Instrumental Music Faculty
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Virtuosic bass pioneer Nick Gaudette picked up a cello tuned as a bass at age 5 and has continued playing classical and non-classical ever since. Nick studied with the principle bass of the Cleveland Orchestra, Max Dimoff, to whom he credits both technique and a sense of endless boundaries. After completing a BM and MM at Cleveland Institute of Music, Nick helped found the chamber music fiddle project The Orange Mighty Trio, where he plays mostly with the bow, treating the instrument like a large violin. Along with teaching classes at the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, Nick is a freelance jazz, classical and instrumental upright bassist in the twin cities area.
Michael Cramer received a BA in Music from the University of Northern Iowa. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Michael has extensive performance experience ranging from the club to the concert hall. He taught guitar as an adjunct instructor at Grinell College and is the co-owner and founder of All 12 Notes.
Zach Kline received a BA in Music from Macalester College. He is an active performer with the Orange Mighty Trio which appeared at the Square Lake Film & Music Festival on the west and east coasts. Zach has extensive private teaching experience and has led several workshops held at Chicago Fiddle Camp, MacPhail, Depaul University, and the University of Colorado.
A native of the Twin Cities, Jana Meckler is a music educator and professional singer. She holds a BA in Instrumental Education and instructs flute, voice, and piano at her private studio. Jana has been a guest artist/clinician at numerous schools including the Univeristy of Wisconsin-Green Bay and Bethel University. She is an active performer and tours regularly with her quintet, “The Jana Nyberg Group.” Jana has had the pleasure to collaborate with numerous artists such as the Adam Meckler Quintet, Seattle pianist Josh Rawlings, Todd Clouser, and is now a full-time member of the Twin Cities based hip hop group, Out From Inside. www.janajazz.com
Ann Millikan received her MFA in Composition from the California Institute of the Arts where her mentors were Mel Powell, Morton Subotnick, and Stephen L. Mosko, and her BA in Music–Jazz Concentration from San Jose State University. Rhythmic vitality is a powerful force in her music, stemming from previous years playing jazz, African and Brazilian music. Her works have been performed by Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino, Emanuele Arciuli, California EAR Unit, Zeitgeist, Citywinds, New Century Players, Oregon Repertory Singers, Grace Cathedral Men’s Choir, and Joan La Barbara, among others. Ann Millikan is a recipient of the 2010 McKnight Composer Fellowship. She has also garnered awards from the California Arts Council, American Music Center, ASCAP, American Composers Forum, Meet The Composer, Argosy Foundation Contemporary Music Fund, Jerome Foundation, Zellerbach Family Fund, Berkeley Civic Arts Program, and Waging Peace Through Singing (Highest Honors). Recordings of Millikan’s orchestral and chamber music are available on Innova Recordings. www.annmillikan.com
Minneapolis saxophonist and composer Chris Thomson graduated from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities with a Bachelor of Music Education. Chris has toured nationally and internationally with multiple artists including the Glenn Miller Orchestra. He has collaborated with Delfeayo Marsalis and many of the Twin Cities finest musicians: Mason Jennings, Roma di Luna, S. Carey, JT and Chris Bates, Anthony Cox, Dosh, Aby Wolf, Chris Morrissey Quartet, Dave King, Richard Diriam, Spaghetti Western String Co., Patrick Harrison, Bryan Nichols, Michael Lewis, Adam Linz, Adam Levy, Kelly Rossum, Yawo Attivor, and many others.
Michael Vasich graduated from Macalester College with a BA in Music. Michael is a member of the Orange Mighty Trio, which was a City Pages finalist in 2007. He also collaborated in creating and performing two film scores: “It Was Great, But I Was Ready to Come Home,” directed by Kris Swanberg and “Silver Bullets,” directed by Joe Swanberg.
