THE ENSEMBLE

The chronological, geographical, and vocational makeup of Musica! is as multifaceted as its repertoire. Age has no limit for these singers from late twenties to . . . well we stopped asking. With two/thirds of the group over thirty, the sound is full, rich and mature. As Mark Munson, Associate Professor of Music and President of Ohio Choral Directors Association (OCDA) put it “Such high quality is not necessarily the norm for adult ensembles of this sort.” Their day jobs – teachers, painting contractor, technical writer, vice-president of finance, retired electronic circuit engineer, information technology specialist, education administrators, and yes domestic goddesses. Just the people you see on the street or in the office – but come every Tuesday night at 7:00 pm to become Musica! Coming up from Monroe and down from Troy on I-75 and even as far away as Indianapolis, IN.  They merge at Westminster Presbyterian Church in the heart of Dayton, OH to rehearse and polish their vocal skills for their next performance, no matter where it may be – The Dayton Art Institute’s Gothic Cloister, Wegerzyn Gardens, Rio Grande University, an AIDS benefit, or a private or large community function.

Musica! concerts are as multifaceted as their personalities.

Bruce George, the President & Founder of the Troy Mayors’ Concert, Inc.

Put our next concert date on your calendar and plan to join us!

To find out about individual singers, click on the names below.

Soprano

• Sarah Bucher
  Sarah Bucher has been a member of Musica! since 2007. A 2003 graduate of Wittenberg University (Springfield, Ohio), she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in both management and music. She was a member of the Wittenberg University Choir for four years. While with the choir, Sarah was reviewed by a correspondent for the New York Times who defined her as “…the soprano whose impeccable intonation, effortless presentation and radiant upper register destine her for the performance of Early Music.”  She was also a member of the university’s Opera Studio and a founding member of Wittenberg’s first female a cappella group – Just Eve. She is a full time property manager for two local communities. Sarah also enjoys teaching beginning piano and voice from a studio in her home. Beginning in the fall of 09, she will be pursuing a masters in music performance from Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio). Originally from Indianapolis, Indiana, she now lives with her husband Eric, in Miamisburg, Ohio.
• Diane Gentner
  Diane received a Bachelor of Music Education from May Hardin Baylor college in Belton, Texas and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She has been married to Frank for over 35 years and they have two grown daughters. Diane has sung with the San Antonio Symphony Mastersingers and Opera Chorus, and with Dayton Bach Society. The Gentners have lived in the Dayton area for over 30 years. Diane loves reading, and other hobbies include; sewing, needle crafts and quilting. Diane is an active volunteer and sings in the choir at St. George’s Episcopal Church.  She’s been a teacher, church choir director, business manager, office manager and retail store manger. One of the founding members of Musica! She says, “I feel incredibly blessed to have been a part of Musica! It has been a wonderful musical experience to grow with this group. All the people who have sung with Musica! over the years have enriched my life – even Dean.”
• Ginger Minneman
• Megan Rehberg
  Megan Rehberg is a new member of Musica! for the 2010-2011 season. A 2006 graduate of Knox College (Galesburg, Illinois), she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, and sang with the Knox College Choir and Knox College Chamber Singers. While at Knox, she also sang with Nova Singers, a professional choir, and was a soloist for the Galesburg Community Chorus. Law school brought her to Ohio; she is a 2009 graduate of the University of Dayton. She has sung with the Dayton Opera Chorus and the Bach Society of Dayton, and currently studies with Dr. David Sievers. She works at UD as the Grants Administrator. In her free time, she volunteers with the law school, helping to organize volunteer opportunities for students and is the Vice President of the Dayton Ballet Associate Board.

