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Mrs. Lindsey Rybicki, Orchestra Teacher
Sherman Elementary School"The school district I grew up in does not have an orchestra program, so I feel very fortunate to be part of such a great program in R-H!"
Lindsey Rybicki holds a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Music Education from Nazareth College, Suzuki Book 1 certification, and is a certified NYSSMA adjudicator. Lindsey says, "I play violin with the Greater Rochester Women's Philharmonic Orchestra. I previously taught 4th and 5th grade strings at Crane and Winslow before the reconfiguration. I've never taught in any other district or even subbed! RH was my first job out of college! My husband, Jeff, and I live in Gates with our three-year-old yellow labrador named Koby. I enjoy boxing, traveling, watching anime, walking the dog, and playing gigs around town from time to time."
Mrs. Beikirch-Miller, Orchestra Teacher
Vollmer Elementary School"Thank you for supporting your student's musical interest, and sharing them - and their talents- with us!"
A proud graduate of Rush-Henrietta, Mrs. Beikirch-Miller obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and her Masters of Science in Education from Nazareth University (formerly Nazareth College). She earned her Orff Level 1 certification from the Eastman School of Music. She is also a certified adjudicator for NYSSMA Solo Festivals. The first almost two decades of Mrs. Beikirch-Miller's career was spent teaching music in the RCSD. When she arrived in R-H, she taught 4th grade strings at both Sherman and Vollmer. (She is extra excited to get to conduct those 4th graders tonight as 6th graders!)
Mrs. Beikirch-Miller lives in Rush-Henrietta with her husband (a teacher at the high school), her daughter (an 8th grade student at Roth), her son (a 4th grade student at Sherman who is also performing tonight!), and two dogs. When she's not teaching, you can find Mrs. Beikirch-Miller spending time with her family (often cooking or helping on the family farm when it's growing season). She performs violin with the Greater Rochester Women's Philharmonic, Penfield Symphony Orchestra, and runs a private lesson studio in the summers. Usually, though, you can find her being a regular mom driving her kids to piano lessons, ballet rehearsal and karate class!
Mr. Nick Dubin, Orchestra Teacher
Sherman and Vollmer Elementary Schools
Mr. Dubin would like to thank Rush-Henrietta orchestra families for welcoming him to the district!Mr. Dubin obtained his undergraduate degree at SUNY Fredonia for Music Education and his graduate degree at Colorado State University for Composition. He previously taught 9th-12th Grade Orchestra at Canandaigua Academy. Nick and his wife Alaina are soon to be parents to a baby boy! Currently they live with their three cats: Mama, Baby, and Mr. Banjo.
Mrs. Nicole Walton, Orchestra Teacher
Roth Junior High School
"Music is what brings joy to me each and every day. I'm so glad to be able to share that with my students.”
Mrs. Walton studied at SUNY Fredonia for her undergraduate degree (concentration in violin) and her Master’s degree at Nazareth University (concentration in viola). Mrs. Walton says, “I taught Leary 4th & 5th grade orchestra for a few years. I play regularly in the area with Cordancia Chamber Orchestra (violin), the Greater Rochester Women's Philharmonic (viola), and my quartet (violin). My husband and I have a 3 year old daughter who keeps us very busy!
Mr. Geoff Jones, Orchestra Teacher
Burger Junior High School
“As a veteran of more than 30 years of teaching in R-H and 10 District Orchestra Festivals, I always look forward to the energy and excitement generated by events such as this.”
Mr. Jones has studied at Otago University (New Zealand), and the Eastman School of Music, earning a Bachelor of Music in Applied Music (violin) and a Masters of Music in Music Education. Over the course of his teaching career, Mr. Jones has taught orchestra at Fyle, Sherman, Winslow, Roth, and Crane!
Mrs. Donna Watts
Director of Music, Visual Arts, and Library Media Services
Mrs. Donna Watts loves music and enjoys collaborating with colleagues in the hopes of sparking that same type of lifelong passion in Rush-Henrietta students of all ages. She has proudly served the district for nearly 30 years.
After a successful 15-year teaching career in middle school vocal and general music, Mrs. Watts stepped into school leadership, serving as a Teacher On Special Assignment at what is now known as Burger Junior High School. She began her service as the Director of Music and Visual Arts in R-H in 2008 after graduating with a Certificate of Advanced Study in Educational Administration from SUNY Oswego. As director, she is responsible for leading and supervising 57 music and visual art teachers, music staff, and library media specialists in three K-12 programs. Mrs. Watts provides program leadership, facilitates curriculum and assessment development, and offers professional development opportunities for art and music teachers, as well as librarians. She cultivates rich, arts-centered learning experiences for the students of the district, including collaborations with the Memorial Art Gallery and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the annual District Music Festival, district art shows, author visits, and Artist-in-Residence opportunities. Her additional duties have included roles as Instructional Technology Director, Interim Director of Science, Assistant Principal at Roth Junior High School, and as Interim Elementary Principal at Crane Elementary School.
Mrs. Watts is former president of RACAME (Rochester Area Council of Administrators of Music Education) and past president of NYSCAME (New York State Council of Administrators of Music Education). She has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Young Audiences of Rochester and serves on the University of Rochester Warner School K-12 Leadership Advisory Board. A guest presenter for masters classes at the Eastman School of Music, she also has presented curriculum and lessons to the New York State Peer Review Board and worked with pre-service music teachers at Nazareth College. Mrs. Watts is a member of the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, the National Association for Music Education, the New York State School Music Association, and the Monroe County School Music Association. In addition, she belongs to the National Art Education Association and the New York State Art Teachers Association and the New York State Association of Women in Administration.
Mrs. Watts received a bachelor’s degree from Mansfield University and a master's degree from Nazareth College - both in music education, of course.
