IT IS OUR GOAL TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS TO DISCOVER A LOVE OF MUSIC AND TO FOSTER THEIR INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE EXPRESSION.
We focus on facilitating proper technique and a thoughtful approach to music education. Private lessons begin as early as age five and complement the child’s individual pace and learning style. Parent participation is encouraged, giving the student support from home as well as from their private teacher. In addition to private lessons, we encourage students to participate in group (repertoire) classes. Connecting young musicians through ensembles generates enthusiasm, increases motivation and improves playing.
Upcoming Events
"The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between."
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Meet The Instructors
Sylvia Ranette - Department Head, Violin
Sylvia Ranette has always loved and studied music, beginning at the very young age of 3 when she began to sing in choir. Sylvia was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania and began her formal music training in Europe when she was 6 years old, at the Music Kindergarten. She began violin lessons at age 7 and continued intensive studies in violin and music theory in the “George Enescu Music High School” in Bucharest, graduating with the highest honors. A short time after high school graduation, Sylvia earned admission to the most prestigious musical institution in Romania, then known as the “Ciprian Porumbescu Music Conservatory” in Bucharest (now called the National Music University) in Bucharest.
Sylvia has performed extensively across the country, and in Canada and Romania, including numerous solos, duets, trios, quartets, ensembles, orchestras, and choirs. She moved to Idaho in 2010. Recently she recorded her first music CD called “His Eye Is on the Sparrow”.
Keegan Bernardin, Violin
Keegan Bernardin is a violinist who has studied, performed and taught in the North Idaho region. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in violin performance from the Lionel Hampton School of Music at the University of Idaho, where he also earned a degree in philosophy. Keegan has performed as a member of a number of ensembles and orchestras, including the Coeur d’Alene Symphony Orchestra, The Festival at Sandpoint Community Orchestra, The Pend Oreille Orchestra and Chorale, and the University of Idaho Symphony Orchestra, where he served as concertmaster; his ensemble work includes performance with the Festival at Sandpoint Outreach Orchestra, the North Idaho College Chamber Ensemble, and the University of Idaho String Quartet. As an instructor, Keegan has previously served as a student-teacher at the Music Conservatory of Sandpoint, and has taught and coached at the individual and ensemble level at a variety of local music camps, including the Festival at Sandpoint Summer Youth Music Camp; other pedagogical work includes substitute strings teaching and conducting at the Sandpoint Waldorf School.
Marj Cooke, Piano + Mandolin Orchestra + Harp
Marj Cooke has exceptional range in the number of instruments she plays: pipe organ, piano, viola, folk harp, carillon, mandolin family, Dobro and recorders. She began piano lessons at age 3 with her mother as her teacher. Marj studied violin for 5 years, has participated in choral groups, and went on to study classical pipe organ. Marj worked as Church Organist for many years. She studied Carillon in graduate school and passed the professional exam in 1969. Marj also enjoys arranging and composing music.
Her extensive education and teaching experience is an enormous asset to the Conservatory. Marj earned a BA degree in Music and French, and a Master’s in Music Theory and Composition. Marj was an elementary school classroom teacher for 33 years and taught music for entire grade levels and also for the entire school before Music Specialists were hired. She belongs to several musical organizations: Professional Carillonneur member of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America; member Classical Mandolin Society of America; violist with Sandpoint New Horizons Orchestra and Pend Oreille Chamber Orchestra.
Rory Creigh, Classical Guitar
Dr. Rory Creigh is a musicologist and multi-instrumentalist known for his mastery of early music and dynamic approach to teaching. Trained in classical guitar at Western Washington University under David Feingold, Rory earned his Bachelor’s in Classical Guitar Performance and a Master’s in Music History and Literature, focusing on The Beatles. He further earned a musicology doctorate from Florida State University, with a dissertation on early nineteenth-century opera. With a professional background in teaching guitar and ukulele, Rory has also showcased his versatility through performances in ensembles, including collegium musicum, various choirs, contemporary bands, jazz, and musical theater, playing instruments such as the guitar, lute, rackett, recorders, and viola da gamba. His teaching philosophy centers around adapting to diverse learning styles and skill-based learning, reflecting his focus on understanding music from many different perspectives. Rory is excited to bring his academic depth and practical experience to the Music Conservatory.
Loi Eberle, Cello
Loi Eberle began playing cello at age 8, soon becoming a member of the Minneapolis Youth Symphony and the Minnesota All-State Orchestra. She studied cello for 4 years with one of Pablo Casals’ students, and was accepted in Northwestern University’s School of Music at in Evanston, Ill, where she studied music performance and played in the Northwestern University Symphony for one year. She then expanded her studies to include educational media, graduating Northwestern University with a BS in Communications. She co-founded the Amazingrace Collective, and for three years helped them produce small and large venue musical performances with local and nationally acclaimed musical groups on and off campus at Northwestern. She received her Master of Arts in Education at the University of Minnesota, studied cello with the assoc/principal cellist of Minneapolis Symphony for 3 years, performed with the Minnesota Civic Orchestra, then the St. Cloud community Orchestra. She began her doctoral studies in Educational Psychology at Indiana University, where she completed 45 credits. Loi has studied cello with the assoc/principal cellist of Spokane Symphony since 1990, is the principal cellist in the Pend Orielle Chorale and & Chamber Orchestra in Sandpoint, Idaho, and in the Panhandle Symphony in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.