Alto

• Susan Daly
  Susan Daly and her family moved to the Dayton area in 2003 courtesy of the United States Air Force. She heard her first Musica! concert in 2005 and, enchanted with the style and variety of the group, decided to audition (with a little encouragement from her good friend Diane Gentner). The 2009-10 season will be her fifth season with the group. She has been a trustee on the Musica! board since 2007 and serves in the capacity of Marketing Director.  Susan is currently a teacher of college algebra for Miami Jacobs Career College. She has sung as a chorus member with the Dayton Opera and is a member of the choir of St. George’s Episcopal Church (Dayton, Ohio).
• Carla J.H. Drye
  Carla joined Musica! in the spring of 1998 and served on the Board of Trustees for 6 years, during which she served as Secretary, Vice-President, and 3 years as President. Currently she continues an active role in the administrative side of Musica! by coordinating ticket orders and printing for the groups season concerts. She was a Music Education major at Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio) and studied with Sarah Owen Johnson and later studied with Ronda Plessinger, and Prof. Lee Hoffman. Carla has been a member of the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, Choral Arts of Springfield and is currently a member of the Westminster Presbyterian Choir (Dayton, Ohio).  She has been a guest soloist throughout the area, most notably in annual performances of Messiah. In the theatrical venues Carla has served as Music Director for several Tipp City Players productions; including Oliver, Music Man, and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. She has also directed church choirs at Tipp City United Methodist Church, First Lutheran Church (Troy, Ohio), and Otterbein United Methodist Church (Dayton, Ohio). A native Daytonian now living in the Tipp City/Troy area with her husband Edward, Carla has two grown sons, one married with three sons of his own, and the second a Music Education Representative for Willis Music. Her 8-5 hours during the week are spent working as a contract technical writer for PDSI with an assignment at Odawara Automation, Inc. in Tipp City, Ohio.
• Elyse Fenstermacher
• Harriet Pence Gray
  Harriet is one of several teachers in the ensemble. She teaches High School German in Monroe, Ohio and is currently pursuing an Ohio Teaching Endorsement for Teaching English as a Second Language. She enjoys traveling to Europe every other summer with her German students. Harriet earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio) and a Masters in Education from Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio). She has sung with Bach Society of Dayton and the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus. And in her spare time Harriet enjoys gardening, working on house projects, reading, and keeping up with the activities of her 20-something twins Janet and Daniel.
• Julia Thompson
  Originally from the Buffalo, NY area, Julia came to Dayton in 2001 to study at the University of Dayton, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Management. While attending UD she became involved in the University Chorale under the direction of Dr. Robert Jones. Julia sang with the group throughout her college career. She also enjoyed performing in theater productions, including starring in Guys and Dolls and Dancing at Lughnasa. Two years after graduation, Julia found her way back to music, when she was encouraged by Dr. Jones to audition for Musica! Since February 2008, Julia has sung alto with Musica! and enjoys making great music with such a talented group of singers. She appreciates the diversity of music that the group performs, but would say that the jazz pieces are her favorite. In addition to singing, she also helps with the planning of the annual retreat and is on the website committee.  Julia resides in Centerville with her husband Tony and is an Admission Counselor at the University of Dayton. Go Flyers! (Since Tony is an OSU alum, she also cheers for the Buckeyes.)

Tenor

• David McKibben
  David McKibben began singing with Musica! in 2010. A graduate of Wright State University (Dayton, Ohio), David holds a degree in Organizational Leadership. While at Wright State, David sang with the WSU Collegiate Choral, Men’s Choir and the Opera Chorus. David also studied at Bowling Green State University (Ohio) where he participated in music performance ensembles including Men’s Choral, University Chorus, French Horn Choir, and Wind Ensemble. While at BGSU, David was also the Drum Major for the Falcon Marching Band. David has worked with the Bellbrook High School musical theatre program, the Bellbrook Marching Eagles, and as a private lesson instructor for both voice and Horn. David has performed with the Sinclair Community theatre as Bobby in Company and as Mother’s Younger Brother in Richmond Civic Theatre’s production of Ragtime. Most recently David performed with The Bach Society of Dayton.
• Jerry Nelson
  Jerry has been an elementary general music teacher with Troy City Schools (Ohio) for 22 years. He has directed more than 20 musicals at both the elementary and the high school levels, the latest of which were Tom Sawyer, Dreams, and Bye,Bye Birdie. He has a great passion for the musical theater, whether as a director, a cast member (Godspell, The Wiz, 1776), or being in the audience. Jerry has directed and has sung with several church choirs in the region: Zion Lutheran (Tipp City, Ohio), Oakland Presbyterian (Springfield, Ohio), and St. John’s Lutheran (Vandalia, Ohio). He currently sings at Lutheran Church of Our Savior (Dayton, Ohio). Jerry earned his BME from Newberry College in South Carolina, and attended the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati for a year of graduate studies. He earned his masters degree from Vandercook College of Music in Chicago. Jerry also has 4 mischievous cats (Glinda, Rocky, Smidget, & Julius), loves to play games and has definite affinity for traveling, cooking, and eating out. He has been a tenor with Musica! since 2000.
• Dean Ramga
  One of the founding members of Musica! , Dean has an eclectic musical background.  He has sung with the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, Dayton Bach Society, Barbershop quartet “Candidates” (1977 Illinois District Champions) and was musical director for the Sound of Illinois Chorus (Bloomington, Illinois). He also played cello, winning the Lima Symphony Orchestra Young Musicians Competition Grand Prize in 1964. Little-known facts about Dean: He served active duty with U.S. Army Intelligence in West/East Berlin, Germany, from 1968-1970 and was awarded the Army Commendation Medal (1970); he completed a triathlon in May, 1987; and is passionate about genealogy and The Ohio State Football Buckeyes. He received his BS in Accounting from Bowling Green State University and his MBA from the University of Dayton. Dean is currently Vice President for Finance at Christian Theological Seminary, Indianapolis, Indiana. He lives in Fischers, Indiana a suburb of Indianapolis with his lovely and talented wife, Vicki.

