Hannah Berube

Adaptive Music Program Manager • Adaptive Music Program

Hannah Berube is a music educator and clarinetist whose work centers around improving access and inclusivity in the music world. Prior to becoming the Adaptive Music Program Manager at CMSS, Hannah taught for over a decade in adaptive, general, instrumental, early childhood and collegiate settings. Her work on anti-ableist arts pedagogy has been featured through the Berklee Institute for Accessible Arts Education, where she gave a keynote address for the 2024 ABLE Assembly entitled “The Anti-Ableist Arts Classroom”. Hannah is a member of the Leadership Network for Accessible Arts Education at the Berklee College of Music and the Music Advisory Committee at Berkshire Hills Music Academy.

Hannah is a founding member and clarinetist with the New England Repertory Orchestra and appears as a freelance musician across the Northeast. Recent collaborations include performances with composer Emily Wells and the Antenna Cloud Farm Institute, and “The Immortal Child” with the W.E.B. Du Bois Center at UMass Amherst. Hannah has performed on local concert series including Chamber Music @ The Drake, the Tuesday Morning Music Club, and the Five College New Music Festival. Hannah teaches clarinet at Smith College, Clark University, and Greenwood Music Camp. She holds degrees in music performance and education from UMass Amherst and Boston University.

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Elizabeth Blais-Bennett

Adaptive Music Program

Elizabeth Blais-Bennett is a clarinetist and educator based in Springfield, MA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music with concentrations in Music Education and Instrumental Performance from Westfield State University. She studied clarinet with Dr. Timothy Skinner for the length of her enrollment at WSU.

Elizabeth is a noted rising star performer, having performed frequently in solo, chamber, and ensemble settings in a variety of genres and styles including classical, jazz, klezmer, and theater styles. She is one of the founding members of the Springfield Symphony “Music on the Menu” jazz collective, a touring group of Symphony Education staff and Westfield State University students who performs in restaurants across Hampden county. She also serves as a Woodwinds Coach for the Springfield Symphony Youth Orchestras, playing alongside Youth Orchestra musicians and providing guidance on the various technical and musical aspects of performing.

As an educator she has held positions at the Westfield School of Music teaching both clarinet and saxophone and the Hope Center for the Arts in Springfield teaching ukulele, guitar, clarinet, and bass clarinet. She is currently working with the Community Music School of Springfield with their Adaptive Music Program.

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Abbey Fluet

Adaptive Music Program

Abbey Fluet holds a B.A. in Dance with a minor in Education from Smith College. She has served as a toddler teacher at the Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill and a Young Artist Intern at Bearnstow. Abbey’s teaching interests stem from the Reggio Emilia philosophy, somatics and improvisation

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Jake Liuzzo

Adaptive Music Program

Jake Liuzzo is a Music Therapist from Northampton, MA. He plays guitar, drums, bass, and keyboards. He listens to a lot of different music, mostly funk, rock, and jazz with a heavy dose of improvisation. Outside of music, he is an avid bowler and a board game enthusiast.

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Melissa Fontaine

Adaptive Music Program

Melissa Fontaine studied Music Education at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and Eastern Illinois University. She worked as a general music teacher in Hingham, MA for five years, and has since done work in arts administration. Melissa enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons and co-parenting a greyhound with her wife.

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Jibril Hakim

Music Production / Sonido Musica / Adaptive Music Program
Jibril Hakim is a music educator, producer, and recording artist with a background in music education, recorded music, and music business. He holds an M.A in Music Education from Columbia University Teachers College and a BFA from NYU’s Clive Davis Institute. He is passionate about creativity, technology, and empowering students through music.
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Language: English

Online Lessons: Yes

Trainings: KultureCity Sensory Accessibility/Inclusive Training

Sarah Soller-Mihlek

Music Therapy / Music Exploration / Guitar / Percussion / Adaptive Music Program

No sleep ’til…Springfield! Hailing from Brooklyn, NY, Sarah Soller-Mihlek is a board-certified music therapist (MT-BC), multi-instrumentalist, performer, and music instructor with a decade of teaching experience on guitar, bass, drums, piano and voice. She has a classical background in guitar from the Aaron Copland School of Music at CUNY Queens College and a Bachelor’s in Music Therapy from Westfield State University. She was a one-to-one music instructor at Real Brave Audio community music school for 8 years in Queens, NY, where she taught a wide range of students from ages 4-82. During the pandemic, she was a band coach and songwriting instructor at Girls Rock! D.C. She continued her music education experience in inclusive preschool settings (at Fort Meadow Early Childhood Center), and developmental learning programs with high schoolers (at Westfield High School). With the opportunity to join the CMSS faculty in 2024, she became a teaching artist for the Prelude Preschool of the Arts, Music Exploration, and the Adaptive Music Program. She also teaches one-to-one lessons, tailoring them to meet students where they are at and utilizing client-preferred music.

