BRASS | WINDS

ARTIE BLACK, saxophone

Artie Black is a saxophonist, composer, and educator based in Chicago. Originally from Butler, Pennsylvania, he was first inspired to pursue a career in music through lessons with Dr. Terry Steele, professor of saxophone at Slippery Rock University. Artie graduated with a degree in music education from Messiah College in 2010.  

After graduating from Messiah, he continued his studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, earning a Master's degree in Jazz Studies in 2012. At Indiana, Artie studied saxophone with Tom Walsh and worked as an Associate Instructor with legendary jazz educator David Baker. 

Artie moved to Chicago in 2012, where he quickly established himself as an important part of the creative music scene. He has appeared at the Hyde Park Jazz Festival and as a part of the Next Gen Jazz Series, and has played as a leader and sideman at The Green Mill, Andy's Jazz Club, Constellation, and dozens of other Chicago venues. Recent highlights include a weeklong tour and recording with his group Living Bridge, and a series of performances and workshops with Steve Coleman's Five Elements. 

In addition to his passion for performance, Artie is fascinated by the learning and teaching process. He maintains a busy schedule of private saxophone instruction, and also joined the faculty of Wheaton College as an adjunct professor in Spring 2014. His goal as a teacher is to inspire his students to find joy through learning for themselves.

KATELYN ACKLAND, clarinet/piano/voice

Katelyn has a passion for sharing her love of music with others and is dedicated to their success. Currently, she is pursuing her bachelor's degree in music education and clarinet performance at NIU. While she completed her associate's degree at Kishwaukee College, she was a part of the Performing Arts Club and studied keyboard, voice and guitar during her time there. Previously she studied piano with Professor Choi and Jeong Soo Kim, violin with Marie Wang, guitar with Eric Schroeder and voice with Professor Rakes. She studies clarinet with Gregory Barrett and Elizabeth Kapitaniuk. 

Katelyn has numerous experiences in performance settings including the NIU Philharmonic, Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra, NIU Sinfonia, DeKalb Municipal Band, NIU Huskie Marching Band, NIU Wind Ensemble, Kishwaukee Concert Band, DeKalb, Dixon and Rochelle Municipal Summer Bandshell and was principal clarinetist and ringer for the Illinois Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She is currently serving as the pianist at the Esmond and Lighthouse United Methodist Church and has served in numerous musical capacities for the Rochelle United Methodist Church in their handbell choir, regular choir, as well as playing  violin and clarinet in small ensembles during their church services. She previously worked as a teacher's assistant for band, choir and strings classes in the Greater Rochelle Area Christian Education School and served as the camp counselor and clarinet sectional leader in the Maranatha Baptist College Band Camp. Mentoring music students brings her so much joy!

RACHEL THOMPSON, clarinet and piano

Rachel Thompson is a clarinetist and pianist originally from Rochester, NY. Rachel was exposed to music at a young age, starting piano lessons at the age of 5 and clarinet in the third grade. She found her love for music partly because of her musical family that fostered her interest and sang four-part harmony in the car with her.

In addition to Bb and A clarinet, she has experience playing both Eb and bass clarinet as auxiliary instruments. She has performed in venues from the Chicago Symphony Center to Kodak Hall at the Eastman Theater to the Crystal Cathedral in California to Carnegie Hall. She attended Wheaton College for her undergraduate studies, where she studied under Trevor O'Riordan of the Elgin Symphony and Illinois Philharmonic. She is a graduate from Roosevelt University's Chicago College of Performing Arts with a Master’s in Music Performance, and has studied privately with John Bruce Yeh of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Charlene Zimmerman of the Lyric Opera Orchestra. She studied classical piano for 10 years primarily under the chair of the Piano, Keyboard, and Organ program at Eastman Community School of Music, Alla Kuznetsov, but she also studied with Donna Lascell (beginning piano) and Paul Hofmann (jazz and classical piano).

Passionate about sharing her knowledge with others, she enjoys encouraging students to reach their full potential through development of both critical thinking and personal musical expression. Her studio is a relaxed environment where it is okay to make mistakes and a safe place for technical exploration. She hopes to share not only the instruction and experience she has received in her studies and performances, but also the enthusiasm and joy that comes from music-making.

In her spare time, she enjoys water-coloring, crocheting, and spending lots of time with her husband and rambunctious gray cat.

DEVIN STARR, clarinet and piano

Devin Starr is a professional clarinetist and collaborative pianist who currently works in the Chicagoland area. He received his Doctor of Musical Arts degree in May 2016 from the University of Oklahoma where he studied with Dr. Suzanne Tirk and taught as an adjunct professor at the same institution. During his four years in Oklahoma, Dr. Starr also served as the woodwind department accompanist and opera accompanist at OU while simultaneously teaching clarinet and serving as a maternity leave replacement. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Music Performance from Grand Valley State University where he studied with Dr. Arthur Campbell and his Master’s Degree in Music Performance from Bowling Green State University where he studied with Mr. Kevin Schempf.

Starr has competed in several competitions, most recently as a finalist in the 2015 NAFTZGER Young Artist Competition. He has performed several solos with the Wheaton Municipal Band and played principal with the West Wind Chamber Players of Oklahoma City. Starr was also a Finalist at OU’s 2013/14 Concerto Competitions and BGSU’s Chamber Music Competition. He has presented masterclasses and sectionals at the University of Central Oklahoma, University of Oklahoma, Tulsa Youth Orchestra, and several high schools. Alongside performing on clarinet, he has spent much time on the piano, solo and collaborative. Most recently, Starr premiered Kenn McSperitt’s triple concerto for Saxophone, Piano, and Strings in 2015. He was on staff with OU as the opera accompanist, performed piano with the orchestra on Stravinsky’s Symphony in Three Movements, and toured around accompanying for John Davies’ “Three Little Pigs” opera (based off several Mozart operas). Starr has also performed for many venues including solo recitals at BGSU and UofM with the Principal Clarinetist of the Hong Kong Philharmonic, recitals with the Principal Bassoonist of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic, and dozens of other student recitals, chamber ensembles, orchestras, bands, and new music ensembles.

Starr has also worked with dance, combining clarinet playing and modern dance in hopes of expanding the boundaries of standard performance to add a more visual aspect. He has travelled throughout the United States, Germany, and France playing with orchestras, bands, new music ensembles and chamber ensembles, as well as going to help teach young musicians in youth orchestras, middle schools, and high schools in the Midwest and Texas. Some of the musical ensembles he has worked with have included the Blue Lake Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Wheaton Municipal Band, and GVSU New Music Ensemble.

When not working in the music industry, Starr is a huge fan of the outdoors and is perfectly content to be out in the middle of nowhere with a bonfire and a tent. He likes spending time away from technology and loves, despites his profession and extroversion, peace and quiet. Aside from classical music, Starr loves movie soundtracks.