Tri-State Community School for the Arts

Meet the Teachers!

Creative Writing

Tiffany Turbin Santos - "Create Your Own Storybook", "Understanding the Publishing Process" workshops, "Make Your Own Story" workshops, plus intro to creative, fiction, and poetry writing classes.

Tiffany A. Turbin Santos, a Western Maryland native, works occasionally, teaching various types of writing classes for summer programs, colleges, writers retreats, and community schools and is the owner of Cranberryjade Services, a freelance writing and editing service. She graduated from St. Mary's College of Maryland with a degree in Gender Studies with a minor in Asian Studies and is currently seeking her MFA in poetry from Carlow University. As part of her program, she will be spending June 2011 and 2012 in Ireland studying with Irish poets. Additionally, she spent a year in Thailand pursuing a certificate in Thai and Southeast Asian Studies, conducting research for her thesis, and traveling the country as well as spending time in Cambodia and Laos. She writes poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction and maintains a blog. Her poetry, essays, and short stories have been published in several literary journals including the Backbone Mountain Review and the Voices from the Attic anthology.

Fine Arts

Lindsey Crabtree - "Fun with Paint", "Drawing and Painting", "Homeschool Art"

A current student at Frostburg State University, Lindsey Crabtree is pursuing a Bachelors in Art and Design, focuses in Painting and Illustration, and minors in Art History and Graphic Design. In 2010, she graduated with honors from Allegany College of Maryland, receiving her Associates Degree in Art. Lindsey was also honored the Excellence in Painting Award during her final semester at ACM. As a student at FSU, she received an honorable mentioning for one of her paintings that was exhibited in the Stephanie Ann Roper Gallery in 2011.

Teddy Latta - “Ceramics” (both adult and children)

Teddy Latta has been an enthusiastic (some might say obsessed) hobby potter for 18 years. Her day job is teaching physics at Frostburg State University which gives her the summer to indulge her passion for clay. For many years she has been sharing her enthusiasm for creative work in clay by teaching continuing education classes for students of all ages from the surrounding community.

She works with high fire clay and uses an electric kiln which often gives a "bright" appearance to her bowls, mugs, plates and vases. The majority of Teddy’s work is functional and meant for daily use.

Dr. Rebekah Tuthill Taylor - "Paint Lab" and "Muralists in the Making"

Rebekah has been painting with acrylics and watercolors since age 11. Although her favorite projects are murals, she has painted on every surface from canvas, boards, furniture, flower pots, rocks, lampshades, motorcycle helmets and most recently, a 200+ lb carved bear sculpture for Deep Creek Lake State Park.

Rebekah trained at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania in the department of Theatre eventually becoming the scenic charge artist for all of Lehigh’s Diamond Theatre productions. During her training, Rebekah learned the painting techniques of the masters, adding amazing versatility to her portfolio. While at Lehigh she completed numerous murals independently and with other artists. After graduating, Rebekah continued to paint while pursuing a Ph.D in Immunology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rebekah and her family missed the mountains, so they moved back to Cumberland 4 years ago. Since then, she has created art that is displayed in many private homes and local businesses, including Custom Analytic Engineering Systems, the Western Maryland Health System hospital, and Menchavez Pediatrics. Rebekah has also developed an art class at the Tri-State Community School for the Arts called "Paint Lab" where young children learn what paint is made of and how to experiment with it.

Music

Bill Green – private saxophone lessons

Local saxophonist, Bill Green, began to learn his craft under the tutelage of legendary local musicians such as his father Greg Green, keyboardist Tom Harrison, guitarist Jim Roderick, and local public school band directors Lynn Zeller and Larry Jackson. Upon graduating from Allegany High School in 2000, Mr. Green attended the Community College of Baltimore County at Essex, where he studied saxophone with the assistant principal clarinetist of the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Wolfe. Following his studies at CCBC Essex, Mr. Green went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in music with a concentration in Jazz Performance studying saxophone with Professor Jeff Antoniuk. Mr. Green continued his studies participating in the internally renowned University of North Texas Jazz Studies program. There he earned a Master’s Degree with a concentration in Jazz Performance while studying under Professor Brad Leali. Mr. Green has performed with many groups, encompassing many genres in the tri-state area, the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area as well as the Dallas/Fort Worth metropolitan area.

Sarah Jackson - "Music Movers", private flute lessons

Sarah graduated from Frostburg State University in 1997 with a degree in Music Education. An accomplished flutist, Sarah taught Elementary General Music classes and Middle and High School Orchestra classes throughout Allegany County before leaving to work at Kauffman Music for 10 years. She has taught Musicgarten/Music Movers classes for the past 7 years and has continued to be in great demand as a private flute teacher.

Alison James - private flute lessons

A flute player for over 20 years, Alison attending Frostburg State University studying flute performance. She has taught privately for many years, and has performed locally with the Arion Band, and at Frostburg United Methodist Church.

