Faculty Bios
Last name begins with "M"

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Rod MacDonald began as a journalist who turned to writing songs and singing in Greenwich Village nightclubs, with songs such as American Jerusalem and A Sailor’s Prayer, featured in the Smithsonian Folkways collection. He now lives in Florida and performs solo and with Big Brass Bed (a Dylan cover band), Cleopatra’s Noodle (a traditional string trio), Tracy Sands (Irish-American vocalist) and 50s hit songwriter George Goehring.  Rod has recorded eight CD's of socially relevant and deeply personal songs.  He has led workshops at the New York Open Center, the Amp Shop, Common Ground On the Hill and SUUSI conferences, and was a judge at the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Song Contest. "This class is more valuable to me than any kind of therapy", said Alan White-Bear in the Sun-Sentinel, Ft. Lauderdale, FL.  Rod's latest CD is entitled After the War.  www.rodmacdonald.net.

Jaqui MacMillan found her passion for African drumming in the early 1980’s.  She studied with many master drummers, including Babatunde Olatunji, Mamady Keita, Sam Turner and at the Tam Tam Mandingue School in Washington, DC.  She performed and recorded with some of the top names in the business, and began sharing her joy of drumming with others by teaching classes and facilitating drum circles. Jaqui has taught her program, Drum For Joy! throughout the country for over fifteen years. In 1999 and 2001, she attended the Drum Circle Facilitators Playshop and the Drum Facilitators Mentor Training in Hawaii with Arthur Hull.  She is a founding board member of the Drum Circle Facilitators Guild and The Washington Area Music Association awarded Jaqui the World Music Instrumentalist Award every year from 1995 through 2002. She was featured in the Women Drummers 2000 issue of DRUM! Magazine.  She is an endorsee of Mountain Rythym Percussion,  is currently writing a book about women drummers, and is creating a drum program for children, which includes her own line of drums and percussion instruments.  www.drumforjoy.com

Jeanean Songco Martin  has been a painter and musician for thirty years.  She loves the Maryland countryside as well as traveling to distant locations to teach and to work.  She is currently working on a series of paintings in Ireland and New Mexico.  Her lifelong interest in painting was nurtured by such mentors as Abbey Sangiamo, Phillip Koch, Raoul Middleman and Peter Collier.  Jeanean studied at the Maryland Institute College of Art receiving a B.F.A. in painting in 1980.  She has taught at Hood College, Montgomery College, Delaplaine Arts Center, Rockville Arts Place, and for Montgomery County Adult Education.  She also conducts plein-air workshops locally and internationally. www.jeaneansongcomartin.com  and themartinfamilyband.com

Jeff Marx’s juggling career started as part of a 7th grade science project with three old tennis balls. After mastering the 3-ball cascade his juggling universe seemed, to him, complete. But that all changed upon entering college. Instead of studying physics, he opened himself up the boundless infinity that is juggling. His skills soared, but his grades didn’t. Luckily, the physics of juggling rubbed off on his coursework and he was able to graduate; moreover, the Powers permitted him to go on for his Ph.D. Although the physics of juggling was not the subject of his dissertation, he continued to use up lots of precious time polishing his juggling instead of his thesis. After finishing up, he headed to Oregon for two years to be exposed to West-coast juggling, a much slower, laid-back version of what we in the East are accustomed to. When he wasn’t juggling, he taught at the University of Oregon. Most recently, he moved to Westminster to continue juggling and teach at McDaniel College. 

The Maryland Playback Ensemble is an interactive theatre company dedicated to the performance of playback theatre, and to building community through dramatic interactions.  Members of the ensemble have performed playback theatre nationally and locally, for schools, colleges and professional groups.  Many members of the company are graduates of McDaniel Playback, an undergraduate playback company based at McDaniel College.  Company members are teachers, professors, students and theatre professionals. 

