Sean Ivory

Sean Ivory is a choral conductor, pianist and composer living in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Since 1992, Mr. Ivory has been the vocal music instructor at Forest Hills Central High School. He has held positions at St. Cecilia Music Society, the North American Choral Company, and Calvin College.

Mr. Ivory attended Northwestern University, Calvin College and Michigan State University.  His choirs have performed at both state and regional conventions for the American Choral Directors Association, and have toured Ireland, the Netherlands, Finland, Estonia, and Ghana.

In addition to his activities as a teacher and conductor, Mr. Ivory also works as a pianist and composer. Several of his works (many of which are collaborations with Chicago composer Paul Caldwell) are published by Earthsongs, Alliance Music and GIA Music.  Visit www.caldwellandivory.com to see and hear Sean and Paul's self-published works.

Jackie Sonderfan Schoon

Jackie Sonderfan Schoon divides her time between teaching music at Meadow Brook Elementary in the Forest Hills Public Schools where she has taught for 15 years, and directing children's choirs, both for the Grand Rapids Junior Youth Chorus and for Westminster Presbyterian Church. She holds degrees from Calvin College and Michigan State University, as well as a Level I Mastership Certification in Music Learning Theory in Elementary General Music through the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. She has presented at several state music conferences and has served on the state board of the American Choral Director's Association as Repertoire and Standards Chair for Children's and Boy's Choirs. In 2004, her choir was invited participate in a performance of I Dream of Peace at Carnegie Hall. When she is not working, she enjoys being home with her husband Steve and two daughters, Maria and Nadia.