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Our camp director, Ms. Jodi Austin, brings a wealth of musical expertise to our program. She is serves as the orchestra and guitar director at James River High School, a VMEA Blue Ribbon School of Music. Before becoming camp director, she taught the beginning violin class for many iterations of strings camp in Chesterfield County. Throughout her distinguished career, Ms. Austin has been an unwavering advocate for music education. Her students consistently achieve superior ratings at VBODA District 3 Orchestra Assessment, VGDA Guitar Assessment, and various other music festivals.
Ms. Austin's dedication to music education transcends the classroom. She has presented innovative sessions at conferences, like the 2017 Virginia Music Educators Association conference, where she explored the implementation of chamber music in large ensembles. Her commitment to enhancing musical opportunities for students is further demonstrated through her co-editorship of the 2016 VBODA solo & ensemble strings listing update. Serving as the VGDA South Central Regional Guitar representative, she remains a prominent figure in guitar education.
Recognized for her outstanding contributions, Ms. Austin has been featured in a "Heroes Among Us" segment by WTVR in 2014, highlighting her positive community impact. In the same year, SBO Magazine acknowledged her as one of the influential educators in their 17th annual report, "50 Directors Who Make a Difference." In 2024, Chesterfield County recognized her as "Orchestra Sponsor of the Year." Her leadership extends to frequently conducting all-county events, solidifying her position as a driving force in the realm of music education.
Mrs. Kathy Robinson is currently enjoying her 25th year as the Orchestra and Guitar Director at Manchester High School in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Named Chesterfield County's performing arts teacher of the year in 2022, Kathy has continued with her passion for nurturing musical talent. Embarking on a new chapter this year, she assumed a leadership role as the head of the arts department at MHS.
A fervent advocate for guitar and orchestra programs statewide, Kathy's influence extends far beyond the classroom. As a founding member of the VMEA Guitar Council, she played a pivotal role in establishing the Virginia Guitar Director’s Association, elevating the state's musical landscape. Her expertise shines through in workshops she has presented at the prestigious VMEA Conference including “How to be a Rocking Guitar Teacher” and this year's first ever “Guitar Ensemble Music Reading Session.”
Kathy received her Bachelor of Music degree in classical guitar performance and Master of Music degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University, her dedication to music education spans over two decades. Her impact reverberates through her roles as a performer, both solo and alongside her husband in the Robinson Guitar Duo and VCU Community Guitar Ensemble. A versatile musician, she also performs on violin in the chamber orchestra, RVA Strings.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Kathy shares her passion through private lessons in guitar, violin, viola, cello, and bass, fostering the next generation of musical talent. Many of her former students have pursued music in college and have followed in her footsteps as music educators themselves.
Mrs. Teresa Herman has lived in Virginia, Ohio, Florida, Minnesota, Maryland, Washington state and Heidelberg, Germany. She began studying the cello at 10 years old and earned a master’s degree in baroque music performance at The Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. She has played professionally in theaters and in concert orchestras, including the Richmond Symphony Orchestra, and chamber groups. In her private studio, Teresa trained hundreds of cello students of all ages, some of whom went on to careers in music. She was on the adjunct faculty at Virginia Commonwealth University as a cello teacher. She taught elementary orchestra in Richmond (Virginia) Public Schools for nine years, then in Port Angeles, Wash., for four years. She joined the faculty of Bailey Bridge Middle School in August of 2022, where she teaches orchestra and guitar. She is excited about being a part of the CCPS Summer String Camp, helping young people enrich their lives through the discipline and joy of music. Two shelties and a Siberian Forest cat live with Teresa and her husband in Midlothian. Her daughter is also a cellist.
Mrs. Allison Barnes was born and raised in Chesterfield, Virginia. Allison grew up playing both the piano and violin. She was very active in the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra Program. She studied with Alana Carithers in the Richmond Symphony and then went on to study with Wanchi Huang at James Madison University where she graduated with a degree in Music Education. Allison taught K-5 Suzuki Violin in the Lynchburg City Schools and both orchestra and general music in Rockville, Maryland. She is now the orchestra director at Maggie L Walker Governor’s School. Allison lives in Midlothian with her husband Scott, her children Henry, Kent, and Jane, her cat Jasper, and her dog Pickles. In her spare time, she plays violin for weddings and enjoys gardening.
Mr. Zach Wood is a native of Chesterfield, Virginia and is going into his fourth year of teaching at L.C. Bird High School. With a passion to succeed and share the love of music with others, he serves as the Director of Orchestra and Guitar, and is a co-sponsor for Tri-M Music Honor Society, and Anime Club. Mr. Wood also teaches private lessons on string instruments at Robert Alexander Music teaching String lessons.
