Judy Woodson    Director

Judy is a professional vocalist, guitarist and pianist. Like many of her students, Judy showed an early love for music, appearing on television to sing about Elsie the Cow for a Borden's Milk commercial at the age of eight. She later recorded a commercial singing for Safeway as well. She began her adult career in Kansas City as a folk singer at local popular restaurants and night spots and also appeared as a featured singer/dancer at World's of Fun Theme Park.

Miss Woodson's hotel entertaining took her to Dallas, Texas where she made an appearance on the AM Television Show and later to Los Angeles where she also doubled as an agent for McConkey Artists Agency in Hollywood. She spent ten years performing overseas in some of the leading hotels of the world including The Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, Brenner's Park Hotel and Spa in Baden-Baden, Germany, The Estrel Residence Resort Hotel in Berlin, Germany Nassauer Hof in Wiesbaden, Germany, The Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay, India and Renaissance Resort Hotels in Okinawa and Tokyo, Japan, to name a few.

Amy Bergener   Teacher

Amy Bergener is a music major at Orange Coast College heading for a career as a music educator. A featured soloist with her choir, she holds a certificate of achievement in private music teaching from the same university and currently teaches music to young children in her church. The second of eight children, Amy comes by her love of and talent for music naturally.  Both her grandmother and her mother sang and played the piano with Amy and her siblings at home as part of their family tradition.

Amy moved to California from North Carolina with her wonderful husband who is a great supporter of her musical career.
Being able to combine both her love of young children as well as her passion for music is the perfect fit for Amy. To use her words, “To me, music is magic. It touches the heart and soul. I look forward to this new experience and being apart of this wonderful program.”
The feeling is mutual!  Amy’s sincerity, her lively sense of fun and beautiful voice, as well as her naturally clear communication skills as a music educator make her a terrific addition to our staff here at South Coast Music Together!

Amy was recently awarded Certification Level 1 for outstanding achievement in musical skills, parent education, and articulation of the Music Together program philosophy.

 

Chelsea Rousselot  Teacher

Chelsea Rousselot, a treasured team member since 2006, comes to us from a music-loving family. She learned to play both piano and guitar from an early age without structured training, but simply by being immersed in the very musical atmosphere of her loving home environment.

Chelsea is a singer/songwriter and provided the lead vocals for the reggae band ZuZu's Time Machine. A versatile performer, she has appeared on stage in ballet, opera, and musical theatre productions.

In addition to her work as a South Coast Music Together instructor, she is currently pursuing a degree in Music Education at Chapman University's Conservatory of Music.

Chelsea is a true believer in the free-spirited playful nature of the Music Together program, and finds her passion in sharing the joy of music with young children and their families.

She has recently been awarded Certification Level 1 from our parent organization in Princeton, New Jersey for outstanding achievement in musical skills, parent education, and articulation of the Music Together philosophy.

Emily Losey   Teacher

Emily Losey , a registered Music Together teacher, has worked with young children since she was 12 years old. Having a mom who owns and runs a daycare center, Emily has been surrounded by little ones for many years and finds it second nature to connect with them! She has a lovely natural singing voice as well as a dramatic flair which she put to use at Disneyland where she played many of their beloved characters. Emily has also put her sweet nature and pure, clean-cut beauty to work for her as a princess look-a-like for children's parties and charity events. Like her South Coast Music Together instructor colleagues, she finds much joy in the expression of music. She tells us, "I always have a song in my head and absolutely love singing!"

Emily is also passionate about volunteering and traveling around the world to help others in need. She has noted along the way how inherent and integral music is to each country's culture and understands the importance of music in how it relates to the essential educational and emotional growth of young children everywhere. She is currently studying to become an elementary school teacher and will work towards a Masters degree in play therapy.

Emily tells us that her love of music and young children are both embedded deeply in her heart and that she can't think of a better way to combine them than in bringing her talents to teaching for South Coast Music Together. We couldn't agree more!

 

Kathryn Graham   Teacher/ Co-Administrator

Kathryn Graham is very near and dear to our hearts as she joined South Coast Music Together for our very first semester in March of 1999! As a mom of two beautiful and musical twin girls, we spotted Kathryn immediately for her lovely singing voice and terrific example in musical participation. Kathryn's easy going and kind manner, along with her beautifully clear communication skills are a real asset to us, and were developed during her years as a bilingual teacher with the U.S. Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic.

