Biographies—World Music

Okaidja Afroso

African Drumming

Okaidja has danced and drummed with groups in his native Ghana since childhood and has performed throughout Africa, Europe, and the U.S. He is renowned in his homeland and since moving to the U.S., he has performed as lead dancer in Obo Addy's Homowa group based in Portland. He loves to share his culture and music with students.

Brad Dutz

Percussion

Brad studied music at the University of North Texas and Berklee College of Music. In 1982 he moved to Los Angeles and began free-lancing until 1984 when he joined Maynard Ferguson and toured around the country. Besides his ten solo CDs, he has co-produced twelve others and played as a sideman for 210 titles. In addition to playing mallets, hand percussion is his specialty. He has studied many instruments: congas, berimbau, bata, bodhran, bones, pandiero, djembe, tabla, kanjira, doumbec, riq, and others.

Joel Forbes

Alaska Native Arts

Joel Forbes is from the village of Togiak, located in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska. In high school he joined Togiak's local native dance group, The Imarpigmiut Dancers. After high school, Joel enrolled at the University of Alaska Fairbanks where he joined The UAF Inu-Yupiaq Dancers. Today, Joel is one of the lead drummers for The Inu-Yupiaq Dancers, their faculty adviser, and is also teaching Alaska Native Dance and Advanced Alaska Native Dance classes at UAF while finishing a double major in Yup'ik Eskimo and Music.

Eric Hansen

Klezmer

Eric Hansen is a frequent guest conductor and performance coach with professional and educational ensembles. A native of Berkeley, Hansen received his B.A. in Music from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Masters of Music from the University of Michigan. He has been Lecturer of Music at California State University, East Bay since 1987, and lecturer in violin at UC Berkeley. Hansen is Music Director of The Prometheus Symphony Orchestra in Oakland, CA.

Judy Kreith

Dance with Drums

Judy Kreith received her Masters in Dance Education from Stanford. She has taught and performed in Cuba, Colorado, California and throughout Alaska. She produced a program for children following the history of jazz and social dance. She has received grants to study in Africa and Cuba. Pursuing her research of Cuban music and dance, she continues to travel to Cuba. She teaches dance at UAF.

Tom Miller

Steel Drums

Tom Miller has performed throughout the U.S., Europe, Mexico, Japan and the Caribbean. His playing can be heard on recordings of artists such as John Denver and Allison Krause. Miller's dedication to the future of music education has brought him invitations as guest clinician and performer at many universities.

Kyle Sanna

Guitar

Kyle Sanna is a multi-dimensional guitarist and composer. A master of genres that include everything from rock to jazz to the traditional music of Ireland, he has performed with some of today's greatest virtuosos, including Edgar Meyer, Yo-Yo Ma, and Chris Thile. Kyle's arrangements have been performed by cellist Yo-Yo Ma and by Irish fiddler Martin Hayes, among others. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Jazz Performance from the University of Oregon and has studied composition at the Université Lumière in Lyon, France. Kyle currently lives in New York City.

Laura Soble

Jewish Folk Chorus

Laura Soble is a cantorial soloist, songleader and Jewish educator from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has studied violin, dulcimer, guitar, voice and musical theatre. Training with folk singer Ronnie Gilbert, of The Weavers was a highlight. She participated in the Hava Nashira Songleader's Retreat in Wisconsin, having the opportunity to learn and sing with pioneering Jewish composers/musicians, and currently studies voice with Jennifer Boesing.

Caitlin Warbelow

Irish Fiddle

A native Fairbanksan, Caitlin began violin at age three. A Boston University and Columbia alumna, she has been written about in “Irish Music Magazine” and was the winner of the 2009 Mid-Atlantic Fleadh. The 2009 winner of the New England Fiddle Competition and 2008 winner of the Lake Champlain Bluegrass Festival, Caitlin has performed with Cherish the Ladies, Celtic Legends, and the country's top traditional musicians.

Felix Webbe

Dance with Drums

Since 1994, Felix has performed as a professional dancer with several celebrated dance companies including, Espectaculo Ibu Ana, Raices Profunda, and Banrarra. As a member of Banrarra he assisted with several international dance courses organized by Plaza Cuba.