Bass

• John Bedell
• Gary Brooks
  Gary’s initial foray into music was as a lead trumpeter, playing with jazz giants Stan Kenton and Maynard Ferguson while still in high school. Throughout college, he directed his creative skills toward dry brush watercolor painting, working as a studio artist with world-renowned wildlife artist John Ruthven. Prior to becoming superintendent of a large public school system, Brooks worked in industrial theatre production, did commercial voice-overs, and spent memorable years working in the county water and sewer departments.  Along the way, Brooks earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Master of Arts in Art Education, Master of Arts in Educational Administration, a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of Cincinnati, and completed post-doctoral work with the Harvard Change Institute. A lifelong Buckeye, Gary is married to his high school sweetheart, Margaret. In his spare time, Gary continues to produce original watercolors, sing with the a capella gospel group Sweet Deliverance, play the tenor guitar/banjo, and work on two writing projects – true crime book and a biography of his mother’s experiences as a Holocaust survivor. He’s the tall guy in the back row.
• Phil Jenkins
  Phil has sung in numerous church choirs in Kentucky, Indiana, Alabama and Ohio since age fourteen. When he was sixteen, he sang in a chorus organized by Marion College (Marion, Indiana) comprised of college students and adult members from the community. Later he sang in a madrigal ensemble for one year at Marion High School. Phil attended Purdue University where, while earning a BS in Chemical Engineering, he sang with the Purdue Varsity Glee Club for four years, and a smaller professional chorus known as The Al Stewart Singers for over three years. During the college years, he sang in performances in many major cities of the U.S. literally from New York to Los Angeles, as well as on tours in Europe and Hawaii. After moving to the Dayton area in 1978, Phil sang in the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus for several seasons. Phil joined Musica! in January 1991, about one year after the ensemble was formed. Phil continues to sing in church choirs, including solos for worship services, weddings and funerals.  Phil, and his wife Bev, live in Centerville and have two grown children and five grandchildren. Phil has MS and PhD degrees in Bionucleonics from Purdue University. He is a Certified Health Physicist, holding a comprehensive certification from the American Board of Health Physics since 1980. Phil provides technical direction to the radon reference laboratory at Bowser-Morner, Inc. in Huber Heights, which performs calibration and quality assurance testing services for devices that measure radon gas in air.  Phil has served on several national boards and on a committee of the World Health Organization’s International Radon Project. He currently serves as the chairman of a committee writing a national standard on performance criteria of radon measuring devices. Phil has published several papers, authored chapters in technical books, taught continuing education courses and presented papers at national and international conferences.
• Tim Magill
  Tim began his involvement in choral singing at the age four, while pretending to sing in Beethoven’s Ninth symphony with the Pittsburgh Mendelssohn Choir (his parents actually did). Following a move to Cincinnati, he grew up with the May Festival, and joined the chorus, this time for real, upon graduation from college. He sang with the May Festival for several years, acquiring many wonderful memories and a greatly deepened love for music. He joined Musica! in 2000, and feels that this has been a delightful journey with many more memories and friends acquired along with way. Tim straddles baritone and tenor for Musica!, and serves on the board. He is the proud parent of four children. Tim’s current day job is a data warehouse architect and developer.
• Dan Minneman
  Dan joined Musica! at the end of the 2008-2009 season. A life long Daytonian, he attended Dayton Public Schools and graduated from Colonel White H.S. Dan has had numerous engagements with the Dayton Philharmonic Chorus during Clark Haines era and with The Dayton Opera Chorus from 1997-2003.  He now sings at The Lutheran Church of Our Savior under the direction of his wife, Ginger. He’s the other tall guy in the back row.
• Kurtis Olt
  Kurt, an original member of Musica!, has a varied singing history on the concert and theatre stage and as a church soloist. He has sung with Miami University Men’s Glee Club, Dayton Philharmonic Chorus, and Dayton Bach Society. Performances include productions with Opera Funatics, Wright State Opera Workshop and Dayton Playhouse. Kurt is a retired Dayton School teacher and currently self-employed interior and exterior painter. In addition to volunteering at Dayton Children’s and Miami Valley Hospitals he enjoys biking, hiking and gardening.