|
meet our faculty
All Academy instructors are considered professionals in their field and have strong performance or educational expertise. Most faculty hold a bachelor's degree, with many having graduate degrees. All instructors are Christians and adhere to the Mission and Vision of First Baptist Church of Melbourne. Additionally, a criminal background check has been completed on all faculty members.
Art
Pablo Remonsellez was born and raised in Santiago, the capital city of Chile. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Graphic Design from Mayor University of Santiago. Mr. Remonsellez has extensive training in the area of Visual Arts working as an assistant professor at his alma mater and also working as a curriculum coordinator and consultant for five years at the Santiago Metropolitan Park.
After moving to the United States in 2003, Mr. Remonsellez has worked as the art teacher at Community Christian School in Melbourne, FL. Several students under his guidance have received important awards at county level, including many first and second places and two Best of Show awards. Currently Mr. Remonsellez is serving as the community programs coordinator with the Brevard Cultural Alliance and also works freelance doing commissioned art, such as murals and illustrations.
Bassoon/Flute
Lynnda Floyd is a native to Melbourne FL. She holds the Bachelor of Music Education degree from the Florida State University. As a secondary instrumental teacher, her primary performance instrument was bassoon and she teaches flute and bassoon at Gateway Academy. She was on the first music faculty at Bayside High School in Palm Bay, FL where she led the orchestra and three choral ensembles. She taught in Brevard County Schools for nine years before deciding to stay home and be a mom. Lynnda has grown up at FBC Melbourne and is currently the Music & Worship Assistant to our Academy Director in the church’s music ministry.
Cello
Dr. Tom Silliman is in his fifteenth year as an orchestra director and string teacher with the Brevard County School District, is currently teaching in the Bayside High School feeder chain and serving as orchestra director at Southwest Middle School in Palm Bay. He is the assistant principal cellist of the Brevard Symphony and the artistic director/concert orchestra conductor of the Brevard Symphony Youth Orchestra. He frequently performs with many other organizations in the Central Florida area and performs with his wife Becky in the Highwire flute and cello duo. Prior to moving to Brevard County, he served as professor of string education at Southern Utah University for three years. Dr. Silliman has a Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance from James Madison University and Masters of Music and Doctor of Musical Arts degrees in cello performance from Arizona State University.
Dance
Debra Poole grew up in Florida as the oldest of five children. She began her dance training at the age of three. Debra began teaching dance at the age of 16 and that same year she received a gold medal award from the North American Dance Festival for her first choreographed solo piece, Sonata Di Roma. That same performance piece won her multiple awards including Fourth Place Dancer of the Year from American Dance Awards. As she excelled at her skills, Debra was privileged to skip her senior year of high school and was admitted early to Belhaven College on a dance scholarship.
Debra holds the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ballet from Belhaven. Throughout her college career Debra performed as a guest artist with The Dance Project, Ballet Mississippi, and Polarity Dance Theatre. After graduating she was promoted to corps de ballet for Polarity Dance Theatre. Most recently she has danced as a soloist for the Space Coast Ballet.
Guitar
Kim Jacobs knows what it feels like to have a passion to play the guitar and to work hard to accomplish it. It is her desire to help others accomplish their goals and avoid bad habits and pitfalls along the way. She is personally attracted to all forms of guitar styles enjoying the growl and sustain of a heavily distorted tube amp as well as the simple beauty of acoustic finger-style guitar or just playing rhythm. But mostly, Kim loves to raise her instrument up in praise of God and just offer back what He has so graciously given to her.
Her formal training allowed her two years to study classical guitar, music theory and musicianship from Ohlone College and the Mission San Jose School of Guitar in California. As a teacher, Kim is especially interested in developing a strong foundation from the beginning by teaching good technique, note reading and theory. It is her desire to point her students down the path to success in their guitar endeavors, and to help them to discover purpose in playing. Her professional experience includes playing for weddings and special family events, rhythm guitar player in bands, leading worship services in local churches and teaching guitar to children and adults.
Organ
Martha Root is a native of Melbourne, Florida and first began studying organ in high school. She continued studying organ for one year at Brevard Community College and then completed the Bachelor of Church Music degree at Stetson University studying both voice and organ. Mrs. Root has served as organist at First Baptist Church of Melbourne since 1974.
Her music teaching experience over the years includes private lessons in voice, piano and organ. She believes the wonderful variety of sounds and magnificence of the “King of Instruments” provides a great expression of praising and worshipping God. Mrs. Root is also the Handbell Coordinator at FBC Melbourne and directs both the adult Worship Bells and children’s Extreme Ringers. Martha enjoys encouraging students of all ages to experience the discipline, creativity and avenue of expression that music brings to our lives. In her other life, she is the Operations Administrator for Christian Radio WCIF 106.3 FM.
Piano
Le Ann S. Hasker is the wife of our Academy Director, Pastor David A. Hasker.
She holds a Bachelors degree in Music Education and the Master of Education degree in Educational Administration from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia. She has taught elementary music professionally in both Christian and Public schools in Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia and Florida. She holds Orff Level II Certification and is currently the elementary music teacher at Covenant Christian School in Palm Bay, Florida. She taught piano privately for 15 years and now is delighted to have her studio here at Gateway Academy. She is the Children’s Choir Coordinator at FBC Melbourne where she oversees six musical ensembles for Preschoolers and Children.
