Our Faculty
Photo Credit: dimnikolov
Melissa Blum
Melissa Blum has over 25 years’ experience teaching music at the pre-K, elementary, middle school, and adult levels. She is a Vice President at West Music, where she is Director of National Sales and Service and an Educational Consultant for early childhood products and World Music Drumming. She developed and writes curriculum for Sing & Play & Learn Today!, West Music’s early childhood music and movement program, bringing music classes to children ages 6 months through 5 years and their families.
Melissa has been a member of the World Music Drumming Faculty since 2009, creating the curriculum and teaching the Drumming Up the Fun! workshop, for teachers of children ages 3-8. Melissa has facilitated World Music Drumming ensembles as a team-building exercise at a variety of corporate and community events for children and adults, and is a clinician for state music conferences, Orff chapter workshops, daycare/preschool providers, public school professional development events, and ECMM educators on the topic of incorporating developmentally appropriate music activities in the pre-k- grade 2 classroom setting. Melissa can be reached at West Music, 1-800-397-9378 ext 1111.
Contact Melissa at mblum@westmusic.com
Patricia Bourne, Director
Patricia (Patty) Bourne is a veteran music educator, having taught all grades, P-graduate level, in four states. Currently, Bourne is Coordinator of Music Education at Western Washington University, in Bellingham, WA. Patty maintains an active schedule as workshop clinician, presenting to pre-service, novice, and experienced music educators on a variety of topics. She is guest conductor at regional and all-state choruses in multiple states as well as an adjudicator for secondary vocal solo and ensembles throughout the Northwest region.
A native of Kentucky, Bourne received degrees from Murray State University (BME), the University of Oklahoma (MME), and Arizona State University (Ed.D.). Patty is on the teaching and administrative staff for World Music Drumming and is the author of two texts: “Inside the Music Classroom: Teaching the Art with Heart” and “Inside the Elementary Chorus: Instructional Techniques for the Non-Select Children’s Chorus”. She was selected as the Washington Music Educator of the Year and is an inductee of the Washington Music Educators Hall of Fame. Recently, Patty received the Excellence in Teaching award from Western Washington University, and has been identified and selected as a Master Teacher by the Conn-Selmer Corporation. Patty, and husband Tom, have now assumed leadership and administrative roles for the World Music Drumming professional development workshops.
Contact Patty at patty.bourne@gmail.com
Lynn Brinckmeyer
Lynn Brinckmeyer brings 25+ years of teaching experience to the faculty. She recently retired from Texas State University (San Marcos) having taught graduate and undergraduate courses in choral music education and serving as the School of Music Associate Director. Lynn taught K-8 in New Mexico and she has continued to teach children and adolescents in church choirs and community youth choirs since moving to higher education. Lynn was co-founder and Artistic Director for the Hill Country Youth Chorus in San Marcos, Texas. Her World Music Drumming workshop "Kids, Choir and Drums" focuses on incorporating singing, drumming and movement to teach “kid tested” strategies and materials for grades 4-8.
During 2006-2008 Lynn served as President for The National Association for Music Education (formerly MENC). She recently published 5 books with Hal Leonard and Oxford Publishing. She has conducted all state choirs and honor choirs, lectured, presented master classes and performed in forty-nine states in the United States and more than 20 different countries, including China, South Africa, Cuba, and Australia. Lynn also serves as a Life Coach Consultant with Brave Thinking Institute.
Contact Lynn at lbrinckmeyer@txstate.edu
Mary Checco
Mary Checco has been an elementary music teacher in Central Pennsylvania since 1996. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Music in Music Education from Susquehanna University and a Masters of Music Education from West Chester University with an emphasis in Kodaly pedagogy. Currently, Mary is an elementary music specialist in the Middletown Area School District in Pennsylvania where she teaches general music, grades K-5 and directs 4th and 5th grade Chorus and an African Percussion Ensemble.
Mary began implementing the World Music Drumming Curriculum into her elementary music classes after attending her first workshop in 2013. Over the course of her twenty plus years of teaching in the Middletown Area School District, Mary has taken a leadership role in curriculum writing to reflect the rich content included in the World Music Drumming Curriculum. Her focus and passion for music education at the primary level is reflected in the joy she finds when bringing this amazing curriculum to even her youngest students. Mary lives in Elizabethtown, PA with husband Michael, their two sons and two golden-doodles. She enjoys singing in her church choir, running and living life with relentless forward motion.
