Meet Our Staff Members
Ellen Francisco, Director
Sound Point Strings
ELLEN FRANCISCO, Sound Point Strings Director, has been an avid chamber musician since she was very young. She grew up in a musical family, where making music together was a regular occurrence. Mrs. Francisco earned her Bachelor of Music Education, violin emphasis, from Southern Adventist University. She attended Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts for her Masters in viola performance, with an emphasis in Chamber Music. While there, she studied with Raphael Hillyer, founding member of the Juilliard String Quartet, and with members of the Van Swieten String Quartet. She has organized and directed Chamber Music Weekend since its inception, sharing with others the opportunity to make music with friends. She currently teaches violin, viola, and chamber music as an adjunct professor at Southern Adventist University, and also teaches many younger violin students, from the local area.
Jeremy Francisco, Conductor
Advanced Orchestra
JEREMY FRANCISCO, Conductor holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Education from Southern Adventist University, Master of Music in Orchestral Conducting from Belmont University (Nashville, TN), and has done graduate work in Choral Conducting from the University of Northern Colorado. For the past several years Mr. Francisco has served as a frequent clinician at music festivals in Nashville, Boston, New York City and throughout Oklahoma and Colorado. Mr. Francisco has been Music Director of Chamber Music Weekend since its beginning in 1998, and was the founding Music Director of the Cumberland Youth Ensemble and Madison Vocal Ensemble, in Nashville, TN. Mr. Francisco’s performing ensembles have toured Jamaica, Canada, Mexico, Germany and throughout the United States.
Tami King, Conductor
Intermediate Orchestra
TAMARA (TAMI) POWERS KING, holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Southern Adventist University and a Master of Music degree from Converse College in Spartenburg, SC. Mrs. King has played professionally with the Spartanburg Symphony Orchestra, Greenville Symphony Orchestra and the Greater Spartanburg Philharmonic. An active performer in area churches, chamber music ensembles and colleges, she is a member of the Rho Chapter, Pi Kappa Lambda, and the Suzuki Association of the Americas. Mrs. King teaches violin and orchestra at Collegedale Academy Middle and Elementary Schools.
Dr. J. Bruce Ashton, Teacher
Music Theory Explorations
DR. J. BRUCE ASHTON, Pianist, and composer retired from teaching at Southern Adventist University, where for many years he taught piano, music theory, and music history at the collegiate level. However, he continues to teach at least one class about hymns each semester. A gifted pianist, he also gets involved with chamber music at every opportunity, either as pianist, violist, or coach. Many of his musical compositions and arrangements are for string players, either his own family or others.
Emily Drexler, Teacher
Suzuki Group Class
EMILY DREXLER has played the violin since age 4 and now holds performance degrees from Chattanooga State Community College (viola) and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (violin). Emily’s primary passion is playing in symphonies. She is currently a member of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra and a substitute in Chattanooga, Knoxville, and other orchestras throughout the region. Emily enjoys teaching violin and viola lessons, and has completed Suzuki Teacher Training books 1-3.
Shawna Dose, Teacher
Suzuki Group Class
SHAWNA DOSE is a Suzuki violin educator with a passion for excellence and inspiration through music. A violinist from a young age, she discovered that music is something that brings people together, opens hearts and brings joy to many. Shawna holds Suzuki training in Units 1-3 with Edward Kreitman and teaches a violin studio full of delightful children and adults in Cleveland, Tennessee.
Christy Reichenbach, Teacher
Early Readers Pre-Orchestra
CHRISTY REICHENBACH holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wheaton College and a Master of Music Education from VanderCook College of Music. Mrs. Reichenbach has been teaching private piano and violin lessons for over 20 years. She taught elementary and middle school orchestras in the Chicago area for over 10 years, before focusing on her growing family and her Suzuki teacher training with Mark Mutter, Michele Higa George and Rebecca Sandrok. As a Suzuki parent, and sometimes teacher of her four violin-playing children, she has experienced firsthand the joys, challenges, and triumphs of musical development and family music-making.
Katelyn Snyder,
Teaching Assistant
KATELYN SNYDER is currently a junior music major at Southern Adventist University and began her love of playing the violin at the age of four. Because she plans to become a Music Therpaist, she is also learning voice, piano, and guitar this year.
Isabella Beaumonte,
Teaching Assistant
ISABELLA BEAUMOTE is a cellist and a student at Southern Adventist University, where she is studying Culinary Arts and Elementary Education. She believes that every child should be given the opportunity to learn music, regardless of whether or not they seem to show natural talent. There is music in every child, and as a teacher she strives to help children discover it and grow in their musical abilities.
Erica Robinson,
Teaching Assistant
ERICA ROBINSON has been playing violin since age eight and recently completed a music degree at Southern Adventist University. She enjoys sharing the joy and beauty of music with others. Passionate about teaching, Erica also gives violin/viola lessons at the Zan Young School of Music and Hope.
Cameron Wilcox,
Teaching Assistant
