Ella
J. Washington, Founder & Artistic Director
Ella J. Washington’s career includes 34 years in the Milwaukee Public Schools
as music teacher, supervisor, and administrator; and five years as Music
Education lecturer at Marquette University. She has gained national
acclaim for her expertise in music related subjects and has been
featured as consultant, lecturer, clinician, and guest conductor
throughout the country. She received appointments at all levels of the
Music Educators National Conference, and has authored publications in
several professional music journals.
Her numerous honors include international travels to Sierra Leone, West
Africa, as a Fulbright Hays Scholar, Port of Spain, Trinidad, to study
the arts and culture of the Trinidadian people, and to Zimbabwe, East
Africa where she mentored teen students in an Earthwatch Project.
Locally, she was a recipient of the UW-Milwaukee Music Alumni
Association Award for Excellence in Music Performance and Education, the
1995 Civic Music Association Award of Excellence in Music, and the 2005
Civic Music Association Distinguished Citizen Award.
Mrs. Washington continues to
maintain an active schedule of arts related and other volunteer
community endeavors. She has served on the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra
Board of Directors, and is currently a member of the Board of Directors
of the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra (MYSO) where she chairs the
MYSO Community Partnership Committee. She holds a B.S. degree in Vocal
and Choral Music Education, and an M.S. degree in Administrative
Leadership from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Mary
Schecher, Chorale Accompanist
Mary Schecher is the Director of Music Ministries at First Baptist
Church—West Allis where she serves as principal organist and oversees a
program of two choirs, a three-octave handbell choir, two handbell
ensembles and a Praise team. She also serves as Music Coordinator for
the American Baptist Churches of Wisconsin, and conducts
numerous music workshops. She holds a B.S. degree in Music Education and
Church Music from Alverno
College, and an Masters in
Library & Information Science from UW-Milwaukee. Mrs. Schecher is
currently pursuing a Masters in Church Music at
Concordia University, and is a faculty member of the Music
Department at Alverno College.