Contact Mary at maryachecco@gmail.com
Michael Checco
Michael Checco is an elementary music specialist in the Middletown Area School District in Pennsylvania. He currently teaches K-5 general music, chorus, and drumming ensemble. Previous experience includes middle school general music as well as directing middle school and high school choirs. Michael also teaches at Elizabethtown College, as an adjunct professor in the graduate music education program in Music and Peacebuilding.
Michael been using World Music Drumming in his classroom for over fifteen years and joined the World Music Drumming faculty in 2015. He maintains an active schedule as a workshop clinician, for both drumming and ukulele, for PMEA, Orff and Kodály chapters, colleges, and churches.
Michael received his B.M. from Susquehanna University where he studied trumpet and voice and a M.M.E. from West Chester University with an emphasis in Kodály pedagogy. Active as a choral musician, Michael sings with the Susquehanna Chorale, and is the Music Director of St. Peter Catholic Church in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania.
Contact Michael at michaelchecco@comcast.net
Paul Corbière
Paul Corbière lives in Iowa City, Iowa, and teaches for the Clear Creek Amana School District in Tiffin, Iowa, where he is a K-‐5 General Music Teacher. Prior to continuing his career in Iowa, Paul taught in Palm Beach County, Florida for fourteen years. He is the cofounder of the Beat For Peace program combining World Music Drumming and Resiliency Research. Paul received his Masters of Music in Percussion Performance from the Ohio State University in 1992 and his Bachelors of Fine Arts in Music Education degree from Florida Atlantic University in 1989.
Paul has been a featured clinician at many state and national Music Educators Association Conferences and AOSA Conferences as well as a featured presenter for the European Council of International Schools. In October, 2005, he was composer and co-‐facilitator of the Iowa Groove, a 1300 person drum ensemble. Paul is a consultant for the Just Play It! Classroom Harmonica Method, a classroom Blues Harmonica curriculum. Paul has published materials for drum, xylophone, and recorder ensembles: Skins, Sticks, and Bars; Happy Jammin'; From BAGs to Riches.
Contact Paul at musithang@gmail.com
Chad Craig
Chad Craig is an elementary music teacher/percussionist and has been performing and teaching in SW Florida for the last 20 years. He has music ed./performance degrees from Indiana University and State University of NY at Fredonia. Chad studied drumset with Kenny Aronoff (John Mellencamp) and Timpani with Gerald Carlyss (Philadelphia Orchestra). He has studied traditional African drumming with M’Bemba Bangoura of Guinea.
Chad is currently teaching at Sea Gate Elementary where he implements the “World Music Drumming” curriculum. His drumming group plays throughout SW Florida. He is grateful to be on the World Music Drumming faculty where his gets to learn from and teach with the best music educators around. He keeps his drumset chops up by playing in the Covenant Church of Naples Praise Band.
Contact Chad at chadcra@gmail.com
Fabián Galli
Fabián Galli has been lower school music teacher at the International School of Amsterdam (ISA) since 2002 and before this for fourteen years in his home country Argentina. From 2015 he has been acting as the Chair of Music Education of ECIS (European Council International Schools). His degrees are from the Buenos Aires Conservatorium in Music Education, piano and flute, and he was awarded a Choral conducting degree from the Paris Conservatoire of Creteil, 2002.
While living in Brazil, Fabián developed an active interest in percussion and began incorporating the World Music Drumming curriculum into his teaching. The WMD is fully implemented in all the Lower School at ISA.
Fabián has completed the 3 levels of Orff Training in San Francisco, USA. Inspired by his involvement with the WMD workshop, Fabián started a Marimba Band in Amsterdam, the first one of this type in Europe.
Contact Fabian at fabian.galli@icloud.com
Hong Le
Hong Le is a National Board Certified elementary music specialist. She graduated summa cum laude with Bachelors of Music in music education and bassoon performance degrees from the University of Arkansas. She also received the Master of Music Education degree from the University of Illinois and Master of Educational Administration degree from the University of North Texas. Hong currently serves as general music specialist in the Hudson City Schools in Hudson, Ohio, teaching with a combination of Orff, Kodaly, and World Music Drumming techniques. She is music director of the “One Beat” Drum Ensemble.
