Music Instructors Biographies
All of our instructors who teach minors are required to obtain a criminal background check and child abuse clearance from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Gailanne Amundsen
Fiddle, Banjo, Guitar, Mandolin, Bass, Lap Dulcimer and Vocalist
Gailanne Amundsen recently relocated to Oxford from Orlando, FL where she began joining jams, playing folk instruments, singing and touring at an early age. Some of her awards include: 40th Annual Grand Master Fiddler (Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville, TN), Tennessee Grand Champion Fiddler (2009), Florida Folk Festival 1st place Fiddle (2009) and FFF 1st place Banjo (2014), Appalachian String Band Festival Best Original Tunes (2014), and 1st place Traditional String Band (2015). She has toured the USA and abroad and was chosen to be an "American Ambassador" at two CIOFF (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals) events in South Korea (2012) and Brazil (2018). An accomplished performer and instructor, she has been a member of the Grammy-nominated Jubal's Kin family band, the all-female stringband The Buck Stops Here, and a bluegrass and celtic fiddler for 2 yrs at Disney Springs. Her most recent project was the CD "You've Been A Friend To Me," songs of the Carter Family, produced by John Carter Cash and recorded in June Carter Cash and Johnny Cash's kitchen. Gailanne Amundsen is on Youtube & Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gailanneamundsen/
June Dickenson-Suh
Pianist and Vocalist
Yeonjune Suh is an Adjunct Professor of Music/Voice at Cecil College and has appeared in concerts and opera productions at New York’s Carnegie Hall, Asia’s KNUA hall, Italy’s Teatro alla Sicilia, and other major opera centers throughout the world. Praised for her “ravishing runs and impressive high notes” (The Capital), June has won and been a finalist in many competitions, including the Accadia Foundation for the Arts Competition for Operatic Voice in NY. She holds degrees from the Conservatorio di Giuseppe Verdi in Milan, Mannes The New School for Music in New York, and Roosevelt University in Chicago. June performs regularly with Midnight Moon and Bel Solé, ensembles she cofounded with guitarist J. Andrew Dickenson.
Anthony Derrico
Classical Guitarist, Bass, and Ukulele
Director of Education/Assistant Director at the Oxford Arts Alliance
A graduate of Lebanon Valley College, Anthony offers a unique and passionate expertise of the guitar. An avid teacher, composer, and performer, Anthony began teaching in 2011 at The State Street Academy of Music in Harrisburg, The Oxford Arts Alliance, and Cecil College.
In 2010, Anthony began his vision of building a music school at the Oxford Arts Alliance. To date, his vision has grown into a music program exceeding 150 students and 8 instructors on various instruments. Anthony continues to teach various guitar styles, bass, and ukulele at the Oxford Arts Alliance, where he serves as the Director of Education.
In addition, Since 2011, Anthony has been a faculty member of Cecil College. In addition to teaching both guitar and basic piano instruction, Anthony also serves as the assistant director of the chamber ensemble - band/orchestra. As a performer, Anthony has been invited to collaborate with groups such as The Midnight Moon Ensemble, The Lancaster Chamber Singers, and various shows at the Milburn Stone Memorial Theatre, such as "Evil Dead: The Musical,""The Sound of Music,”and "Rock of Ages." In addition, Anthony also serves as the Assistant Director for the Cecil College Performing Arts Program's "Rockestra," where he assists in arranging music in addition to performing.
Hakaan Diker
Guitarist
In addition to teaching guitar at the Oxford Arts Alliance, Hakaan Diker also performs with the Cecil Chamber Orchestra. Over the years, Hakaan has performed in the classical, rock, musical theatre, and jazz idioms, always seeking novel and educational musical opportunities. He graduated from Cecil College with an Associates Degree in Musical Performance in Spring 2013. Hakaan is very excited and honored to share his musical knowledge as a part of the Oxford Arts Alliance. Hakaan, also enjoys photography and winter sports, as a second profession and hobby, respectively.
Chris DeBoda
Percussion
Chris DeBoda is a music educator, having been involved in numerous musical ensembles from his childhood. DeBoda began his music career as a percussionist in the elementary school concert band in the fourth grade and within the next few years, picked up guitar and bass as well. In 2003, he was one of the first students to join the North East High School marching band as a middle schooler. DeBoda also marched center snare in The Blazers Indoor Drumline in the off-seasons. After high school, DeBoda went on to the University of Maryland, College Park to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. He marched in the UMDrumline from 2008-2010, earning center snare his freshman year. He also played drums in a few musical collectives of his own, but in 2012, he joined Me Equals You (DE) with whom he recorded an album in 2013 and toured its release across the US in the summer of that year. After tour, he self-released his solo album entitled ‘Clockwork’ after spending a few years recording, mixing, and mastering the project in his free time.
