Who are my teachers?
An Israeli born violinist and violist, Arie Yaacobi has been teaching strings in Worcester Public Schools since 1999. Currently Mr. Yaacobi teaches at Roosevelt, Rice Square, La Familia, Clark, Norrback, Thorndyke, and Midland elementary schools. Mr. Yaacobi is also an active performer and serves as the concertmaster of the Freisinger Chamber Orchestra in Boston. Previously he served as a concertmaster of the Boston Opera Company under the direction of the late Sarah Caldwell. Mr Yaacobi studied with Dorothy DeLay and Paul Cantor in the US and with Ilona Feher, Yair Kless, and Vali Blutner in Israel. He holds Master's Degree, New England Conservatory, Bachelor of Music and Artist Degree from Tel-Aviv University.
Joanna Launderville
Mrs. Launderville has been teaching elementary strings in Worcester since 2018. She teaches at Burncoat Prep, Flagg Street, Lincoln Street, Tatnuck Magnet, and Vernon Hill elementary schools. She also teacher the middle school orchestra at Forest Grove Middle School. Mrs. Launderville holds both Bachelor and Masters degrees in music education, and continues to perform with the Blackstone Valley String Quartet. Mrs. Launderville enjoys riding her bicycle, taking walks with dog Harley, reading books, and hanging out with her family and friends.
Pete Levesque has been an educator and performer for 25 years. He has a bachelor's degree in Performance from Umass Amherst. Pete has taught at many school systems in Massachusetts including Wellesley, Norwood and Wrentham. Pete has been an adjudicator for several district festivals in both Rhode Island and Massachusetts. As a professional saxophonist Peter continues to have a busy performance schedule. He has performed with 10 Thousand Maniacs, The Four Tops and shared the stage with Aretha Franklin and BB King.
Peter Pasierb
Mr. Pasierb has been teaching music in the Worcester Public Schools since 2009. He holds a Master’s Degree in Music Education from the University of Massachusetts. While he instructs students on all wind instruments offered for study in the elementary winds program, Mr. Pasierb’s primary instrument is saxophone, which he started playing in the sixth grade. Along with teaching, he has been known to dabble with arranging and composing music.
Teaching wind instrument lessons at: City View, McGrath, May Street, Midland Street, and West Tatnuck Schools.
School email: pasierbp@worcesterschools.net
Monica Yohn
Monica is an educator and performer with a resume spanning over 30 years! She is a graduate from Hartt School of Music with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education, Flute and Voice Performance. She has done Graduate work at New England Conservatory, & Boston Conservatory.
She is entering her 29th year teaching for the Worcester Public Schools.
When not teaching or performing, Monica is spending time with her beloved family and chocolate lab, Hera.
Monica is very excited to share her love of Music with all her students!
Keith Kramer
Mr. Kramer is the strings, chorus and general music teacher at Worcester Arts Magnet School. He is a composer of over 40 works for orchestra, chamber ensembles, solo instruments and electronic media. The London Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Miran Vaupotić, recently recorded Mr. Kramer's work for cello and orchestra, Luce del Sole, featuring cellist Ovidiu Marinescu. Mr. Kramer's music has also been performed and recorded by the Slovak National Symphony Orchestra, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, David Taylor, Leonard Garrison and many others. Recent performances of his work include two highly successful all-Kramer programs at New York's Merkin Hall, documented in the film Beyond Sonic Boundaries Live! Additional all-Kramer releases include the critically acclaimed albums Causal Dualism and Emerge. Mr. Kramer's work Sogni was recently premiéred and toured by acclaimed British pianist Martin Jones and a European premiére of his work Rinnovo, for piano and percussion, featured internationally renowned pianist Anna D'Errico. Mr. Kramer's composition Suspension of Disbelief for piano trio enjoyed its New York City premiére at Carnegie Hall in 2019.
Michael Wong
Michael J. Wong attended the University of Massachusetts Lowell and graduated Cum Laude in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Performance. He later completed his Master's degree in education at Anna Maria College with an Emphasis in Kodaly, making him a Kodaly certified music teacher. Since 2009, Michael has been teaching at the elementary level for the Worcester Public Schools and was voted “Teacher of the Year” at The Worcester Arts Magnet School (WAMS) in 2016, in part due to his patient demeanor with his instrumental students. His specialty instruments include Clarinet and Saxophone although he currently serves as Band Director to a successful group of students in grades 4 through 6. Along with teaching wind instruments at multiple schools, Michael also teaches general music classes to students in grades Pre-K through 6.
Anthony Bokina
Anthony Bokina graduated with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education from the Crane School of Music at SUNY Potsdam. Since 2017, Anthony has worked with many students helping them begin their journey on wind instruments. Alongside teaching beginners, he's had the opportunity to work with choir groups and marching bands. Some of his favorite composers include John Mackey, Eric Ewazen, Hans Zimmer, and Hiroyuki Sawano.
Mr. Bokina is excited to join the Worcester Public Schools at Lincoln Street and Clark Street for general music and instrument lessons.
Scott Daugherty
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Jenn Forleo
Jennifer Forleo recieved her Bachelor's of Music degree in Music Education from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois and has completed Graduate work in wind conducting at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Ms. Forleo has performed professionally in Illinois, Nebraska and Massachusetts and has over ten years of experience teaching instrumental students and band at the 4th grade - undergraduate levels.
Ms. Forleo teaches K-6 general music and instrumental music at Jacob Hiatt Magnet School