Jamie Allen*
Providence, RI
CURRENT POSITION: Interim Director of Artistic Operations, RI Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School
EDUCATION: 1986 – Masters in Composition, University of Texas at Austin
1984 – Bachelor of Arts in Composition, University of Chicago
EXPERIENCE: 2021-Present: Director of Artistic Operations, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra & Music School
2006-2020: Director of Education, Dallas Symphony Orchestra
1998-2006: Children’s Chorus Director, Santa Fe Opera & Santa Fe Desert Chorale
1990-1998: Music Specialist, Rio Grande Elementary School & Adjunct Music Faculty, the College of Santa Fe
1986-1990: Freelance Composer for films, documentaries, and commercials
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: As co-chair of the ARS IDEA (formerly DEI) committee since its inception, I am committed to exploring and implementing ways to help broaden the membership of the ARS and make the American recorder playing community as accessible and welcoming as it can possibly be. As former co-director of the Dallas Recorder Society, and now director of the Rhode Island Recorder Society, as well as a guest director and teacher throughout the New England region and online, I have firsthand experience of many different approaches, and continue to learn what works well and what doesn’t as society continues to evolve. This is not a “one and done” issue, but one that requires constant observation and re-evaluation, which is why I am thrilled that the ARS has made the IDEA committee a permanent one. In my experience, fellow recorder players are naturally wonderful and welcoming people, so why not be bold and deliberate in our attempts to give all ARS members, chapters, consorts, and business partners the resources and opportunities they need to reflect such a positive message to the wider world.
*Incumbent
Daniel Bruner*
Rehoboth Beach, DE
CURRENT POSITION: Retired attorney.
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts, Juris Doctor, Master of Public Policy
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: After a hiatus of almost 30 years, I took up the recorder again in 2010. I had played the modern flute through college, and played recorders my first couple of years after graduating from law school, but then stopped as my career became more demanding. I always loved early music, and when a friend asked me what my passion was, I realized how much I missed playing as well as listening to this music, and decided to act before I got any older.
I bought an alto and taught myself the basic fingerings, and then began studying with Suzana Cooper in the Washington, DC area. Within 2 years I was also playing soprano, tenor and bass.
In the following years I joined the Washington Recorder Society, and started playing with several local groups. I took workshops with visiting teachers, including Tish Berlin, Frances Blaker, Gwyn Roberts, John Tyson, Shelley Gruskin, and Heloise Degrugillier, and began attending Amherst Early Music workshops and festivals.
Although COVID was a blow to in-person group playing, like many folks I found it to be a boon for access to teachers living far away. I have taken advantage of many online classes through ARS and Amherst Early Music, and have been studying regularly with Heloise for more than 3 years. As President of the Washington Recorder Society during COVID, I helped organize regular WRS online meetings with noted teachers. I now study regularly with Heloise Degrugillier.
Since moving to Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 4-1/2 years ago, I have had to take more initiative to find other recorder players close to me, but am now playing with two informal groups.
Playing recorders is a source of growth and joy to me. I have learned a great deal about myself, and kept my mind busy exploring new horizons. For instance, over the past several years I have slowly been learning 14th-16th century notation – initially with a small group of enthusiasts in Washington, DC and in a workshop with Tish Berlin, and more recently under the guidance of Annette Bauer, Pat Petersen, and Wendy Powers. I also began Baroque flute studies with Heloise several years ago.
Being an ARS Board member gives me the opportunity to contribute more to this outstanding organization, which is so important to me and many others!
*Incumbent
Jody Miller*
Marietta, GA
CURRENT POSITION: President of the ARS Board; Conductor of Lauda Musicam of Atlanta; freelance recorder teacher and player
EDUCATION: Bachelor's and Master’s degrees in Music Education, University of Southern Mississippi
EXPERIENCE: Music Director, Lauda Musicam of Atlanta; Director, Mountain Collegium Early Music & Folk Music Workshop; former Co-Director, Mountain Collegium‘s Bloom Early Music Workshop; Co-Director, Amethyst Baroque Ensemble; former President, Atlanta Recorder Society; former Director, Emory Early Music Ensemble; former board member of Atlanta Early Music Alliance; regular faculty at Atlanta Midwinter Workshop; has taught at workshops, presented teacher in-service sessions, and led chapter playing sessions throughout the country.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: As a 10 year-old, I found the recorder much by accident. My school in rural Mississippi didn’t offer music classes before 5th grade. After I started playing trumpet in the school band, the only music class offered in the junior high school, I found a strange little instrument called a recorder in the toy department of a local discount store. Only when I was in college did I find out there were colleges and universities with programs in place for studying recorder! The journey for me to discover that the recorder is a serious instrument took me more than 7 years. The ARS has recently put a great deal of effort into reaching people who wouldn‘t easily find opportunities on their own, which is what I try to do on a daily basis in my own life. I am currently working with multiple workshops to add classes or programs for emerging players. In addition, I have put together various online class opportunities for these novice musicians, helping them to gain skills necessary to participate in local chapter meetings, workshops, and ensembles. My hope is that by keeping my position on the ARS Board, I can help put in place some resources to help people more easily gain a place within the greater recorder community.
