Here are a many of our musician volunteers!
Keilana Eng is 12 years old and a 7th grader at AP Giannini Middle School in San Francisco. She has been taking piano lessons with Ms. Janet Haddox in Daly City since age 4, and violin lessons with Ms. Lynn Oakley in San Francisco since 5 years old. She is a member of the Villa Sinfonia Orchestra based in San Francisco since 2015, playing 1st violin in Chamber Orchestra group; participating in annual Spring and Winter Performances, and tours in Budapest and Vienna in 2017 with the orchestra. Recently she and her sister have performed in the San Francisco region 2023 Junior Bach Festival, and currently assisting Ms Lynn Oakley in the small group Suzuki violin lessons.
FACILITIES: please contact Bridging thru Music coordinator Rob Thomure if you are interested in any of these musicians. We also have others not listed.
Dheyan Lim (16), is a junior at Redwood High School. He plays with the Young People’s Symphony Orchestra, and is an alum of the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra (MSYO). He is a three-time recipient of the Marin Music Chest scholarship, and a winner of MSYO’s Concerto Competition in 2023.
Edward Ripple and Mark Higuera have performed at several of our Seniors in the Park events.
Sienna Alexandra is 16 years old and from San Francisco. (NOTE: she is only available during breaks from college). Music is her passion, and she plays guitar, piano, and sings. She is a verified artist on Spotify with two songs: an original song called “Jaded and Through” and a cover of “Misty.” Sienna says “Through music, I am able to connect with the world, making it a happier place. Seeing people smile because of my voice fills me with joy. I look forward to feeling that through this program, and making someone’s day a little better”.
Maria Gregoriev has been playing flute for over 30 years. She also plays piccolo and fife, and has performed in commercials. Most of her performing is with Community Bands and Junior Colleges.
Nawelo Shapiro plays ukulele and sings, and has provided the entertainment for many of our Seniors in the Park events.
Amalya Rajparia is 15 years old and a sophomore at Archie Williams High School. She is a vocalist, pianist, and ukulele player. She has performed solo for several years and more recently with the performance workshop rock band. On stage, she has played roles such as Marian in The Music Man, Kim McAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, and Cinderella in Into The Woods.
William Chui, 16 years old, attends the College Preparatory School and plays in the Villa Sinfonia Chamber Orchestra in San Francisco. Other than violin, he also plays piano and dances for the school program.
Talia Hapuarachchi is 10 years old and a student at Hidden Valley Elementary School in San Anselmo. She loves singing and sharing her joy of music with others. Talia often performs with her band Stardust as the lead guitarist/vocalist at local venues such as The Magic Flute.
Kelsea Jambeck is a freshman at Redwood High School. She has been playing guitar for 5 years and is proud to have been accepted twice to the Interlochen Center for the Arts summer performance program, which is highly regarded. She likes a variety of music from classic 60s, 70s, and 80s rock to modern artists of all genres. She loves performing, singing, and sharing music with the world.
Emil Qreini is 16 years old and attends high school at East Bay German International School (EBGIS) in Emeryville. He has been studying the cello since 2016 with Rob Shafer in Berkeley and performs cello duets with his classmate Nico Perry. He has also enjoyed participating in the school rock band, playing drums, electric bass and guitar.
Nico Perry is 17 years old and attends high school at the East Bay German International School (EBGIS) in Emeryville. He has been studying the cello for several years with Rob Shafer in Berkeley and performs cello duets with his classmate Emil Qreini. Johann Sebastian Bach is his favorite composer.
Music has been Max Johns' lifeblood since he was 13, strumming his first chords in the heart of sunny Tucson, Arizona. Over the years, he's left his mark on countless stages, jamming with rock, country, and bluegrass bands, with each experience adding a new layer to his musical influences and knowledge.
Lately, the Marin music scene has been Max's musical base, where he plays fiddle tunes and old country standards with his bluegrass group, Gilded Age. But his musical repertoire stretches far beyond bluegrass, encompassing the soulful sounds of singer-songwriter, the Americana experience, and the timeless melodies of country classics. Think Beatles, Bob Dylan, or Grateful Dead, and you'll start to get the picture.
