• Alice Kay Kanack

    Executive Director
    VIOLIN, VIOLA, CAD, SUZUKI, COMPOSITION

    Nicknamed “Mozart’s Mother” by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in 1984, Alice Kay Kanack has spent 40 years researching, teaching, and writing about how the creative process works in the brain. She has published multiple books in her Creative Ability Development (CAD) Method, which includes her latest works: Improvising String Quartets, Basslines & Fantasies, and Playing From the Heart, available at Creative Ability Development Press. She is the Founder and Executive Director of The Kanack School of Musical Artistry and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for Creative Ability Development.

    As the founder of the CAD movement, she has been a frequent presenter at the Suzuki Association of the Americas Conference, the American String Teachers Association National Conference, as well as making appearances at the Suzuki Association of Ontario in Canada. She has presented at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki in Finland and Columbia University, demonstrating her methods through live performances and workshops. Professor Steven Doane of the Eastman School of Music and the Royal Academy of London writes, “Alice Kanack is an educator of true originality and inspiration, who has been at the forefront of the movement to encourage creativity through musical improvisation in young musicians. At her music school and through her training programs she encourages students of all ages to include improvisation skills in daily practice, as an organic part of one’s musical development. I’m inspired by her continuing exploration of the pedagogical potential of this movement.”

    She currently lives in Rochester, NY with her two children, Daphne and Alexander.

  • Ben Proctor

    GUITAR, BANJO

    Ben Proctor is a musical pilgrim living in Rochester, NY. He works as a performer, classroom music teacher at Fairport Central School District, and lesson instructor at the Kanack School of Music. His current projects include acclaimed bluegrass/Americana band The Crooked North, The Ben Proctor Band, and The Great Untamed. He plays as many instruments as he can get his hands on, but most know him as a guitarist and banjo wizard. Ben likes to write songs and believes that teaching music is a high art.

    Mr. Proctor completed music degrees at SUNY Geneseo and the Eastman School of Music. As an independent musician, Ben has performed in concert halls such as the Tribeca Performing Arts Center and Avery Fisher Hall, international bluegrass and jazz festivals, and legendary rock venues including CBGBs. As an educator, he has published teaching tools, given seminars, and been a guest teaching artist.

    Ben grew up in a Connecticut swamp where he dreamt of becoming a famous jazz musician. He played with jazz, blues, gospel, rock, and klezmer groups for a few years in Connecticut (including the Afro-Semitic Experience) before moving to New York City, where he built websites, acted in off-Broadway theater, and performed with country, blues, and rock and roll bands. After years of musical soul-searching, he found his passion singing and playing American traditional music. He brought this passion to Western New York to finish college and begin his career as a musician, music teacher, and advocate for participation in social music traditions. His long-term goal is to inspire everyone to learn a musical instrument that they can play in kitchens and on porches with their friends and families. 

  • Daphne Pickens

    Faculty Representative to the Board
    VIOLIN, CELLO, CAD, SUZUKI, FIDDLE

    Daphne Pickens received her Bachelor’s degree in violin performance at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where she studied with Marilyn McDonald. She earned a Master's in Music Education at the Eastman School of Music, where she studied with Juliana Athayde.

    Having begun her musical studies and career at the Kanack School of Musical Artistry, Daphne has over 10 years of teaching experience. With strong roots in folk and classical styles, she currently performs with The Crooked North and Birch Trio. She has released one folk 2013 album to date with her best friend and bandmate, Casey Murray, titled To Zamir. In addition to her roles as a performer and teacher, Daphne is also an avid composer, arranger, and visual artist. In 2016, Daphne collaborated with the Great Bear Trio, composing and recording string parts for their album, Magic Fantasy Dream Dance. Her drawings are featured in Basslines & Fantasies by Alice Kanack.

    In her free time, Daphne enjoys spending quality time with her friends and family, playing board games, knitting, attending contra and blues dances, and creating art out of broken, unusable musical instruments.

  • Esther Rogers Baker

    CELLO, CAD, MUSIC THEORY, COMPOSITION

    Esther Rogers Baker returns to Rochester on leave from her doctoral studies in cello performance at the Frost School of Music. Baker loves chamber music, experimental and contemporary classical music, improvisation, and is a dedicated teacher.

    Her teaching career started at age 14. Since then she has worked privately with students ages 3 to 90, beginner through college level, and led groups in chamber music, improvisation, cross-arts, and string orchestra. As a teacher, she believes in the power of the question: “What does this student need?”, and works to find ways of meeting those needs in every lesson. Baker has a Master’s degree from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor’s from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford.

    Baker is researching interdisciplinary composition and team collaboration, with hopes of creating a college curriculum in interdisciplinary facilitation and performance art.

