Creating the Ideal
Weiss Private Lesson Faculty
Shawna Scott - Clarinet
Mrs. Scott has been a clarinetist for 25 years. She is from El Paso, Texas and earned her Bachelor’s in Music Education from New Mexico State University and a Master’s in Music from The University of Texas at El Paso. She began teaching clarinet lessons in college and has worked as a high school and middle school band director in the El Paso and Austin areas. She is certified to teach all grade levels in the fields of music and special education. Most recently, Mrs. Scott served as the clarinet instructor at Permian High School and their feeder middle schools in Odessa, Texas. She has performed with the Las Cruces Symphony Orchestra, El Paso Wind Symphony, multiple top-level community bands in cities throughout Texas, and is currently a member of Cedar Park Winds. Mrs. Scott is excited to be back in the area and to be a part of the Weiss Band team!
Alyssa Collins - French Horn
Alyssa Collins has been playing the french horn for twenty-two years and has been privileged to study with some of the most renowned instructors in the world, receiving her degree in horn performance from Northwestern University. Since then, she has performed in numerous operas, musicals, ballets and chamber ensembles. This will be her fourth year teaching the horn students of the Austin area.
Sumner Erickson - Euphonium & Tuba
PROFILE
Former Adjunct Faculty Of Carnegie Mellon University for 22 years and formerly Principal Tubaist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra for 23 seasons. Also substitute tubaist with the Empire Brass Quintet.
EXPERIENCE - TEACHING
Currently teaching Master Classes and privately in many Middle and High Schools in the Austin, Texas area
Formerly on the Faculties of Temple University, Duquesne University, Carnegie Mellon University, The University of Texas at San Antonio and The University of Mary Hardin Baylor
Currently finishing my first book about the essentials of how to play and teach music
EXPERIENCE - PERFORMING (CLASSICAL MUSIC)
Principal Tubaist, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra - 1981 - 2004
Hired at age 18 by Andre’ Previn. Other Music Directors included Lorin Maazel and Mariss Jansons. Including concerts World-Wide
Sub./First call Tubaist, Empire Brass Quintet - 1995 - 2012 Including concerts in Athens, Greece and Zurich, Switzerland
Sub. Tubaist, Austin Symphony Brass Quintet - 2005 - prsent Sub. Tubaist, Austin Symphony Orchestra - 2005 - present
Recorded the 24 Melodious Etudes for Tuba by S. Vasiliev as well as several recordings with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and the Pittsburgh Symphony Brass
EXPERIENCE - PERFORMING (POPULAR MUSIC)
Singer/Songwriter/guitarist for solo appearances as well as band performances with my band The Texcentrics
Recorded 3 CDs including The Texcentrics; and Sumner Erickson - Tex Appeal
EDUCATION
Curtis Institute of Music 1980 - 1981
Primary Teachers: Paul Krzywicki, Arnold Jacobs, and Edward Kleinhammer
3406 Wickham Lane Austin, TX 78768 T 512 565 9376 sumnererickson@yahoo.com
Matthew Flores
Originally from Austin, trombonist Matt Flores is a diverse and skilled multi-genre musician with a deep love for music and education. With 10+ years of performing and teaching experience, music has taken Matt around the world including Texas, New York, Washington D.C., Georgia, Illinois, Italy, among more. He has participated in music festivals such as the Southeastern Trombone Symposium, International, Trombone Festival, and American Trombone Workshop. His passion for music led him to do his Bachelor’s Degree in Trombone Performance at Texas State University and his Master’s at Ithaca College in NYS. Matt now lives in Austin actively building his trombone teaching studio and playing other local musicians. Along with trombone Matt also teaches trumpet, guitar, and piano respectively. He is a motivated individual artist along with performing in different ensembles ranging from genres including classical, jazz, to Latin.
Carly Burkhard - Flute
Carly Barajas (Burkhard) is a very talented young flutist. She has been performing throughout the Austin area since her first concert in 2007. During that time, she realized that she wanted to be a musician for life. Mrs. Barajas graduated with honors and received her Bachelor's Degree in Music Performance from Texas State University.
Mrs. Barajas’ first music lessons were on piano and viola at the age of nine in Pflugerville, Texas, and two years later, she fell in love with the sound of the flute. Her junior year of high school, she was asked by Thomas Waggoner, an alumnus from Texas State, to join the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra, the highest and more professional orchestras for students of all ages around the central Texas area. Mrs. Barajas was a member of the Austin Youth Symphony Orchestra for two years.
While in college, Mrs. Barajas was a member of the Texas State Wind Symphony, the highest band at Texas State University, under the direction of Caroline Beatty and the Texas State Orchestra, under the direction of Carolyn Watson. Other musical affiliations include Texas State Flute Choir, National Collegiate Flute Choir, National Flute Association, and Austin Flute Club.
Mrs. Barajas has been working as a private lesson teacher in Pflugerville since 2012. She teaches flute and beginner piano, with students as young as four years old. She lives with her husband and their two dogs, Buster and Mickey.
Miki Sasaki - Trumpet
Mikio Sasaki, trumpet player, is a member of the venerable Saint Louis Brass and is currently pursuing a Doctorate of Musical Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. He was previously based in New York City as a freelance musician and as an adjunct lecturer and Brass Ensemble Director at Brooklyn College. He maintains an active performing schedule in addition to his activities as an accomplished arranger and a dedicated music educator.
Hailing from a family of classical, jazz, and bluegrass musicians, Mikio is a flexible performer with the ability to switch seamlessly between styles, classical, jazz, and beyond. He has enjoyed international and national performances with a wide variety of groups and festivals, including Saint Louis Brass Quintet, yMusic, Chamber Music Northwest, Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, American Pops Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Richmond Symphony, Broadway’s Matilda, and as a soloist with the Austin Symphony.