Rev. Randy J. Mayer is the Pastor of the Good Shepherd United Church of Christ in Sahuarita, Arizona.  When Randy began to look for a church to pastor he and his wife Norma wanted to be as close to the US/Mexico border as possible.  For the past 10 years Randy has served The Good Shepherd United Church of Christ as their Lead Pastor where he has  carefully blended his love of church camp and mission work into a very unique ministry of action, compassion and inclusion of all.  Randy is known in the Santa Cruz Valley as a musician, community organizer and a steady progressive voice.  He is a founding member of most of the border humanitarian groups and seeks to follow and teach about a "God That Is Still Speaking."   Randy and Norma reside in Sahuarita with their two boys, a dog, a cat and a yard full of packrats.  www.gvsamaritans.org/  and  www.thegoodshepherducc.com/Staff.html

Jeanne McDougall is from eastern Virginia and began playing folk music in the mid-1970s.  She provides lead vocals, guitar, recorders/whistles and dulcimers for the San Diego-based group The Westlin Weavers.  Jeanne’s range spans contemporary acoustic and bluegrass as well as Celtic music.  She is also an accomplished songwriter.  A resident of San Diego since 2000, Jeanne was a member of longtime Scottish favorite, Glenfinnan, and also teamed with singer Marc Townsend in the duo McDougall & Townsend.  Jeanne played in a number of bands over the years, including a trio with her daughters called The McDougalls.  In spring 2001, Jeanne founded the House of Scotland Ceilidh Band and still joins the band for many performances. www.westlinweavers.com

Jim McDowell,  a studio potter for over 30 years, Jim McDowell earned a degree in art from Mt. Aloysius College, and later studied sculpture and pottery at Virginia Commonwealth University.  A juried artist for the State of Pennsylvania, under the auspices of Southern Alleghenies Museum of the Arts, Jim teaches pottery and the arts in public and private schools through residency programs, and also facilitates Arts-in-Healing programs at hospitals and other health and care facilities. Jim’s specialty in pottery is creating one-of-a-kind face jugs inspired by African/Caribbean traditions and his great-great-great aunt Evangeline who was a slave potter in Jamaica. His face jugs have shown internationally and are in galleries from California to the Carolinas. This past year, his face jugs were displayed at the Water Anderson Museum of Art in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, and at Mather’s Museum of World Cultures in Indianapolis.  He’s a native of Norfolk, VA, grew up in Washington D.C., and now lives in Pittsburgh.  www.blackpotter.com

Frank McGuire has played the bodhran (Irish frame drum) since the age of 9, winning several prestigious awards along the way including World Champion.  He has been active in the folk scene for many years, appearing on stage and recordings in Europe, the UK and Ireland.  He teaches percussion at Newcastle University and is a very keen supporter of Common Ground Scotland where he teaches percussion to fully enrolled classes. A fine singer and pennywhistle player, Frank is a member of the band Lyra Celtica.

Ted McNett is a past (2004-2008) President of the Blacksmith Guild of Central Maryland, Inc. and Assistant Supervisor of Career and Technology Education for Carroll County Public Schools.  He started blacksmithing in 1996 through an interest in living history, traditional arts, and woodworking.  Since then his historical and traditional inspirations have evolved into the abstract, artistic, and sculptural.  He teaches beginner blacksmithing, cable Damascus and Damascus, and intermediate blacksmith classes at the Carroll County Farm Museum’s Traditional Arts Academy.  

Derrick McQueen, a native of Morristown, NJ, started singing in the church as a child.  Recognizing the power of expression in the arts he attended Drew University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Theatre Arts.  He has worked in New York City with the avant garde theater companies Mabou Mines and Chutes and Ladders.  In Cape May, New Jersey Derrick worked with the Center for Community Arts in community organizing, arts programming, and African American History research. He also worked with the Cape May Stage and the Cape May Jazz Festival.  For the East Lynne Theatre Company, he tours a one man play on the life and music of the great African American humanitarian, Paul Robeson. Derrick was worship leader for ten years at the First Presbyterian Church of Cape May where he led a contemporary service that fused tradition with creative change.  He workshops such topics as The Spirituals, The Songs of the Civil Rights Era, Vocal Movement, and Vocal Group Improvisation.  He is pursuing a Master’s of Divinity at Union Theological Seminary in New York with a focus on Theology and the Arts.

Elizabeth Melvin, from Annapolis, Maryland, is a multi-instrumentalist (piano, marimba and percussion) and singer.  She has a B.A. in Folklore and Music from the University of North Carolina. While enrolled in the graduate level ethnomusicology program at the University of Maryland Baltimore County, she studied Cuban percussion under master drummer Lorenzo Peñabel.  She later was invited by Senegalese musician Djimo Kouyate to play marimba in the West African group Mamaya.  She has performed with the worldbeat groups Mama Jama, Jambulay and the Caribbean Art Jazz Ensemble.  Ms. Melvin performs with the educational music show Goombay: The Caribbean Experience and has led numerous workshops for youth on world rhythms and music. She has taken intensive training with Dr. Will Schmid, the developer of the World Music Drumming curriculum, and currently teaches World Music Drumming in after-school programs and residencies.

