CREATIVES

Emillien Deschamps Audio, Composition, Media, Music, Vocal Lyricist/Vocalist that loves to sing and rap with a taste of sweet reggae. Sings in the group the Bloodstones and performs regionally in the North Bay and Bay Area.  

Christa Durand Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal Christa is dedicated to exploring the relevancy of classical music in our lives today. ​With her students and in her performances, Christa encourages creating music from a place of authenticity, using music as a medium to share our collective and individual stories and cultivate compassion for one another.

Deborah Eliezer Acting, Choreography, Dance, Directing, Folk Art, Improvisation, Modern, Music, Other, Other, Performance Art, Puppetry, Teacher/Instructor, Theatre, Vocal Debórah Eliezer, writer/performer/professional voiceover is a Core Company member and the Co-Artistic Director of foolsFURY, producing new work, a national festival, internship opportunities and public educational programs. She holds a BA Cum Laude from SFSU and a certificate in Sound, Voice, Music Healing from CIIS. Her latest show, (dis)Place[d],  written and performed by Eliezer is a solo tour de force about the Iraqi Jews and contemporary American identity. (dis)Place[d] is currently available for touring. Visit www.foolsfury.org Accolades for (dis)Place[d]:

“Eliezer is an expressive actor, and her story, lyrical and affecting, is one you’ve probably never heard before...She sings haunting, presumably Mizrachi (Jewish Middle Eastern) songs and prayers that send chills up your spine and embodies, with exquisite, dancerly physicality and vocal power (and clothed in a gossamer, enveloping cape), non-human entities such as the land itself."--Jean Schiffman, San Francisco Examiner “As she speaks, she’s wrestling or dancing with something that’s invisible and constantly shape-shifting, always just escaping her grasp.”--Lily Janiak, San Francisco Chronicle

With foolsFURY, Eliezer has created and performed in world premieres: ”The Unheard of World,” by Fabrice Melquiot,  “Faulted,” by Angela Santillo, “Port Out Starboard Home,” with Sheila Callaghan, Monster in the Dark, with Doug Dorst, “The Devil on All Sides,” by Fabrice Melquiot, “All You Can Eat,” by Steven Morgan Haskell, and “The Jensen Files” by Ben Yalom. Eliezer directed and choreographed “The Seeing Place”, by Elizabeth Spreen and Debórah Eliezer. Choreographic credits include: Boxcar’s “The Speakeasy”, FoolsFURY’s “Port Out, Starboard Home,” “Monster in the Dark,” Charles Mee’s “Big Love,” Shakespeare’s ”Twelfth Night,” and foolsFURY’s adaptation of Don Delillo’s play, “Valparaiso.” Incubator Series performances include: Lucinda Otto’s “Threshold,” Mia Rovegno’s “The Apartment,” Doug Dorst’s “(R)Evolution X,”  and Angela Santillo’s “Sera.” Eliezer has also worked with Golden Thread (SF/Cairo), Woman’s Will, The Puppet Players, Marin Shakespeare, Antenna Theater and TJT. She was the Co-Artistic Director of Eclipse Dance Theater from 1996-2002. As a professional voiceover, you may have heard her voice in over 25 Leapfrog Toys, Sims 2, 3 and 4 video games or numerous radio ads. Eliezer teaches throughout the Bay Area, and maintains a private coaching practice. She produces weddings, workshops and retreats, at Venado Retreat, a 33-acre artist retreat center. For more information, visit Venado www.venadoretreat.com  

Oddjob Ensemble Composition, Equipment, Film Office, Instrumental, Music, Other, Other, Performance Art, Talent, Theatre, Vocal "Hailing from Sonoma County, Oddjob Ensemble performs a myriad of musical styles and collaborates with perfomance artists in Vaudevillian shows, musical theater, and the avant garde. The Ensemble, led by Kalei Yamanoha, is a trio that is comprised of trap kit, string bass and accordion. Dancing to energizing early jazz numbers, listening to ethereal folk music and stomping to raucus overtures, the crowd will have their ears twisted into a delicious musical pretzel."

