Faculty & Staff
Visual Arts
Molly Baring-Gould
Molly is a printmaker, a ceramic artist and a woodworker. She earned a BFA in Printmaking and Painting with a concentration in Art History from The University Of Massachusetts Amherst, and a Masters in Art Education from Massachusetts College Of Art. In addition to teaching part time Ceramics and Mixed Media at Newton South, Molly also teaches Cabinet Making to adults through Newton Community Education. Out of her strong belief in the benefits of community service and her love for working with young adults, she helped to start the organization Mass Nine For the 9th. This is a community service learning program through the Newton North Carpentry program, which brings students from Newton to the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans once a year to help rebuild homes.
Abygale Choi
Born and raised in New York, Abygale Choi brings the energy of life from outside into the classroom. Her values are in the journey and process of discovery and creating; she encourages her students to be fearless in pursuing their passion. She earned her BFA and MA from Boston University, with a concentration in Painting. Abygale Choi teaches all 2D foundations classes, which include Intro to Art and Design, Media & Methods, Portfolio, as well as Ceramics 1.
Amy Nichols
Amy Nichols is a Newton resident and artist trained at Cooper Union and Mass Art.
Laura Penney
Ms. Penney earned her Bachelor in Fine Arts Degrees in Photography and Studio Education from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt), and has a Graduate Degree in Education with a Concentration in Art from Framingham State University. In her artist practice, she mostly works in film and digital photography, ceramics, and printmaking. She enjoys paddleboarding and rollerblading, visiting art museums/galleries, crocheting, and baking (the best) chocolate chip cookies.
Leslie Kepner
Leslie Kepner teaches Media Arts & Art History at both North & South High Schools. She also serves as an AP Reader to score the AP Art History exam, and is a self-described museum nerd. Before becoming a teacher, Ms. Kepner worked as an Art Director & Graphic Designer in both print and interactive media. Ms. Kepner studied Illustration at Syracuse University (BFA) and Computer Art at the School of Visual Arts (MFA).
Theatre
Talia Etedgee Brown, Department Head for the Fine and Performing Arts
Ms. Brown has been teaching and directing theatre in the Boston area and for the Boston Public Schools for many years. She is a graduate from Emerson College and the Perrone-Sizer Institute for Creative Leadership. She is so excited to be part of the FPA team at Newton South.
Jeff Knoedler
Jeff Knoedler is worried that when people find out what an awesome job he has, they will take it away. Let's keep it our little secret. He grew up on a farm in Nebraska and desperately rode east until he came to Boston. He has been a theatre teacher and director at Newton South for thirteen years, and looks forward to many more.
Paige Perkinson
Paige Perkinson is happy to be returning for her ninth year teaching at Newton South. In addition to being a teacher, she is also a professional actress in Boston. You might have seen in her in productions at Actors' Shakespeare Project (Taming of the Shrew, Macbeth, Comedy of Errors), Newton Theatre Company (St. Joan, Iphigenia Among the Taurians), Company One (She Kills Monsters), and Central Square Theatre (Arabian Nights). She is a teaching artist and resident company member with Actors' Shakespeare Project. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Boston University and has studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. In addition to teaching, directing, and acting, Perk also sings in her rock band called Poor Yorkick!
Ryan Spruck
Mr Spruck is the Technical Director for Newton South High School and South Stage.
Music
Lisa Linde
Lisa Linde is the conductor of the Wind Ensemble, Symphonic Band, Jazz Ensemble, Lab Jazz Ensemble, and Chamber Ensembles. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and a Masters Degree in Conducting from New England Conservatory. She has served as secretary for the MMEA Northeast District Executive Board and the Solo and Ensemble Festival Coordinator of the MICCA Executive board.
Ben Youngman
Benjamin Youngman has been the Director of Choral Activities at Newton South since 1999. He also teaches all levels of music technology and composition as well as AP music theory. He works with the Theater Department for their musical productions and also conducts the Newton Singers, an adult community chorus. He began his professional music career with the American Boychoir in Princeton, New Jersey at age ten, performing over 160 concerts a year for three years throughout North America and Europe and singing for Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr.. He has made numerous recordings with the Boston Symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Festival Chorus and has worked with artists such as George Balanchine, Bob Hope, Patti LaBelle, Jackie McClean, Seiji Ozawa, Robert Shaw, and James Taylor. He holds a Bachelors of Music Education from the Hartt School of Music and a Masters of Education from Cambridge College. He is currently enrolled in the online Doctor of Music (DMA) program at Boston University, where he hopes to finish his dissertation in the upcoming year.
Ryan Devlin
Ryan Devlin is a 26 year old international touring jazz saxophonist and music instructor living in Boston, MA. Ryan started his musical journey with his father Scott Devlin who was the leader of the Walt Disney World Sax Quartet. Music was always in the house as a child because his dad was always teaching lessons or practicing for his next gig. Ryan was immediately interested and asked his Dad to teach him saxophone around age 9, after playing piano for 3 years. Since then Ryan has been practicing, gigging and teaching everyday!
Ryan completed his Masters degree in Jazz Performance at The New England Conservatory in Boston, MA under the instruction of saxophonist Jerry Bergonzi in 2023. He has been a member and featured soloist in ensembles such as The Florida All State Jazz band, The Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, The Orlando Jazz Orchestra. Ryan has toured a majority of North America playing at famous jazz clubs like Smalls in NYC, Chris’ Jazz Cafe in Philly, Timucua Arts Foundation in Orlando FL, The Rex Hotel in Toronto, ON and Rudy’s Jazz Room in Nashville. Ryan is also the 2017 winner of the Central Florida Jazz Society scholarship competition and was runner up in 2017 Bob Washington Jazz scholarship competition. He has 3 records out under his own name “Thoughts on the Matter” (2021), “The Shape of Light” (2021) & “A Series of Circumstances”(2022) that have reached the top 130 on the international jazz radio charts.