Directors

Mrs. Ducharme is the Director of Choirs at John Adams High School. She is a 2009 graduate of Bethel with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Choral, Instrumental & General Music. Upon graduation, she pursued a career teaching music at the South Bend Community School Corporation. She has taught choral and general music serving K-12 students for the past 13 years in South Bend. Under her direction, her choirs have earned multiple Indiana State School Music Association (ISSMA) awards as well as the prestigious ISSMA All Music Choral Department Award in 2020-2021. 

Her choirs are frequently invited to perform at various venues throughout the city as well as to collaborate with other choral ensembles. Mrs. Ducharme has been recognized by other educators for her excellence in choral education by being named Teacher of the Year at McKinley Primary Center for the 2015-2016 school year.

Mr. Graham is the Head Band Director at John Adams High School and is in his fourth year of teaching. He is originally from Dayton, OH but has spent most of his time in Northern Ohio earning his teaching license, bachelor's, and master's degrees in Tuba Performance from the University of Akron and Bowling Green State University. He had the privilege of performing with various groups such as Carolina Crown, touring in Japan with Blast! “The Music of Disney,” and as a guest solo artist at Terra State Community College. He has also taught many groups that have been able to achieve Music for All’s Grand National Championships Semi-Finals, Drum Corps International Finals, and “Excellent” ratings for both marching and concert band contests. 

Mr. Lee is the Director of String Orchestra at John Adams High School starting in the 2022-23 school year. Before coming to Adams, he was the Director of String Orchestra at Dickinson Fine Arts Academy and Culver Academy. He also teaches violin and viola lessons as an adjunct music faculty at Bethel University and St. Mary’s College and works with the South Bend Youth Symphony as a section coach. On top of his teaching positions, he actively performs with the South Bend Symphony Orchestra as a violin section member and La Porte County Orchestra as an assistant concertmaster. He has received his Bachelor’s and Artist Diploma in Violin Performance from the North Carolina School of the Arts and his Master’s, Artist Diploma, and Performance Diploma from Indiana University South Bend. His major teachers include Mr. Jameson Cooper, Mr. Blaise Magniere, Ms. Marie Wang, Mr. Aaron Berofsky, and Ms. Elaine Richey.

Ms. Pantelleria is the Assistant Band Director at John Adams High School. She is originally from Fennville, Michigan but moved to South Bend to study Music Education at Saint Mary’s College, graduating with her undergraduate in 2021. She was a member of the Notre Dame Marching Band, playing on the Drumline, the ND Percussion Ensemble, the New Orleans Brass Band, and the Saint Mary’s Concert Band. Ms. Pantelleria completed her student teaching at Edwardsburg Middle/High School and Swanson Traditional Elementary.