Manzanita Falls Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal Manzanita Falls has been perfecting their blend of dramatic indie rock for the better part of this decade. With their newest album out “Abilene,” Manzanita Falls is excited to be bringing these songs to new and expanding audiences. Written after a near-fatal rollover accident the band suffered while on tour, and honed for the better part of three years, these songs explore the tenuis balance between life and death; love and loss. Manzanita Falls is ready to be out of their Northern California studio and back on the road this spring and summer.

Jesse Fichman Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal "While AJ Lee is only 19 years old, she’s been the new face of bluegrass for more than a decade.” -The San Francisco Chronicle Blue Summit combines accomplished instrumental work with powerful vocals and a lose interpretation of traditional bluegrass. Taking in elements from western swing, soul, folk, rock, and old time music, this band of friends puts their heart into their music, and has honorably been recognized as 2018 NCBS Band of the Year. At the head of the group is AJ Lee, eight-time winning NCBS Female Vocalist of the Year, and 2018 Mandolin Player of the Year. The rest of Blue Summit’s accomplishments can be accredited to the dedication, persistence, and passion of founding member Isaac Cornelius (bass), Jesse Fichman (guitar), and two-time Guitar Player of the Year, Sullivan Tuttle. Blue Summit has played at festivals all around California, including the CBA Father’s Day Festival, the Good Old Fashioned Bluegrass Festival, and the Kate Wolf Music Festival. They have recently released their first album, “Sweet Company”.  

Kate Foley-Beining Improvisation, Instrumental, Mixed, Music, Painting, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal I am a musician, artist, and professor of German Language and Literature. Music: I am a singer, performing the works of Joni Mitchell, backed by a jazz trio. I have developed music enrichment programs for elementary schools in Healdsburg and Geyserville where I have taught vocal music for over 10 years. Working with children in music is its own reward and I am aware of the rare good fortune I have to also be paid to do it.  I am a classically-trained pianist, currently pursuing challenging selections from the repertoire of Schubert, Chopin, Liszt, and Bach. Art: Sight-size realism is the method I use in painting my oil still lives.  I would call my work domestic realism since my favorite subject matter is my 1940s era chrome coffeepot in which my domestic surroundings are reflected around me as I paint.  Decay, in the form of rusted objects and old leather books, is set against the sharp convex images reflected in the chrome globe, offering a visual irony that I find endlessly intriguing.  I have shown and sold my pieces in juried shows. Language and Literature: I am an adjunct professor of German with an emphasis on women writers in German literary history.  My doctoral research, using a feminist literary perspective, was published in my book The Body and Eucharistic Devotion in Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg's Meditations.  Teaching German brings me joy and of course my college students are constantly engaged in music, art, and theater as they become speakers of German

Ross Friedman Composition, Instrumental, Music, Other, Vocal Ross Friedman is a songwriter, recording engineer and music instructor based in Petaluma, California. Ross' songwriting covers many genres including: singer/songwriter, jazzy ballads, blues, rock and country rock. Instrumentals of various styles (acoustic, jazzy, blues and rock are also part of Ross' repertoire. Ross has a ProTools recording setup and can help songwriters and other musicians record their music. Ross provides individualized instruction on guitar and bass, taking into account the students taste in music. Instruction is provided for all levels - beginning, intermediate and advanced. Ross has many years of experience in music instruction and has been teaching in California since 1979. Ross has performed in bands and as a solo act since the age of 12. Although a professional for many years, he says "I remember what it's like to be a beginner and know that people starting out appreciate patience and encouragement." With this in mind, he has developed teaching techniques to simplify and explain the workings of music to all ages and levels of ability.

Joelle Gonçalves Dance, Performance Art Joelle Gonçalves is the principle dancer with Sol Flamenco and also works as the company's Artistic Director. Her formal dance training began in 2003 when she traveled to Sevilla, Spain, to study with Jose Galvan and has returned to Spain several times since then to study with world famous artists such as Manuel Betanzos, Leonor Leal, and Pilar Ortega. She has also studied at The Institute for Spanish Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, with visiting Spanish artists. In addition to managing shows with some of the Bay Area’s finest artists, she has performed as a soloist with local dance companies, including Mi Alma Flamenca, Mark Taylor Flamenco, and the "Flamenco Room" at Thirsty Bear. She has received awards from the Sonoma Arts Council, The Alliance for California Traditional Arts. and received a personal letter from Cirque du Soleil talent scout, Guilio Scatola, requesting her audition (after seeing her perform at the San Francisco Palace of Fine Arts) for the production of Ka. Most recently she was hired for the winter 2022 season of Cirque de Bobeme's "Gypsy" as a flamenco soloist.

