Meet our team
SUSAN VANCE-KOCH
Susan taught elementary music in the Avon Lake Public School system for 30 years. She was the Choir Director for the Avon Middle and High School for 6 years. She was also the director of music for the Avon High School musicals. Mrs. Vance-Koch has also taught Spanish for both the Avon and Avon Lake school systems. Mrs. Vance-Koch teaches Early Childhood Music classes, guitar, voice, and piano lessons in addition to performing with the True North Chorale. She also teaches the Children’s Theatre camps at True North Cultural Arts Center in the summers. Susan graduated with a double major from Heidelberg College in both Music Education and Spanish, and is certified in Kodaly, and experienced in Orff-Schulwerk and Dalcroze. Mrs. Vance-Koch received her Masters in Music from Akron University.
EMILY FABANICH
Emily got her bachelors degree in music education from Duquesne University and taught music for the first ten years of her teaching career. She achieved Masters degrees in education from the University of the Virgin Islands and Ursuline College and finished her 39 year career in education as an administrator. She is a member of the band, Just Us. Emily also performs with local band, Fayrewether.
PAUL KRAKER
Paul is a Cleveland, Oh based guitarist and songwriter. Since 1996, he has been the Creative Arts Pastor at Christ Church in Columbia Station, Oh. In addition to his responsibilities as a church leader, he has played in various bands in northeast Ohio and founded the music seminar Playskillfully.
BILLY COAKLEY
Billy is a Cleveland Ohio based drummer who was born in New York in 1961. Billy studied music at Potomac State College in Keyser West Virginia and then the Berklee College of Music. Billy’s professional career as a performer and educator got started in the early 80’s playing in a variety of jazz, rock and reggae bands. Billy spent a number of years playing reggae, ten of which Billy played in a popular reggae world beat band called Satta. During that time He released Five records and toured non-stop through the United States, Europe and Asia. He also appeared in an NBC Movie of the Week, “The Keys”. Billy is currently in one of Cleveland’s hottest blues and rock power trios, Butch Armstrong and the Bearcats. They have shared the stage with the Allman Brothers George Thoroghgood and the Destroyers, Little Feat, Johnny Winter Blue Oyster Cult, Southside Johnny, Robin Trower, The Tower of Power and many others.
NEAL AND CHRISTY DORENKOTT
Neal and Christy of “Jitterbug & More” together have over 20 years of swing dance experience. Neal’s technical background includes tap, structured swing and choreography. Christy’s dance background began with 6 years of ballet and includes training in a variety of other classes including folk, square, modern, swing, musicality and choreography. Their swing dance instruction has taken them dancing across the country from places like Detroit, Toronto, Boston, Las Vegas and Los Angeles and many more. They have taken instruction from some of the country’s best swing dance instructors including Frankie Manning, Sylvia Sykes, Steven Mitchell, Jenny Thomas and Ryan Francois to name a few.
LYNNE MARIOTTI
Lynne graduated from Ashland University with a Bachelor of Music Degree: Major: Piano, Minor:Voice and cello. She received a Master of Arts in Music Education, Majoring with piano at Case-Western Reserve University. She started a music program for psychiatric patients at Mercy Hospital & taught vocal music at Avon Local Schools for 14 years. She plays piano at a Community Meal which consists of people in need and the homeless.
music on a mission band
Doug McCutcheon- keyboards,vocals
Dave Michaels- guitar, lead vocals
Tim King- bass, vocals
Gerry Parisi- drums, vocals
Jeff Hurd- guitar, vocals