THECOMPASSCONCERTS

Margaret Bloomfield

Margaret had early training as a classical pianist in the U.K. and the U.S., then pursued an academic career in German and French language and literature. She holds degrees from Tufts University and the University of Michigan, and taught at university level for several decades. In 2013 she added a graduate certification in Nonprofit Management to her professional portfolio, with a specialty in arts organizations, and currently works to help arts nonprofits, as a Board member, consultant and musician. Margaret is a Director and the Emcee of Classical Revolution PDX (CRPDX), a nonprofit in Portland, Oregon. CRPDX connects amateur and professional chamber musicians in non-hierarchical music-making, and brings both paid and free classical music to underserved audiences.

Margaret is active in Portland's classical music scene, playing for CRPDX, retirement communities, Portland Piano International, Friends of Chamber Music and Big Mouth Society, as well as playing, organizing and hosting house concerts. An avid tango dancer, Margaret also plays tango piano in ensembles for dancers. She co-directs a foundation benefitting underserved communities through arts, humanities, educational and health nonprofits.

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Nick Gebhardt

Nick Gebhardt is an academic, writer and soprano saxophonist. He is currently Professor of Jazz and Popular Music Studies at Birmingham City University in the United Kingdom and Director of the Birmingham Centre for Media and Cultural Research. He has published widely on jazz and popular music history in the United States, including Going for Jazz: Musical Practices and American Ideology and Vaudeville Melodies: Popular Musicians and Mass Entertainment in American Culture, 1870-1929 (both published by the University of Chicago Press). He also has an interest in music and philosophy, especially how the concept of improvisation might be used as a model for thinking about and understanding our relationship to the world.  

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Derf Hopsecger

Derf Hopsecger has been involved with music for nearly five decades. As a bassist, pianist, synthesist and vocalist he has performed styles as varied as power-trio rock, jazz, classical, big band and opera with various stops in between. He has performed at New York City's legendary Birdland as well as the Chautauqua Institution. He has sung with the Erie Philharmonic Chorus and Presque Isle Chorale, accompanied The Lettermen and been a vocal soloist in Joe Negri's Mass of Hope.

As a composer he has composed and recorded the soundtracks for a number of projects at WQLN Television in Erie, Pennsylvania. These include *Unforgettable Erie*, 'Remembering Erie and 'Pennsylvania Behind Bars", which was nominated for a regional Emmy Award. He has studied piano locally with Vienna Cocuzzi & Basil Ronzitti and voice with Susan Huster, Current involvements include the praise band at Grace Church Erie, the Luther Memorial Bach Festival Choir, a duo with Linda McWilliams/Recorder and DH Jazz Express.

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Mari Hwang

American pianist Mari Hwang believes in creating a safe world where people are inspired to live wholeheartedly. As co-founder of The COMPASS Concerts (Community Online Meditation Performance and Salon Series), she and her partners, Shinichiro Inaji and Louis Yungling, have established a welcoming, safe environment for music performance where people from all over the world feel a sense of community, support, and healing.

Ms. Hwang’s earlier experiences and challenges with stage fright for solo performances have guided her to share mindfulness awareness practice, easing psychological and physical tension, and connecting heart to music. She has performed in a variety of venues, in concert halls such as Carnegie Hall, DiMenna Center for Classical Music, Merkin Hall, and in cathedrals, hospitals, libraries, music schools, and private residences.

Her programming has frequently shined light on works by unknown, undervalued, minor works of well known composers, and women composers. Her embodiment of often deeply personal storytelling has resonated profoundly with audiences and led to open and courageous dialogues.

With her exceptional sight-reading ability, Ms.Hwang has been able to serve as a collaborative pianist for community music schools, conservatories, and summer programs. She has played for numerous admissions entrance auditions, competitions, graded exams, juries, lessons, recitals, recordings, and many more to help musicians achieve their dreams.

She has a private teaching studio in NYC where she’s constantly learning from her students who deeply enjoy music, are curious and open to explore, and independent thinkers.

Ms. Hwang has moved from a sunny suburb of Los Angeles, CA, to attend Manhattan School of Music in NYC, where she has received a Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance. Subsequently, she has received a Master’s in Music from Mannes School of Music and a minor in Impact Entrepreneurship from The New School.

She lives in New York City and enjoys walking, trying out different modes of transportation (airplanes, funiculars, ferries, gondolas, trains, trams, etc), and planning and organizing.

Having had many of her past dreams come true in recent years, with tremendous gratitude she has semi-retired from active performing and on her way to the next new dreams.

