Archives: Speakers

Jasmine Edwards

Jasmine Edwards, MA, LCAT, MT-BC NICU Music Therapist Austin Vocal Psychotherapist  Jasmine Edwards is a creative arts therapy coordinator at Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital within the Child Life and Creative Arts Therapy Department. Jasmine holds a BM and MA in music therapy from Florida State University and New York University, respectively. She has experience... Bio Details →

Ashleigh Gordon

Ashleigh Gordon Artistic/Executive Director, Castle of our Skins Described as a “charismatic and captivating performer,” Ashleigh Gordon has recorded with Switzerland's Ensemble Proton and Germany's Ensemble Modern; performed with Grammy-award winning BMOP and Grammy-nominated A Far Cry string ensemble; and appeared at the prestigious BBC Proms Festival with the Chineke! Orchestra. Comfortable on an international stage,... Bio Details →

Michelle A. May

Musician | Counselor | Coach for Creative Professionals Michelle A. May is a Licensed Professional Counselor, and a professional violinist and flutist. She has worked in mental health since 1988 and in 1996, she co-founded A.M. May & Associates, Inc., a counseling, coaching and consulting firm in Detroit with her sister, psychologist and musician Dr. Angela Celeste May.  Michelle has presented numerous workshops on higher education topics,... Bio Details →

Amy Iwano

Executive + Artistic Director, Performance Santa Fe Amy Iwano is the newly appointed Executive + Artistic Director of Performance Santa Fe, taking up the post after having served nine years as Executive Director of the University of Chicago Presents, the professional concert series presenting classical, early, contemporary, world, and jazz music. She previously completed a... Bio Details →

Melissa Ngan

President and CEO, American Composers Orchestra Melissa Ngan cultivates personal and organizational growth through creative acts and collaborative practices. Melissa has over fifteen years of experience in civic practice-based program design; arts administration; diversity, equity, and inclusion practices; arts-integrated educational program design; professional development and entrepreneurship in the arts; and as a professional flutist. She serves... Bio Details →

Paula Grissom-Broughton

Chair, Department of Music, Spelman College Pianist Dr. Paula Grissom-Broughton currently serves as the chair of the music department at Spelman College where she also teaches courses related to women, race and music. An active scholar and researcher on the subject of race and gender in the music classroom, Paula has presented her research at... Bio Details →

Zach Sheets

Manager of Institutional Giving, Community Music Center of Boston Managing Director, Switch~ Ensemble Flutist, Duo Axis Zach Sheets is a flutist, composer, and advocate for new music and arts education. In fundraising and leadership roles, he has secured millions of dollars in charitable grants from a wide range of funders including the NEA, MAP Fund,... Bio Details →

Cheryl Sanford

Director of Operations Workforce Development Institute Cheryl Sanford is a workforce development professional with more than 30 years of experience. As the Director of Operations for the Workforce Development Institute, she works with local and state economic developers to support businesses of all sizes. She is also a dedicated board member of the Highland Park... Bio Details →

Jainelle Robinson

Community Engagement Officer, Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings/ArtOps Jainelle Robinson is the Community Engagement Officer for ArtOps, an organization that provides consulting services to nonprofits, allowing them the time and freedom to concentrate on their artistic product. Jainelle's focus is creating engagement activities—such as leading a community arts development program—that connect ArtOps partner organizations to... Bio Details →

Sasha Ono

Cellist & Founder, Lotus Chamber Music Collective Sasha Ono is a cellist, founder of Lotus Chamber Music Collective, and a music educator. Female and female-identifying composers, the LGBTQ+ community, and ALAANA persons are at the forefront of LotusCMC's programming. The concerts delve deep into discussions of identity, purpose, and social justice. Exploring Racial and Gender... Bio Details →