Upon returning to the U.S., she became an instructor with Santa Ana College where she taught newly arrived immigrants English as a second language. She later served as administrator and CFO as well as ESL instructor for Tri Lingua Language Systems, Inc.

Kathryn earned a Bachelor of Music from California State University and is credentialed to teach basic education and music K-12 in California Public Schools. She performs regularly as a soloist at one of our local churches and also performs for special occasions and events. She joined the staff of South Coast Music Together in the fall of 2003 and is a popular and much loved member of our team. Kathryn is a registered Music Together teacher.

Natalie Headland  Teacher

Natalie Headland, a registered Music Together teacher as of June 5th, 2011, is a Music Education major at Chapman's Conservatory of Music, with an emphasis on voice. She holds an Associate of Art Degree in Child Develpment and proudly made the Dean's list in that area of expertise!
In addition to performing on stage and lending her beautiful voice to the Chapman University Choir, Ms. Headland serves as section leader in her church choir and volunteers at Cambridge Elementary School, teaching general music to the kindergartners each week.
Natalie has also served as a Behavior Interventionist for children with special needs and has experienced first-hand the power of music in reaching some of her students who previously seemed un-reachable, connecting with them through song.

On the homefront, Ms. Headland comes from a family that treasures music. Her parents actually first met in their college choir and passed their own love of music along to Natalie and her sister. Her father has accompanied Natalie on piano in many recitals. And Natalie's love of composers Brahams and Strauss developed from hearing the sound of her mother's voice singing their melodies to her as a child.
Coming from such a musical family, it's natural that Natalie understands and appreciates the powerful bonds that come from making music together as a family.
Believing strongly in the Music Together philosophy that all children are musical and deserve as their birthright the ability to participate joyfully in the music of their culture, Natalie is excited to share her inspiration and the beauty of making music with our families.
We're delighted and proud to welcome Natalie Headland as a very special and valued member of our South Coast Music Together team!

 

Susan Stello  Teacher

Susan Stello's background and story in relation to music and young children is a deeply personal one.

Besides her involvement with music, dance, and theatre since the age of three as well as her work as assistant teacher of preschool and preschool music, Susan shared with us how music has made a difference in her own life experience.

From the time she was six weeks old until she was six months old, Susan's own darling daughter was made to wear a special cast that went from her belly button down to her ankle to correct a hip problem she seemed to have from birth. In Susan's own words, "I used my voice to comfort her. I used music to give her some stimulation during the day. I sang to her during her ten minute diaper changes eight times a day. I used music to soothe myself as well.I don't know what we would have done without music. When she was two years old we signed up for a local mommy and me music class. I really feel like that class helped us to bond in a way that we didn't really get to do when she was first born. I have personally experienced profound and amazing things because of music."

It is this kind of passion for music, as well as her intelligent, joyful and loving way of relating to others that make Susan such a beautiful and dedicated teacher.

We are proud to introduce Susan, a registered Music Together teacher as of January 9th, 2011, as a very special and treasured member of our South Coast Music Together team.

Hillary Gerber   Teacher

Hillary Gerber, a registered Music Together teacher, comes to us from Foothill Ranch, California. Her love of music and singing developed naturally during her own early childhood years and was fostered by her father, who made music an integral part of their every day family life. She especially cherishes memories of him playing his guitar and singing to her and her siblings before bedtime in the evenings.

That musical family tradition now manifests itself through the multigenerational performances of Hillary, her father, and Hillary’s own children, Aaron and Talia, (both Music Together alumni), as they sing and perform at retirement homes in their community,- sharing the blessing of music with others who can use a lift in their lives.

You also may have heard Hillary’s lovely voice raised in song as she performs at local fundraising events around the Orange County area.

Hillary studied elementary education at CSU, Long Beach where she maintained a 4.0 GPA in the program. She put that education to good use, teaching for several years until the birth of her son. At that time, she devoted herself to being a mom, and wanting to make music a big part of her baby’s life,- she learned about Music Together, and was herself a mom in one of our South Coast Music Together classes.

Having brought both her children through the program since early childhood, (one of them now a terrific singer, and the other a talented guitarist),- Hillary understands and deeply appreciates the value of Music Together. She believes it “creates a beautiful love for music and brings joy to everyone in the program” and considers teaching it the perfect way to combine her love of children, music, and education.

Hillary’s beautiful singing voice, playful and joyful nature, as well as her terrific communication skills make her a real asset to South Coast Music Together and we are proud to welcome her as a treasured member of our team! Welcome aboard Hillary!