- C4A Music Faculty
them--the best way to get to know them is to go hear them perform or watch them
give a lesson. That's all fine with us! But here's something you can read about them
anyway. We'll be putting up more pictures soon, so
please visit again. There are links to the groups they perform with on our
Links Page
Matt Croisant: guitar
After a brief stint in Bloomington, where he received his bachelor's
degree in music composition from Illinois Wesleyan University, Matt is
happy to be back in Champaign-Urbana. In the 11 years he has spent with
the guitar so far he has had the opportunity to play folk, jazz, heavy
metal, and just about everything in between, and currently performs with For Great
Justice. He believes that the guitar has something to offer to anyone with a love for
music and the desire to play.
- Tom Faux: guitar, old-time banjo, bass, accordion
Tom is a Ph.D candidate in ethnomusicology at UIUC and has
music degrees from the University of Maine and Tufts
University. He's been teaching and performing for over 20
years, including at the Portland Conservatory of Music in
Maine. He has played "a multiplicity of styles" over the years
and currently plays old-time music and a curious assortment of
other tunes on banjo and accordion with Oberon, the Possum
King.
Amy plays cello all over central Illinois with orchestras including the Illinois Symphony
and Chamber Orchestras, Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra, and Sinfonia da
Camera. She is also the cellist with the Kirkland Piano Trio. She's been on faculty at
many different music camps and clinics and has taught applied cello, lower string
methods, and chamber music at Millikin University since Fall of 2000. She loves
teaching and can't wait to tell you all about playing the cello!
Ken Holmes: bluegrass banjo
Ken was born in Lansing, Michigan, but has called Urbana home for more than 30
years. He has been playing bluegrass-style banjo for 45 years. Before joining the
locally based Prairie Dogs band some 12 years ago, Ken played with the Nonesuch
Mountain String Band, the High Cross Road band, and Hickory Wind. He is enjoying
the life of a retired U of I Veterinary Medicine professor.
- Robin Kearton: violin, viola, fiddle
Robin has enjoyed performing with professional orchestras and
teaching violin and viola since 1983. She loves to play non-
classical music too, and has performed with bands specializing
in tango, old-time, bluegrass, country, klezmer, and café
music. She is the founder and director of the Bow-Dacious
String Band, and plays principal 2nd violin with the Champaign-
Urbana Symphony and The Prairie Ensemble. One of her chief
sources of delight and favorite ways to spend time is playing
fiddle and old-time viola with Oberon the Possum King.
Brenda Koenig: old-time fiddle
Brenda has been playing old-time fiddle at dances, jams and
festivals since 1990. She has taught soccer to first graders,
French to high schoolers, contemporary poetry to college
students and fiddling to young and old alike. She plays fiddle
with the Farmers' Market Sting Band, and believes there's
nothing more fun than rockin' out on fiddle tunes with friends!
Amanda has been in love with the violin for over 20 years. She’s performed with
orchestras in Champaign as well as in Stockholm, Ottawa, and Washington D.C. A
fan of electric violin, she has accessorized a multitude of local and international bands
– and enjoys the freedom and creative-potential that music affords. She's passionate
about people - and enjoys connecting students with music in positive ways!
Rob Krumm: guitar, bass
Rob is a devoted fan of Cajun music and makes frequent trips to Louisiana to learn
from the masters. Besides playing Cajun and Zydeco music, Rob is well-versed in
blues, western swing and more. He loves setting down a strong rhythmic foundation
for whatever kind of music he's playing. You can find him playing bass with Creole
Stomp and country swing with the Backyard BBQ band. When he's not playing music
he's doing some sort of geology work, so playing rock also comes naturally.
Jan Matthews: violin, viola
Jan Matthews has extensive experience playing in string chamber groups and
orchestras. Locally he has performed with The Prairie Ensemble, Sinfonia da Camera,
the Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, and the Champaign-Urbana Symphony.
He's currently working on his doctorate in viola performance at UIUC; he has a
masters of music degrees from UIUC and bachelors degree from the University of
Cape Town in his native South Africa. His teaching philosophy is to always find the
most effective and comfortable way to play, to be respectful to your peers and the
music, and to have as much fun as possible!"
- Kelli McQueen: violin, viola
Kelli has a bachelor's in music history from UIUC. Her senior
research project is on Medieval music, focusing on Hildegard
von Bingen's chants for the Trinity. She played with Balkanalia,
specializing in music from Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, and
surrounding regions, for three years. She loves working with
children and enjoys assisting with the Bow-Dacious String
Band.
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