Eden Dunn is 15 years old and a sophomore at Marin School of the Arts at Novato High School. He sings, plays piano, guitar, and ukulele. He has been playing piano for 8 years. Eden loves jazz music and loves to play all the songs from the Great American Songbook.
Ashley Wang is a junior at The Branson School and plays the violin in the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra. Her favorite piece is Danzón No. 2 by Arturo Márquez.
Jeff Cleary, a 4th generation San Franciscan, says he began hearing music from the Great American Songbook while still in the womb. Jeff started singing for the first time in 2013 as a lead singer with a barbershop choral group. But the melodies of Sinatra and the other great crooners soon beckoned, so in 2016 Jeff began singing solo with their swing style of music. Jeff regularly performs at birthday and anniversary parties, street fairs, senior centers, lounges, VAs, and other events and venues.
The members of The HalDonTim Jazz Trio are Hal Solin (drums), Don Bennett (bass) and Tim Cleary (guitar)
Nadia Rajparia is 11 years old and a 7th grader at White Hill Middle School. She sings, plays piano and guitar, and has written and recorded original songs. Nadia enjoys performing solo, in bands, and on the musical theater stage. Some of her recent roles include Matilda, The Little Mermaid, Nala in The Lion King, and Brigitta in The Sound Of Music.
Jaden Sher is a senior at The Branson School who has been playing piano for around 12 years. He loves playing romantic music and his favorite composer is Frederick Chopin.
John Ratzlaff is a pianist, vocalist and composer who has performed in senior centers and other healthcare facilities for over 20 years. He believes music is one of God's greatest gifts to the world and loves seeing the joy music brings to people. Click here to hear him play.
Kiara Hapuarachchi is currently 12 years old and attending White Hill Middle School. She has been playing the piano since she was 7. Sometimes she performs solo and at other times she performs with a partner or in a band. She enjoys playing a mix of classical as well as contemporary pieces on the piano.
Kochavia is a passionate musician with extensive classical singing background and has solo and choral training. She studies at the San Francisco Conservatory Of Music-precollege for classical voice every Saturday. She was accepted to the Tanglewood Young Artists Vocal Program this summer and went to the InterHarmony Young Artists Program in Italy last summer.
Arya Dev, currently a 9th grader at the Marin School of Environmental Leadership within Terra Linda High School. Arya's repertoire spans classical, baroque, and contemporary pieces, both solo and in ensembles with an emphasis on romantic period pieces. Arya plays as a first violinist in the Marin Symphony Youth Orchestra (MYSO). He has been with Marin Symphony Youth Programs since he was 8 years old. Arya is also an active participant in MYSO’s community outreach, including fundraisers, playing for senior homes and busking during the holiday season. In 2021, he played with Young People’s Chamber Orchestra, conducted by Grammy Award Nominee Music Director, Aaron Westman. Arya is a recipient of the Marin Music Chest Scholarship Senior Division, in 2024.
Amanda Denny has been singing and performing around the SF Bay Area for the past 15 years. During this time, she has had the thrill of performing with many talented musicians, from big bands at the Marin Senior Fair to pared down gigs with a jazz guitarist at the Panama Hotel and the Sausalito Yacht Club. Amanda studied at The Jazzschool in Berkeley and through Crossroads Music Workshops, and her joy centers around connecting with others over jazz standards and reimagining hits by the Beatles, Stevie Wonder, and Bonnie Raitt.
Isabella Lo is a freshman at Redwood and has been playing piano since she was around three and a half. She is a two time recipient of the Marin Music Chest scholarship and has been invited to the Certificate of Merit State Honors Convention for Level 7.
Julie Egger has been playing the violin since the age of 7. She is accomplished in a multitude of genres, including, classical, jazz, blues, Klezmer, Latin and others. She has taught music and violin for many years. In addition, Julie has played music with the “Red Hot Chachkas”, a Klezmer fusion band who played in many senior homes. Her current band, Poetic Ruckus, also plays for seniors as well as for Bread and Roses. Julie Egger was trained as a music educator and music therapist. She looks forward to playing for seniors through LITA in the near future.