, Joel Grey, and Ray Charles. Shannon also is part of a flute, clarinet, and piano trio known as Mirepoix, and is currently recording and performing with the Toledo Clarinets (a.k.a. the Black Swamp Reeds). In addition to her teaching at Adrian College, Shannon teaches Saxophone at Oakland University (MI). She earned her performance degrees from Indiana State University and Bowling Green State University. She has held positions as saxophone instructor at Muskingum College (OH), clarinet instructor at Ohio Northern University and Siena Heights University (MI), and saxophone ensembles coach at Bowling Green State University. Her teachers include John Sampen, Ron Samuels, Gene Parker, and Mark Kieswetter.

Pete Ford pford@adrian.edu is an assistant professor of music at Adrian College where he teaches Music Theory, Ear Training, Jazz Piano, and Improvisation. He holds both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Music Theory from Indiana State University. A published composer, his saxophone quartet piece Ulterior Motives is on the High School Class “A” contest list in Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida. Pete also plays jazz piano gigs around the Toledo area as a freelance musician, and with his own group, The Pete Ford Trio. In addition to his instructional duties at Adrian College, he teaches music classes at Mercy College of Northwest Ohio, plus he has several private music students. Pete is a member of ASCAP, Professional Musicians of Northwest Ohio (Local 15-286), and is the primary musical arranger for the saxophone quartet Sax 4th Avenue. He has performed with the likes of the jazz trombone legend J.J. Johnson, as well as prominent jazz historian and author Mark Gridley, plus many gifted regional artists too numerous to mention. His musical background is eclectic, with experiences that include composition, arranging, and recording of commercial broadcast jingles. Pete lives in Toledo with his wife Shannon Ford (Adrian College’s instructor of saxophone and clarinet) and three cats.

Michael Gartz mgartz@bex.net Michael Gartz teaches applied organ and accompanies student recitals, studio classes, as well as Musical Theatre Workshop and Opera Workshop at Adrian College. He graduated from the Eastman School of Music with a Bachelor’s Degree in Organ Performance, and a minor in piano. Further studies were undertaken at Eastman in Musicology. He currently serves as organist at St. Mark's Episcopal Church in Toledo. As a freelance accompanist he has worked both in Ann Arbor and Toledo for the past twenty years. Michael is well-known internationally as the owner of "Liberty Music", a mail-order firm specializing in rare classical 78-rpm records. Many records from his personal collection of 30,000 discs have been used in various CD transfers. His particular field of study, uniting his background as a performing musician and record collector, is performance practice of the Romantic era, with emphasis on early recordings by composers and their pupils. He lives in Perrysburg, Ohio with his wife Gosia, who runs a local tailoring business.

Kathleen (Kelly) Hill-Kretzer hillkretzer@yahoo.com is the flute instructor at Adrian College and also teaches Music of Non-Western Civilizations. She has previously instructed classes through the Musicology, Composition, and Theory department at Bowling Green State University, at Adrian College, and presently at The University of Findlay. Kelly is a member of the Adrian Symphony and frequently performs with the Lima Symphony. She continues to give numerous recitals with the flute-clarinet-piano trio Mirepoix, including an August 2004 performance on WGTE’s Live on FM 91. In 1994 she performed at the National Flute Association Convention and currently plays in chamber settings in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan. A seasoned clinician, she received performance degrees from Illinois State University and a M.M. from Bowling Green State University. Her teachers include Randall Hester, Judith Bentley, Walfrid Kujala, and Max Schoenfeld. In her spare time she enjoys reading, decorating, gardening and listening to jazz.

Cecilia Johnson cejohnson@bex.net teaches upper strings and directs the String Ensemble at Adrian College. She has extensive orchestral experience, having performed for the Toledo Symphony (1993-2004), the Fort Wayne Philharmonic (1986-1997), the West Virginia Symphony (including its 50th anniversary Kennedy Center Performance), the Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and the Cincinnati Ballet Orchestra (principal second violin 1991-92). She is a founding member and concertmaster of the Trinity Chamber Orchestra in Toledo and will serve in the same capacity for Ballet Theatre of Toledo in its upcoming season. Ms. Johnson has performed as principal second violin for the Lakeside Summer Symphony since 1993. She is the founder and director of CYMBAL (Community Youth Motivated By Arts Learning), an arts-based after-school program for the children of Toledo's central city. She also serves on the part-time faculty of the University of Toledo and recently at Siena Heights University. Ms. Johnson is the first violinist of Toledo's Scandia String Quartet. She has recorded for several rock bands in the Toledo area, primarily "The Pillbugs," whose followers cover the globe. Portions of their recent recording were broadcast on Spanish radio. Ms. Johnson is the program director/vice-president of Toledo's Euterpean Club, a music service and performing organization. She frequently performs chamber music with her husband tenor Erik Johanson, and enjoys supporting their daughter Linnea (born 1994), in her dancing, musical, and creative endeavors.