Dr. Jim Lyons - "Homeschool Music", private piano and voice lessons

An instructor of voice and piano at the Tri-State Community School for the Arts, as well as an instructor in the Department of Music at Frostburg State University, Dr. Lyons received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education and Piano from FSU in 1976. He also received the Master of Arts Degree in Choral Conducting (1981) and the Master of Arts Degree in Musicology (1993) from the University of Tennessee. He received the Doctor of Education Degree in Music Education from the University of Illinois in 1999. Dr. Lyons began his teaching career in the Carroll County, Maryland public schools, and held teaching positions in Tennessee and Alabama, as well as at Frannklin and Marshall college in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. From 1986-2010, he taught in the Urbana, Illinois public schools as part of an integrated-arts elementary education program. He is a member of the International Society for Music Education (a UNESCO agency)

Jody Mosser - "Rock School", private guitar lessons

Jody Mosser is both a guitarist and guitar teacher. His current band, Dimestore, and blues duo, Paul Pfau and Jody Mosser both perform regionally. Closer to home, Jody plays with the folk/bluegrass band, Frost Mountain Revival and also performs as a solo acoustic artist. He has performed as the pit orchestra guitarist in several of Frostburg State University’s musical productions. He also spends time as a recording artist, arranger, and producer in the studio world. He teaches with Mountain Ridge High School’s after school program and maintains a full schedule of guitar lessons in Frostburg and Cumberland.

Dr. Brian Plitnik - private trombone/low brass lessons

Dr. Plitnik has earned music degrees from both Frostburg State University and West Virginia university, where he recently completed his Doctorate of Musical Arts in trombone performance. Plitnik is a trombone instructor and director of trombone ensembles at WVU. In addition to performing with ensembles such as the Stage Left Theatre Orchestra, the Apple Alley Players, West Virginia Public Theatre Orchestra, Emmanuel Brass, the Potomac Highlands Dance Band, the Johnstown Orchestra, and the Maryland Symphony Orchestra Brass Quintet, Plitnik has also appeared with the Jimmy Dorsey Orchestra, Bobby Vinton, and Rick K. and the All-Nighters. In 2008, Plitnik was selected to perform a solo recital for the prestigious “Music at Penn Alps” music series in Grantsville, MD.

Amy Riffle-Kouyeas - "Tri-State Glee Singers", private piano and voice lessons

Amy Riffle-Kouyeas has made many appearances as soloist, accompanist, and pit musician throughout Maryland, West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, and Indiana. Amy holds degrees in piano performance and pedagogy from Frostburg State University and West Virginia University. Her teachers include Joan DeVee Dixon, Connie Arrau-Sturm, and Christine Kefferstan on the piano and Katheryn Sincell-Corwell and Alan Emerick in voice.

Jeff Ward - private percussion lessons

Jeff has taught both drum and bass guitar lessons for over ten years. Throughout the years, he has performed with several local groups including Apple Alley Players, Front and Centre Stage, Potomac State University, and Frostburg State University.

Rob Wallace - private guitar "Rock School"

A Music Education major at Frostburg State University, Rob Wallace teaches guitar. An excellent sound technician, Rob runs sound for several bands, and hosted an open mic night for several years. Rob received his Associate of Arts Degree in Secondary Education in Music last spring.

Alison Welborne - private clarinet lessons

A graduate of Frostburg State University, Alison is the music teacher at Bishop Walsh where she teaches all music classes K-12. A clarinetist, she performs frequently in the area with the Arion Band, and the Johnstown Symphony.

Theatre

Marta Fiscus - "The Meisner Technique for Actors", One-on-One Acting Sessions

A native of western Maryland, Marta received her B.F.A. in Psychology from Kenyon College in 1988. She then moved to New York City to pursue a professional acting career where she discovered yoga and the Alexander method. In 1990, she completed the Acting Apprentice Program at the Actor’s Theatre of Louisville in Kentuycky. After returning to the Cumberland area, she received her B.F.A. and Teacher Certification from Frostburg State University and has taught the arts in public and private schools. Marta is a member of the New Embassy Theatre’s Acting Company, a member of THOSE GUYS Comedy/Improv Troup, teaches acting/movement for NET’s Theatre Arts Camp and instructs yoga to adults and children in the Cumberland area.

Shea-Mikal Green - "Portray a Princess", "Storybook Adventures", "General Acting"

Shea-Mikal Green is a graduate of Frostburg State University earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Theatre with a concentration in Acting. She received the Departmental Award from the Department of Theatre and Dance. She is currently pursuing an MAT degree in Theatre Arts from Liberty University. She has taught acting classes at John Robert Powers Acting School in Rockville, MD. Professional work with West Virginia Public Theatre includes Annie (Grace Farrell), A Christmas Carol: The Musical (Mrs. Cratchit), and Peter Pan (Grown-Up Wendy/Indian/Mrs. Darling US). Professional work with Cumberland Theatre includes The Importance of Being Earnest (Cecily Cardew), The Rocky Horror Show (Janet), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Cinderella), Fiddler on the Roof (Tzeitel), and The Sound of Music (Leisl). Regional and university credits include Disney’s Beauty and the Beast (Belle), Lysistrata (Lysistrata), Victor/Victoria (Victoria Grant/Victor Grazinsky), Urinetown (Little Sally), Into the Woods (Baker’s Wife), Almost, Maine (Glory, Marci, Rhonda), Five Women Wearing the Same Dress (Trisha), and Stop Kiss (Sara). Green was recently invited to attend the Stanislavsky Summer School for Acting at Harvard University. Most recently, she understudied for Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Musical National Tour at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C.