Dr. P. Blake Cooper; a proud native of Louisville, Kentucky; joined the California State University, Northridge faculty in the fall of 2012 and has since worked to provide the tuba students of CSUN with new opportunities and experiences.  Dr. Cooper is also the recently appointed Principal Tubist of the New West Symphony Orchestra of the Greater Los Angeles area and has also had the honor of performing as guest tubist with orchestras such as the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Diego Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, San Bernardino Symphony, San Luis Obispo Symphony, Downey Symphony among many others.  Blake also served for one season as Principal Tubist of the American Youth Symphony of Los Angeles conducted my Maestro Alex Tregar. 

Since 2010 Blake has taught as the Brass Faculty Head and Wind Ensemble Director for the Los Angeles Philharmonic’s premier El Sistema-inspired teaching site, Youth Orchestra LA, a partnership between the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Heart of Los Angeles Youth, known locally as YOLA @ HOLA.  Also housed on the grounds of YOLA @ HOLA is the Longy School of Music of Bard College’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program where Dr. Cooper has the pleasure of working with aspiring El Sistemia teachers as their Mentor Teacher.  Dr. Cooper also serves Bard College as a Field Supervisor for the MAT program where he enters the public school to observe, coach and evaluate MAT students in the classroom as they work toward their single-subject K-12 teacher credentialing in music.

Dr. Cooper can also be heard regularly on stage as a recitalist, guest soloist and lecturer throughout the United States.  Recent engagements include a CSUN Faculty Concerto performance of the Bruce Broughton Tuba Concerto with the CSUN Wind Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Larry Stoffel, solo recitals at the 2013 Southwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in Redland, CA; 2011 Southwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in Flagstaff, AZ; the 2009 South Central Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference in Corpus Christi, TX; the 2012, 2007 and 2003 Tuba Christmas’ of Tryon, NC and a lecture recital covering the compositional catalog of virtuoso tubist and composer, Roland Szentpali.  He can also be heard all over Southern California in various musical groups ranging a wide array of musical styles, anything from Bavarian Polka to Progressive Modern Jazz Ensembles.  Blake is also an emerging recording artist in the Los Angeles recording scene and has worked with such notable musicians as David Newman, Danny Elfman, Hans Zimmer, Bruce Broughton and Tom Holkenborg and well as collaborations with classical artist such as Gustavo Dudamel, Issac Perlman, Sir Simon Rattle and many more.

Blake has been published in the International Tuba Euphonium Association Journal where has presented “From the Back Row,” an on going column featuring interviews with professional orchestral tubists from across the globe. 

Dr. Cooper holds a Bachelor degree from the University of Kentucky in Music Education with emphases in both jazz bass and tuba performance, a Master of Music degree in Tuba Performance from the University of Texas at Austin where he served for two years as the Graduate Teaching Assistant in applied Tuba and Euphonium. Blake then moved west to attend the University of Southern California where he earned a Doctor of Musical Arts in Tuba Performance with emphases in music education, jazz bass and instrumental conducting.  Dr. Cooper is a member of the International Tuba Euphonium Association, American Federation of Musicians-Local 47, Recording Musicians Association of LA, Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society.

Dick Weller is one of the most electrifying drummers in the California area today. His virtuosity has gained him recognition from some of the top jazz musicians in the United States and has earned him the reputation of being one of the most versatile, hard-driving, solid groove players around.

After earning a degree in Music from New York University, Dick began playing in various jazz clubs in and around Manhattan. His extraordinary ability soon caught the attention of many notable musicians and performances followed with Mike Stern, Bobby Lyle, Mike Manieri, Scott Henderson, amid many others. He appeared in concert with the great Diane Schuur and has been performing recently with Bobby Shew, Bob Florence and Jack Sheldon.

In the studio, Dick has performed with many musicians, including Alan Pasqua, Bob Sheppard, John Beasely, Alfonso Johnson, Jeff Beal, and Steve Tavaglione. He also appeared on an instructional tape with singer Judy Niemack that featured pianist Fred Hersch and bassist Scott Colley, and has appeared on the Jazz Network with the Weller Bros.

