Skyline Music Faculty Information

Faculty Bios by Instrument

Select an instrument to see the faculty for that instrument

flute & piccolo --- clarinet --- saxophone --- trumpet & cornet --- trombone, baritone & euphonium --- piano --- drums & percussion --- violin --- guitar

flute:

Debora Roznovsky has a Master of Musical Arts in Performance from Cleveland State University, with a special emphasis in jazz. She received her Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Ohio State University. She has performed professionally with the Blue Ash Symphony Orchestra as well as local freelancing. A student of William Hebert (retired, Cleveland Orchestra), she has been teaching privately since 1988.

Kathie Lynne Stewart, flute and recorder, earned her masters degree at the Manhattan School of Music and completed her doctoral coursework at the Cincinnati Conservatory. She has performed throughout the United States, England and Denmark with such ensembles as the Cleveland Orchestra, Apollo's Fire, Oberlin Baroque Ensemble, Cleveland Opera, ARTEK, and Cleveland Lyric Opera. Ms. Stewart is currently Teacher of Baroque Flute at the Oberlin Conservatory and maintains a private flute and piano studio in Wellington, OH. She performs with the Irish dance band, Turn the Corner, and the Scottish band, Next in Line. She is a founding member of Apollo's Fire: the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra and has been featured with the ensemble in concerts and on recordings.

clarinet:

Sean Lucius is pursuing his Bachelor of Music in Clarinet Performance at the Oberlin Conservatory. A student of Richard Hawkins, he has performed on clarinet and bass clarinet in orchestral, chamber, and theater settings. He is the recipient of several Oberlin Conservatory achievement scholarships. Sean has been teaching elementary through high school students since 2000.

Bo Ptak has his Bachelor's in Education from Kent State University and taught in the Westlake City Schools for 32 years before retiring in 1993. Mr. Ptak continues to perform in small groups playing pop and jazz, and has taught private lessons throughout his career. He also teaches jazz improvisation.

saxophone:

Christopher Burge received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from Ohio State University. He has performed at the Montreaux Jazz Festival and with such talents as Steve Turre and Louie Bellson, among others. He currently performs with UPensemble, the Dave Sterner Quintet, and as a substitute with the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. Chris has been teaching privately since 1993.

trumpet & cornet:

Matthew Bott is currently pursuing his Bachelor of Arts in Trumpet Performance at Cleveland State University. He is a member of the Air National Guard Band. He has studied with John Schantz (Cleveland Jazz Orchestra), Charles Couch (retired, Cleveland Orchestra) and Geoffery Hardcastle (former Cleveland Orchestra member.)

Rich Pokrywka is pursuing his Doctorate of Musical Arts from Ohio State University. He received his Master of Music in Trumpet Performance from University of Georgia. He received his Bachelor of Trumpet Performance from Baldwin Wallace College. Rich is an adjunct instructor in the Preparatory Departments at Cleveland Institute of Music and Baldwin Wallace College. He was an adjunct professor of trumpet at Piedmont College in Georgia. He has studied with James Darling, Fred Mills, Roy Roper, John Brndiar, Larry Black and Timothy Leasure.

trombone, baritone & euphonium:

Jason Smith is currently pursuing his Master of Music in Trombone Performance at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He received his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Performance from University of South Florida. Jason plays actively as a jazz and classical trombonist. Jason has played with the Tampa Bay Mostly Pops Orchestra, the Tampa Master Chorale, Walt Disney World’s Christmas Brass, and the Sam Rivers Big Band. He has recorded with Dan McMillion's Grammy nominated Groovin' High Jazz Orchestra and the USF Jazztet, which toured Europe in 2003, playing at the prestigious Montreux Jazz Festival. In 2004, Jason was a finalist in the Larry Wiehe competition, sponsored by the International Trombone Association. Locally Jason has played with the Cleveland Pops Orchestra, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, and various shows at Playhouse Square.

piano:

Jonathan Cernan received his Bachelor of Arts from the Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory and completed Professional Studies at the Cleveland Institute of Music. He has performed throughout the states as well as Toronto and France. Jonathan is an active singer/songwriter and is also the current music director at St. Aloysius Parish were he has premiered several sacred works. He has been teaching students aged 4 through adult since 1998.

Anthony Fuoco Anthony Fuoco received his M.M. in Piano Performance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and his B.M. in Piano Performance from SUNY Potsdam, with a minor in philosophy. Currently, he is on the faculty at Lorain County Community College. Anthony has been teaching students both classical and jazz repertoire since 1998. He also continues to actively perform and compose.

Betty Kluth, Ph.D. retired early from the Cleveland City Schools, where she had been an elementary music specialist. She received her doctorate and masters from Kent State University and her Bachelor of Science in Education degree from Ohio State University. She remains active with North Coast Kodaly Association, which she founded locally.

Patty Zinn received her Bachelor of Music in Piano Pedagogy and Master of Music in Piano Performance from West Virginia University. She began teaching piano while still an undergraduate and has also done extensive work as a vocal accompanist. She was also Worship Director at Christ The King Church in North Olmsted for twenty years, overseeing all aspects of the pastoral music program there.

drums & percussion:

Christopher Lee is completing coursework for his Doctor of Musical Arts in Music Composition from Rice University where he has studied with Anthony Brandt, Pierre Jalbert and Richard Lavenda. He received his Master of Music in Music Composition from Indiana University where he studied with David Dzubay, Don Fruend, Jeffrey Hass, and P.Q. Phan. Christopher earned his Bachelor of Music in Music Composition from Baldwin-Wallace Conservatory studying with Loris Ohannes Chobanian. He has also studied with Donald Erb at the Cleveland Institute of Music. Christopher has been featured as a guest lecturer/composer at the California EAR Unit Composers’ Seminar, Music05 Festival at the University of Cincinnati, Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory of Music, and the IDEAS Festival of Digital Arts in Bloomington, Indiana. His compositions have been premiered throughout the United States. Christopher has performed with the Rice University Jazz Combo-Lab Band, and The Richard Vella Experience, Indiana University Contemporary Vocal Ensemble, Greenbriar Theater, Huntington Playhouse, singer/songwriter Paul Wolanski and Josh Perry, and saxophonist Ed Michaels. He has been teaching both private and group lessons since 1991.