Kevin Gonyo Audio, Composition, Design, Film, Graphic Design, Media, Music My name is Kevin Gonyo, and I love to create. Currently, I work as a designer at a non-profit in Santa Rosa. I received my BA in music from UCLA, and still compose and perform. Always looking to work with new people!

Carissa Green Instrumental, Music, Other, Vocal Carissa Green is a singer/songwriter & vocalist hailing from Sonoma County whose musical influences include Americana, folk, blues, jazz, alternative, rock, funk, & reggae, to say the least. Like so many, she got the early church-going start! Miss Caris always has a ukulele on hand & plays to connect emotionally with people on that level only music can reach. Wherever there's music, there's instant community. She has been part of various, widely differing musical groups including Midnight Sun, Freedom Jazz Choir, Santa Rosa Junior College Choir, Saturn Goes Pop, Jon Gonzales Stringband, Jon Gonzales & Family, Helen's Mini Band, The Ukazookee Orchestra of Sonoma County, Jamie Clark Band, and the Hunka Hunka Hula Revue. She writes music that can be played solo, with a few fellow musicians, or a full band. She prefers to explore music from an inclusive perspective, often writing across genre lines and blurring the traditional sense of styling. Music is love! Music is as important as life itself. Sharing music is the ultimate honor & she endeavors to connect community around music in every way, shape and form available.

TerriAnne Gutierrez Choreography, Composition, Dance, Instrumental, Music, Other, Performance Art, Professional Performance, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth ­Artist and community activist TerriAnne Gutierrez established Sirens Studio in 2001 We create, produce, present, and teach; *multicultural dance *theater *music Engaging a diverse group of Sonoma County and Bay Area artists, audiences, and students. Many racially mixed, and culturally specific ensembles consider Sirens Studio & Theater their artistic home, creating a thriving inter-generational community. Sirens is a non-profit 501©3 organization and over the past 15 years our programs and numerous activities have contributed to community development, stability and access to creative art making.  Presenting, co-presenting, scholarship, work exchange, apprentice, sponsorship and more are all here to serve the large dance, music and theater communities in Sonoma County and the San Francisco Bay Area.

Ehme Haas Artisan, Audio, Ceramics, Fiber Art, Jewelry, Literature, Media, Mixed, Multi-Media, Music, Other, Painting, Poetry, Sculpture, Visual Arts, Vocal e.h.me is a multi-medium, hungry fArtist currently beginning an exploration of the play between place and perspective with mobile-inspired, found object suspended sculpture. an imported local of the Russian River area with a tendency toward forest frolicking, she is inspired by birth cycles and bridges, plastic bags caught in tree boughs, fermentation and regeneration. she seeks to convey a sense of the beautiful wonder within even the 'ugly' parts of experience. create(or) de(con)struct

Alan Hall Composition, Instrumental, Mixed, Music, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Teacher/Instructor, Visual Arts

Alan Hall

Musician, Composer, Drummer, Mixed-Media Artist, Band Leader of "Ratatet"

I started my life as a professional drummer at 13 years, a visual artist 20 years later, now I'm also an active composer and band leader of my own neo-jazz sextet, Ratatet.

In addition to being an active performer and artist, I teach drum lessons, workshops and ensembles at schools and Jazz camps throughout the Bay Area. My teaching is based at California Jazz Conservatory in Berkeley and Cal State East Bay in Hayward.

My art work is in several private collections on East and West coasts and can be viewed at my art website: www.amiguelart.com

My compositions can be heard at www.ratatet.com and www.jazzdrumming.com.

