About Us
INSTRUCTOR: Marvel Gardner
Marvel Gardner’s first paid singing gig was when she won first place at a talent show at age seven. And nothing could stop her after that! She has been a popular and well-known vocal soloist and educator since her arrival in Sonoma County from San Francisco State in 1971. She holds degrees in Performance, Music Education, and Theatre Arts, as well as Vocal Music. Trained classically, Marvel’s roots are ironically Gospel and Country and Western. She also loves Folk, and excels at Broadway show tunes
Marvel has been an alto soloist, section leader, and assistant director for numerous chamber groups throughout Sonoma County, and currently sings with the Sonoma County Chamber Singers. She has been alto soloist for many Sing-Along Messiahs, and has toured Europe three times and Asia once with the Northern California Chamber Chorale.
Since January 1975, she has been teaching the Santa Rosa Junior College Beginning Singing classes and figures she’s good for another 25 years! Marvel boasts that she has influenced more than six thousand students. Her teaching philosophy is that even if her voice students don’t remember the vocal techniques, hopefully they will retain the joy of singing for life!
PIANO ACCOMPANIST: Janice Lappin
Jan Young earned a Bachelor of Music Degree with an emphasis in Vocal Education from San Francisco State University in 1981. She was the director of the Chancel Choir at Cross & Crown Lutheran Church from 1997-2008, and volunteers at the Rohnert Park Senior Center as founder and director of the Vintage Choir of Rohnert Park, a 35-40 voice choir made up of senior adults. In January of 2008, she became director of the Wine Country Troubadours (a men's barbershop chorus), and in July of 2008 she became director of Sonoma Chanson, an 8-voice a capella men's ensemble. She began working as an accompanist in the Santa Rosa City School District in 1974, and has since been hired as an accompanist at Spreckel's Performing Arts Center, SRT (the SRJC Summer Repetory Theatre program) and for classes at SRJC.
PIANO ACCOMPANIST: Rosemary Fletcher
Rosemary Fletcher is classically trained pianist. She has composed music since she was 5 years old. During high school, she played several piano concertos (in concert with orchestras) and won the Santa Rosa Etude Club Scholarship for the piano and flute. Rosemary has also played piano and flute solos with the SRJC Symphonic band, and was the accompanist for the Choral Music at Piner High School for 32 years from 1969 to 2001.
PIANO ACCOMPANIST: Robert Hazelrigg
Robert Hazelrigg has been the director of Sonoma County Chamber Singers, and has also accompanied the Santa Rosa Symphonic Chorus, Northern California Chamber Chorale, Choral Artists of California, Redwood Empire Lyric Theatre, and many other live theater performances, recitals, and competitions. He has served as the Minister of Music at Harbor Trinity Baptist of Costa Mesa, Evangelical Free Church of Walnut Creek, and the Presbyterian Church of the Roses in Santa Rosa.
Robert received his BA in Music at Cal State Hayward. He studied conducting with William Locke and Loren Wiebe and performed in master classes with each of them as well as with Tom Fettke. Bob currently teaches piano and voice in his Santa Rosa studio and is a pastor at Covenant Bible Church of Santa Rosa.
INSTRUCTOR'S ASSISTANT/MEDIA/WEB: Tamis Baron Email me.
Tamis Baron earned a Associates Degree with an emphasis in Voice from Mendocino College in 1991. She composes music and lyrics, plays electric bass and keytar, and has taught song writing at a local Jr. High in Rohnert Park. Tamis has been the winner in several singing competitions, including First Place in the Rock Category for the North Bay Karaoke Entertainer of the year semi-finals (see video) and is currently a vocalist in a local rock band, Agent Chaos.
Tamis has been involved with the Singing Class since 1992, and will also help students outside of class with their songs (will work for food.) She also video tapes the midterms and the recitals, and has created this class website which she updates regularly. She also has a closet full of various clothing items, hats, tailcoats, etc. which she sometimes loans to student for their recitals. A 32 year licensed Cosmetologist, she is the owner of Baron Unlimited, which specializes in cosmetics, and wigs for sale and for rental. See her on The Discovery Channel website.