A vibrant community music school in Grinnell where children and adults access professional music instruction.
With an emphasis on participatory, community music-making in addition to excellence in performance, the school will provide music education and opportunities for recreational, competitive, and professional musicians alike, equipping students to become lifelong practitioners and performers.
The Grinnell School of Music will:
Jon Edwards
Roger Henderson
Luke Kotz
Stephanie Latimer
Brad Lindberg
Skip Lowe
PJ Mahaffey
Taylor Marsho
John Rommereim
Maura Strassberg
Hannah Wilson
Lesley Wright
We provide administrative support including student recruitment and onboarding, invoicing, teaching materials, student resources, recitals, and more.
You get to focus on the best part: making music; making a difference.
John Rommereim (Grinnell School of Music Board of Directors)
Grinnell School of Music creates opportunities for freelance musicians and teachers. Our goal is to provide administrative support and pedagogical resources that allow teachers to focus on providing students with the best possible learning experience and outcomes.
We provide....
We are currently seeking experienced musicians in all styles and instruments.
Jon Edwards is a self-taught drummer of 45 years who has played and toured with various rock, blues, and jazz groups primarily in Chicago and throughout the Midwest. In Grinnell, he has played with Magic Bison, The Funk Upstairs, Pink Neighbor, and has sat in for numerous student projects over the years. He enjoys recording and producing local musicians in his home studio, including many Grinnell College student projects. His role as the college’s Director of International Admissions takes him around the world and often provides the opportunity to play with local musicians and appreciate the connective power of music across cultures.
Jon and Karen’s two sons, Barrett and Dane, grew up with music at home and both studied formally under Grinnell’s excellent music educators, who have inspired them to continue to pursue music in their lives. The Grinnell School of Music will provide similar inspiration to future students who will discover the many rewards music can provide. One of Jon’s favorite quotes, attributed to Ronnie Lane’s (bassist of The Faces) father upon learning his son wanted to become a musician, said, ‘If you’re a musician, you’ll always have friends!’ No truer words!
Roger taught vocal music for 38 years with 30 years in the Grinnell Community Schools and retired in 2021. Roger also co-directed the GHS biennial musical theater productions. Roger’s students and groups received many honors including all state recognitions, superior ratings at festivals, and invitations to perform for state and local events.
Roger served in numerous leadership positions at the local, state, and national level including Trainer for the National Board for Teachers, President of the Iowa Choral Directors Association, Advisory Board Member of the Iowa High School Music Association, President of the Grinnell Area Arts Council, and Member of the GHS Building Improvement Team. He has presented at state, regional, and national conferences of the American Choral Directors Association, the National Association for Music Education, and the Iowa School Board Association. He was a founding member of Iowa Comprehensive Musicianship Project and led demonstration rehearsals and classes for the Drake Summer Music Institute. Roger received a Yale Distinguished Music Educator Award for outstanding service to music education in public schools, and was awarded the Weston Noble Award from his alma mater, Luther College, for excellence in choral music education. He is currently working part time in the education department at Grinnell College as a Lecturer, Field Placement and Licensure Officer.
Roger looks forward to the Grinnell School of Music coming to fruition to serve our community by expanding the arts education opportunities found in our area.
Skip is an American drummer, percussionist., composer, and recording artist who has performed and toured with numerous bands and artists for 44 years and has received multiple awards for his 25 recordings, including top10 album of 1993 for his work with No Pain, two Grammy mentions for his work with Billy Lee Janey in 2003 and 2004, and scored a top 40 musical hit in 2005 with the Just William Band for the song Rosalie, reaching number 6 in the FMQB charts. Skip is a registered composer through BMI and ASCAP and is currently under contract with Rock-a-Drome Records and GrassRoots Recording companies.
Skip studied music under Dr. Tom Davis and John Wooten at the University of Iowa and is currently teaching drums and percussion to Grinnell area students.
Skip is looking forward to preserving the delicate arts culture in our country and community by pouring his knowledge, passion, and resources into the Grinnell School of Music, as he believes that music is the ultimate equalizer of social and economic boundaries as well as being an essential tool for building a person’s mind.
P.J. grew up in Montezuma and was active in speech and drama, musical theater, plays, and musicals at Montezuma Community Schools. P.J. returned as a speech and drama coach for three years after graduating law school. He studied at Grinnell College where he was a member of the male a cappella group G-Tones.
P.J. is a partner at Mahaffey Law Office with offices in Montezuma and Grinnell.
P.J. knows the Grinnell School of Music will provide high quality music education, collaboration, and instruction for all ages. It is vital to reinvest time and resources locally. The Grinnell School of Music will fill a need for local music instruction in Poweshiek County and compliment the existing music programs, performance spaces, and school activities.
Taylor Marsho is a Grinnell native who has grown up participating in various music and dance activities throughout the community. After attending The University of Northern Iowa majoring in Early Childhood and Elementary Education, she moved back to Grinnell to begin her career as a kindergarten teacher. She has since obtained a masters in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa.
Taylor, her husband Peter, and their son Rory have been attending Music Together classes at Studio E for over a year and a half. Recently the Marshos welcomed Archie to the family, and he attended his first class at only 11 days old. She has found how beneficial this program is to young musicians and is excited to support the Grinnell School of Music. She believes that the Grinnell School of Music will bring necessary experiences and opportunities to students of all ages.
John Rommereim is Blanche Johnson Professor of Music at Grinnell College, where he conducts the Grinnell Singers and the Grinnell Oratorio Society and teaches composition. He has pursued a varied career as composer, conductor, vocalist, and keyboardist. His music has been performed across the United States and internationally, and is published by Walton Music, Oxford University Press, earthsongs, Alry Publications, and Roger Dean Publishing. The New York Times praised the “richly expressive” character of his extended song for voice and piano, Into the Still Hollow. His works written in collaboration with flutist Claudia Anderson have been performed at National Flute Association conventions, and internationally by the ZAWA flute duet.