I believe in supporting the contemporary recorder community, having commissioned works of music by composers Timothy Broege, Glen Shannon, Martha Bishop, and others. As a performer, I frequently perform contemporary chamber music for recorders and other instruments so that a wider circle of listeners can experience the recorder as a serious art instrument.
It has been a privilege to work with the ARS Board to help realize all the goals of the organization. My long career as a music educator and performer have helped give me an insight to how people learn, what attracts people to music, and what keeps them interested. As important as that expertise is, though, I look forward to interacting with even more of the recorder community to see how the ARS can best serve us all.
*Incumbent
Elaine Henderson
Little Rock, AR
CURRENT POSITION: ARS chapter rep for the Aeolus Recorder Konsort; Texas Toot board member; retired educator
EDUCATION: Master of Liberal Arts, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX.
Bachelor of Arts: San Jose State University, San Jose, CA - German major, music minor.
Additional graduate hours in linguistics and creative writing.
EXPERIENCE: Dallas Public Schools: secondary-level teacher of English, ESL, reading, and German; Talented and Gifted Program coordinator; curriculum writer; grant writer; teacher trainer.
Other: Dallas Community College adjunct English instructor; EFL teacher in Japan.
CANDIDATE STATEMENT:
I dabbled briefly in the recorder in college but have only focused on playing it eleven years. My interest was kindled when my cousin, Alice Derbyshire, performed in Little Rock with some Dallas recorder players. What I heard delighted me. After a year of trying to teach myself to play, I sought a teacher and began FaceTime lessons with the fabulous Frances Blaker. These weekly lessons have continued, and I love playing. My recorder-related activities have expanded over time to include learning about the history of music and the instrument, leading the local ARS chapter, playing in various informal recorder groups, and attending as many workshops as possible.
I look forward to serving on the board and think I am well-positioned to represent the interests of those who live outside recorder hubs. Beyond a small but active recorder community in Little Rock, the recorder is largely unknown in Arkansas, a largely rural and rather sparsely populated state. Adult amateur musicians are many, however, and a rich and varied folk-music tradition thrives, so ways may be found to incorporate the recorder into the music scene here.
As for where the ARS now stands, the enthusiasm generated by Play-the-Recorder Month and Play-the-Recorder Day suggests members enjoy such fun activities, including but not limited to ones that create a sense of community. The ARS has addressed this need very well, but additional approaches such as games, puzzles, and activities incorporating language and visual media with music might be explored. These could prove especially valuable to less skilled groups and isolated players who have no one nearby to play with.
All in all, playing the recorder has brought a special joy to my life, and I look forward as a board member to serving the American Recorder Society in a variety of ways.
Janith Mason
Schenectady, NY
CURRENT POSITION: Hudson Mohawk Recorder Society – Secretary and Chapter Representative; duties include maintenance of membership lists, communication, securing meeting venue, occasional music direction
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts, Studio Art, SUNY Oneonta, 1975
Minor concentration in Non-Western Music, under the direction of Margaret E. Cawley and Hewitt Pantaleoni
EXPERIENCE: 2013 – 2023 Lynnwood Reformed Church - Office Manager
Duties involved administration of the office and all communication aspects of the church, maintained working relationships with church staff, volunteer members of committees/teams, and congregation; produced weekly bulletins, monthly newsletters, annual reports; website and social media; prepared music lyrics and graphics for projected worship, led Tech team
2014 – present: Adirondack Baroque Consort - Treasurer
Amateur Musical Ensembles, Albany NY: Fortuna, Two Minstrels, Adirondack Baroque Consort, Lycaeides, Pine Bush Players
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: My father was denied a musical education, admonished by a teacher not to sing! In the 1950s when a popular magazine featured a multi-page article on how the recorder can make music accessible to the unlearned public, my father took note – and purchased soprano, alto, and tenor recorders. Although my engineer father never quite reached his dream, he put recorders in the home, and my brothers and I made occasional use of them. Years later when my college offered a recorder consort class, this made possible for me what my father had once only dreamed of.
The recorder has come a long way since then, and the American Recorder Society has always been there for me. After leaving college, attending workshops like Hudson Guild and Amherst were immeasurably influential. I have found the joy of music making, learning, fellowship with other musicians, and opportunities to share this with the public in different settings. As a proficient amateur player who is always learning, I hope to relate this experience to the many newcomers who are desperate to find support in their dream of playing the instrument of which we are so fond.