Dick also received two invitations by Yamaha to perform in their "Drums for Lunch" series, which features concerts and lectures by some of New York's most prestigious drummers. While in New York, he appeared with musicians such as Charles Blenzig, Andy Laverne, Jeff Andrews, Rachel Z, Chuck Loeb and Walt Weiskopf. Dick was an affiliate faculty member at the State University of New York at Purchase, teaching undergraduate level jazz composition, and now enjoys a similar position at California State University, Northridge. Dick endorses Yamaha drums and Zildjian cymbals.

John Buonamassa is a lecturer at California State University, Northridge, where he teaches courses in music technology and recording, as well as online and mixed mode courses in popular and classical music.

Prior to arriving at CSUN John toured internationally for fifteen years as keyboardist and musical director for John Phillips and The Mamas and the Papas. In 1998 he orchestrated a program of The Mamas And The Papas’ music and conducted the Calgary Symphony Orchestra in a performance at Symphony Hall, Calgary, Alberta. John appears on two John Phillips records released in 2001 on the Eagle/SONY label, Phillips 66 and Pay, Pack, and Follow, the latter featuring a collaboration with Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones.

Over the course of his career John has performed with many other artists, including Cesar Rosas (of Los Lobos), Madonna, Chuck Berry, Rupert Holmes, Lesley Gore, Chris Montez, Al Wilson, Lou Christie and Gary U.S. Bonds. His Broadway credits include keyboards on Les Misérables, Cats, and Leader of the Pack. Since 1994 John has been the musical director, arranger, and conductor for numerous live radio broadcasts for WPLJ-FM New York. He also co-owned and operated Insight Sound, New York, a multi-media recording studio where he composed and arranged music for industrials, books-on-tape, and radio and TV spots, including Honda, Toyota, and Calvin Klein, and performed digital edits on various records for the Varése Sarabande and Razor and Tie labels.

In Los Angeles John composed, orchestrated, and conducted The Enlightenment, a musical theatre work that debuted in 2007 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center, California State University, Long Beach. He has also composed and arranged music for the FOX-TV pilot Titletown and the MTV series Road Rules, done Pro Tools editing for The Cottonmouth Kings, and composed music for Kawai Pianos that was featured in the Performance Series digital pianos. In addition to his teaching duties at CSUN John continues to be active in the Los Angeles music scene as a performer, arranger, and composer.

Mr. Buonamassa received his Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, in music from Queens College, City University of New York, and his Master of Music in Commercial Music, Composing and Arranging with Special Recognition from California State University, Los Angeles.

Robert Berg began playing the violin at the tender age of 5 and by the young age of 14 had decided to make the Viola his life long devotion. He began his high school studies in Leningrad at the renowned Music School of Rimsky Korsakov and continued his studies at the prestigious St. Petersburg Conservatory where he studied under the tutelage of Violist and Professor Juri Kramarov. At the conservatory he became assistant to Professor Kramarov. He graduated in 1983 with a Masters in Music and Viola.

Although he had performed through out his life, immediately after completing his studies he began his professional career by performing with the St. Petersburg Conservatory String Quartet and working with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic. After his tenure in St. Petersburg, Robert returned to his native Prague where he worked with the Prague Symphony Orchestra until 1987. After his move to the United States he was quickly welcomed and became a member of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra, the San Diego Opera Orchestra, and the Los Angeles Opera. He has also been an active player and contributor in the recordings for motion pictures, television and popular-recording artists projects throughout the years.

He has a life long understanding and devotion to the Viola and has been teaching since his days at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. His Viola has been heard throughout the world in operas, chamber music and recorded performances.

Katherine Ramos Baker, Professor of Music, CSU Northridge, joined the full-time faculty in Fall 2001. She received her Doctor of Education in Music Education degree from the University of Illinois and the Master of Music in Choral Conducting degree from CSU Fullerton. She also holds a Life Teaching Credential in Music from the State of California.

