Faculty: String
Chairperson of the String Faculty: CELLO, VIOLIN, VIOLA
DENNA PURDIE, Cello—has been teaching cello, violin and violin at the Ottley Music School since 2000 and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her students, beginners, intermediate and advanced. She has been also teaching at Fillmore Center
for the Arts in Washington, D.C. since 1999. She has taught for the D.C.Youth Orchestra Program for many years.Besides
teaching at OMS, she is the technical advisor for the string section of
the Hyattsville Orchestra. Her Photo courtesy of Ms. Purdie. Other photos courtesy of Ms.Ottley.
Ms. Purdie studied cello with
Ronald Feldman of the Boston Symphony, and Sieva Lezhnev.
She was
the first black female to join the U.S. Marine Band, "The President's
Own", playing cello, and retiring as Gunnery Sergeant.
Ms. Purdie is co-founder of “Strings for
Christ Ministries”. She performs regularly throughout the
greater Washington/Baltimore metropolitan area and also as a member of the Soulful
Symphony conducted by Darin Atwater.
She instills in her students a love for both music and the instruments. She makes opportunities for her students to play in the monthly rectals and outside. Most recently, her students appeared with her in a chamber ensemble for the National Cancer Society (Washington, DC chapter's) 2008 Survivor's Celebration, playing prelude, processional, and recessional.
HARPS
MEGHAN GWYER, Harp, graduated cum laude in May 2005 from the University of Maryland with a BA in Harp Performance and a BS in Computer Science and Math. She studied with Rebecca Anstine Smith.
She has participated in master classes with Elizabeth Hainen, Caitrin
Finch, and Alice Chalifoux. Her previous instructor was Sonja
Inglefield at the Peabody Preparatory.
At Maryland U., Ms. Gwyer played principle harp with both the Symphony
and Repertoire orchestras, Concert Band and the Symphonic Wind
Ensemble. She has had the opportunity to play continuo harp with the
university production of Handel's "Giulio Caesare" and with the
Collegium Musicum. She has performed in the chamber orchestras
accompanying the Women's Choir and the University Chorale. She has
played in the orchestra pit of several community musicals. She has also
performed in many chamber works with the University Harp Ensemble and
through private lessons. She performed her senior recital on May 21
2005 at St. Philip's Episcopal Church in Laurel, Maryland.
Ms. Gwyer has been working as a freelance harpist for several
years since she was a student. She has played in the orchestras for
church and community productions. She has also played in many weddings
and provided service music and background music for parties. She plays
classical, celtic, and some popular tunes. Since the spring of 2006,
she teaches private harp lessons at the Ottley Music School. She is
available for gigs and evening private lessons in the Washington DC and
Baltimore metropolitan areas. She can play both solo harp and ensemble,
the most common being a flute and harp duo. Ms. Gwyer has a math
related day-job and teaches at Ottley Music in the evenings since
February of 2006. Photo taken at a 2007 summer camp recital by Nevilla
Ottley.
Guitar, saxophone and clarinet substitute teacher
THOMAS NEWMAN, B.Mus., Guitars--is
a native Washingtonian who started formally studying guitar at age 15
and turned professional before his 16th birthday. “I can remember
traveling to Northern Virginia from Northwest DC by myself when I was
15 to practice for performances I had with guys three times my age.”
His independence and maturity landed him many performance and learning
opportunities at a young age. He attended Howard University and started
teaching at the age of 18 years old. While at Howard, he recorded the
hit record “Let’s Do the Latin Hustle" with Eddie Drennon and BBS
Unlimited Band which formed in 1976. After graduation and through the
years, he has played with such greats as Stanley Turrentine, Wilson
Pickett, Roy Ayers, Lloyd Price and many others. As a teacher, he
taught in D.C. Public Schools for 20 years as well as in his own
private studio, private music schools and Bowie State University. Tom
is a much sought after musician, be it in a live or studio situation.
He is also a clinician having developed various workshops.
