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About Us
Mission and History
The Gasse School of Music. founded in June 2001, serves Chicago
and the near-west suburbs, including Forest Park, Oak Park, River Forest,
Elmwood Park, and Berwyn. The school is dedicated to a simple, two-point mission:
1) to provide quality, instrumental music instruction for children and adults
of all ages, and 2) make the playing of a music instrument fun, an enjoyable
part of every day's life. Bringing the joy of music to anyone is a gift
of incalculable value and the academic and life-skill benefits of musical
instruction are well-documented. Those benefits suffer, however, if
the process of instruction is not infused with a sense of fun and love of
music as well as technical excellence. It is here that the Gasse School
of Music excels. The Gasse School started with five students and two instructors
and has since grown to 140 students and a faculty of five. More importantly,
most of our younger students continue to study with us throughout their school
careers, developing their skills and progressing through elementary, middle
school, high school, and college orchestras and chamber groups. The school
provides individual and group instruction with an emphasis on self expression,
creativity, teamwork, fun and proper technique. Lessons are given in
instrumental music, elementary music for early childhood, chamber music and
music reading. The school promotes public performances by its students,
faculty and guest artists.
The
Benefits of Learning to Play A Musical Instrument
Through the process of learning how to play an instrument,
children develop many of the most useful skills which will help them through
their entire life no matter what field they choose for their work.
In addition to the great fun that music provides to the performer and the
listener, the process of learning how to play an instrument helps develop
a longer concentration span, better memorization skills and increased psycho-motor
coordination. It also develops the ability to set short and long-term goals
and the organization, discipline and endurance needed to achieve those goals.
Playing a musical instrument builds self-esteem by giving the student
a powerful means to express his or herself.
Instructors
Mrs. Sarah Gasse teaches viola, violin, chamber
music and Musikgarten at The Gasse School of Music in Forest Park where she
is also a Founding Director. Mrs. Gasse is a native of Sunderland, England.
She attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow, Scotland
and Glasgow University where she earned the BA (Musical Studies)HONS degree.
After performing with renowned ensembles such as Britten-Pears Orchestra,
Scottish Early Music Consort and the Cruic Quartet, in 1995 she emigrated
to the United States for a career in performance and teaching. She has coached
the string sections of The McHenry County Youth Orchestra and The Kankakee
Valley Youth Symphony Orchestra. She has been on the faculty of Olivet Nazarene
University, The Suzuki Orff School for Young Musicians in Chicago and the
McHenry County Music Center. She also was the Director of Chamber Music at
the McHenry County Music Center. Mrs. Gasse training and experience include
both traditional and Suzuki method for strings and early childhood music education.
Mrs. Gasse plays viola in the Oak Park River Forest Symphony Orchestra, and
was principal violist at the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra for 9 years
until May 2006. She plays violin in the Opus 3 Piano Trio and viola in the
Convergence String Quartet.
Dr. Daniel Gasse is a Founding Director of the Gasse School
of Music in Forest Park, where he teaches cello, Muiskgarten and coaches chamber
music. Dr. Gasse has a Professor de Violoncello degree from the Concervatorio
Provincal de Musica de la Provincia de Cordoba, a master’s degree and
a doctorate in Musical Arts with a minor in Music Education from the University
of Illinois. Dr. Gasse has more than 25 years of experience teaching cello
and coaching chamber music and orchestra. His training and experience includes
traditional methods as well as the Suzuki method. He also has experience teaching
college students as a former faculty member of the Columbia College and Olivet
Nazarene University. Many of his students have taken cello for their music
major college degrees and several of them have earned the first prize in the
Concerto Competition of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra. Dr. Gasse
also is trained in and has large experience in early childhood education.
He has extensively taught Orff and Musikgarten classes. Dr. Gasse plays with
the Oak Park River Forest Symphony Orchestra and served as principal cellist
of the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra for 18 years until January 2006.
He is the cellist in the Opus 3 Piano Trio, the Convergence String Quartet
and has been a member of the Chicago Twentieth Century Music Ensemble until
the end of its regular performances. Previous experiences include numerous
performances as a recitalist, and soloist with orchestras in Argentina, Brazil,
Uruguay, Paraguay and the United States, as well as holding the position of
principal or assistant principal cellist in orchestras in Argentina, Brazil
and the US. Dr. Gasse is also the author of the books The Music Written for
Cello by Argentinean Composers, and The History of Spain Through the Arts.
