Staff

Artistic director  Jaci Cummings holds degrees in music education from Central Washington University and Pacific Lutheran University. A proponent of servant leadership and music education advocacy, Jaci currently represents choral music educators in her position as choral curriculum officer on the state WMEA board. Jaci has taught choral music at all levels, written and developed solfege-based curricula with Boston Children’s Chorus, and more recently, Seattle Girls Choir.  In addition to her regular choral work, she is active as a guest conductor and clinician around the state.  As a performer, Jaci is frequently hired for soundtrack recording sessions, previously sang with the Seattle Symphony Chorale, and a Last Call, a Seattle-area vocal jazz group comprised of music educators. Jaci recently moved to Spokane with her husband (also a professional singer!) and two daughters, plus a whole slew of animals. She enjoys yoga, sewing, traveling, and a great laugh.

 

Executive director Sarah Hopkins has been working with SAYC for a number of years, since being hired as temporary office help in 2000. Sarah handles all the many and varied administrative duties of the choir. She is grateful for her wonderful co-workers and for her ever-changing to-do list, and is glad that she always has something new to learn.

Accompanist Susan Windham is a gifted vocalist, pianist and teacher. She accompanies the Piccolini Choir and is co-Founder and coach-accompanist for the Le Donne Choir. As an opera singer, Susan has performed in Spokane Symphony productions, Spokane Opera and the University of Northern Iowa Lyric Theatre. Her vocal credits include solo work in Mozart’s “Requiem”, Haydn’s “Creation”, Beethoven’s “Ninth Symphony” and Verdi’s “Requiem”. Susan received her B.A. in piano performance from Eastern Washington University and has studied for her M.A. in vocal performance. Susan  is an adjunct voice instructor at Whitworth and Eastern Washington Universities.

Barbara Tappa directs the Le Donne Choir, and is the Director of Choral Music at Joel E. Ferris High School in Spokane, Washington. A graduate of Western Washington University, she has directed junior and senior high school choirs in Moses Lake, Bothell and Woodinville, WA; Anaheim, CA; and Havelock, NC. She was an elementary teacher at Oslo International School in Oslo, Norway, and, more recently, taught elementary music at St. Charles Catholic School in Spokane. Barbara has been a cantor and choir director at Catholic churches in the United States, Japan and Norway. She has directed festival choirs in Washington and Montana and adjudicated Solo and Ensemble contests. She sings with Spokane Choral Artists, Le Donne, is the Music Director at St. Charles Catholic Parish, and has performed in a number of musical theatre productions throughout her career. Barbara has served as Choral Representative and then President of the Eastern Washington Music Educators Association, as the Eastern Liaison for Washington American Choral Directors Association, and as Choral Curriculum Officer for Washington Music Educators. In 2016 Barbara was the Washington State High School Music Educator of the Year.

Hannah Kimball-Fuller earned a BA in vocal performance and MA in music education from Whitworth University. She has taught K-6 music in Washington public schools for 7 years. Having completed two levels of Orff-Schulwerk training, Hannah serves on the board of our local Orff chapter. She enjoys attending regional and national conferences and presenting at local workshops. Hannah also enjoys performing and has sung with many Spokane area ensembles including Inland Northwest Opera, Spokane Opera, Spokane Civic Theatre, and Spokane Symphony Chorale, among others. As an alumna of the SAYC organization, it is with great joy that Hannah returns to this choral community as a director.