Jupiter Academy of Music Faculty
Our degreed faculty members are accomplished musicians with experience teaching music to students of all ages.
Coming from a family of musicians, Sandra Baran has been active as a teacher, performer, accompanist and church musician since her teenage years in New Jersey. She began her music studies at the age of 5 with her father and grandfather. Mrs. Baran holds a Master of Arts degree in music from Florida Atlantic University and is a member of the Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association and the National Guild of Piano Teachers. She has taught pre-school music through college level music courses at Florida Atlantic University. Mrs. Baran is a staff musician at St. Patrick’s Church, Palm Beach Gardens. She maintains a full studio of piano students from beginners to advanced, and continues to perform in South Florida both as a pianist and as a member of the professional singing group, The Parson Brown Singers.
The Jupiter Academy of Music of which she is the founder/director, is the fulfillment of a lifelong dream and was inspired by the memory of her father, Joseph Cricchio who owned and directed a large music school in New Jersey. Mrs. Baran believes that every individual has the ability to learn music, given the appropriate environment and lots of encouragement. She also believes that music-making enriches everyone's life and is a powerful vehicle for community building.
PIANO
Ms. Miller holds a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in music theory from Goucher College and is a member of the Palm Beach County Music Teachers Association. Her most influential piano teachers include Roselle Plow of the Prague Conservatory, and Sylvia Glickman of Haverford College . Karen is passionate about her teaching and believes that the aesthetic and therapeutic effects of music are sustaining life forces much needed in the world today.
Mrs. Rosmarin holds a Master of Education degree from Bowling Green State University in Ohio . She has been a substitute music teacher in the Palm Beach County Schools for the last nine years – primarily at Jupiter Middle and Jupiter High School . She was the music director for AWANA program at the First Baptist Church in Tequesta for ten years and pianist for Seaside Chapel. Janet enjoys accompanying multiple choirs, solo and ensemble groups at Duncan Middle, Jupiter Middle and Jupiter High School.
Michael Bies holds a Master of Music in Performance and a Master of Music in Theory/Composition from the State University of New York at Fredonia. He has studied piano with Sean Duggan, Phyllis East and Nathan Hess and his composition teachers include Karl Boelter, Donald Bohlen and Don Freund. He has taught piano and composition to students of all ages for the past several years focusing on the students likes and needs. Michael collaborated with the Florestan Recital Project while at Fredonia State and won awards and accolades for numerous compositions. He continues to perform and compose in South Florida while enjoying his role as a music educator.
Ana Maria Soto recently moved to Florida from California. She received her undergraduate degree in art and music and received a Masters of Music degree in guitar and lute from the University of California at Irvine. She teaches guitar, piano and orchestra instruments, and has performed both nationally and internationally.
Mrs. Lisa Ayoub-Lumaban holds a Bachelor of Music degree with a Major in Songwriting from Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts. Lisa has been teaching piano lessons since 1991. She is a creative, artistic, self-motivated teaching professional with a reputation for effectively providing instruction to students of all age groups. She is a professional pianist, songwriter, guitarist, and arranger with her own home-recording studio which features MOTU's Digital Performer software. Her other areas of interest include yoga, gardening, photography and animals.
AZUSA HIGOTANI-BIES
Azusa is a board certified and full time Music Therapist working for the Hospice of Palm Beach County and. Azusa was trained as a pianist in her native Japan and moved to Fredonia, NY where she attended The State University of New York at Fredonia and received a bachelors degree in Music Therapy and studied piano performance as well. Upon graduation she moved to Cleveland, OH. There she worked as a music therapy intern at the University Hospitals and shortly after attended Ohio University on a full scholarship as a Masters candidate in Music Therapy. Along the way she taught several piano students wherever she was living and has continued her love of teaching here in Florida.
PIANO / GROUP PIANO TEACHERS
JoAnn Floyd has been teaching piano and playing professionally for 35 years. Her passion for music started at an early age, and was greatly influenced by her Dad, a professional drummer. JoAnn and her Dad began working in bands together when she was just 17 yrs. old! Performing became a very important part of her life and continued to be so even while majoring in Music at Suffolk Community College and Hofstra University in Long Island, NY . She was very fortunate to have been able to study piano under some very gifted teachers/musicians including Blanche Abrams, Mark Hyams & Jazz Great, Marion McPartland. At the age of 20, she met another important musical influence, her husband, guitarist/singer/author, Tom Floyd. Over the years they have worked together playing engagements from Maine to Miami, at Hotels, Restaurants, Country Clubs & Resorts. During these many years of performing, JoAnn has continued to teach piano students of all ages. She has always felt it a plus to have had all of these years of musical experience to share with them!
