VPA Faculty Bios

John D. Ash is the Director of Bands for the College of Central Florida. Mr. Ash has served the world of music education for more than 25 years as a college music professor, high school band director and k-12 music teacher. Mr. Ash is currently the Department Chair for the Visual and Performing Arts Department, as well as the Faculty Senate President.

Mr. Ash studied conducting under Dr. Thomas Jenrette and Dr. Paul Hinman, and has resided in clinics with Anthony Maeillo, Dennis Zeisler, and Ed Lisk. Mr. Ash has performed as the principal tuba for the Johnson City Symphony Orchestra, the East Tennessee State University Wind Ensemble, the Classic Brass Quintet, the Emerald Coast Brass Quintet, and the Virginia Wind Symphony. He has also served as a sub for the Kingsport Symphony Orchestra, and the Ocala Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Ash received his Masters Degree from Grand Canyon University, and a Bachelors of Music Education from East Tennessee State University, where he was a full scholarship recipient.
Mr. Ash lives in Citrus Springs with his wife Jong and their sons David, Jacob, and Matthew.

Office: 4-103A
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322, ext. 1203
email: ashj@cf.edu

A website designer with 17 years of experience, Dr. Chris Brown has taught at the college level since 2011. He has taught courses in information technology, website design, graphic design, and digital media. He joined the College of Central Florida in January 2023, where he currently teaches website design and digital media.

Dr. Brown earned his Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology/Multimedia and Visual Communication and his Masters of Information Systems from the University of Phoenix, and he earned his Doctor of Organizational Leadership/Higher Education Leadership from Grand Canyon University.

Office:
Ocala Campus,
Bldg. 4, Room 103
352-854-2322, ext. 1419
Email: brownj@cf.edu

Gay Lyn Capitano’s degrees include a Bachelor and Master of Music along with doctoral studies in piano performance from the Florida State University, under Dr. Carolyn Bridger and Leonard Mastrogiacomo. Mrs. Capitano holds a Certificate of Performance from the International Institute of Chamber Music held at the Munich Conservatory. She has studied at the Cleveland Institute of Music under Clifford Curzban and under James Smolko. Joerg Demus and the Alban Berg Quartet have been among her coaches. Performances have included solo and chamber works for piano and for harp. As a piano soloist, she has performed with the Florida Orchestra and the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra. Mrs. Capitano has served as principal keyboardist for the Ocala Symphony Orchestra and Choir since 1989. She has played in the University Symphony Orchestra at the University of Florida and is the pianist for the Central Florida Master Choir. Gay Lyn is currently a vocal and instrumental accompanist for The College of Central Florida and an adjunct piano professor. She frequently serves as worship pianist for Grace Presbyterian Church in Ocala. Active memberships include the Florida State Music Teachers Association, Federation of Music Clubs, and the National Piano Guild. Mrs. Capitano has had thirty-one years of teaching experience and has presented a piano master class at the University of Florida.

As a zealous educator and performer, Mrs. Capitano has directed piano and pedagogy studies at the Capitano Music Studio in Ocala for over twenty-four years. Her students have been recognized nationally and traveled internationally to perform. Their compositions have been published and they have received scholarships to Florida State University, Liberty University, Pensacola Christian College, University of Tennessee, Bob Jones University, Baylor University, and the University of Florida. Gay Lyn is a frequent judge at the local, state, and national levels. She holds a permanent professional certification in piano teaching from the Music Teachers National Association. Gay Lyn is married to Greg Capitano and has three children. She home-schooled from 1991-2010 and enjoys performing with her children, Kirsten, Ben, and Anna, who play the violin, cello, and piano.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322 x1419
email: capitang@cf.edu

Tyrus Clutter is a painter and printmaker originally from Michigan. He has taught in higher education since 1995. Clutter holds a BA in Art from Spring Arbor University and an MFA in Painting from Bowling Green State University. His award-winning work has been exhibited in numerous group and solo exhibitions throughout North America and in galleries in Europe. Clutter’s work can be found in many private collections as well as in the Print Collection of the New York Public Library and the collections of the Museum of Biblical Art and the Spencer Museum of Art at the University of Kansas.

Images of Tyrus’ work have appeared in several journals and magazines including The South Carolina Review, Ruminate,and Arts & Letters: Journal of Contemporary Culture. From 1999 – 2001 he was art critic for the Boise Weekly newspaper in Boise, Idaho. He was Director of the international art non-profit CIVA from 2003 – 2008. Clutter continues to teach and speak on topics of art, art history, and aesthetics around the country.

