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Craig Lawrence
Craig has over 45 years of private and public-school teaching experience, and has provided private music lessons in the Edmonds, Shoreline, Northshore, Bellevue, and Mukilteo school districts. He has taught jazz band at Mountlake Terrace high school, classes at WWU, North Seattle U, and was the band director at Saint Thomas for more than 15 years.
He has also been an adjudicator for many high schools, and middle school solo and ensemble contests as well as judging often for Washington and Oregon state solo contests.
As a professional performing musician, he has over 37 years of experience leading his own band, and performing in shows, musicals, symphonies, jazz and rock groups. He has also done many recording sessions in the Northwest.
Finally, he has over 40 years’ experience repairing instruments for several music stores, and multiple school districts. He currently has a shop built in his home, and does repairs for many musicians and school districts in the greater Seattle area. He is currently still active, teaching private lessons and repairing woodwind and brasswind instruments.
He can be contacted at (206)-228-4676, or email at littlebigtone@gmail.com if you have any questions about lessons, or repair work.
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Francine Peterson, a bassoonist, is an active teacher in the Puget Sound Area. She has performed as an extra player with Seattle symphony, Seattle Opera, 3rd and Contrabassoon with the Pacific NW Ballet, the auburn symphony, Principal Bassoon of NW Sinfonietta, 5th Ave. Theater, and various other venues. She teaches and performs at the Marrowstone Music Festival, coaches for the Youth symphony, and teaches for the Endangered Instrument Program. Besides teaching at University of Puget Sound, she also teaches at Pacific Lutheran University.
Thank you for supporting NWIC!
Francine Peterson
Marc Montagnino has been involved in the Seattle music industry for over twenty years, contributing his well-known drumming talents towards a multitude of local and regional bands and music projects. Marc has done studio work, in addition to live performances and drum instruction.
An experienced drumming instructor and mentor for drummers of all ages (Elementary school through adult) and all levels of ability, Marc’s instruction techniques cover a wide range of abilities and levels, from the basic building blocks of drum theory to advanced drumming techniques and tips to working smoothly within a band structure.
Marc received his double Bachelor’s Degree at Eastern Washington University in Spokane, Washington, and currently resides in Bellevue, Washington. He continues to play live shows in addition to drum instruction. Marc’s style of teaching is fluid, flexible and he believes in fine tuning his instruction toward the individual playing talents and strengths of his students.
Marc Montagnino offers private one-on-one instruction and tutoring and can give sound advice on a full range of drumming equipment and beginner/advanced drum kits.
Thank you Mark for all of your help in procuring multiple trumpets, cornets, and drum sets for NWIC!
Marc Montagnino
Libby Tamura
Junji Kuarsi
Ditang Pan
Dick and Dottie Amidei
Rob Walker
Eduardo Kakihara
Yoji Hosoe
Paulo Kamikawa
David Yeh
Daisuke Uriu
Atuo Sato
Jason Dai
Brad Wherry
Cecilia Poellein Buss
Cecilia was a member of the first violin section of the Seattle Symphony and Seattle Opera. After 38 seasons with the symphony she retired in July 2023. She has a Bachelor of Music Performance degree from Northern Illinois University where she studied with Shmuel Ashkenasi and members of the Vermeer String Quartet. She also holds an Artist Diploma in violin performance from Cleveland Institute of Music.
Cecilia has been teaching violin and viola for over 30 years. She is a member of ASTA (American String Teachers Association) and The American Suzuki Association. She has certifications in The Suzuki Method and certifications in the Paul Rolland Method. Cecilia has attended seminars on violin studies at The Juilliard School and done violin teacher training with Simon Fischer.
Her students have participated and placed in the PAFE and Seattle Young (SYAMF)competitions. Many of her students are members of The Seattle Youth Orchestras and Bellevue Youth Orchestras. Many of Cecilia’s students have participated in Washington All State Orchestra (including Honors) All Northwest Orchestra and the Washington State Solo Ensemble festival. In addition to private teaching Cecilia has coached high school and middle school orchestras in Seattle and on the Eastside. When she is not teaching, practicing or playing violin, Cecilia enjoys cycling, walking, Pilates, and travelling with her husband, Gerry.