Hong has a passion for contributing as a professional colleague. She is a member of the national World Music Drumming teaching staff and serves as the K-5 Unified Arts Facilitator and Lead Mentor for the Hudson Schools. Hong has presented at music, bilingual education, and beginning teacher workshops and conferences. She has used the World Music Drumming curriculum as a means of leading faculty team-building sessions and working with at-risk students.
Hong was awarded the Texas PTA Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, named the 2008 Teacher of the Year in Hudson, and received the 2012 Distinguished Teacher Award and Hudson PTA Child Advocate for the Arts Award.
Contact Hong Le at leh@hudson.k12.oh.us
Estevao Marques
Estêvão Marques is a researcher of Brazilian folklore, as well as a percussionist and educator. He graduated with a degree in music in São Paulo, Brazil (his home country) and is active as a teacher with the San Francisco Orff Course in the USA. He has given workshops in Turkey, Colombia, Uruguay, Netherlands, Norway, Finland, Portugal, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Italy, Thailand, Spain, Argentina and throughout Brazil.
Estêvão is the author of more than 20 books about musical games, Brazilian rhythms and traditional songs, as well as textbooks for public schools in Brazil, addressing themes of integrated arts: music, dance, visual arts and theater. In addition, he is the director of the online course “Educando pela Brincadeira”, especially designed for teachers, who believe in the educational value of the music games and is creator of the children's group "Grupo Triii". He played with great names in Brazilian music: Chico César, Antonio Nóbrega, Palavra Cantada and Barbatuques group.
With a great knowledge of dances, he integrates different instruments into his creative choreographies: spoons, buckets, body percussion and much more.
Contact Estevao at musicedu4you@gmail.com
Sowah Mensah
Sowah Mensah is an ethnomusicologist, composer and a “Master Drummer” from Ghana. He is the Director of African Music at Macalester College, St Paul, Minnesota and also directs the African Music Ensemble. He is also the director of the African Music Ensembles at both the University of Minnesota and the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis and St Paul, respectively. He was ”James Marsh Professor at Large” at the University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont from 2004 ‐ 2010. Sowah has taught music in Ghana and Nigeria and played with the Ghana National Symphony Orchestra. In 2015, he received the “Distinguished Yale Music Educator Award”.
Sowah enjoys an active performance career. In May 2000, he performed in Carnegie Hall (New York City) as a soloist in David Fanshaw’s African Sanctus. He has performed extensively in the United States, Africa, and also in Asia, Europe, South America and the Caribbean. As a composer, Sowah has compositions for Orchestra, Symphonic/Concert Band, Choirs, African Music Ensembles and works that combine above ensembles. He has produced three CD's and three books. Sowah presents a series of workshops for music teachers every summer including World Music Drumming, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and the University of St Thomas. In addition ,he presents clinics, workshops, and residencies at colleges, elementary, and secondary schools in the United States as well as Europe, Asia, South America and the Caribbean.
Contact Sowah at sowahmensah@gmail.com
Website: www.sowahmensah.com
Michelle Quigg
Michelle Quigg has been a music educator on the east end of Long Island (NY) since 1992. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Music Education from SUNY Fredonia, and a Master of Music Education at SUNY Stony Brook with continued studies in West African drumming and dance. Currently, Michelle is the Director of Music at the Remsenburg- Speonk School District, where she teaches general music as well as conducts a Drumming/Marimba Ensemble, Beginning Band, Concert Band, Jazz Ensemble and Chorus.
Michelle implemented the World Music Drumming Curriculum into her general music classes, after attending the 1999 – 2005 World Music Drumming Workshops. In 2005, she joined the teaching staff specializing in the integration of movement, dance and drumming. She is active in her county music organizations and annually serves as chairperson and conductor of an all-county festival drum ensemble with middle school students from 20 school districts. As a clinician Michelle has worked with music educators and students throughout New York and nationwide; presenting workshops, consulting, mentoring and sharing her experiences as a traveler, musician, and choreographer. She has also served as an artist in residence at the Amsterdam International School for the Arts in the Netherlands.