Dr. Baker has an array of professional experience teaching in higher education, high school, and middle school. Prior to coming to CSU Northridge, she was Director of Choral Activities at Lewis-Clark State College in Idaho, where she was received the “Excellence in Teaching” award for the School of Arts and Sciences, 1996. Her choirs have performed internationally in the Benedictinus 2000 Festival in Rome and the Innsbruck International Choral Festival in Austria. Her CSU Northridge Women’s Chorale performed for the first time in China in June 2007; in June 2011 they completed a 7-concerts-in-8-days performance tour of Beijing, Nanjing, Hangzhou, and Shanghai, China. She is sits on the boards of CSU Northridge’s The China Institute and the International Education Committee, working groups dealing with educational international issues and agreements among various institutions of higher education. She has had the privilege of serving as a cultural advisor with nearly two dozen visiting scholars from China over the past five years. In August 2010, Dr. Baker made presentations at the International Society for Music Education’s World Conference in Beijing, and then presented lectures on music education to teachers in the Min Hang District of Shanghai and graduate students at Shanghai Normal University. In May 2011, she received the Outstanding Faculty Award from the CSUN chapter of Phi Beta Delta, the international education society.

At CSU Northridge, her work has continued in conducting/performing, music education and music technology, and assessment. The CSU Northridge’s Women's Chorale, under her direction, premiered works by California composers at CMEA conference, performed Holst's The Planets  and Debussy’s Nocturnes with the San Fernando Valley Symphony, recorded music by colleague and Chair Elizabeth Sellers for the documentary film by Karen Kearns, That All May Be One, and has been invited to perform in Europe and Asia.  Dr. Baker also has served as an adjudicator/clinician and as an honor choir conductor for state and regional ACDA, MENC, and SCVA festivals, as well as “Music in the Parks” festivals and “Festivals at Sea.”  In October 2010 she also gave workshops and presented a solo recital of the music of Hildegard von Bingen for the Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho.

Her work in technology includes participation in federal and state technology programs, web-enhanced and distance learning courses, presentations at national MENC conventions, and the publication of interactive multimedia software for Bach's Magnificat, Vivaldi's Gloria, and Mozart’s Requiem by Educational Courseware Systems.

Her experience in assessment in music includes: presentations for AssessNet consortium in Nashville, for CMEA, IUPUI, and ISME (in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia); an article published by the Idaho State Music Educators and reprinted in the CMEA Journal; and serving as a Field Reviewer of the Draft Standards for Programs in Music for the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Her latest presentation in assessment was “Program Assessment and Syllabi:  Intersection of Theory and Practice in Music and Theatre” in October 2010 at the Assessment Institute at IUPUI, Indianapolis.

David Aks received his Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting at Oberlin College where he also earned a Bachelor of Music degree in cello performance. Additionally he studied at the Minnesota Opera Institute, the Conductors Guild Summer Institute, The Academia Chigiana in Sienna, Italy, and the Tanglewood Conducting Program with Leonard Bernstein, Seiji Ozawa, Colin Davis, Andre Previn and Gustav Meier.

Mr. Aks' guest conducting appearances have include the American Youth Symphony, The Fresno Philharmonic, The Black Sea Philharmonic (Romania), The Nashville Symphony and The Antelope Valley Symphony. In addition, hehas conducted the orchestras of Bogota, Medellin and Cali in Colombia, S.A. Mr. Aks also served as Assistant Conductor to Seiji Ozawa for Tosca with the Boston Symphony.

As cellist, Professor Aks has played with the Minnesota Orchestra, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, American Symphony, Brooklyn Philharmonic, Los Angeles Opera, American Ballet Theater and has toured Europe, Russia and the U.S. with the New York Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra.

Professor Aks has guest conducted the All-State Honor Orchestras of Kentucky and California (twice) as well as the CODA (California Orchestra Directors Association) Honor Orchestra. He has served on the faculty of OperaWorks Summer Intensive Program, the Altenburger Musiktheater Akademie in Germany and the ASTA Summer Institute of Chamber Music. He is a past president of The American String Teachers Association (ASTA) Greater Los Angeles Chapter. He has previously taught at the University of South Florida and the College of St. Catherine.