Valrie Kantorski vkantorski@adrian.edu teaches piano and accompanies the choral ensembles at Adrian College. She is a pianist in Northwest Ohio, and has been a member of the Toledo Symphony for 20 years. As a Symphony musician, she has the honor of holding the Jonathan F. Orser Chair, a keyboard endowment that she has supported on piano, harpsichord, celesta, organ, and synthesizer for the orchestra since the Chair's inception. As a nationally certified teacher of piano, Ms. Kantorski maintains a private studio for beginning through advanced students. She has been on the faculties of Florida International University, the University of Miami, Florida State University and Bowling Green State University as an adjunct instructor of piano. As a pianist, Valrie debuted as a soloist at the age of 16 in her native Miami, Florida, playing Beethoven and Mozart piano concerti with Florida orchestras. She has performed in Europe and in venues throughout the United States, including New York's Carnegie Recital Hall. She has performed as collaborative pianist for nationally known solo artists, has performed on National Public Radio, and has recorded on Coronet, Capstone, Access, and Riverview labels. Valrie has been a member of the Kantorski-Pope Piano Duo, an ensemble that has been on the roster of the Touring Artist program of the Ohio Arts Council. The Duo was awarded the prestigious Virginia E. Schrader Residency in Performing Arts, and was a three-time winner of the Graves Duo Piano competition. She has appeared as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21, and most recently, Manuel deFalla's Nights in the Gardens of Spain.

Aaron Keaster amkeaster@sbcglobal.net teaches double bass and cello at Adrian College. He resides in the Toledo area and has been a double bassist with the Toledo Symphony since 1996. He was assistant professor of Double Bass at Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, OH from 2001-2003. Aaron received a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from The Wichita State University in Wichita, Kansas. While there, he performed with the Wichita Symphony and the Wichita Jazz Orchestra. He also earned a Master’s Degree in Double Bass Performance from the University of Indiana in Bloomington, Indiana where he studied with Lawrence Hurst. Aaron has performed with several orchestras including the Terre Haute Symphony, the Lakeside Symphony, the Adrian Symphony, the Evansville Philharmonic, and the Michigan Opera Theatre. He has also been fortunate enough to have had such jobs as performing at Disney World in Orlando, Florida and playing bass for five months on a cruise ship in the Mediterranean Sea. His wife, Michelle, is a flutist and the director of music ministries at First Baptist Church of Perrysburg, Ohio.

Scott Kretzer scottkretzer@yahoo.com teaches percussion and Percussion Methods at Adrian College. He also serves as the drumline instructor for the Marching Band. Mr. Kretzer is a freelance percussionist and teacher in the Northwest Ohio/ Southeastern Michigan area. He also runs a private studio through the Toledo School for the Arts. Scott received a degree in music education from the University of Kentucky, where he studied with professor James Campbell. As a member of the UK jazz ensemble, Scott performed with many top artists including Randy Brecker, Dianne Schur, and Clark Terry. He has also performed with Gene Parker, the Murphy's Place Orchestra, The Paul Keller Orchestra, and the Toledo Jazz Orchestra. In 1991, Scott was inducted into the Yamaha Young Artist Program after winning the Drum Corps International solo snare drum competition in the summer of 1990. He served as a percussion instructor for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps from Rosemont, Illinois (1991, 92, 94, 96) and a percussion arranger (1997-1998). He also arranged for and instructed the Aimachi Band from Nagoya, Japan and the Wistaria Windies Drum and Bugle Corps from Toyama City, Japan. Other groups include Maumee High School (Maumee, OH), Klein High School (Houston, TX), the University of Kentucky (Lexington, KY), and the University of Miami (Miami, FL). Scott has performed recitals, clinics, and master classes throughout the United States and Japan.

