Featured Presenter - Dr. Stephen Schank
Stephen P. Schank is a composer, lyricist, and arranger. He serves on the committees of the new hymnbook and new children’s songbook of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is a Church music manager selected to chair both committees.
Schank was a Seminary and Institute teacher in Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. He earned a bachelor’s degree in music history and literature from University of Nevada, Las Vegas, a Master of Music degree from Brigham Young University in choral conducting, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral and orchestral conducting from Arizona State University.
He has directed numerous Institute choirs in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tempe, Arizona, and Orem, Logan, and Salt Lake City, Utah, as well as university choirs at Brigham Young University and Arizona State University), and was an assistant chorusmaster for the Phoenix Symphony.
He coordinated and trained all of the Church’s Institute of Religion choirs.
Schank and his wife, Lynn, have six children.
Kristi Crusan
(Vocal Technique)
Kristi Crusan studied Vocal Performance and Music Dance Theatre at BYU and traveled with University Singers and Young Ambassadors. She studied with Meyer Friedman at the International School of Voice and presented vocal techniques at the International Symposium of Audiology. She taught private voice lessons at BYU before opening her own vocal studio. Her talents have taken her to Opryland USA in Nashville, Russia, and South Korea. She has performed with such artists as Michael McLean, Janice Kapp Perry, Donny Osmond and Michael Ballam. She currently resides in Ridgefield, WA with her husband Ben and the youngest three of her five children.
Ramona Jones
(First-Aid For The Very Beginning Organist, Tools for Transitioning from Pianist to Organist)
Ramona is a retired piano teacher of over 30 years. She has had 15 years of organ training from Dr. Jeannine Jordan. Ramona has been a church organist for many years. She currently serves as ward organist, and teaches Relief Society. She and her husband, Ivan, will soon leave their Hillsboro home and their growing family to serve their fourth mission together.
Dr. David Thomas
(Choral Conducting Master Class)
Dr. David Thomas studied conducting and performance at BYU as well as at the Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatoire in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is the Artistic Director of Portland Choir & Orchestra. He and his wife Emily enjoy performing together and operating Studio Thomas: Music Performance Instruction.
Stacie Wicks
(Primary)
Stacie Wicks has held a primary music calling for most of the last 30 years. She holds a degree in Elementary Education with a minor in Elementary Music from BYU and has completed her National Kodály Certification Levels. She currently teaches music to elementary school students and loves to help enhance children’s lives through music.