Paul Samuels has studied with jazz drummer Billy Hart, and Robert Matson (Cleveland Orchestra). He has performed, recorded, or toured with some of the major names in jazz, including but not limited to: Greg Osby, Pat Martino, Barney Kessel, Hank Crawford, and Jack McDuff. He has composed for film and his compositions have been recorded by Greg Osby. His tours have led him throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. He has also taught as a clinician at colleges around the country including Oberlin College, where he is currently a Visiting Jazz Lecturer. Paul has been performing professionally and teaching since 1974.

Paul Stranahan received his Bachelor of Arts in Music from Capitol University and studied with Jim Chapin, Ed Soph, and Bob Moses, among others. He has performed with various groups in many styles, from top 40 and jazz to blues and classic rock. He has been teaching privately since 1987.

guitar:

Michael Barna has been teaching guitar in the Cleveland area since 1997. He graduated with honors from Berklee College of Music with a degree in Music Composition, and then went on to receive a Masters of Music in Composition from Cleveland State University.. He is proficient in rock, pop, jazz, classical, and folk music. Mike has performed locally as a solo artist, with Jeff Charmek as an acoustic guitar duo, with Broadview Collective (a rock/fusion/experimental ensemble featuring fellow Skyline Music faculty member Paul Stranahan on drums), and various other groups. As a recording artist he has independently produced numerous albums including solo and duo guitar music, various ensembles, multitracked experimental pieces, and a CD with Broadview Collective. Mike has also composed music for full orchestra, chamber groups, and soloists, with many performances of his works.

Anthony J. Eble began a career in jazz by attending Cuyahoga Community College where he participated in the acclaimed Jazz Studies Program and studied guitar with Lee Bush. Anthony completed his Bachelor of Music in Jazz Studies from the University of Akron where he studied with Bob Fraser and was awarded Best Undergraduate Guitarist in 2004. He has performed throughout the country with artists and groups such as Vaughn Nark, Bill Pierce, Michael Wolfe, Dominic Farinacci, the Children's Hospital Jazz Band, Ghetto Gitano, and others. Anthony is also co-director of the RGF Quintet, a musical group which introduces a new orchestrational paradigm for two jazz guitars.

Cheryl Fitiak received her Master of Music in classical guitar performance at the University of Akron, where she studied with Stephen Aron. She received her B.A. from Kent State University with studies in communications and music. Cheryl has also studied jazz arranging, theory, applied harmony, and improvisation with Cleveland jazz pro Ralph Russo (dec). Her teaching qualifications include classical guitar, contemporary styles, jazz studies, and theory and analysis. She directed and arranged music for the “ Arlington Road Classical Guitar Ensemble “, has coached students for jazz band, pit bands, and religious ensembles, and has prepared students for recitals and auditions. Cheryl currently performs as a classical guitar soloist in NE Ohio, accompaniest and with the classical duo “Going for Baroque”. She began her performing career with the pop dance band “ Changes “. She was a featured soloist on the 2005 and 2007 cd’s “Guitar at Akron” sponsored by the University of Akron. She has been teaching on Cleveland’s west side since the mid 70’s and has been a member of Skyline’s faculty since it’s opening in 1987.

violin:

Mary Kettering received her BM in violin performance from Baldwin-Wallace College and earned her MM in violin performance from Belmont University in Tennessee. She is currently Principal Second Violin with both the Ashland and Lima Symphonies, was a member of the Huntsville Symphony for several years, and has also played with the Nashville Symphony. In addition to her classical music activities, she plays fiddle and sings with the Ashland-based bluegrass band Faces Made for Radio and has also toured with the Celtic rock group Ceili Rain. Her teachers include Elisabeth Small, Julian Ross, Gary Kosloski, and David Edge on violin, and she has had fiddle lessons with Brian Wicklund, Megan Lynch, Casey Driessen, and Craig Duncan.

Dawn Kulikowski received her Master of Music in Violin Performance from Cleveland State University in 2006. She received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from Baldwin-Wallace College in 2004. Dawn has studied with Erich Eichhorn (Cleveland Orchestra), Molly Fung-Dumm, and Wei-Shu Co (Cleveland Pops Orchestra and Cleveland Opera Orchestra). She has performed at the Beck Center and with the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, and she freelances in the Cleveland area. Dawn is currently the orchestra director at Avon Lake High School. She is also adjunct faculty for the Baldwin-Wallace College Conservatory Outreach Department and has been teaching private violin lessons to students ages 5 through adult since 2004.

Shannon Williams received her Bachelor of Violin Performance Degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. She has studied with Gary Kosloski, Wei-Shu Co, and Julian Ross. She has been teaching private and small group lessons since 1990. In addition to teaching, she plays fiddle in the local Irish band Turn the Corner, Scottish band Next In Line, and violin with the Mansfield Symphony Orchestra.

Carrie Woodie received her Master of Arts in Education from Baldwin-Wallace College and her Bachelor of Music Education from Cleveland State. She has taught Elementary General Music, Band, and Orchestra in the Lorain City Schools. Carrie has been teaching private lessons since 1998.