Welcome

Brenda lives in Salem, Oregon, and is a professional piano accompanist.  She is currently the staff accompanist at Corban College.

In the past few years, she has been privileged to work with students of Dr. Myra Brand, Les Green, Jay Eugene Fraley, Dr. Jean-David Coen, Randy Kem, Dr. Daniel Rouslin, Allison Swenson-Mitchell, Mitch Iimori, Donna Ross, John T. Bartsch, Bonnie Johnson, Jaimie Hall, Elizabeth Eck, Russ Christensen, Dr. Richard Stewart, Dr. Hekun Wu, Bruce Purdy, Benjamin Garrett, Heather Ray, and Brett Randolph.  She has worked under the direction of Keith Weathers (Salem Concert Band), Ray Lutke (Western Baptist College Concert Choir), Russ Christensen (Sprague High School choral program), and Lee Kirkegaard (North Salem High School choral program).  She also served for several years on the worship band at Bethany Baptist Church in Salem, under the direction of Paul D. Hersh and Daniel Shuholm (currently music department head at Corban College).

Brenda earned a B.S. in General Music (Piano Emphasis) from Western Baptist College (now Corban College) in 1995.  She studied with John T. Bartsch (Corban) in 1991 and Dr. Jean-David Coen (Willamette University) from 1992-1995.  After graduation she studied with Catherine Schnelker (Willamette University, ret.), Dr. Diane Baxter (Western Oregon University), and Dr. Jean-David Coen.  She hopes to pursue a Masters in Contemporary Music at Western Oregon University in the near future.

Brenda delights in the unique joys and challenges offered by collaborative music.  She loves encouraging young musicians and working with more experienced artists as well.  She enjoys sight-reading and being able to help with a last-minute performance need.  She can't pick a "favorite" period of classical music since they're all wonderful, but she has a particular affinity for 20th-century sax and Romantic-era violin and cello literature.  She has extensive experience accompanying vocalists, and has accompanied instrumentalists playing the piano, tuba, trombone, French horn, trumpet, timpani, marimba, snare drum, violin, viola, cello, double bass, bassoon, clarinet, oboe, alto saxophone, and flute.  So if you play the cowbell, piccolo, harp or English horn, be sure and give her a call!

Brenda strongly believes that her work with high school and college musicians is a worthy investment in the musical future of our world.