  • Grant Rieke

    VIOLA

    Grant Rieke is a freelance violist living in Rochester, NY. Since 2017 he has been active in Western New York, subbing with both the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a member of both the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra and the Glens Falls Symphony Orchestra in Upstate New York.

    Grant enjoys his experience outside the classical world as well, performing with groups such as the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and The Delmonico String Quartet, a local chamber group. Grant is also excited to begin his first year teaching privately out of the Kanack School of Music.

    This will be Grant's eleventh year in Rochester after relocating from the Seattle area, where he grew up. He obtained both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Viola Performance from the Eastman School of Music.

  • Henry Scott Smith

    Marketing Coordinator
    VIOLIN, VIOLA, CAD, SUZUKI, FIDDLE

    Henry is a violinist hailing from Rochester, NY. He likes to meet students where they are and finds his teaching excitement from the moments when students realize they can accomplish more than they previously thought they could. He has been on faculty at the Kanack School since 2021.

    Henry earned his Bachelor’s of Music in violin performance and his Master’s in Business Administration at Ithaca College. Henry is also a former student of Alice Kanack and Lee Byrne at the Kanack School. Henry has previously appeared as a section player for the Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Catskills Symphony Orchestra, the Tri-Cities Opera Company, and the Orchestra of the Southern Finger Lakes.

    Back in Rochester, Henry has returned to his Irish-American roots, acting as music director for the Irish Lassies, an Irish-American band promoting stories of Irish immigrants in the Finger Lakes. He now regularly performs and records as a fiddler-improviser extraordinaire and singer with a variety of traditional, folk, and alternative acts in Rochester and the greater Finger Lakes region.

  • Isaiah Brown

    Office Manager
    CELLO, CAD

    Isaiah Brown is a cellist and improviser extraordinaire from Marietta, Georgia. When he first picked up the cello in sixth grade, he taught himself. Determined to become a musician, he studied with Andy Barnhart of the Kanack School and went on to study at the State University of New York at Fredonia with Dr. Natasha Farney and at Montclair State University with Nicholas Tsavaras of the Shanghai Quartet. He is certified for the Suzuki Method and the Creative Ability Development Method. As a veteran improviser, he is also an experienced proponent of the Music for People program.

    Isaiah’s mission is to be the teacher, motivation, and support for students he wishes he could have had when he started playing the cello. Living and breathing the Kanack School way brings him immense joy and he teaches in order to pass it on.

    When he’s not teaching, you can find him managing the office at KSMA, practicing, playing with his cat, or enjoying nature.

  • Jaclyn Breeze

    FLUTE

    Jaclyn Breeze is a composer and flutist from Rochester, NY who works to craft pieces and programs that foster community between artists and audiences. Described as “inspiring, accessible, and distinctly her own,” Jaclyn’s works bridge modern composition and classical jazz harmony. Her pieces have been commissioned and performed by groups in North America, Europe, and Asia. Most recently, her work has been performed in 2024 by Balance Campaign. She has also been commissioned by the Society for New Music in 2024, 2023, and 2022, as well as at Songfest in 2023, Brass USA in 2022, and on Classic FM in 2022 and 2023, and by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Leroy Anderson Family. She earned her Master's in Music in composition from Syracuse University.

    As a flutist, Jaclyn is passionate about performing the works of living composers and commissioning new pieces for flute. So far, she has commissioned nine new works and performed thirteen world premieres. She enjoys putting together programs that will teach audiences about the extensive capabilities of the instrument and create conversations between herself and the audience. She earned her B.S. in Flute Performance from Roberts Wesleyan University. 

    Jaclyn is also passionate about teaching, having worked as a music theory teaching assistant at Syracuse University while earning her Certificate of University Teaching. She is currently the host of WGMC Jazz 90.1’s Kidz Zone, which provides lessons and activities for families to do together to learn more about jazz artists. Jaclyn is also a certified piano technician and serves as the pianist and music director at Holley Presbyterian.

  • Karla Krogstad

    Bach Children’s Chorus Director
    PIANO, VOICE, KEYBOARD HARMONY

    As the founder and director of the Bach Children’s Chorus, Ms. Krogstad has been a leading advocate for high-level musical opportunities for children since at least 1988, along with decades of teaching experience.

    Ms. Krogstad earned her degrees in piano performance and music theory from the New England Conservatory of Music, the University of Connecticut, and the Eastman School of Music. She has served as organist and choir director at the Genesee Baptist Church in Rochester, and more recently has focused her professional activities on specializing in child pedagogy. She is an active composer and arranger for children’s voices, and is certified in the Orff Method of teaching. Ms. Krogstad has received the “Friend of Foreign Language” and “Culture Through the Arts” awards from the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers for her work with children in various languages. She has conducted the Bach Children’s Chorus in such diverse works as “Carmina Burana” by Carl Orff, the “Waltz of the Snowflakes” from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker, and the “War Requiem” by Benjamin Britten. The BCC performs regularly with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and has previously performed with the same orchestra in Carnegie Hall in the concert version of Merry Mount by Howard Hanson, former director of the Eastman School of Music.