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Janet Norman

Dr. Janet Norman, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, received the Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Arizona State University in 2009 and has dedicated her life to teaching and performing. She has actively participated in and directed professional piano pedagogy events, master classes and conferences, including chairing the Arizona State Music Teachers Association conference in June of 2004 and 2007.  Her performances include solo recitals in Chile, Italy, New York, Ohio, and Arizona.  Honors for her performances include third place in the Klatzkin Piano Competition, the 1999 inaugural ASU Contemporary Music Society Competition for performers, a two-time winner of the Three Arts Club of Lakewood, OH in 1987 and 1988, and the 1986 Baldwin-Wallace College/Conservatory Concerto Competition. She is also a nationally certified member of MTNA (Music Teachers National Association).

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Ruby Norman

Ruby was born in April of 2003 in Scottsdale, AZ and grew up in Tempe, AZ. From the time she was 4, she started formal music lessons, first on violin and then, at age 5, on piano. She has always loved music and was exposed to various genres since she was very young.

At age 7, Ruby was Mesa Metropolitan Youth Symphony (MYS) and made it into Division 4. Throughout the years, she practiced diligently, participating not only in MYS, but also receiving high ratings for violin from ASTACAP, winning concert master for Tempe Middle Schools Honor Orchestra two years in a row, participating every summer in Quartet Camps, and participating in her school orchestras from fifth grade through senior year at McClintock High School. She worked her way through all Divisions of MYS to Violin 1 in Division 1, and graduated from that orchestra in ninth grade. She has been an active participant in the Youth Symphony of the Southwest (YSSW) for 3 years and is in Violin 1. In addition to her participation with MYS Division 1, Ruby was an eager participant in the MYS Fiddlers group for two years. This group traveled to various Community Events, performing Fiddler Music that is completely memorized and requires flexibility and a high level of musicianship and ensemble skill. She is also a dedicated member of the Chamber Orchestra at McClintock Orchestra and has participated in the Arizona State Regional Festival Orchestra for 3 years. With Connolly Middle School Orchestra, she traveled to Disneyland and performed with her classmates in Disney Recording Studios. She also recently toured throughout L.A. with McClintock High School Orchestra and had an opportunity to solo on one of the pieces.

On piano, Ruby is also fairly accomplished, performing as needed as an accompanist with her High School Orchestra and in the school jazz band on piano. She was also the only freshman in her High School to accompany seniors on their instrumental music in their Senior Recitals. She has participated in several community events, including ASP (Arizona Study Program) through ASMTA and ensemble festivals. In May of 2018, she won the Janeen Noble Outstanding Musician award through Desert Valley Music Teachers Association.

In addition to violin and piano, Ruby loves to sing and dance. She had dance lessons from age 3 to 7 and performed in a few community events through the dance group. She has also participated in various Music Theater classes and events such as Childsplay and Seton Summer Music Theater. Last year, she was a volunteer assistant for Seton’s Music theater classes, since she has participated in their events as a singer, actor and dancer for 6 years.

Overall, Ruby loves music and it will forever be an intrinsic part of her life and personality. She hopes to be a Veterinarian in the future but expects to have music in her life wherever she goes.

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Paul Walker

Paul Walker is an amateur musician and composer who has been studying piano and other instruments most of his life. As well as playing piano, guitar, and more with family and friends, he composes a variety of music which you can find at SoundCloud. Paul is also active in the open source music software community, maintaining several large open source music software packages, He spends some of his musical time at the intersection of software, synthesis, and composition.

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Louis Yungling

Hello, my name is Louis Yungling and I'm a co-founder of COMPASS Concerts. I'm also a pianist and piano teacher.

Meditation, mindfulness and awareness exercises are an integral part of my teaching and practice. Musicians benefit greatly from these practices by being able to fine tune their focus and get more out of their practice as well as increase their responsiveness to sound and be more present and confident in performance.

I created COMPASS concerts to extend these practices to audiences and give everyone a moment to pause and go inward. We do this by sharing a brief contemplation exercise before every concert. In this way we practice being aware of one another and give ourselves a chance to feel and appreciate our unique contribution.

Preparing our minds and bodies to receive and make music allows us to be more receptive to the beauty and generosity that goes into a musical performance. And practicing this type of mindful preparation regularly can help us open our hearts more to the experiences of our day to day lives.

I am thrilled to share this journey with you and the very talented, generous artists who perform here. Thank you to all my musician friends for sharing your gifts and creating beautiful programs of music for our COMPASS community. And thank you to all who come and partake in these heart-warming community concerts.

I currently live and teach piano in Valencia, Spain. My teaching website: Yungling Piano Studio.

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