Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006. He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field. Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.

Jeff has a Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Temple University. He has performed as a percussionist with the Korean Symphony Orchestra, the Hot Springs Music Festival Symphony Orchestra, Opera, and Percussion Ensemble, United Percussion, and the Reading Buccaneers Drum and Bugle Corps. He is also a performing member of the Outside Sound Ensemble, an educational program that implements art and music to work with students and adults with disabilities. Jeff is currently the Percussion Caption Head at Neshaminy High School, as well as percussion and drum teacher at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy.

In 2014, Jeff joined the staff of the North Penn High School Percussion Ensemble. In the past, he has instructed the drum line at Upper Darby and Pennsbury high schools. Jeff has a WGI Percussion Independent Open Gold Medal with United Percussion and a WGI Percussion Scholastic Open Bronze Medal with Upper Darby High School. Jeff is a Grammy-nominated timpanist with the Temple University Orchestra, and he has recorded timpani with the Hot Springs Festival Orchestra on the Naxos label.

Jeff recently released his debut solo electronic EP under the name Duncan in October of 2013, and joined the Philadelphia-based hard rock band Palaceburn as the drummer. He also plays drums for Revolution, I Love You, an up and coming electronic power pop band originally from Wilmington, DE. In 2015, Jeff will be joining the instructional staff of Field of View, a percussion ensemble based out of West Chester, PA.

His students have participated in many local school bands and jazz bands; as well as Inter-County, County, District and State concert and jazz bands.  Some of his students have become members of the Penn State Blue Band, Temple University Bands and other college music groups. He enjoys working with students of all ages.  Currently their ages range from nine to seventy-two.  He also enjoys teaching all styles of music.

His students have participated in many local school bands and jazz bands; as well as Inter-County, County, District and State concert and jazz bands.  Some of his students have become members of the Penn State Blue Band, Temple University Bands and other college music groups. He enjoys working with students of all ages.  Currently their ages range from nine to seventy-two.  He also enjoys teaching all styles of music.

Porter has degrees in Percussion performance and Secondary Instrumental Music Education from Michigan State University.  Being from a musical family, he has been performing as a freelance musician since his teens.  He was timpanist and pops set-drummer for the Pottstown Symphony in Pennsylvania, and held positions with the Midland and Jackson Symphonies in Michigan.

He has nearly 3 decades of experience teaching percussion and has been with CMS since 2010.  He is the percussion editor for JW Pepper & Sons in Exton, PA and digital engraver for Wingert-Jones Publications, also in Exton.  He is also a published composer/arranger and plays in a local rock band called Just For Kicks.

Multi-Instrumentalist and Composer, Ryan Leaver received his B.A. in Jazz Composition from Berklee College of Music in 2003 and his M.A. in Modern American Music from the Longy School of Music of Bard College in 2006.  He has received instruction in the Feldenkrais Method, the Alexander Technique, Eurythmics, and the Lydian Chromatic Concept of Tonal Organization from leaders in each respective field.  Some of his teachers include Dennis Sandole, Charlie Banacos, George Garzone, John Lockwood, Bob Gullotti, Bob Moses, Ran Blake, John Thomas, and Ben Monder.

Milena graduated with honors from the Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw and was awarded a scholarship from the German Academy Exchange Service to continue her studies with Laszlo Simon at the University of the Arts in Berlin where she received the Master of Music degree.  An award winning chamber musician, Urban has performed in numerous concert venues throughout Europe, most recently with the Villa Musica Ensemble based in Mainz, Germany.  Ms. Urban was a member of the Mühlenberg Piano Quartet at Community Music School and the Aurora Piano Quartet, an ensemble of four pianists who performed throughout Germany.  Milena currently teaches over 30 piano students at Community Music School where she also serves as the staff accompanist.  Milena  is a Master Level Faculty member at CMS.

Alan’s repertoire includes thousands of songs, ranging from Rhapsody in Blue to Chopin Etudes to Scott Joplin pieces, Oscar Peterson style hard swinging numbers, Dr John-ish raging boogie tunes, and stylish versions of Musical Theatre medleys. He has three solo piano CDs, two of them all original compositions, and writes pieces that at times uniquely connect such diverse genres as jazz, impressionism, classical, boogie and gospel. He has created intriguing versions of popular music such as Elton John and Billy Joel songs, and has put on numerous piano based concerts of Beatles music. More about Alan at alandynin.com.

Alan has been playing piano professionally for over thirty years. A versatile pianist comfortable performing both jazz and classical, Alan is also skilled at blues and boogie, Latin, Ragtime, showtunes and pop music. Alan has been a featured performer for The North Carolina Jazz and World Music Society, the Circular Church Jazz Vespers Series (Charleston), The Atlanta Symphony Associates, as well for many other concert events.

Alan’s repertoire includes thousands of songs, ranging from Rhapsody in Blue to Chopin Etudes to Scott Joplin pieces, Oscar Peterson style hard swinging numbers, Dr John-ish raging boogie tunes, and stylish versions of Musical Theatre medleys. He has three solo piano CDs, two of them all original compositions, and writes pieces that at times uniquely connect such diverse genres as jazz, impressionism, classical, boogie and gospel. He has created intriguing versions of popular music such as Elton John and Billy Joel songs, and has put on numerous piano based concerts of Beatles music. More about Alan at alandynin.com.