    The Bach Children’s Chorus has been in residence at the Kanack School of Musical Artistry since 2022.

  • Lee Byrne

    VIOLIN, SUZUKI

    Lee Byrne is a Rochester native who trained with the renowned Suzuki Method pedagogue Anastasia Jempelis at the Eastman School of Music. Lee is an accredited violin teacher with the Suzuki Association of the Americas and has also had extensive training in Early Childhood education. 

    Teaching at the Kanack School for over 20 years, Lee has seen former students become professional musicians, doctors, lawyers, teachers, parents of young Suzuki students themselves, and one former student who became a Grammy Award winner in February of 2017.  Her greatest joy is helping foster a love of music her students can carry with them throughout their lives. 

    In her spare time, if Lee isn’t Skyping with her youngest daughter in New Zealand, visiting her eldest daughter and granddaughter in Ithaca, or travelling with her husband, she can be found knitting, crocheting, or reading a good book. Her two Australian Cattle dogs lie peacefully nearby until she gets up, then they will “herd” her to their favorite treat in the cupboard. They have her well trained. 

  • Linnea Burr

    PIANO

    Linnea Burr holds a Master’s of Music in Choral Conducting and a Bachelor’s of Music in Instrumental Music Education and Piano from Houghton University. Mrs. Burr previously has taught piano privately and in class piano settings for all ages, as well as classes in General Music, Chorus, and Music Theory. She currently teaches K-5 General Music at Rochester Classical Academy.

    Mrs. Burr enjoys seeing students achieve musical excellence at each level as they find their own creative voice.

  • Marcus Kramer

    GUITAR, MANDOLIN, UKULELE, DRUMS

    Marcus Kramer, a Maryland native, began his musical journey with his introduction to percussion when he was 10 years old. It wasn’t until his first guitar at age 12 that he discovered the possibilities music has to offer. While continuing his percussion studies, Marcus would begin his studies in classical guitar at Peabody Conservatory in their preparatory program. He continued to perform around Baltimore, MD with a variety of genres, including rock, folk, and classical.

    In 2013, Marcus began attending Peabody Conservatory to earn his Bachelor’s of Music under the tutelage of Dr. Ray Chester, and later Dr. Julian Gray. During this time, Marcus would take part in community outreach programs, including the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s OrchKids, which teaches and provides performance opportunities for young musicians around Baltimore. Marcus moved to Rochester in 2017 to attend the Eastman School of Music for his Master’s of Music, and later his Doctorate of Musical Arts, with a minor in Music Education and a Performer’s Certificate, under the guidance of Dr. Nicholas Goluses.

    Marcus has performed in masterclasses led by Stephen Robinson, Mark Delpriora, and the Guitar Foundation of America winner Tengyue Zhang. Marcus has also performed with Rochester ensembles OSSIA and Musica Nova, as well as at events hosted by the Rochester Classical Guitar Society and various festivals.

  • Rebeca Boyd

    VIOLIN, SUZUKI

    Dr. Rebeca Boyd earned her Doctorate of Musical Arts from the Eastman School of Music as a student of the legendary Zvi Zeitlin. For over 20 years, Dr. Boyd has been an instructor of violin and viola, has developed innovative string curricula, and provided community outreach as faculty of the Rochester City School District. Now she brings her unique expertise to the Kanack School, providing quality instruction and passing on artistic leadership skills to the students under her guidance.

    As a member and former concertmaster of the Empire Film and Music Ensemble, Dr. Boyd has been a featured soloist for the Beal Institute Recording Sessions, Rochester Fringe Festival, and Women in Music Festival. Formerly, she has served as the Concertmaster of the Weber State Symphony Orchestra in Utah, and has served as Concertmaster of the Genesee Valley Orchestra and Chorus. In international competition, Dr. Boyd won the second prize in the Master Player’s International Music Competition in Italy in 2011. In the same year, Dr. Boyd made her debut at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City as a winner of the Romantic Music Competition of the American Protégé International Competition.

  • Shana Stewart

    Assistant to the Executive Director
    VIOLIN, VIOLA, CAD, SUZUKI

    Shana Stewart has been teaching strings in the Rochester area for 25 years. She earned her undergraduate degrees in Music Education and Performance from Ithaca College, and then went on to earn her Master’s in Education from the same institution with a concentration in the viola. Shana was also fortunate to be able to study the Suzuki Method directly from Sanford Reuning at Ithaca Talent Education, one of this country’s earliest Suzuki Method proponents.