JoAnn Teaches Group & Private Piano Classes, and is a certified teacher of the MAYRON COLE PIANO METHOD.
LIGHTHOUSE SUZUKI STRINGS
Suzuki violin, strings (violin, viola, cello)
Mrs. Hinkelman holds a Bachelor of Music degree in music education from Ohio Wesleyan University; is a member of the Suzuki Association of the Americas, Inc. She has taught Suzuki violin at both private and public schools and is also an instructor of viola and cello. Mrs. Hinkelman is the string teacher at Redeemer Lutheran School in Stuart. She has performed with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre Orchestra and the Plainfield Symphony Orchestra.
GUITAR TEACHERS
Born in Detroit, Michigan in 1960, David F. Jakubiak has been involved in music all of his life, beginning as a concert band clarinet player at age 7 and turning his attention to stringed instruments at 10 years old, as a banjo and guitar player. He began performing as early as high school and later earned first and second place trophies in group talent competitions while a student at the University of Michigan. The instructor earned a BA degree in Organizational Psychology from the University of Michigan and a Masters in Public Administration from the Edwin O. Stene Graduate Program at the University of Kansas. In addition, he took various courses in classical music and music history.
For over 30 years, Mr. Jakubiak has taught and performed as a musician. In addition to on-stage performances, Mr. Jakubiak has played in various venues from outdoor festivals to small nightclubs. His diverse background includes rock, pop, blues, jazz, classical, country and bluegrass styles. He teaches individual and a variety of group classes in guitar, five-string banjo and mandolin. He takes an interest in each student to ensure that they receive personal attention and lesson plans that meet their needs. His lessons and instructional materials place an emphasis on music theory to ensure that the student understands the instrument and how to improvise to develop their own style. He is the author of five instructional books on CD for guitar, banjo and mandolin.
Dave has established his own website www.fretmentor.com. He has published articles and is a current writer for a monthly publication "Banjo Newsletter".
Guitarist, Tom Floyd, has been a professional musician and teacher for over 30 years. He published “Quartal Harmony and Voicings for Guitar” Book & Cd, for Mel Bay Publications, one of the largest music publishers in the world.
Tom taught as an adjunct Professor of Jazz Guitar at Florida Atlantic University for 8 years. He has played on recording sessions in Florida and Nashville , TN and worked for top Club Date agencies including Marshall Grant, Lester Lannon, Neil Smith and Bobby Hardwick. Tom studied with legendary guitarists Pat Martino, Jack Wilkins, Chuck Wayne, Sal Salvador and Don Arnone. He organized and hosted seminars by Jack Wilkins, Tal Farlow and Pat Martino.
Tom plays various styles including: Jazz, Rock, Classical, Blues and Country. His Philosophy of Teaching is to help the student play the music that he or she wants to play and give the student a practical understanding of the guitar and music theory. He teaches the skills that enable the student to apply themselves to all forms of music. Each student is an individual and is taught in a manner that inspires his or her personality. Always laugh!
Jeff has been performing and teaching guitar for over 25 years. He is a leading composer and musician, working with top studios and producers for domestic and international commercials and film. Background or center stage, Jeff Taylor has been and providing entertainment for corporate functions, society galas, weddings, and personalized events for over 20 years.
As one of the leading gutarists in South Florida, Jeff has performed for almost all of South Florida's luxury hotels and resorts, private golf and country clubs, mansions, and a host of other fine establishments across the U.S. and the Caribbean. Charity organizations continue to call on Jeff annually as he has contributed greatly to their fundraising success.
In addition, Jeff works the reggae scene with his band Ellis Island, a South Florida institution for over twenty years. Over the past 10 years, Jeff has developed a busy teaching studio instructing private sudents in contemporary and Jazz guitar, bass guitar and composition.
Read more about Jeff on his website at www.jefftaylortunes.com
Brad was born and raised in New York City.
After studying music at the State University of New York at New Paltz, he had the opportunity to tour Europe playing with a rock & roll revue. After 7 years of almost non-stop touring all over Europe, Brad decided to take up permanent residence in Switzerland where in the year 2000 he started “Brad’s Music Academy”, a small music school offering guitar and drum lessons in English and French. He kept a full time teaching schedule of more than 30 students a week in addition to playing in several live bands covering various style of music from Rock and Jazz to Blues and Country. His students ranged from 5 year old kids learning the basics of rhythm to teenagers learning rock guitar and drums, to retirees picking up a new hobby.