His latest endeavor, The Tom Newman Project, is a multi-styled musical
ensemble. The group can go from Tom playing solo guitar to a
progressive jazz trio/quartet to an eight piece vocal based group. The
Tom Newman Project features music’s best of the best in Maryland,
Washington, DC and Virginia, one of the best being vocalist Bryant
“Lou” Roberts. Tom Newman is also featured on the album "Freedom
Serenade" by Spontaneous Simplicity which was re-released by Ubiquity
Records in February 2007.
Mr. Newman has been a teacher on and off at the Ottley Music School (OMS) since
2003. Even though his main instruments are guitars, he has taught
clarinet, saxophone and beginning piano lessons. He has taught guitars in classes in the summer music camps at OMS. He has
founded the OMS Jazz Ensemble, with which many notables including Davy
Yarborough has performed next to the students. Photo by Nevilla Ottley
taken at a 2007 summer camp recital.
GUITAR and STRING BASS
DAVID KLOCK, B.MUS. ED., graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in May 2008 after attending Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri in 2003-2005. His experience includes his present position at John Hanson French Immersion and John Hanson Montessori Schools in Prince George's County, Maryland; and past positions at the Greeley High School in Weld County School District
6, Greeley, Colorado orchestras, concert band,
jazz band, choirs, and music history; teaching at Winograd K – 8 School and Chappelow Magnet School
orchestras. From August 2004 to May 2007 he worked with the Westport Elementary school, Kinard High School and Rocky Mountain High, Heath Middle and Northridge High assisting with conducting the orchestras and teaching private bass and guitar lessons. Other experience includes:
University
of Northern Colorado--
- Concert Band (string bass),
- University Singers,
- Men’s Glee
Club (bass)
Evangel University
- University Band (string bass),
- Guitar Ensemble,
- Jazz Band
(guitar),
- University Chorus, Chorale, and Concert Choir (bass)
St. Paul’s
United Methodist
Church--Intern with church choir (2004 – 2005)
He has also studied Spanish at the Universidad de Malaga, Spain in the Fall of 2005, so can speak, read, and write Spanish at a highly prificient level.
He was on the Honor Roll of the University of Northern Colorado from the Spring of 2006 till graduation and was on the Evangel University's Honor Roll, Dean's List with a music scholarship. He began his teaching at Ottley Music School in the Summer of 2008, substitute teaching guitar in the Camps. He is now the guitar and string bass teacher of Ottley Music School.
Violin and Viola
CLEVELAND A. CHANDLER, JR., Violin, Viola—Master Sergeant Cleveland a. Chandler, Jr., has served as violinist in The United States Air Force Strings, Bolling Air Force Base, Washington, D.C. for over a decade. He has been teaching violin at the New Shiloh Baptist School in Baltimore, and joined the faculty at Ottley Music School in May 2008 teaching violin and viola. He has taught at Gettysburg College and The Gilman School.
While he has been in the Air Force, Mr. Chandler has been a founding member of the Chesapeake Strings and the Amistad Quartet. Most recently he has founded First Class Strings, LLC. He has been been a member of the Covington String Quartet for several years.
Mr. Chandler graduated from
- the Baltimore School of the Arts in 1989. He received a
- Bachelor of Music degree from the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University;
- Master of Music degree in 1995 in Violin Performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music;
- Professional Studies Diploma in 1997 from the same institution.
Before joining the Air Force, Mr.Chandler participated in the
- Festival of Two Worlds in Spoleto, Italy,
- Moscow Conservatory International Summer School. Additionally, he studied at the
- Pacific Music Festival in Japan,
- Aspen Music Festival in Colorado,
- The National Orchestral Institute in Maryland,
- Johannesen International School in Victoria Canada, and performed in the
- Cabrillo Music Festival under the baton of Maestra Marin Alsop
He has performed with several orchestras including
- Youngstown Symphony
- Erie Philharmonic, and the
- Akron Symphony
Mr. Cleveland A. Chandler, Jr. brings a wealth of experience to Ottley Music School and inspires the youngest to the most advanced student to be diligent in his/her violin and viola studies.
Gary Hancock, Guitar
Kim Sator, Harp
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