Ric Alviso received his B.M. degree in music composition from California State University, Long Beach, and his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in ethnomusicology at UCLA.

As an ethnomusicologist, he has conducted fieldwork in Africa and the Southwest United States. He has studied and performed music from many music cultures, including Shona and Mandinka music from Africa, Indonesian gamelan, Albanian folk music, and various Latin American and Native American styles. As a composer, he has combined elements of Western and non-Western traditions with an emphasis on microtonality. As a pianist, he has performed with the Long Beach and Santa Monica Symphony orchestras.

He is currently on the music faculty at Santa Monica College, in addition to his assignments at California State University, Northridge. He is the author of "Multicultural Music in America: An Introduction to Our Musical Heritage" and "Musical Aspects of the Corrido, the War on Drugs: and their Convergence in a Federal Prison."

Ronald M. Borczon, MT-BC, founded the Music Therapy Department at California State University, Northridge in 1984. After more than 25 years, he remains director of the program, one of only two in the State of California. He also instructs classical guitar at the university. Mr. Borczon holds a M.M. degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, a B.M. in Music Therapy and a B.A. in Music with an emphasis on performance, from Florida State University. He also is an alumnus from the Aspen School of Music. His teachers include Bruce Holzman, Oscar Ghiglia, Eliot Fisk, and Robert Guthrie.

He is past president of the National Association of Music Therapy, Western Region. His clinical experience in music therapy spanning 40 years and encompassing numerous populations including psychiatric, intellectual and developmental disability, autism, posttraumatic stress syndrome and substance abuse.  Ron Borczon has presented numerous papers at national and regional conferences, as well as given many public service presentations. In 1994, he received the Presidential Award from the President of the National Association for Music Therapy. This prestigious honor was given in recognition of Music Therapy work done following the 1994 Northridge Earthquake where he developed innovative music experiences to help school age children in the Northridge community deal with the earthquake trauma. In 1995, Borczon conducted a special workshop on Music Therapy and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder for therapists in Oklahoma City after the Oklahoma City bombing. While in Oklahoma, Borczon worked not only with the therapists who were treating family members and survivors, but he also worked directly with a survivor from the bombing. In 1998, he was awarded a grant from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences to investigate the effectiveness of two different approaches of music therapy on expressive communication with autistic children, and in 1999, Borczon was awarded the "Betty Isern Howery Award," the highest distinction given in the Western Region Association for contributions to the field of Music Therapy.  He was asked to help in the planning of music therapy interventions for the students of Columbine High School in the aftermath of the Columbine tragedy and the Santee High School shootings. In 2006 He was awarded the “Award of Merit” from the American Music Therapy Association at the National Conference in Kansas City, Missouri.  This award is the one of the highest forms of recognition given by the national office for contributions to the field of music therapy.  In 2007 he was  awarded the “Outstanding Faculty Award” from California State University, Northridge. He has presented numerous workshops on the effectiveness of music therapy in the wake of a mass disaster.

In 1996 he created the CSUN Music Therapy Wellness clinic that serves the Los Angeles community.  The clinic currently enjoys three music therapists who work with clients of all ages and disabilities.  In 2006 the clinic merged forces with internationally acclaimed Nordoff-Robbins music therapy bringing the title of “Nordoff-Robbins West” to the clinic.

Ron Borczon has been interviewed many times for periodicals and venues such as LA Times, LA Daily News, Reader’s Digest, KNBC Channel 4 Los Angeles, and the Australian television show “What’s Good for You.”  He appears on the Paul McCartney documentary DVD “The Space Within US” and has also been seen as the music therapist for Danny Bonaducci in the VH1 show, “Breaking Bonaducci.” He has been consulted for many projects that appear in television and film.

He has two compact disc recordings on Centaur Records. His instructional video, Guitar Today, is available in Spanish and English through Valiant Industries. In 1998 his book "Music Therapy, Group Vignettes" was published by Barcelona Publishing. In 2004 his second book "Music Therapy: A Fieldwork Primer" was also published by Barcelona Publishing.

He is still active as a clinician working in the Music Therapy Wellness clinic at CSUN.