The use of the recorder as a pre-orchestral instrument in America’s elementary schools leaves much to be desired. Promoting the recorder as a legitimate instrument and providing resources to teachers (who most
likely have had no recorder instruction) is a challenge. I feel that this missing connection can not only improve the misunderstood reputation of the recorder but also provide opportunities for children to be lifetime players and future members.
With all this in mind, I envision my perspectives could benefit the Communications, Membership Benefits, and Scholarships & Grants committees.
Michael Richart
Harrisburg, PA
CURRENT POSITION: Deputy Auditor General for Administration, PA Department of the Auditor General. Current President of NAVRS (North American Virtual Recorder Society).
EDUCATION: Bachelor of Science, Religion Lancaster Bible College; Master of Public Administration, Shippensburg University
EXPERIENCE: PA Department of the Auditor General, Deputy Auditor General for Administration 2021 - Present
PA Office of the Budget, Director Bureau of Planning & Management 2017 - 2021
PA Department of General Services – Chief Procurement Officer of the Commonwealth, Deputy Secretary for Procurement 2011 - 2017
CANDIDATE STATEMENT: I’m still new to the recorder community, having only returned to the recorder in 2019, and I recognize I have much to learn. However, I’ve had the incredible privilege to serve as President of the North American Virtual Recorder Society (NAVRS) for the last 4 years. We’re celebrating our fifth year together in 2026. NAVRS is a fully virtual chapter of the ARS, a one-of-a-kind chapter. We built it from the ground up, which required creative thinking, innovation, and a lot of hard work. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished with NAVRS and humbled to be a part of the leadership team. It was my first experience working with a non-profit board and it was an exceptional learning opportunity. When I started working with the recorder again, I never expected to be part of something as wonderful as NAVRS.
During my 26-year career working for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, my experience has focused on mostly administration; policy, budget, procurement, technology and human resources. Throughout the years I was responsible for over $3 billion in purchasing across the commonwealth, $60 million budgets, as well as providing opportunities for learning and growth for hundreds of staff. I believe I can bring all this knowledge and experience, as well as what I’ve learned leading and working with the NAVRS Board, to help serve and support the ARS. In each of my roles, my work supported others. Change was always at the core, seeking out new ways to be more efficient, to reduce costs, to increase effectiveness, all to ensure the success of the mission of the organization. In a similar way, I believe I can help the ARS meet its mission “to support professional and amateur recorder players.”
I recently re-read the book “Well Tempered Woodwinds.” Each time I do, I’m left thinking about the passion, tenacity and hard work that went into the “recorder revolution” and I wonder if we’re not at a new crossroads today. The recorder not only continues to be identified as a child instrument but also continues to experience challenges in its use in education where students may no longer be introduced to it. I’m curious about what that might mean for its future and the future of recorder players. I believe the ARS can play a significant role in this future and I’m excited to be a candidate to work alongside the ARS to confront these and other challenges and to “promote the recorder,” increase its visibility and solidify its future.
David Sandage
Forest Grove, OR
EDUCATION: BA Computer Science, University of California Berkeley, 1982
EXPERIENCE: Membership Director, Portland Recorder Society, Portland, OR. 2024-present: maintain membership records, communicate with members about the benefits of membership, explore ways to increase our membership, manage our online members' forum.
Created and currently lead a monthly playing session as a satellite group to the Portland Recorder Society in the adjoining county to increase our geographical reach.
Winery staff, David Hill Vineyards, Forest Grove, OR. 2017-present (part time): teach public wine classes, do staff training, manage the paperwork for our sustainability certifications, work in production as needed.
Software architect, engineering manager, project manager, Intel Corp. 1991-2016; Designed and developed software for advanced research projects, led engineering teams, managed systems projects.
Board member and chairman of a small local non-profit. 1998-2001; Participated in hiring decisions, annual budget creation, communication with members, etc.
CAMPAIGN STATEMENT: I have been playing recorders since the 4th grade and music has always been a huge part of my life. My mother was also a recorder player, and she would take me and a friend to attend playing sessions at the Los Angeles recorder society when I was in high school (I was also an ARS member then!). Although I had periods of my life when I didn't have time to play often, I still got my instruments out occasionally. In 2004 I attended my first workshop and was hooked. I have been a fairly serious amateur player ever since, attending workshops and local playing sessions regularly.
As a board member of the Portland Recorder Society, I've worked with the board to find ways to increase our membership and most importantly to find ways to introduce more people to the joy of making music with others through playing opportunities. As a board member of the ARS, I would actively work to expand our membership and expand playing opportunities to everyone, but especially for beginners or people who have never had the chance to participate in music-making. I'm also excited to find ways to make the ARS more useful and relevant to current members.