Chris began his career as a music educator in 2013 with the Bohemia Manor High School Marching Band as Percussion Caption Head and Assistant Marching Band Director, leading the group to their first three best percussion awards in the school’s history. Together with George Costa, the BMHS band director, DeBoda reignited The Blazers Indoor Drumline under the name Cecil County Indoor Drumline (CCIDL). He was also Battery Caption Head at Governor Thomas Johnson High School in Frederick County for the 2014 marching band season, and the same year took over as the Temporary Director of Bands for Rising Sun High School until March 2015. During this time, DeBoda successfully directed and prepared the Winter band concert. Realizing his passion for teaching music, he decided to re-attend school at Cecil College in the Fall of 2015 in order to obtain his certification in music education. DeBoda currently still works with the BMHS marching band and CCIDL while attending school, teaching private drum/percussion lessons, and managing his own recording studio
Colleen Jones
Violinist and Pianist
Colleen earned a Master of Music degree from West Chester University in 2015, and a Bachelor of Music degree and teaching certificate from the same institution in 2012. Colleen has studied with acclaimed violinists Sylvia Ahramjian and Rebecca Ansel, violist Aliza Appel, and cellist Greta Myers. In addition to teaching at the Arts Alliance, Colleen teaches part time at Cecil College. Colleen has performed with the West Chester University Symphony Orchestra, the Newark Symphony Orchestra, the Cecil College Rock Orchestra, the West Chester Chamber Orchestra, and the Midnight Moon Ensemble. She has also performed numerous weddings with the Greta Myers String Trio in Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. She has a second teaching certification in Math, and enjoys gardening, raising backyard chickens, and spending time with her husband, Dean and their baby Avacyn.
Adam Hansen
Cello
Adam Hansen is a cello performer, composer, and teacher. He has been teaching in Chester County since 2011. He studied cello performance at American University, earning a bachelor's degree in 2009. In addition to his love of teaching, Adam also enjoys performing, composing, and arranging. In 2016, Adam and Julia Hansen began recording and uploading videos of their playing to Youtube under the performing name Duo.Hansen. Shortly after that, the duo became Signature Artists and published arrangers with Musicnotes.com.
Julie Hansen
Violinist
Julia Hansen is a violinist, composer, and teacher. She has been teaching the violin since 2004. She attended The University of Delaware for violin performance on full scholarship, studying with violinist Xiang Gao. While growing her private violin studio, Julia planned and launched Duo.Hansen with her husband, Adam. The violin and cello duo have since posted 40 videos onto Youtube, and also joined Musicnotes.com as Signature Artists and published arrangers.
Jon Luther
Pianist
Jon Luther has an A.A. in Music from Cecil College and currently attends University of Delaware for Music Education. He is an active performer in the area, playing shows across Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania on bass, drums, piano, and tuba/trombone. He’s continued to stay involved at Cecil College as the brass instructor, assistant director for Rockestra, co-teacher for the rock band academy, as well as tutoring and ushering events. He also works with the North East Marching Band as the brass tech. In the past, he was played with the Elkton Town Band and played/directed the Upper Chesapeake Community Band.
Ruby Rublesky
Pianist
Ms. Ruby Rublesky is an accomplished pianist and avid performer originally from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A Gretna Music “First Listen Artist”, she has had opportunities to perform at various prestigious events. In 2016, she was invited to perform alongside distinguished teachers of the area in Opera Lancaster’s “Pass the Torch” concert series.
Ms. Rublesky is very passionate about sharing her gift of music with her
community. She is a frequent performer at Quarryville Presbyterian Retirement, Kendal Retirement Community, and Willow Valley Communities. She has given past concert series at Rockland Place Communities, Chadds Ford “The Gables”, and Masonic Villages of Elizabethtown. She has also competed in many competitions and received second place in the both the Louis Vyner Competition (2019) Dean Dutcher Memorial Music Scholarship Competition (2016), was a Finalist in the Lancaster Instrumentalist Competition (2015), won First Place in the Music School of Delaware Piano Competition, (2015) and was a two-time recipient of the Watermark grant. Since 2014, Ms. Rublesky has been instructing music lessons to people from ages 5 to 40 in private music lessons and the class room settings. She frequently coaches musical ensembles, music directs, and is a proficient accompanist as well. Currently at Millersville university, Ms. Rublesky is pursuing a BA in piano performance and anticipates graduating in 2020. Aside from music, Ruby has a passion for fitness and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. She is enthusiastic about the parkour discipline and is a member of Parkour Generations Lancaster. ADAPT certified, she enjoys coaching the discipline to people of all ages.