In the early part of his career, he pursued an interest in Russian music, and he completed a translation of Pavel Chesnokov’s seminal treatise, The Choir and How to Direct It, published by Musica Russica. He also was active as a harpsichordist, and founded the Baroque Orchestra of Iowa, an early music ensemble that brought some of the country’s finest early music specialists to the state. In recent years, he has conducted the Lyra Baroque Orchestra in biennial choral-orchestral concerts with the Grinnell Singers.
He is pleased to be able to participate in this vital project that is sure to improve the quality of life in all the corners of our community, for young and for old.
Maura Strassberg is a life-long French horn player who recently finished a thirty-year career as a Professor of Contracts, Sales and Legal Ethics at Drake University Law School. Prior to teaching aspiring lawyers, she received a graduate degree in philosophy, clerked for a federal appellate judge, and practiced law in Boston, Massachusetts. She has served on and chaired for numerous Iowa non-profit organizations, including Domestic Violence Alternatives, the Galaxy, Iowa Pride Network and One Iowa. Although not a professional musician, music has always been a very important part of her life. One of her earliest musical memories is of getting to play many different instruments in a musical exploration class for young children. Since then, she has played the bugle, piano, trumpet, fife, French horn and valve-trombone. Whenever it has been possible, she has enjoyed the incomparable experience of making music with others in a band or orchestra, including the Boston Lawyer’s Orchestra, the Grinnell College Symphonic Band and the Grinnell Community Band. More recently, she has joined the Grinnell Oratorio Society and is enjoying the very different challenges and pleasures of singing in a choir. Her children played piano and were singers and instrumental players in the Grinnell choir and band programs. She strongly supports the mission of the Grinnell School of Music to provide music exploration, education and community for both children and adults. A community with music at its heart cannot fail to thrive!
Hannah Wilson grew up in Newton, Iowa, where she was involved in the orchestra, played the piano, and participated in school plays. Hannah's love for music started at a young age, and she was excited to start Music Together® classes with her son Calvin at the Grinnell School of Music earlier this year. Hannah is a graduate of Wartburg College where she studied Accounting and Business Administration. She is now a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones and her office is located here in Grinnell.
Lesley directed the Grinnell College Museum of Art for 23 years, until her retirement in 2022. Under her leadership, she established the Museum as a vibrant source for regional, national and international art, and as an effective partner in art education for the campus and community, She brings her expertise as a museum administrator and community partner to the Grinnell School of Music. Lesley has served on boards from the Chamber of Commerce to the Grinnell Area Arts Council and now leads the Iowa Cultural Coalition, advocating for public funding for the arts. Music and music education have always been part of her life and the life of her two children, raised in Grinnell. From her varied experience, Lesley knows that investing in the arts is central to Grinnell’s vitality: from its economic impact keeping local dollars in our community and creating jobs for artists and arts professionals, to the many benefits of arts education for children and adults alike. She is excited to build a School of Music that will expand the experience and joy of music for everyone.
Identifying a need for music education in her community, she opened the school and facilitated its transformation from her private home vocal studio to a robust nonprofit organization offering a wide selection of musical opportunities. Erin manages the day-to-day operations of Grinnell School of Music, as well as running its ambitious capital campaign and teaching voice lessons and other classes.
Erin has an extensive professional background in arts management, specializing in private- and public-sector fundraising, non-profit governance, strategic planning, event planning, and volunteer management. She served as executive administrator of Choral Canada, a national service and advocacy organization for choirs, conductors, and singers. In this role, she led the organization through a period of critical growth and an expansion of its mission. She was development associate at Soundstreams Canada, an internationally renowned organization that produces and presents groundbreaking contemporary music. Erin has held additional roles and consulted for diverse organizations including the Grinnell College Department of Alumni Relations, the Guelph Jazz Festival and the John Weinzweig Centenary Project.
Erin moved to Grinnell in 2014 and has been an active member of the community as a musician and educator ever since. She is the founding Director of the Grinnell Children’s Choir, established in 2017 when she and several other local musicians and parents saw a need for more extracurricular music education opportunities in Grinnell. The Choir is thriving with an annual roster of 35 singers from grades kindergarten through 5th. She is also a founding member of the women’s ensemble Vox Feminae. In 2019 Erin opened Studio E, the predecessor to the Grinnell School of Music. She has sung with the Grinnell Oratorio Society and participated in Grinnell Community Theater. In 2023, Erin received Special Recognition for Arts Service at the 2023 Iowa Arts Council Governor's Arts Awards for her contributions to the arts in her community.
Erin is an experienced singer, choir director, and music instructor. She received a Bachelor of Music in voice performance at the University of Prince Edward Island and Master of Arts in Musicology at the University of Toronto, and she continues to develop her skills as a musician and educator. As a soprano vocalist, Erin has been a professional member of numerous ensembles, including the International Bach Festival Singers, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Cantala Women’s Choir, and Cantabile Chamber Singers. She continues to teach private voice lessons for children and adults of all experience levels, in both Bel Canto and contemporary singing styles. In 2021, Erin became an accredited teacher and center director for Music Together® and leads classes for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers.
Erin has always been deeply passionate about music and community. In her teaching and practice, she emphasizes the ways in which singing can bring people together, build confidence, and serve as a vital form of self-expression. Erin’s belief that music helps to create stronger, healthier, and happier communities is what drives her work, from social entrepreneurialism to her own vocal practice.
Erin lives in Grinnell with her husband Mark, a music professor and jazz saxophonist, and their two daughters, Nora and Mary.
Copyright © 2024 Grinnell School of Music - All Rights Reserved.