As a teaching artist, Mikio inspires students elementary to collegiate in their journey to musical fulfillment. He has worked with numerous teaching artist programs around New York, including the Music Advancement Program, Little Orchestra Society, Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts, and Juilliard Precollege. His recent appointment at Brooklyn College as trumpet instructor and brass ensemble director offered the opportunity to further his educational mission at the collegiate level, inspiring musicality and creativity in future generations.
Mikio earned his previous degrees at the Yale University School of Music (MM ’15) and the Juilliard School (BM ’13), studying under teachers Allan Dean, Mark Gould, Raymond Mase, and Ray Sasaki.
Dr. Brian Trittin - Saxophone
Brian L. Trittin is a graduate of the University of Arizona (1993) where he earned a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree in Saxophone Performance and a minor in Music Education. He also has Music Education degrees from Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minnesota (M.S., 1990, B.S., 1986). He has been a member of the music faculty at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota and Concordia University, Austin, Texas. He is a proud member of the Texas State University music faculty serving as adjunct saxophone instructor since 2013. He joined the faculty of Southwestern University in 2017 as an adjunct instructor of saxophone. In addition to private saxophone instruction he has taught courses in theory, history, orchestration, jazz history and popular music.
As a saxophone performer, Dr. Trittin has performed as a featured soloist in the United States, Spain, Germany and Canada and frequently in the Austin area where he has been guest soloist with local high school and middle school bands. He also provides solo recitals and master classes for local high schools and middle schools. Brian Trittin is an educator at heart and sees it as a privilege to help students of the saxophone become better musicians and performers on this versatile instrument.
Dr. Trittin performs in the Austin, TX area as a woodwind specialist performing in musical theatre on saxophone, clarinet and flute. He teaches at several schools in Pflugerville and Georgetown instructing students on clarinet and saxophone.
Masha Popova - Flute
Masha Popova, a flutist, is excited to join Baylor University as Lecturer in Chamber Music. She completed a fellowship with the New World Symphony, and currently holds the positions of Principal Flute with Central City Opera. In addition, she has performed as guest principal flutist with the Seattle Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra (NZ), and Sarasota Orchestra, as well as subbed with Chicago Symphony and Houston Grand Opera.
Ms. Popova was the Albert M. Greenfield concerto competition senior division winner, and performed as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra during the 2009-2010 season. She was also the first prize winner in the woodwind/brass division at the Young Texas Artist Competition.
Masha Popova received her Bachelor of Music from the Curtis Institute of Music, studying with Jeffrey Khaner, and her Master of Music from Shepherd School of Music, Rice University, studying with Leone Buyse.
Caroline Miller - Bassoon
Bassoonist Caroline Miller has had extensive experience as a successful educator and performer both in the United States and abroad. A native of Colorado, Caroline moved to Florida to obtain her bachelor’s degree in Instrumental Music Education from Florida State University, where she taught students from kindergarten to 12th grade for five years. She completed her teaching internship as a band director at Pacetti Bay Middle School in Saint Augustine, Florida before receiving her degree from FSU in December of 2017.
In addition to teaching, Caroline enjoys a successful performing career. Music festival experiences include the Brevard Music Center Institute and Festival, the Marrowstone Music Festival, the International Orchestra Camp in Lüchow, Germany, and the Interlochen Arts Academy. Recently, Caroline was named a finalist in the 2017 Leitzinger International Bassoon Competition in New York. Caroline is a bassoon fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, and is an active chamber musician as a member of the Florida-based Renegade Bassoon Quartet.
Under the instruction of Prof. Kristin Wolfe Jensen, Caroline earned a Master’s degree in Bassoon Performance from the Butler School of Music at the University of Texas in May of 2020. Former teachers include Prof. Jeffery Keesecker, Dr. Gary Moody, and Peg Stirn.
David Blackwell - Oboe
David Keith Blackwell, Jr. has been playing the oboe for 11 years and has studied and performed with many amazing colleagues during his career. Originally from Northern Virginia, Mr. Blackwell had the opportunity to study with Mr. Stephen Key and received his Bachelor’s in Oboe Performance from Shenandoah University. Since then, he has attended numerous music festivals such as The Eastern Music Festival based in North, Carolina and the New Orchestra of Washington Summer Music Festival based in Washington D.C. He has also had the opportunity to perform globally in Argentina with the Shenandoah University Symphony Orchestra and has toured in the United States with the Shenandoah Wind Ensemble.
Currently, Mr. Blackwell attends the University of Texas at Austin in pursuit of his Master’s in Oboe Performance, studying with Dr. Andrew Parker. Along with giving oboe lessons, Mr. Blackwell is a performer in the Austin area and provides reed making lessons for Oboe and English Horn.
Mason Voskamp - Percussion
Graduating from The University of Texas in 2016, Mason has been a long-time percussion teacher in the greater Austin area. He has taught at many high schools including Austin HS, Vandegrift HS, and Hendrickson HS. His teaching has ranged from private lessons to leading full battery rehearsals.
Mason has also performed in numerous marching arts groups including Imperial Percussion Theatre (2012), The Longhorn Marching Band (2013), The Blue Knights (2012-2013), and The Cadets (2014). Through performing in these groups, Mason has learned many skills to success in marching percussion, especially battery percussion.
Outside of teaching percussion, Mason likes to study music composition, jazz, piano, and synthesizers. He has written numerous musical pieces for snare drum, marimba, and percussion ensemble. His YouTube channel, VoskampPercussion, offers a large number of snare drum reference videos.