JAMM's team-teaching model is practiced both in-school and after-school for a reason: it encourages creativity, builds community among teachers, and ensures accountability. JAMM classrooms pair a certified teacher with a community artists. Each provides a different strength while learning from one another. This model serves as embedded professional development and models to our students the importance of collaboration.
JAMM AFTER-SCHOOL INSTRUCTORS Executive Director
Meghan Johnson has been part of the JAMM family for 8 years. She has a private string studio and also teaches general music during the school day. Meghan holds a Master's in Performance and a Master's in Education,with a K-12 Music Endorsement. When Meghan is not teaching strings, she enjoys performing; Meghan has served as principal cellist of the Juneau Symphony for 10 years.
Program Director
Lorrie Heagy (Strings, Songwriting & Music Technology) is the Program Director of JAMM and the music teacher at Glacier Valley. Lorrie began the JAMM program after receiving the Yale School of Music Distinguished Music Educator award and returning to Juneau as one of ten Sistema Fellows to bring the very successful El Sistema program to the United States. In 2011 Lorrie won Alaska Teacher of the Year. In 2018 Lorrie completed her PHD in Education with a concentration in Learning, Instruction and Innovation and was awarded an honorary doctorate in education from the University of Alaska Southeast that same year. In 2019 Lorrie received the Fulbright Distinguished Award in Teaching to study in the UK and research global music education models that support student creativity, agency and identity.
Site Supervisor
Lindsay Clark (Auke Bay), a Juneau local, returned home in 2015 to pursue a Master's in Education. Lindsay holds a Bachelor's in Performance and a Master's in Education, with a K-12 Music Endorsement. Lindsay currently teaches general music at Auke Bay during the school day; after school, Lindsay is the site supervisor and lead teacher for Auke Bay's violin program. Under Lindsay's leadership, Auke Bay's program has expanded from one to two orchestras, which meet 4 days each week. Next year Lindsay hopes to expand to a full selection of orchestral instruments! In addition to teaching music, Lindsay serves as Principal 2nd Violin of the Juneau Symphony Orchestra.
Juneau School District Instructors
Susie Denton (Movement) is the P.E. teacher at Glacier Valley. Ms. Denton has a BSEd and certificates in K-8 special education and physical education. Ms. Denton enjoys integrating reading skills and math concepts through movement and offers dance and creative movement classes in JAMM.
Adam Ferguson (Ukulele) is a 2nd grade teacher at Glacier Valley; he holds a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) from UAS. Adam is a versatile member of the JAMM family who has taught music technology, ukulele and movement in JAMM.
TJ Cramer (Songwriting) started has taken many poetry classes and graduated with a sociology degree and a minor in child and family development. TJ graduated with a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) in Elementary Education at UAS.
Leah Jellison (Music Tech)is the speech language pathologist at Riverbend Elementary. She enjoys assisting with songwriting and other areas throughout JAMM. She holds a Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology and minors in psychology and linguistics.
Juneau Community Teaching Artists
Stephanie McDermott (strings) is a certified music teacher with a background in middle school orchestra. In addition to being a JAMM teacher, she is the proud mother of a JAMM cellist
Kristen Price (Strings) has begun to realize her musical aspirations a little later in life, and she has become increasingly fascinated with the challenge of playing violin, piano, and her newest affection, string bass. She is deeply appreciative of the arts in building community, and in particular admires the example that JAMM sets in including everyone and using music to teach skills that help us to overcome life's challenges. She is a long time Juneau resident and mother of two.
Denali Wentz (Strings) is a former student of Mr. Xia who contineus to play viola while attending UAS. Denali works with JAMM’s violinists, choir members and violists.
Kalei Wery (Ukulele) is the grandfather of a former JAMM students who inspired Glacier Valley when he performed Hawaiian music on the ukulele during a Family Library Night. Kalei graciously offered to help start a ukulele class as part of JAMM’s programming, and it has become an annual offering to Glacier Valley students. In spring 2018 Kalei expanded his program to Riverbend Elementary.
Janice Hurley (Modern Dance) received her teaching credentials from the University of Minnesota and her Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts from Jacksonville University in Florida. She has taught in both academic and performing arts venues. Since moving to Juneau, Janice has participated in projects with Northern Lights Junior Theatre, Theater at Latitude 58, Juneau Lyric Opera, Orpheus Project and Perseverance Theatre. She was the Artistic Director of Juneau Dance Theatre from 2004 through June of 2011. In May, 2015, Janice received her Master of Arts Degree in Early Childhood Development in the Performing Arts from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Franz Felkl (Strings) was born and raised in Juneau where he started the violin with local teacher Mr. Guo-Hua Xia. He continued his studies with Linda Rosenthal in High School and went on to receive two Bachelor Degrees in Violin Performance and Music Education from the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he studied with Dr. Kathleen Butler-Hopkins. He received his Masters at Lynn University Conservatory of Music in Boca Raton, FL under the tutelage of Elmar Oliveira. Mr. Felkl is the Concertmaster of the Juneau Symphony and has previously held positions with Florida Grand Opera, Miami City Ballet, Palm Beach Symphony, and was second violinist of the Amernet String Quartet, Ensemble-In-Residence at Florida International University
Sharon Seim (cello) moved to Juneau 2 years ago and works for the U.S. Forest Service. She has been playing cello since childhood and enjoys meeting musicians and playing with others in every community she has lived. She currently plays with the Juneau Symphony. Sharon has taught cello off and on over the years and looks forward to working with cellists at Riverbend Elementary this year.