Music and Visual Art are two different modes of expressions for me. Both seem to function as positive feedback loops for me, and I hope, others. I'm striving to integrrate the two art forms in both a personal and social context.

Andrew Harrison Instrumental, Music, Performance Art Biography Acclaimed for his unique approach, virtuosic performances, and as a champion for both new and forgotten works, Indian-American Saxophonist Andrew Harrison has captured the hearts of audiences across the globe with “electric performances of stunning expression (Classical Sonoma)”, while introducing the world to important voices, and showcasing the beauty and brilliance of the saxophone. Described as a “magician showing off his tricks" (Austin American Statesman), Andrew uses his distinctive style to create a new environment for classical music, to reflect our lived experience and mixed culture, blending the known and the not yet explored. He has commissioned and premiered works by a diverse group of emerging and celebrated composers, including Jules Pegram, Giovanni Santos, Viet Cuong, and Nina Shekhar, among numerous others.   "a magician showing off his tricks." - Austin American Statesman   Andrew’s playing, which has been described as "spectacular" (LA Opus) with a sound that is "broad and rich" (The Instrumentalist), has garnered him numerous awards in prestigious competitions, including the U.S. “Pershing’s Own” Collegiate Concerto Competition, the LMC Frances Walton Competition, and most recently the American Prize in Music. He has been a featured soloist with several symphonic groups, including the Cal Poly Pomona and La Sierra University Wind Ensembles, South Valley Symphony Orchestra, the Pacific Symphony Youth Wind Ensemble, and has upcoming performances with the Chandler Symphony, Orchestra Santa Monica, the Sonoma County Philharmonic, and the Santa Rosa Symphony. As a chamber musician, Andrew has toured the US extensively, performing at prestigious universities and venues from Los Angeles to New York City as both a recitalist, and with his saxophone quartet, TC4.   "a sound that is broad and rich" - The Instrumentalist   Andrew is passionate about mentoring the next generation of artists to find their unique perspectives and to craft a professional journey that is singular and meaningful. Currently he serves as the Professor of Classical Saxophone at Sonoma State University, and previously served at San Diego State School of Music, Mt. San Antonio College, Cerritos College, the French Conservatory of Music, and the Colburn School. As an in-demand clinician, he has presented masterclasses at Southern Illinois State University, the University of Southern California, Webster University, Franklin College, and the New England Conservatory, among numerous others. He holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music, and a Masters degree from the University of Texas at Austin Butler School of Music. Andrew performs exclusively on Eastman Winds Saxophones and is an endorsing artist with them and Key Leaves Saxophone Accessories.   "a heartfelt, technically inspiring and energized performance. Often when one sees the saxophone, it implies a blues, jazzy, pop tune tonal quality. Mr. Harrison imbued both instruments with colors and an extended emotional range foreign to jazz or blues." - Classical Sonoma

Dustin Heald Audio, Composition, Crew, Film, Film Office, General Services, Instrumental, Media, Multi-Media, Music, Other, Painting, Photography, Sculpture, Technical, Theatre, Visual Arts, Vocal Located in California's North Bay Area, Dustin Heald is a multifaceted artist specializing in Music, Makeup Effects, sculpture, Special Prop fabrication, and character design. Dustin has experience working in film, television and theater, as well as mask making, casualty simulation, and hair work. He has worked on projects in LA, Pittsburgh PA, Cairo Egypt, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Dustin is a singer/songwriter who plays guitar and drums. He is involved in various collaborative projects with other artists as well as producing his own original material.

Marshall House Project Music Marshall House Project is a driving soul-funk outfit with one foot rooted in the deep pockets of the past and the other fearlessly exploring the deep fry of the future. The sound is an electric eclectic love-child: the product of an affair between Jimi Hendrix and the Funky Meters, after a long night of drinking with space aliens, and jamming to Bob on the jukebox. The power quartet delivers a mash-up of energetic funk and slinky soul with a psychedelic twist and a chili salt rim. The mission: to create an uplifting dance experience, spun full of twists and turns, interlaced with conscious reflective lyrics, expanding, contracting and alive like a universe unto itself.