Susan (Lemenager) Stutzman, a native of Chicago, began formal
musical training at the age of seven studying both violin and piano privately.
At age of nine she began studies in Orff and later composition while continuing
her studies in violin at the Suzuki® Orff School for Young Musicians in
Chicago. At age fourteen Susan joined the Kankakee Valley Symphony Orchestra
and was a member for 4 seasons (Fall of 1997-Spring of 2001). During her tenure
with the orchestra she won the Youth Concerto Competition in Spring 2001.
This resulted in two performances with the KVSO of the Mozart Violin Concerto
No.4 in D Major (1st Mov. and Cadenza).
In 1999, Susan was accepted into the studio of Mr. Drew Lecher, distinguished
instructor of violin. While studying under his instruction (1999-2005) she
performed large amounts of violin literature, won competitions, formed a piano
trio, began freelancing and performed in numerous recitals yearly. Drew Lecher’s
excellent instruction has shaped Ms. Stutzman’s philosophy on violin
instruction as well as performance. Susan began teaching privately in 1996.
In 2004, Ms. Stutzman was invited abroad for 2 weeks to perform, teach and
coach a chamber group. Later that year she married Brent Stutzman an organist
and jazz pianist and accepted a job at the Gasse School of Music in Forest
Park, IL where she is currently employed as both instructor of violin and
viola. Ms. Stutzman presently enjoys playing in the DuPage Symphony Orchestra
as well as The Larson String Quartet, a founding member. She holds a Bachelor
of Arts with violin emphasis from Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, IL.
Susan has taught for numerous years privately the Suzuki Method (Certification
through violin 1A) as well as traditional and considers is a privilege to
have coached chamber music in the States as well as abroad on occasion. Her
held bachelor degree is in Biblical Studies with an emphasis/minor in music
from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.
Hülya Alpakin teaches piano at The Gasse School of Music
in Forest Park, IL. Ms. Alpakin is a native of Turkey. She began piano studies
at age eleven in Mimar Sinan University Istanbul Conservatory after primary
school. After she received her bachelor’s degree in piano performance
from the conservatory, she worked as a secondary piano teacher and accompanist
in the music Conservatory of Mimar Sinan University. In addition to the conservatory,
she taught piano at the Istasyon Art Center and worked as an accompanist for
Royal Ballet Academy. She participated in numerous concerts as soloist, chamber
musician and accompanist during her studies, and after she finished the conservatory.
Ms. Alpak|n moved to Chicago to continue her piano education in August 2000.
After studying English, she began her Master Degree program under the tutorage
of Dr. Ludmila Lazar at Roosevelt University Chicago Colleges of Performing
Arts and received her Master of Music Degree in Piano Performance in December
2003. In May 2006, she received her Performance Diploma under the tutelage
of Graham Scott. During her education in Chicago, she performed as a solo
pianist in many recitals and chamber music concerts at Roosevelt University,
De Paul University, The People’s Music School, Harold Washington Library,
Argyle Self Help Center and Sherwood Conservatory. Ms. Alpakin is an instructor
of piano at The People’s Music School, S.P.A.C.E. Music School, and
pianist for Christ The King Lutheran Church, and St. Gregory The Great Church.
She is also employed as an accompanist for Hubbard Street Dance Company.
Ms. Brian Riggs teaches guitar at the Gasse School of Music
in Forest Park, IL. His mission is to foster enthusiasm and knowledge of the
guitar and its music. Mr. Riggs currently attends the Chicago College of Performing
Arts at Roosevelt University, working toward his Bachelor of Music degree
in guitar performance. He also attended the Moody Bible Institute from 2002
– 2005, majoring in Music Performance – Classical Guitar and performed
at the Cordoba Guitar Festival in Cordoba, Spain, as a Master Class Student,
in 2003 and 2005. Mr. Riggs’ teaching experience includes group and
private lessons at the Moody Community Music School, Westminster Fine Arts
Academy in the Chicagoland area and is specialized in classical but teaches
all styles of guitar playing. Mr. Riggs has performed at parties, banquets,
and wedding ceremonies in the Chicagoland area since 2002.