Richard Lange rlange@buckeye-express.com Guitar instructor Richard Lange began studying the instrument in 1964. He joined the Adrian College music faculty in 2004 after receiving a master's degree in music performance from the University of Toledo that year. Lange, a former journalist who received his B.A. in communication/print media from UT in 1993, also studied Japanese language and culture extensively. Before that, he carved out a career in commercial music regionally. His current focus is jazz improvisation, composition and arranging. He maintains a private studio and regularly performs in pit orchestras for stage shows in the region.

Elizabeth Major emajor@adrian.edu is an assistant professor of music at Adrian College where she teaches voice, Opera Workshop, Vocal Pedagogy, Diction for Singers, and Introduction to Music. She is a noted soloist throughout the Ann Arbor and Detroit area. She has appeared as soloist with the Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor and Adrian Symphony Orchestras. A native of Chicago, Ms. Major received her Masters degree in voice from Northwestern University. As a concert soloist, Ms. Major has appeared with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Sir Georg Solti, at the Ravinia Festival under James Levine, and on the operatic stage with Lake George Opera Festival and Connecticut Opera. Ms. Major has taught on the faculties of the University of Michigan and the Israel Vocal Arts Institute in Tel Aviv. In addition to her studio at Adrian College, she maintains a private studio in Ann Arbor. Former students of Ms. Major are currently performing on Broadway productions and national tours of Thoroughly Modern Millie, Mamma Mia, Lion King, Footloose, Hairspray, among others. Ms. Major is the proud mother of daughters Sonya (16) and Natasha (13) and is a state-ranked triathlete.

Marty Marks mmarks@adrian.edu is an assistant professor of music at Adrian College where he directs the Concert/Marching Band, the Jazz Band, and Pep Band. Dr. Marks holds degrees in music education, performance and wind conducting from Oklahoma Baptist University, the University of Central Oklahoma, and the University of Oklahoma. As a clarinetist, he studied with Ron Howell and David Etheridge and took master classes with Bill Jackson and Larry Combs. As a conductor, he studied with William Wakefield and took master classes with Mallory Thompson and Rodney Eichenberger. In addition, Dr. Marks was a Northwestern University Summer Teaching Fellow in 1996 and a finalist for Oklahoma Teacher of the Year in 1994. He is the Commander of the 338th Army Reserve Band of Livonia, Michigan, and has been an army reservist since 1983. He is an adjudicator for the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association, and is an honorary member. Dr. Marks also serves as a clinician/consultant for school bands in Michigan and Ohio and writes drill design and marching band arrangements for area schools.

Melissa Marks melissam@wildcat.onsted.k12.mi.us teaches oboe at Adrian College. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree at Central Michigan University and her Master of Music degree from Northwestern University. Melissa has studied oboe with Roger Rehm and Carl Sonic. She performed with the Enid Philharmonic Orchestra and freelanced and taught privately in the Oklahoma City area. She is currently the director of bands at Onsted High School.

Kelly Holst kellymargaret@yahoo.com is adjunct professor of vocal studies at Adrian College. As coloratura soprano, she is an active performer of operatic, concert and recital repertoire, appearing with organizations such as the Michigan Opera Theatre, the Cedar Rapids Opera Theatre, the Battle Creek Symphony, the Lafayette Symphony, the Handel and Haydn Society of Boston, the Indiana University Opera Theatre, and the University of Michigan Opera Theatre. Ms. Holst has received a number of regional awards including an Encouragement Award at the Metropolitan Opera District Auditions in St. Paul, Minnesota. She was a winner of the Upper Midwest Regional Metropolitan Opera Auditions in 2000. Other awards and honors include the Nicola Rossi-Lemeni award from the Bloomington, Indiana chapter of the Society of Arts and Letters, the Emerging Artist Award from the City Opera of the Quad Cities, as well as graduate fellowships at both Indiana University and the University of Michigan. Ms. Holst is a graduate of Luther College and Indiana University. She is currently completing a doctorate in voice performance at the University of Michigan where she teaches classical voice and musical theatre. Ms. Holst is a member of the National Association of Teachers of Singing.