“Feel the Rhythm of the Earth, Dance the Song of Life” -anonymous
Contact Michelle at quiggmi@aol.com
Josh Ryan
Josh Ryan is Professor of Music at Baldwin Wallace University where he teaches percussion. A versatile performer and clinician, Josh is an active musician in many genres. He has been the principal timpanist of the Madison Symphony Orchestra and has also performed with the Maryland Symphony, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Chamber Symphony, Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra.
Josh has studied African music in Ghana, West Africa with the Agbeli family and is also a student of Valerie Naranjo. He has traveled to Cuba to study with Regino Jimenez and Daniel Alfonso. He is also a long-time student of Afro-Cuban percussionist Michael Spiro and has co-authored a book with him. A frequent clinician in non-Western styles of music, Mr. Ryan teaches workshops for music educators throughout the country.
Josh is co-founder of the Africa→ West Percussion trio, an ensemble in residence at Baldwin Wallace University. The trio recently released its third CD, Aburé, and performs in a variety of venues (www.africawesttrio.com). Active in new music featuring percussion instruments, Josh regularly performs as a solo marimbist/percussionist and chamber musician and has worked with notable composers including Steve Reich, Christopher Theofanidis, Joseph Schwantner, and Chen Yi.
Contact Josh at jryan@bw.edu
Nicole Williams
Nicole Williams does not simply teach music; rather, she embodies what it means to utilize the gift of music to enhance the lives of those around her. A self-described ‘music educator/world changer’, she has dedicated her entire teaching career of over twenty years to engage, educate and empower through this medium. She has long recognized that music is a powerful tool. Her life mission is to champion for the underdog, overlooked and underserved by providing a hope and a future through the creative arts. As a result, Nicole has committed to use that tool to build relationships, to build communities, as well as build confidence and self-esteem in the lives of adolescents and adults.
A native of Bronx, New York, Nicole graduated from Berklee College of Music in Boston with a degree in Music Education, K-12 grade levels with honors. She taught in the Boston Public Schools for several years and then moved to Kingston, Jamaica to serve as a volunteer missionary with her husband Dr. Theo Williams. She ended her tenure of public-school teaching in 2014 to pursue her vision of becoming a community educator through the musical arts. Presently she serves as Executive Director of A.R.C. Alliance Inc. a non-for-profit organization that promotes social welfare through enriching individuals and communities in the areas of creative expression through One Love Community Circle. To date Nicole has brought programming to over 2,500 youth in the cities of South Bend and Elkhart (IN), Paarl (South Africa) and Jamaica. The recipient of Tides Jubilation Foundation for Teaching Artists, Executive Journey Fellowship and the Indiana First Lady’s Charitable Foundation, she has been recognized as a community trailblazer for these efforts.
In addition to her philanthropic efforts she has performed as the lead singer in an acclaimed musical group in Boston, MA, internationally in England, Germany and the Caribbean with Hip-Hop Rapper Busta Rhymes and Gospel legends Shirley Ceaser and Papa San. In 2018 she launched Rhythm To You LLC which provides professional and personal training through experiential rhythm based facilitation that promotes a thriving and healthy work place culture. Clientele have included Chick-fil-A, Johnson & Johnson, University of Notre Dame to conferences in Durban and Paarl, South Africa.
Contact Nicole at NicoleOneLove72@gmail.com
Will Ulrich
Will Ulrich received his Bachelors Degree from UW-Milwaukee in 1995. In 2011 he earned his Masters Degree in Curriculum & Instruction from Concordia University-Wisconsin. Will joined the World Music Drumming teaching staff in 2013.
Will has been teaching general music in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, since 1997 at the elementary, middle and high school levels. He also teaches World Music at Mount Mary University in Milwaukee. Will designs music classes specifically to teach students about world music. The cross-cultural curriculum is aimed at raising students' listening skills, respect, cooperation, teamwork and self-discipline through African, Caribbean and Latin drumming, movement and song. When he is not teaching music, Will enjoys making instruments for the classroom, performing throughout his community, as well as writing and recording music. He also enjoys camping and fishing with his wife and son.
Will Ulrich facilitates workshops in cooperative teamwork, multiculturalism through music, ukulele, drumming, and instrument building throughout the United States.
Contact Will at willulrich@wi.rr.com