Mr. Wood graduated from Meadowbrook High School in 2014 where he studied guitar and cello. Mr. Wood holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from Radford University, and a Master’s Degree in Guitar Performance from the University of Akron. Throughout his career, Mr. Wood has had the privilege of working with many talented teachers and professional musicians, through many opportunities like All-County, All-Virginia Guitar Ensemble, Radford International Guitar Festival, Studying Abroad, and the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society. Zach Wood still performs on solo classical guitar, most recently at the Akron Guitar Festival.
Mrs. Brittany Pennington returns for her third year to teach the Intro to the Orchestra class at Summer Strings on the James, where she will also lead bucket drumming. A graduate of James Madison University, Mrs. Pennington currently teaches orchestra and guitar at Robious Middle School. Her students have consistently achieved impressive results, earning superior ratings at the VBODA District 3 Orchestra Assessment. Additionally, she holds the title of award-winning colorguard instructor at James River High School. With her dedication to student success, Mrs. Pennington is eager to inspire young musicians once again at Summer Strings on the James.
Mr. David Yohe was the director of orchestras at Midlothian Middle School in Chesterfield County for 25 years. He was selected as Midlothian’s teacher of the year for 2012. He received the Outstanding Music Educator Award from VCU Music School in 2024. His students are a constant source of joy and inspiration. He received his Bachelor of Music Education and Masters of Performance degrees from Virginia Commonwealth University.
Mr.Yohe has had the privilege of being a guest conductor and adjudicator for orchestras all over the state of Virginia. He has been impressed and motivated by the talents of these young people. Mr. Yohe is an avid bass player and enjoys performing with a variety of ensembles in various styles. He loves all types of music and the various challenges they present. He perforMiddle School as a freelance classical and jazz musician.
As a composer, Mr. Yohe has had his music compositions performed in a variety of places. The Discovery Channel aired one of Mr.Yohe's pieces for Outward Bound television on a show entitled Under Down Under. He composed music for a play adaptation of Salvaged Pages: Young Writers' Diaries of the Holocaust performed at the Weinstein JCC. The Central Regional Orchestra and the Chesterfield All County Orchestras have also performed his compositions. In his free time, Mr. Yohe likes spending time with his wife Robin, and their dog Lady Pippa. He enjoys being outdoors and riding bikes.
Mr. Tyler Warren returns to teach Intro to the Guitar class at Summer Strings on the James, where he will also lead the ukulele class. A Chesterfield native, Mr. Warren developed a passion for music early on while attending Carver Middle School and later graduating from Thomas Dale High School. He went on to earn his degree in music education from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2023 and now teaches orchestra and guitar at Matoaca High School.
As a guitar teacher, Mr. Warren is dedicated to helping students explore a wide variety of musical styles, from the intricate techniques of classical fingerstyle guitar to the powerful energy of rock and metal. He strives to create a fun, supportive, and engaging learning environment where students feel encouraged to grow as musicians.
Mrs. Melissa Jones received music degrees from the Eastman School of Music (BM, Music Ed.) and the University of Tennessee (MM, Violin Performance). She taught Strings in the Hanover County Public Schools for sixteen years and is in her 6th year as Director of Orchestras at Collegiate School in Richmond, VA. She is currently the conductor for Camerata, one of the youth orchestras of the Richmond Symphony Youth Orchestra program. Melissa has guest conducted for honors school programs in Virginia and has served as an adjudicator for state-wide orchestra assessments. Ms. Jones is especially driven to explore and appreciate diverse music styles and genres as applied to our orchestral instruments.
Ms. Jones maintains a private studio of violin and viola students and is an active musician in the Richmond scene. She has participated in many album recordings and has performed with local and regional orchestras on violin and viola.
Ms. Jones is a member of The National Association for Music Education, the Virginia Band and Director’s Association, and the American String Teachers Association. Melissa resides in Hanover County, VA with her husband, Aaron, and two sons, Charlie (9) and Ezekiel (27). They enjoy building Lego towers, listening to vinyl records, making applesauce, and hiking in the mountains.
A native of Upstate New York, Mr. Timothy Judd has been a member of the Richmond Symphony violin section since 2001. He is a graduate of the Eastman School of Music where he earned the degrees Bachelor of Music and Master of Music, studying with world renowned Ukrainian-American violinist Oleh Krysa. The son of public school music educators, Timothy Judd began violin lessons at the age of four through Eastman’s Community Education Division. He was a student of Anastasia Jempelis, one of the earliest champions of the Suzuki method in the United States. Timothy Judd also enjoys playing chamber music, recently becoming a founding member of Crescendo: Mike Goldberg and Friends, an organization which has performed throughout Central Virginia. A passionate teacher, Mr. Judd has maintained a private violin studio in the Richmond area since 2002 and has been active coaching chamber music and numerous youth orchestra sectionals.
In addition to performing and teaching, Timothy Judd is the author of the popular classical music appreciation blog, The Listeners’ Club. Timothy Judd performs on an instrument that was made in 1894 by the respected English violin maker William Ebsworth Hill. In his free time, Timothy Judd enjoys working out with Richmond’s popular SEAL Team Physical Training program.
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