Marya Michael is a trainer and consultant for her programs, Gateways for Professionals and Gateways for Teachers.  Her thirty years of connecting with the heart and soul of  children inspired an additional professional role as a  Spiritual Coach for Children and Parents.  She has been a YogaRhythmics teacher since 1997 and meditation teacher since 1974.  Marya taught in the Maryland and Virginia Public Schools for 27 years, where she created school-wide peace maker programs, multi cultural awareness sessions, stress reduction and self esteem training for teachers and students.  Marya is the founder of Insightful Alignment, an exacting problem solving process that allows one to move beyond current personal, professional or business challenges, allowing for a greater sense of ease in all areas of life.  Individualized insights and solutions concerning health and personal economics are commonly addressed.  Sessions will be available during week one or two.  www.gatewaysforprofessionals.net   www.spiritualcoachingforchildren.net

Walt Michael Considered to be a virtuoso of tremendous influence in the revival of the e hammered dulcimer,Walt’s wide repertoire ranges from old-time Southern Appalachian, to Celtic, to original compositions. His various musical incarnations, including Bottle Hill, Michael, McCreesh & Campbell and Walt Michael & Co. have taken him from the coal camps of Appalachia to the Closing Ceremonies of the 13th Olympic Winter Games. As a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist he has recorded fourteen albums, appeared at the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers and toured internationally. His music has been heard on ABC-TV, NBC’s Tonight Show, Broadway, BBC, TNN, CBC and PBS. Walt is the Founder, Artistic and Executive Director of Common Ground on the Hill. www.waltmichael.com

Geordie Mitchell is the Director of Enrollment Management at Buckingham Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, MA. He is a life-long educator who has worked with students from ages pre-kindergarten to high school seniors.  He has extensive coaching experience, including two high school bike teams.  Geordie has raced bikes both on and off road, has built several bikes from scratch, and done extensive touring.  He feels that the most important reason to bike is that bìcycle therapy is cheaper that psychotherapy. Michael Mitchell is Director of Admission at LuLumiere School in LaPorte, Indiana where he also coaches soccer and lacrosse.  Perhaps it was inevitable that Michael would inherit his love of bikes from his father. Michael is an accomplished rider, has worked as a bike mechanic at Hudson Trail Outfitters, and has built all of his bikes.  This father and son instructor team will pedal us into the future in their bicycle class.

Tomas Montoya  is a native of Whetland, Wyoming, and a graduate of San José State University with a BA in music. His musical career has three distinct dimensions: he is a guitar teacher at Gavilan Community College in Gilroy, CA, a long-time world music DJ at KKUP FM in Santa Clara, CA., and a much sought after guitarist for his wide-ranging musical knowledge.  He divides his performance time between playing regularly with Dr. Loco’s Rockin’ Jalapeño Band, plus Dr. Loco & Sus Tiburones Del Norte, and with the group he co-leads called Los Compadres.  Tomas enjoys a well deserved student following at Common ground on the Hill.

Jo and Wayne Morrison are Port Righ, a duo pairing harp and bagpipe and specializing in Scottish music.  Jo is nationally known for her evocative interpretation of Celtic music on the harp.  Having spent two months in 2005 writing music, teaching, and performing on the Isle of Lewis in Scotland, her knowledge and understanding of the Celtic genre puts her in great demand as performer, adjudicator, and teacher across the country.  Jo recently released a new CD featuring all original music.  In addition to playing the Highland bagpipe, Wayne also performs on the Shuttle Pipes, the Highland Pipes’ quieter cousin.  The duo has performed concerts at locations such as the Library of Congress, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, and various Scottish festivals around the United States.  Their debut CD, Na Bi Górach, was released in 2007.  http://www.portrigh.com/

Derek Mullins is co-director of Marketing and Sales at Appalshop, a media and arts education center located in the heart of the Appalachian coal fields. He originally began at Appalshop as an intern in the Appalachian Media Institute when he was 16. Born and raised in a coal mining family from Perry County, Kentucky, Derek has a unique understanding and interest in the issues that face the community in which he lives. He works with Appalshop filmmakers to promote and spread the documentary films that Appalshop produces and the ideas, issues, and topics that those films cover.  Derek is an accomplished oldtime musician in the vibrant musical community associated with Appalshop. http://appalshop.org/

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