TYC Staff



Artistic Staff
JUDITH HERRINGTON is the Founder and Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Tacoma Youth Chorus, a select auditioned choir serving more than 200 children in the south Puget Sound area. In addition, she brings more than thirty years of teaching and conducting experience to her work at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington, where she has received the Inspirational Faculty Award and the Murray Foundation Chair for Teaching Excellence. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Ms. Herrington earned her Master of Education degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She has furthered her conducting studies through master classes with Rodney Eichenberger and Henry Leck. Ms. Herrington is highly regarded as a guest conductor, workshop and choral clinician and is a Past-President of the Washington-American Choral Directors Association. She was selected to direct the Youth Honor Choir for the American Choral Masterpieces series (June, 2007) and to direct the Junior High Honor Choir of the Western Division of ACDA in March, 2008. Through Pavane Publishing and Colla Voce Publishing, she has published choral compositions, arrangements and co-authored choral teaching texts. She also edits a choral series for Pavane Publishing. CONNIE SCHMIDT, Director of the Music Makers, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and during the 30 years since performed with a professional Bach Choir, taught private voice and piano and continues to work with church music. Mrs. Schmidt taught elementary music in Texas and Alaska and currently teaches at Concordia Lutheran School where she was awarded the Teacher of the Year in June, 2004. She has co-authored articles for Hal Leonard Publisher music magazine and continues learning through studies with Rodney Eichenberger, the American Choral Directors Association, The Choristers Guild and the International Voice Care Network. She joined Tacoma Youth Chorus as Director of Music Makers in 2002. KYLE HAUGEN, Director of the Young Men's Choir, is a graduate of University of Puget Sound. He holds a B.A. in Music and Communication and Master of Sacred Music from St. Olaf/ Luther College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Haugen is a talented musician; in addition to his conducting and teaching, he is skilled as a soloist, pianist and organist. In addition to his duties with TYC, Mr. Haugen is currently serves as an Assistant Director of Admissions and the Music Admissions Director for the University of Puget Sound. KERRY FRANZKE, pianist, organist, and harpsichordist, performs as a freelance accompanist and recitalist in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Ms Franzke performs frequently with her husband Steve, a flutist. Her interests include arranging and transcribing music from the Renaissance period and studying Baroque organ music. Ms. Franzke has been accompanist for the Tacoma Youth Chorus since 1996. VICKI DAY MELTON, a versatile musician, contributes to the Tacoma music community as a private voice teacher, pianist, choral director and performer. A coloratura soprano, she performs extensively throughout the Northwest as recitalist and soloist, including principal roles with Tacoma Opera and performances with the Tacoma Symphony, and is in great demand as an adjudicator and clinician. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, she has received degrees in vocal performance and education and she maintains a large class of private students who are consistently recognized as being among the finest in the state of Washington. An accomplished pianist, Mrs. Melton has accompanied numerous choral groups and soloists and currently serves as the Minister of Music at the First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma. She serves TYC as the accompanist for the Young Men's Choir and Chorale. KAREN KUENZI, accompanist, is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Masters of Music in Accompanying. She taught music in the Bethel School District for a few years and then quit to start raising a family of 3 boys with her husband, Deuane, also a graduate of PLU. For several years they lived out the area but returned in 1999 and Karen has been busy accompanying at PLU and the University of Puget Sound.

Board of Trustees: Zari Semerdjian, President Trudy Bussinger, Vice-President Paula Westgaard, Secretary John Goldwood, Treasurer Ron Auer Clark Deem Edward DuPree Randy Greene Margaret (Meg) Henderson-Wiley Mary Kay High Diane Hunt Sarah Idstrom Deborah Lanning-Wade Joseph Lovejoy Christina Martin Jim Murphy Gary Phillips Charles Williams	Administrative Staff: Nancy Brakke, Managing Director Jamie Deering, Finance Manager Martha Leonhardt, Operations Manager Janie Loflin, Performance Manager/Office Manager Karla Stoermer, Rehearsal Assistant Jill Westwood, Volunteer Coordinator
Board Members Only	Staff Members Only

JUDITH HERRINGTON is the Founder and Artistic Director of the highly acclaimed Tacoma Youth Chorus, a select auditioned choir serving more than 200 children in the south Puget Sound area. In addition, she brings more than thirty years of teaching and conducting experience to her work at Charles Wright Academy in Tacoma, Washington, where she has received the Inspirational Faculty Award and the Murray Foundation Chair for Teaching Excellence. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Ms. Herrington earned her Master of Education degree from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon. She has furthered her conducting studies through master classes with Rodney Eichenberger and Henry Leck. Ms. Herrington is highly regarded as a guest conductor, workshop and choral clinician and is a Past-President of the Washington-American Choral Directors Association. She was selected to direct the Youth Honor Choir for the American Choral Masterpieces series (June, 2007) and to direct the Junior High Honor Choir of the Western Division of ACDA in March, 2008. Through Pavane Publishing and Colla Voce Publishing, she has published choral compositions, arrangements and co-authored choral teaching texts. She also edits a choral series for Pavane Publishing.

CONNIE SCHMIDT, Director of the Music Makers, graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and during the 30 years since performed with a professional Bach Choir, taught private voice and piano and continues to work with church music. Mrs. Schmidt taught elementary music in Texas and Alaska and currently teaches at Concordia Lutheran School where she was awarded the Teacher of the Year in June, 2004. She has co-authored articles for Hal Leonard Publisher music magazine and continues learning through studies with Rodney Eichenberger, the American Choral Directors Association, The Choristers Guild and the International Voice Care Network. She joined Tacoma Youth Chorus as Director of Music Makers in 2002.

KYLE HAUGEN, Director of the Young Men's Choir, is a graduate of University of Puget Sound. He holds a B.A. in Music and Communication and Master of Sacred Music from St. Olaf/ Luther College in St. Paul, Minnesota. Mr. Haugen is a talented musician; in
addition to his conducting and teaching, he is skilled as a soloist, pianist and organist. In addition to his duties with TYC, Mr. Haugen is currently serves as an Assistant Director of Admissions and the Music Admissions Director for the University of Puget Sound.

KERRY FRANZKE, pianist, organist, and harpsichordist, performs as a freelance accompanist and recitalist in the Seattle/Tacoma area. Ms Franzke performs frequently with her husband Steve, a flutist. Her interests include arranging and transcribing music from the Renaissance period and studying Baroque organ music. Ms. Franzke has been accompanist for the Tacoma Youth Chorus since 1996.

VICKI DAY MELTON, a versatile musician, contributes to the Tacoma music community as a private voice teacher, pianist, choral director and performer. A coloratura soprano, she performs extensively throughout the Northwest as recitalist and soloist, including principal roles with Tacoma Opera and performances with the Tacoma Symphony, and is in great demand as an adjudicator and clinician. A graduate of Pacific Lutheran University, she has received degrees in vocal performance and education and she maintains a large class of private students who are consistently recognized as being among the finest in the state of Washington. An accomplished pianist, Mrs. Melton has accompanied numerous choral groups and soloists and currently serves as the Minister of Music at the First Presbyterian Church of Tacoma. She serves TYC as the accompanist for the Young Men's Choir and Chorale.

KAREN KUENZI, accompanist, is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran University with a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Masters of Music in Accompanying. She taught music in the Bethel School District for a few years and then quit to start raising a family of 3 boys with her husband, Deuane, also a graduate of PLU. For several years they lived out the area but returned in 1999 and Karen has been busy accompanying at PLU and the University of Puget Sound.