Hsiao Ming Chen received both her bachelor and master degrees  in Performance from Temple University. She has been teaching cello since 1992 . She starts out teaching at the community program at Temple University  where she was graduating at the same year with her bachelor degree. She ,at the same time ,was teaching at the Temple Music Preparatory school from 1992 till the summer of 2002. During that time, she was mentored by both of her teachers, Orlando Cole (founding member of the Curtis Quartet and New School of Music) and Metta Watts, his assistant teacher of some 50 years. In addition to her private lessons at Temple, one of her many joys was to coach the young cello ensemble group. She also taught at the Kimberton Waldorf School as well as the Community Music School in Trappe.

In the summer of 2002, she moved to Colorado where her son was born in Jan. of 2003.  While she was busy being a mom, she helped out with the local Taiwanese chorus where children learn Chinese and Taiwanese through songs. She also performed with a piano/harp , violin and cello trio. They, in addition to the standard repertoire,  also worked on traditional music from Taiwan and China as well as pieces composed by Taiwanese composers. In 2007, she moved back from Colorado and resumed teaching at the Kimberton Waldorf School and the Community Music School. Although her focus is on teaching, she has performed in solo and chamber music recitals as well as in church settings with choirs.

Casey Cassel was born and raised in Montgomery County where her development as a musician became intertwined with the vibrant arts and culture of the Greater Philadelphia area. She studied violin with Dr. Elizabeth Guerriero and  gained orchestral experience as a member of the Philadelphia Sinfonia under the baton of Gary White and performing at the Kimmel Center, Temple Performing Arts Center, and various community institutions. She went on to cultivate her love for pedagogy by earning her Bachelor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music, located at the State University of New York. At Crane, Casey studied with Dr. Sarah Hersh, whose focus on body mapping sparked Casey’s passion for education focused on physical barriers associated with playing string instruments. Continuing to develop her orchestral skills, Casey performed under the baton of Dr. Ching-Chun Lai, Dr. Joel Schut, and Maestro Antony Walker with the Crane Symphony Orchestra. After winning the Potsdam Presidential Scholars research grant, Casey attended Violin Suzuki teacher training with Christie Felsing at Ithaca College. Inspired by the work and research of Jennifer Johnson and Susan Kempter, it is Casey’s personal mission to set up students with a well rounded understanding of how to maneuver their instruments. In doing so, they will be liberated to find a deeper exploration of musical content that goes beyond simply playing notes. Casey’s philosophy, at its core, is to foster the growth of life long thinkers, problem solvers, and music-makers in a holistic and nurturing way.

Casey Cassel was born and raised in Montgomery County where her development as a musician became intertwined with the vibrant arts and culture of the Greater Philadelphia area. She studied violin with Dr. Elizabeth Guerriero and  gained orchestral experience as a member of the Philadelphia Sinfonia under the baton of Gary White and Yannick Nézet Sgéuin, performing at the Kimmel Center, Temple Performing Arts Center, and various community institutions. She went on to cultivate her love for pedagogy by earning her Bachelor of Music Education at the Crane School of Music, located at the State University of New York. At Crane, Casey studied with Dr. Sarah Hersh, whose focus on body mapping sparked Casey’s passion for education focused on physical barriers associated with playing string instruments. Continuing to develop her orchestral skills, Casey performed under the baton of Dr. Ching-Chun Lai, Dr. Joel Schut, and Maestro Antony Walker with the Crane Symphony Orchestra. After winning the Potsdam Presidential Scholars research grant, Casey attended Violin Suzuki teacher training with Christie Felsing at Ithaca College. Inspired by the work and research of Jennifer Johnson and Susan Kempter, it is Casey’s personal mission to set up students with a well rounded understanding of how to maneuver their instruments. In doing so, they will be liberated to find a deeper exploration of musical content that goes beyond simply playing notes. Casey’s philosophy, at its core, is to foster the growth of life long thinkers, problem solvers, and music-makers in a holistic and nurturing way.

Throughout his graduate studies, he has held teaching assistantships at both UMass and UMD which have given him opportunities to teach and mentor undergraduate students who are music majors, minors, and elective students. This role consisted of providing private lessons and chamber music coachings, and leading sectionals for both the university orchestra and the elective orchestra. In 2017, Kevin was a member of the string quartet in residence at the High School Music Academy in College Park, MD, serving as both a teacher and a chamber music coach.

Kevin has had multiple opportunities to perform as a soloist in front of an orchestra, both as a competition winner at the University of Massachusetts, and at the Collegium Musicum Summer Academy in Germany, where he was lauded for his “virtuosic musicality in the purest form”. As an orchestral musician and member of a string quartet, he has performed in venues including, among others, Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kimmel Center, and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kevin is a member of the Allentown Symphony Orchestra and the Capital Philharmonic of New Jersey.

Kevin is excited to join the faculty at Community Music School.