Faculty Bios

Mary Vanhoozer

Multi-instrumentalist Mary Vanhoozer grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland, where she learned to play the Scottish fiddle and developed an enduring love of folk music. Traditional noëls from southern France played an equally formative role as they introduced her to the hurdy gurdy. Since acquiring her first instrument, Mary has eagerly continued to research and perform a variety of repertoire, from medieval dances to 19th century French contradances. She has a deep love for renaissance dance music, French baroque duets, and English country dances: her published anthology, Playford's Wheel, features 70 English country dance tunes with second voices (her own compositions) transcribed and transposed for the hurdy gurdy. Performance highlights on the hurdy gurdy include touring with the critically acclaimed Ciaramella ensemble for the San Francisco Early Music Society and a live broadcast of renaissance dance music in Southern California (on KUSC Los Angeles). Also a passionate educator, Mary curates concert programs for educational institutions: her programs contain a wide variety of repertoire and are accompanied by slides and spoken introductions to musical selections. She holds degrees in piano performance from Wheaton College Conservatory (B.M.), the Eastman School of Music (M.M.), and the Cleveland Institute of Music (D.M.A).

Taryn Spink

Taryn Spink is a Hurdy Gurdy player and teacher; a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area; and a professional music teacher. Her musical journey began with the piano at the age of 8 and then with the French Horn at the age of 10, both of which she continued to study through college at Azusa Pacific University. During her time at APU, she received a Bachelor of Music in Performance, Bachelor of Arts in English with a writing concentration, a Masters of Arts in Education with a concentration in Digital Teaching and Learning, and a California Single Subject Teaching Credential specializing in music. She has performed throughout the country and the world with notable performances at Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Paris, International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales, and at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf Germany. Beyond performing, Taryn has over 9 years of music teaching experience both as a private instructor and as a public school music teacher; from teaching elementary music education, middle school and high school band and choir, and teaching private students of all ages. Taryn’s Hurdy Gurdy journey began as a curiosity, then a dream, but it quickly blossomed into a full fledged passion for all things Hurdy Gurdy. She continues to study with Alexis Vacher and Richard Taylor, and she is conducting ethnomusicological studies in the field of French Folk or “Trad” music. She loves the Hurdy Gurdy and is inspired to share it with others.

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