Brad's teaching method is to create a fun positive atmosphere for the students to learn their instruments while still giving them a good solid base of theory and technique.
In his experience over the years, he has discovered that the more the students enjoy playing, the more they will practice. His philosophy is: “Music should be fun!”
In July 2009 he moved back to the United States with his Swiss wife and 12 year old son, to live in Palm City Florida and create a new teaching practice. Brad is really looking forward to becoming part of the local community and helping the next generation of musicians get started.
VOICE TEACHERS
Having grown up in a family of musicians, Roberta has studied voice, dance, piano, flute, and theater since she was a young girl. Holding a B.A. in Communication, Roberta has returned to school to obtain a 2nd Bachelor in Music as a vocal performance major at Palm Beach Atlantic University . She is also a cantor at St. Patrick Church in Palm Beach Gardens and has sung at other area churches as well. Roberta is also a member of a three-part A Cappella group “The Caroling Company.” In the last year and a half, Roberta held three cabaret concerts where she performed songs from a variety of musicals and big band era tunes, and also held her most recent solo classical concert at St. Patrick Church in December 2007. Recently, Roberta also performed in Pucini’s “Turandot” with the Palm Beach Opera at the Kravis Center . With her love for theater, Roberta has also appeared on various stages throughout the south Florida area, including The Coral Springs Performing Art Center for the world premiere of “My Catskills Summer” written by Writer/Producer Jay Kholos. Her latest project is lead vocalist Palm Beach County ’s newest swing band “Swing 8n’t All”. She also currently studies with under Marilyn Mims, former Metropolitan Opera singer and Richard Adler, NYC/Broadway composer/lyricist of “The Pajama Game,” etc.
EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC TEACHERS
Susan Fonger studied music pedagogy with internationally known music educators and composers James and Jane Bastien in New Orleans. She is a Musikgarten© certified early childhood music teacher. Fonger has 15 years of well-rounded teaching experience and is a member of ECMMA (Early Childhood Music and Movement Association). She taught piano for eight years and has classroom experience in grades K through 8. She holds a Florida Professional Educator’s Certificate in Elementary Education, Gifted, French, and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). She served as a vocal soloist in several churches in St. Lucie County (FL), and was the director of the home-school Olivet Boys Choir. Fonger has a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of the South in Sewanee, TN. She resides with her husband Curt Fonger of CBS12 News in North Palm Beach.
FLUTE TEACHER
Born in Rockville Centre, on New York's Long Island, Kristin started taking flute lessons at the age of nine. She holds the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Arts in Music, both from Florida Atlantic University. She has also completed one year of doctoral work at FAU in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, Ph.D. in Comparative Studies program, Fine and Performing Arts track.
Founded in 2003, Kristin plays classical music with the Woodwind Trio of the Palm Beaches, whose performance venues include schools, churches, museums, country clubs, hospitals, private parties, wedding receptions, and other events in and around Palm Beach County. In recent years she has studied chamber music with Dr. Ken Keaton, Professor of Music at FAU, playing in a flute and classical guitar duo. Currently, she is a member of The Cuvier Trio, a Consort-In-Residence in the Department of Music at FAU, performing music from the Renaissance and Baroque Periods, with Dr. Keaton on guitar, Dr. Petuch on recorder, and Ms. Hurley on flute.
Kristin teaches flute students of all ages, specializing in instruction for beginning and intermediate students. Over the years she has taught flute privately, has worked with students at elementary and middle schools in the county, and has taught lessons and sectionals as well as other music classes at FAU’s TOPS Junior Band Camp.
Since 2006, Ms. Hurley has served as coordinator of the Ress Family Healing by Music Project, based out of FAU's Boca Raton campus, in which she schedules music students to perform for patients in clinical settings all over the tri-county area. She is a passionate advocate of music education, noting that any involvement in music-making can be beneficial mentally, emotionally, physically and socially; and she firmly believes that we do not yet fully understand the power of music as a creative outlet and as a therapeutic tool.
WOODWINDS TEACHER
Bethany Barfield teaches woodwind lessons at Jupiter Academy of Music. Lessons are for: oboe, clarinet and saxophone.
Bethany is the current Band Director at Boca Raton Community Middle School. Over the years she has both both a band director and has taught private lessons to many students in Palm Beach County.
In 2007, she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Music Education and a Bachelor in Music for Performance specified in oboe from Florida Atlantic University. Now she is living her lifelong dream since the fifth grade to become a music teacher. Bethany is currently the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County's Music Teacher of the Year. She has a deep passion for music and desire to pass it on to our future generations.