Matthew Isais Bowker Composition, Instrumental, Music, Teacher/Instructor Matthew Isais Bowker is a Mexican-Italian- American Saxophonist, composer and educator. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education and California Teaching Credential from Sonoma State University. Matthew’s mission in music is to bridge the gap between classical music and music of the Latinx/ Hispanic communities. Many members of the Latinx community don’t feel welcome in a concert hall because of the Western European traditions which have excluded them. His hope is to welcome people into classical music by playing music they’re used to hearing but set for a classical ensemble. There are many classical works written by Latinx composers that are never heard because classical ensembles don’t program them. Matthew is actively trying to change that by personally performing those works, as well as folk/ Mariachi, and arranging them for saxophone and piano to get them heard. As an educator, he feels it is important to have representation in the classroom and have children play music they can relate to instead of the same music that has been used for years. He is arranging Mexican folk music, mariachi music and many other traditional Latinx music for school ensembles like concert bands, wind ensembles, string orchestras, and symphony orchestras. He hopes that these arrangements can act as an avenue to diversity the classroom and teach about Latinx culture and traditions. If we want to see real change in our community, we have to start within the classroom.

Dr. Greg Johnson Dr. Greg Johnson is quickly becoming recognized as a luminary figure in the Jazz community.  Equally at home in multiple musical genres, Greg has developed a unique musical style that combines Jazz, Classical and Popular music.   As a saxophonist, Greg has appeared in concert and on mainstream recordings with Jazz greats Curtis Fuller, Billy Taylor, Dick Oatts, Alan Pasqua, Peter Erskine, Bob Mintzer and many more.  He has appeared on stage with with Pop and Rock acts such as Saint Motel, Robin Thicke and Barry Manilow at some of the biggest festivals and venues in the world.   Increasingly know for his big band compositions, Greg’s music has been widely performed in both Jazz and Classical contexts. A dynamic teacher of ensembles and improvisation, Greg has built one of the top Jazz programs in the state of California and the country as Director of Jazz Studies at the Marin School of the Arts.  Keeping an active schedule as a clinician and guest composer/saxophonist, he is praised for his relatable, organic approach to music.  Greg has released seven recordings under his name and has contributed to dozens more. Recently, Greg was added to the 2017 GRAMMY ballot in the category of "Best Improvised Jazz Solo" for his work on Aarón Serfaty's "In the Game."

Pamela Kennemore Design, Graphic Design, Media, Multi-Media, Multimedia, Production, Video

“My entire career, I’ve been a creative. I enjoy finding unique solutions that help clients to achieve their goals. Evolving from the early 90’s as a print graphic artist, I’ve immersed myself into various digital mediums. I believe that focused design in synergy with the right medium will elevate your brand and message.”

– Pamela M. Kennemore Graphic Designer, Mother, Wife, Lifelong Learner

Tyehimba Kokayi Creative Sonoma Grantee, Dance, Folk Art, Other, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth At 15 in Oakland, I began taking formal dance classes, and by the age of 18 began my dance career while teaching gymnastics at a dance studio in Alameda, Ca. My formal training expanded to include Jazz, Tap, Ballet, Modern and Dunham, while concurrently performing with the Oakland Children’s Chorus and The Oakland Youth Chorus. I later moved to Sacramento and began studying theater under the late great Dr Thomas Michael Gates, mentored in dance with James Wheatley of Celebration Arts and Pepper Von of Step 1 Dance Academy, choreographed with the Black Repertory Dance Troupe of UC Davis and began training in West African Dance with Linda Faye Johnson, Zak and Niaomi Diouf, the late greats Alasane Kane and Abdoulia Diakite by joining "CEEDO” (Chedo) West African Drum and Dance Troupe in 1986. I learned the Djembe and mastered it while completing ten years of rigorous training and founded Lions Den Entertainment, which was incorporate in 2002. Exactly 20 years later, in 2022, I established The Lions Den Education Institute, to further educate about West African culture and I also teach ZUMBA to encourage some form of movement. I received a Neighborhood Arts Program grant in 2006, began and served as President of The West African Drum and Drum Club at CSUS, from March 2007 until March 2008, hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Ethnic Studies, minor in Dance, a Master of Arts Degree in Education. For 2023, I am a grant recipient and part owner of a new movement studio Cotati Moves.