Office: 4-202B
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322 x1238
Email: cluttert@cf.edu

Prior to joining the College of Central Florida, Nonalee was a Communication Coach for the Savannah College of Art and Design where she worked with top fashion designers and artists from all over the world pitch and present their designs. She is also an actress, director, and stunt woman. Nonalee has also been a private movement coach for performers in world-renowned companies such as Cirque du Soleil and Dragone international performance teams in Las Vegas and Orlando. She was the Director of Communications Training for Feld Entertainment, where she provided the media, performance, and presentation training for Feld Entertainment’s Disney on Ice, Monster Jam, Sesame Street, Monster Energy Supercross, and Marvel Universe Live. Nonalee was the Head of Leadership for IMG Academy where she provided interview and media training for the NFL Combine, NBA pre-draft, MLB, and U.S. Olympians from speed skating to track and field. Nonalee has coached some of the top talent in the world from entertainment to NASCAR helping them overcome fears of speaking on camera, on a stage in front of thousands of people and helping them find a more authentic way to present themselves. She has her Master of Arts in Theatre from the University of Central Florida and a Bachelor of Science in Communications from Western Carolina University.

Office: 4-202A
Ocala Campus
Building 4
352-854-2322 x1220
Email: davisno@cf.edu

Mezzo-soprano Emily Heumann is gaining recognition for her “credible” storytelling (Orlando Sentinel), and “delicious vocals” (Arts and Culture Texas Magazine). She has performed with dozens of companies in opera, theatre, and concert arenas. Previous engagements include Cherubino in Le nozze di Figaro with First Coast Opera and Opera Orlando, The Fox in The Little Prince with First Coast Opera, Alto Soloist in Handel’s Messiah with The Villages Philharmonic Orchestra, Il Paggio/Giovanna Cover in Rigoletto with St. Petersburg Opera Company, and Hansel in an experimental production of Hansel and Gretel that was praised by Arts and Culture Texas Magazine and the Houston Press.

Emily enjoys performing new music, especially works by her husband, composer Eric Heumann. She has performed in dozens of new music programs across the country. Emily is also an active voice teacher and clinician. She has served on the voice faculty at The College of Central Florida since 2018, where was named the 2019-2020 Adjunct Professor of the Year. Emily received her M.M. in Voice Performance and Pedagogy from The University of Houston.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4, Room 107
(352) 854-2322 x1419
email: heumane@cf.edu

Dr. Melissa Kindy is Adjunct Professor of Music at Bethune-Cookman University, Daytona State College, College of Central Florida and Eastern Florida State College, teaching clarinet, saxophone, woodwind methods, chamber music, and courses in music appreciation and popular music. In addition to teaching at the collegiate level, Melissa performs with the Jacksonville Symphony, Orlando Philharmonic, Space Coast Symphony and Walt Disney World orchestras, has toured with the Teatro Lirico D’Opera and New York Gilbert and Sullivan Players, and is Principal Clarinet of Central Florida Winds in Brevard County. Melissa received her Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Clarinet Performance & Literature from the Eastman School of Music, Master of Music degrees in Clarinet and Chamber Music Performance from the University of Michigan, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Clarinet Performance from Stetson University. Her primary teachers have been Kenneth Grant, Chad Burrow, and Lynn Musco. Melissa holds professional memberships in the International Clarinet Association, College Music Society, Chamber Music America, Pi Kappa Lambda, and Sigma Alpha Iota.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4, Room 101C
email: kindym@cf.edu

Dr. Jason Longtin (Director and Conductor) is Associate Professor of Music at CF. He is the director of the Patriot Singers and Chamber Choir, and also teaches Music Theory and Sight Singing/Ear Training. He has been involved in musical theatre productions for over 20 years. His directing credits include “Sondheim on Sondheim,” “Into the Woods,” “The Pajama Game,” “The Drowsy Chaperone,” “Xanadu,” and “Zombie Prom.” His music directing/conducting credits include “Anything Goes,” “Guys & Dolls,” “My Favorite Year,” “Grease,” “Assassins,” “The Last Five Years,” and “I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change.”

He taught high school music in Florida from 1999 to 2017, and is a National Board Certified Teacher (Early Adolescence/Young Adulthood). He taught for two years at Lyman High School (Longwood), 12 years at Crystal River High School, and four years at Florida Virtual School. Choirs under his direction have performed throughout the United States, Italy, and Switzerland. As a composer, his music has been performed throughout the United States, Mexico and Europe.

He is an active member of the National Association for Music Education, American Choral Directors Association, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, Florida Music Education Association, and has served on the State Board of the Florida Vocal Association. He holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Stetson University and a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Florida. He earned his Ph.D. in Music Education at the University of Florida.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4, Room 202A
352-854-2322, ext. 1231
email: longtinj@cf.edu

Accomplished trumpet artist, Dr. Brandon Loos has captured the attention of audiences throughout the United States and abroad with his musical mastery and finesse. He has appeared as a member of successful big bands, regional broadway show pit orchestras, chamber ensembles, and symphonic orchestras. Brandon has had the good fortune to travel extensively overseas as a musician performing in Spain, Ischia, Italy, Austria, and Argentina. Dr. Loos has shared the stage with world renowned artists including James Morrison, Jens Lindemann, Thomas Gansch, and Hans Gansch.