As a proud first-generation Filipina-American and member of the LGBTQ+ community, she is a huge advocate for making music education accessible to everyone. Coming from a strong DIY background, she believes that music has the power to bring people together by providing a meaningful tool for advocacy, creative expression, insight, and empowerment.

Sarah performed in riot grrrl, alternative, and indie rock bands for over ten years in NYC. Since moving to Western MA, she continues to play in multiple projects, such as drummer of indie-rock band Ex-Temper, and guitarist/lead singer of punk rock band, Sunshine and the Rainbows. She collaborates frequently with local artists and musicians to provide all ages community and performance events. Because music was so impactful in her own life, Sarah hopes to inspire others by providing a welcoming space for anyone who wants to explore music.

Learn with me if…

If you want to express yourself through the power of music! Music isn’t about perfection – it’s about authenticity and connection. It is a way to reflect identity, convey emotion, and interact with the world regardless of level, background, or status.

Sarah’s Student Testimonials

“Sarah is so encouraging and positive, my son feels drawn to music and trying new things in the space she creates. She spots individuals’ interests and builds on those — and she adapts to group dynamics exceptionally well. She is amazing.” – Rex Pittman

“Sarah does a fantastic job of inspiring a lifelong love and appreciation of music. She really connects with Luka by finding his specific definition of fun and finds adjacent things to expand his palate.” – Luka Nowak

 

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Languages: English, Tagalog (Filipino)

Online Lessons: Makeup lessons only

Trainings: ADHD Informed Instruction, Early Childhood Instruction, Guitar Learning Community, LGBTQIA+ Instruction

Julia Urbank

Assistant Director, Willow Street Chorus • Piano / Voice / Adaptive Music Program
Originally from Northampton, MA, Julia earned a B.M. in Vocal Performance and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from UMass Amherst and an M.M. in Vocal Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While in school, Julia served as a Teaching Assistant for Music Theory and Aural Skills and sang multiple opera roles. Julia strives to inspire joy and love of music in a stress-free environment. She believes that music can be a transformative force for people of all ages when they are given the freedom to be creative and express their authentic selves. Julia is a teaching artist in CMSS’s Adaptive Music Program and in our Little Notes Early Childhood Music program.

Learn with me if…

If you want to build a healthy, sustainable vocal technique that lets you sing your favorite songs.

Julia’s Student Testimonials

“Julia es una profesora excelente y enseña canciones bilingues es muy linda. Nos encantan las clases se nota la planeacion y la transicion de las actividades de la clase es muy divertida . Julia has a great energy es muy alegre.”

“Always on time and keeps the class moving at a steady pace, We love the classes, they are so much fun with a variety of songs, instruments and props”

“Leora loves how Ms. Julia ” goes into the closet” and brings out all kinds of cool musical learning instruments. I love how she engages everyone and creates such a positive, uplifting and comfortable atmosphere perfect for fostering learning and making the kids feel safe to learn and participate!”

 

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a woman with long light brown hair smiling strumming a ukulele

Language: English

Online Lessons: Makeup lessons only

Trainings: Adaptive Music Instruction, Early Childhood Instruction, First Steps in Music, KultureCity Sensory Accessibility/Inclusive Training, Multicultural Learning Through Creative Expression, Music Technology, Neurodivergence & Autism, Piano Learning Community, Vocal Learning Community

Nora Cruz

Adaptive Music Program

Nora Cruz is a Teaching Artist with CMSS’ Adaptive Music Program. She is a Texas native who grew up playing piano and singing in choirs. For university, Nora received a bachelor’s degree in music therapy and a minor in psychology from Berklee College of Music. She was drawn to music therapy because it complimented her wishes to work with people, to share music, and to learn from others. Recently certified as a music therapist, she hopes to bring compassion, creativity, and fun to the people she meets. She is also a music therapist and voice/music instructor at Berkshire Hills Music Academy.

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I-SHEA

Adaptive Music Program / Sonido Musica

I-SHEA is a Teaching Artist in CMSS’ Sonido Musica and Adaptive Music Programs, reaching hundreds of youth each week in Springfield and Holyoke Public Schools. I-SHEA is an eclectic International ARTist (performing/recording/teaching artist), a Thriver, an Advocate for social systemic change, a Humanitarian sharing space on this plane. Irene “I-SHEA” Shaikly has carved her way into various musical frames integrating her multicultural background in her music, style, and presentation. I-SHEA, who calls herself “The Original Jewminican”, (a Dominican and Jewish woman with an Arabic last name) is a global drummer/percussionist, emcee, singer/songwriter, dancer, theater, and teaching artist originally from the Bronx, NY. She has taken her work to Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Senegal West Africa, and Jamaica continuing on her journey as a global citizen of the arts and the world. Building connections and community through performance art, education, and organizing, her mission is to spread the movement of universal love and truth, to continue to inspire and motivate individuals to seek their highest authentic selves through storytelling, music, movement/dance, theater, and poetry. She is a member of Gokh bi system.

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CMSS Perform-A-Thon