Jacqueline Kramer Illustration, Music, Painting, Visual Arts, Vocal Jacqueline Kramer graduated from Bennington College with a degree in painting and sculpture where she focused on large color field stain paintings and sculpture made from found objects. Her first one- woman show, which exhibited her rendition of the Zen series, the “The 10 Bulls”, was in 1979 in Napa, California. Her watercolors and mixed media paintings, of eucalyptus and local flowers, are in personal collections. Jacqueline taught art at the Julie Nation Fashion Institute and color line and design through the Santa Rosa Junior College. She lives and paints in Sonoma, California. I am interested in making art that sheds light on the beauty and interconnectedness of life, especially in places where beauty and interconnectedness is hard to find. My work is informed by my Zen Buddhist practice, by a response to what is happening in the world and by expressionist and color field painters such as Monet, Van Gogh, Rothko and Chagall. Using color, line and design, experimentation and a determination to bring about work that has depth and significance, I am interested in inspiring others to look at life around them with fresh eyes.  

Garrison Krohn Music Music connects us. It allows us to share and shout what would normally be kept inside and therefore lay painfully dormant. I joyfully get to open that door for myself and for others, and I prefer to leave it open every second of everyday.  

Mary Neuer Lee Artisan, Jewelry, Recovery Fund Grantee A metal smith all of my adult life, I have earned Jeweler's Certificates from the Santa Rosa Junior College and Revere Jeweler's Academy as well as a being a Certified PMC Artisan. Recently I completed a year long accreditation program with Hadar Jacobson and am now certified to teach her methods in the base metal clays. I have studied many metalsmithing disciplines at the Mendocino Art Center, the Richmond Art Center, the Arrowmont School of the Arts, TN, and with many individuals including Jim Binion, Yvonne Giambrone Martin, Jack de Silva, Florence Resnikoff, Linda Weis and many others. My work has been included in two of Hadar Jacobson's Metal Clay Handbooks and in the 2010, 2011 and the 2012 "PMC Guild Annual: Exceptional Work in Metal Clay". In the everchanging and new world of Metal Clay I earned my PMC Certification with Senior Instructors Sherry Fotopoulos and Sherry Viktora and worked with Metal Clay instructors Linda Kline, Holly Gage, Barbara Becker Simon, Lisa Barth, Terry Kovalchik, Wanaree Tanner, Carole Wood, Leslie Tieke and many others. I continue to take as many workshops as time and money allow. I can never decide which I like best; creating, teaching or learning!

Lenkadu Audio, Composition, Instrumental, Media, Multi-Media, Music, Video, Vocal Floating from the Czech Republic, by way of the Netherlands and Boston, and now based in Forestville, Lenkadu is an electronic music performer active since 2010. Her sets combine the power of a DJ with the vulnerability of a live performer. She samples her field recordings, makes beats, plays drums and processes her voice as well as a range of instruments, while controlling Ableton Live software with her feet. Lenkadu draws inspiration from nature sounds to anything that ‘inspires to’ – pop, classical, electronic music and, believe it or not, metal. Building on extensive experience as a touring VJ, video is an integral element of each song and projected behind Lenkadu on stage. She creates her visuals from photos and video content she shoots around the world. Lenkadu’s shows are ethereal and psychedelic experiences fueled by an empowered yet gentle vision of personal transformation and collective consciousness. Touring Lenkadu’s notable appearances include opening for acts such as Bassnectar and Lotus. Recent shows • 3rd Thursdays monthly Beats Before Bed, Lagunitas Brewing Co. Petaluma • February 22 Dhyana Center, Sebastopol All live shows are streamed via Facebook live on @Lenkadu page Releases All music available via www.Lenkadu.com • Feb 2019 Come Along Single • March 2018 Monkey Single • Feb 2018 Vision Board Single • January 2018 You Can Buy Anything You Please Single • Nov 2017 One on One Single • Nov 2016 Details of Love Album • 2012 Sonic Bank Album