Sara Rhodes has been playing the piano since the age of five. Having a natural ear for music, she quickly became proficient, even as a young child. Being the daughter of an Air Force Major, she moved often and was constantly awarded new opportunities to serve in every church music department. At the age of thirteen, she began formal training under a local teacher, Leigh Julian. During this time, Sara began to teach and share the gift of music with peers and young students alike. When she moved away to attend college in Jacksonville, Florida, she continued her musical education, both in voice and piano. Sara graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in Secondary Education and Music. She became the full-time church pianist and music coordinator at the First Baptist Church of South Brevard from 2001 to 2006. Today, she and her family attend the First Baptist Church of Melbourne where she is actively involved in the music department. Having taught private piano for over twelve years, Sara is looking forward to influencing even more young musicians through Gateway.
Piano/Flute
Linda Hill received a Bachelor of Science in Music Performance from Radford University in Radford, VA, and a Master of Music Education from Florida State University. She taught beginning band for 1½ years and has taught private music lessons for over 15 years. She has participated in the Space Coast Flute Choir, toured as Flutist with the Celebrant Singers, arranged Christian songs and performed for various churches under her Sounds of the Master’s Flute ministry. She has been active in the music ministries of each church she has attended. Currently, at First Baptist Church Melbourne, she enjoys playing the flute for their Praise Band.
Saxophone/Clarinet
Stephen Benedick is a motivating and compassionate educator dedicated to sharing the enthusiasm and joy of learning and playing music. He holds an Associate in Arts degree in Music from Indian River Community College and has fifteen years of experience as a music educator and professional-level musician. Stephen has been a dedicated member of Fellowship Church in Casselberry, Florida in which he is a worship leader, worship musician, Bible teacher and sound technician. In addition to teaching at Gateway Academy, he is the band director at Altamonte Christian School in Altamonte Springs, the director of Covenant Arts Academy in Casselberry, a woodwind instructor at Drums & More Music School in Casselberry, and a free-lance concert, jazz, and marching band clinician in the Central Florida area. Stephen is also a woodwind instructor at Madison, Central, Southwest, and Hoover Middle Schools.
Trombone/Low Brass
Brian Foote grew up in Titusville, FL and now resides in Port St. John. He holds both the Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in trombone performance from the Florida State University. Mr. Foote is in his 18th consecutive year as principal trombonist with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. He is also the music teacher at Challenger 7 Elementary School in Port St. John where he teaches general music, chorus, and strings. In addition to performing with the Brevard Symphony, Mr. Foote performs with other organizations in the area including the Orlando Philharmonic, The Vero Beach Choral Society, The Brevard Chorale and others. Mr. Foote and his family are members of the First Baptist Church of Port St. John.
Trumpet
Andy Benedick is the Associate Pastor and Music Director at First Assembly of God of Melbourne, Florida. He has an Associate in Arts Degree in Music from Indian River Community College and has also studied music at Florida State University. Andy is a Disney cast member as a seasonal musician and also plays trumpet in Tapestry Brass, a professional brass quintet out of Orlando, Florida. He is a local orchestra coordinator for the International Christian Embassy, Jerusalem and has played trumpet for the Embassy's annual Christian celebration of the Feast of Tabernacles in Jerusalem for the past two years. Andy is also a sub for the Brevard Symphony.
Voice
Sarah Benedick is the Assistant Worship Leader at First Assembly of God of Melbourne, Florida. She attended Indian River Community College and Anderson University (Anderson, Indiana) where she studied Vocal Performance. She has over 15 years of performance experience as a soloist, and she has performed at Disney World and various local events. Most recently, she was a worship choir vocalist for the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, Israel. Sarah has taught private and group voice; she has also directed a children's musical theater group in Orlando, FL. Her goals as a teacher are to help students learn good vocal technique and help them to discover their God-given potential.
Violin/Viola
Natalie Weston is currently serving as String Consultant in the Viera High School feeder chain. Natalie is from Ohio where she received her Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Malone College. She has been involved in various ensembles in Ohio such as the Tuscarawas Philharmonic, Alliance Symphony and Malone College Theatre. She has been teaching violin and piano privately for seven years. She loves to work with children and enjoys sharing her love for music with others.
Jenna Cobb has been teaching violin privately for over 15 years. As a student, she was concert mistress of the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra in Atlanta, GA, and became assistant concert mistress of the Atlanta Chamber Orchestra serving for three years before relocating to Melbourne, FL. Jenna is most passionate about playing sacred music in the church. She has involved herself in church orchestra and soloing since the age of 13. Excellence and wholeheartedness in worship is one of her primary goals for her students.
Our Academy Director
Rev. David A. Hasker – Pastor David came to FBC Melbourne in August, 2003 and had a vision for starting Gateway Academy of the Arts from the first time he set foot on the FBC Melbourne campus. Prior to coming to Florida, he served churches as Minister of Music in Virginia, Maryland, Kentucky, and North Carolina. He holds a Bachelors degree in Sacred Music from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia, and the aster of Church Music degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. While serving as Minister of Music in Virginia, he returned to the classroom to complete a Master of Arts in Religion from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary and taught Church Music courses and conducting as an adjunct professor at his Alma Mater, Liberty University. He is currently completing the Doctor of Ministry degree in Worship Leadership from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.
Back
|
|