    For the past 23 years, she has enjoyed a fulfilling career as the Penfield High School Orchestra Director, learning and growing in a district which teaches the Suzuki Method as the core of its string program. Shana is excited to open a new chapter in her teaching career with her incredible colleagues at the Kanack School of Musical Artistry.  

    Shana has enjoyed performing locally with the Genesee String Quartet, the Rochester Women’s Philharmonic Orchestra, the Finger Lakes Symphony Orchestra, and the Penfield Symphony Orchestra, and she has also previously enjoyed sharing the stage with the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, Michael Bublé, and Josh Groban.  

    Shana loves to teach with enthusiasm and excitement, and she is always eager to show her students what a joy it is to experience music together.  

  • Sonia Rose

    PIANO

    Sonia Rose brings to her teaching a wide array of experiences as a piano teacher, K-5 classroom music teacher, English as a Second Language (ESL) volunteer teacher in Thailand, and a Peace Corps volunteer teacher in Rwanda.

    She earned both her Bachelor’s in Piano Performance and Master’s of Music in Music Education from Boston Conservatory. Upon returning to Rochester in 2021, she also began studying piano tuning and technology and now is also an active piano technician in the greater Rochester area.

    Sonia is excited to share her love of music and the piano and to nurture each students’ self expression and creativity. She says the following about her teaching: “Fundamentally, across the world, people are people and they want to be seen and heard and met where they are. And if you can do that, you’re 90% of the way there.”

  • Sunshine Quan

    HARP

    Chinese-Canadian harpist Sunshine Quan currently resides in Rochester NY, where she is pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in harp performance at the Eastman School of Music under the tutelage of Prof. Kathleen Bride.

    Since she arrived in the United States in 2021, Sunshine has been extensively involved in various ensembles across Upstate New York. Appearances include the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Binghamton Philharmonic Orchestra, New York State Ballet, Cordancia Chamber Orchestra, and the orchestras and wind ensembles at Eastman, State University of New York at Fredonia, Nazareth University, and Roberts Wesleyan College. She has attained fellowships at the National Orchestral Institute and Mostly Modern Festival in the past summers. Her musical journey has brought her across the world, where she has given solo and chamber recitals in North America and China, and toured Spain with the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra. Her ARCT diploma performance recital at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto received a National Gold Medal.

    A passionate advocate for new music, Sunshine has played with the Eastman School’s Musica Nova and OSSIA New Music since 2021, and she composes and arranges for solo harp and harp ensemble. She previously served as a board member for OSSIA New Music for the 2023-2024 season. Besides the harp and classical music, Sunshine also plays the Chinese zither (guzheng), and she is an active performer of traditional Chinese music and Irish and Celtic music. Sunshine is currently on faculty at the Eastman Community Music School and Kanack School of Musical Artistry. She also maintains a private studio online where she teaches students from Asia and Europe.

  • Susan Innamorato

    PIANO, CAD, SUZUKI, JAZZ

    Susan Innamorato was raised in the small town of Campbell Hall, NY, where she started her professional performance career at the age of 16. After having lived, taught, and performed in New York City for more than 30 years, she moved to Rochester, where she continues to teach and perform.

    She received her Bachelor’s of Music Education and Piano Performance from the State University of New York at Fredonia where she studied with Lucille Richardson, and later earned a Master of Science in Education from Shenandoah University in Virginia. While at Fredonia, Susan became interested in the Suzuki approach and immediately embarked on a career as a Suzuki teacher upon graduating from college. She also continued to refine her art by studying with world-renowned pianist German Diez and internationally acclaimed jazz pianist Kenny Werner.

    Her performance career has taken her from rock and jazz ensembles in clubs to classical recitals on the concert stage across the nation. She is also busy as an accompanist of all genres. As a jazz educator, her introductory materials have been influential in leading many students to become natural and creative jazz players.

  • Thomas Rodgers

    VIOLIN

    Thomas Rodgers, a native of Anderson, Indiana, joined the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra in March 2012 as a member of the first violin section. During the 2014-2015 season, he served as principal 2nd violin.

    He holds a Master of Music in violin performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music, where he studied with William Preucil, former concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra. He also holds a Bachelor of Music from the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music (graduated summa cum laude), where he studied with Alexander Kerr, former concertmaster of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra and current concertmaster of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra.

    He enjoys performing chamber music with friends and colleagues and is a member of the Salaff String Quartet, founded in 2014 by RPO musicians. He also enjoys teaching and taught violin orchestral repertory at the Eastman School of Music during the 2019-2020 academic year. As a pandemic project, he started a YouTube channel, consisting primarily of videos of him performing various short pieces together with his father.

    Thomas has served on the faculty of the Kanack School of Musical Artistry since 2012.