In addition to performing with the Ocala Symphony Orchestra as a core member and serving as Artistic Director and conductor for Volusia Community Arts, Brandon is equally committed to his profile as a teacher, working with students of all ages and abilities through his position at the College of Central Florida and an active private studio.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4, Room 103
352-854-2322 x1419
email: loosb@cf.edu

Justine McDaniel is an Ocala native and grew up dancing in the Marion County Community. She received her MA degree in Dance from California State University, Long Beach and earned her BS in Health Science, with minor in Dance from The University of South Florida, Tampa.

After earning her undergraduate degree she began working as a physical therapy aide and teaching at Benson Academy of Dance. She later became the Ballet Mistress for Marion Ballet Theater where she staged as well as directed rehearsals for ballets including The Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, Swan Lake, Giselle and new contemporary works. While working with the Marion Ballet Theater she performed in roles such as “Snow Queen”, “Spanish”, and “Mouse king” in The Nutcracker, “Aurora” in Sleeping Beauty, “Myrtha” in Giselle, and “Odile” in Swan Lake.

During the summer of 2015 and 2016 she studied at the Trinity Laban Conservatory in London where she worked with company members from Company Wayne McGregor, Rambert Dance, and Hofesh Shecter.

Justine’s teaching philosophy puts the student at the forefront of the process, focusing on full body awareness and accessibility of movement within one’s own instrument. Her goal is for students to find joy through movement and to prepare the student for personal and professional success. She is passionate about cultivating a community of respect and rapport, via a healthy and caring learning environment.

Justine McDaniel
Office: 4-103
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322, ext. 1419
email: mcdaniej@cf.edu

Dr. Danielle Moreau is a percussionist, educator, and arts entrepreneur based in Gainesville, Florida. She currently serves as Instructor of Percussion at the College of Central Florida and maintains a private studio throughout north-central Florida. She has been featured as a soloist at several international festivals including the North American Brass Band Association, the International Alliance for Women in Music, the Music by Women Festival, and the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC).

Danielle is also co-founder and percussionist of the Moreau | VanTuinen Duo, one of the only all-women percussion/low brass duos in the world. They regularly present at universities across North America discussing career development for 21st-century musicians, authenticity in the performing arts, and professional chamber playing. The duo has performed at the International Tuba/Euphonium Conference, the International Women’s Brass Conference, the Darkwater Festival, and the Asociación Española de Tubas y Bombardinos Festival in Madrid, Spain. As a strong proponent for new music, she has expanded contemporary percussion repertoire through commissioning projects with composers such as Annika Socolofsky, Steven Snowden, Kevin Day, Ivan Trevino, and Emma O’Halloran.

Danielle earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree and Master of Music degree in Music Performance from Arizona State University and a Bachelors of Music degree in Music Education from the University of New Hampshire. She is a member of the Percussive Arts Society and is a proud endorser of Black Swamp Percussion, Innovative Percussion, and Marimba One.

Office:
Ocala Campus
Building 4, Room 103
352-854-2322 x1419
email: moreaud@cf.edu

An experienced administrator with a broad background in various sectors of the performing arts industry, Dr. Sarah Satterfield managed the San Diego State University Symphony Orchestra and, currently, the Central Florida Symphony Orchestra. She served as Administrative Assistant for the prestigious Arioso Wind Quintet. During her first year with Arioso, she won grants exceeding $50,000 from the National Endowment for the Arts, City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, California Arts Council, California Touring Artists’ Roster, and John and Jane Adams Trust. She also coordinated the Adams Project, a training project that taught collegiate-level small ensembles the art of educational, senior, and multi-cultural outreach programming. While involved with the Adams Project, she coordinated outreach performances in 120 community venues throughout Southern California.Dr. Sarah Satterfield has taught a variety of music and humanities courses at College of Central Florida, the University of Florida, Flagler College, and Lake City Community College. She lectures regularly throughout the Southeast, specializing in American music and music of the twentieth century. Most recently Dr. Satterfield presented a lecture-recital on the traditional music of Florida at the International Conference of Arts and Humanities in Honolulu, Hawaii and gave the local debut of Jorge Ibanez’s Aire II for Flute and Piano at the College Music Society’s Regional Conference in Gainesville.

Dr. Satterfield has concertized extensively, participating in premieres or performances at the College Music Society Regional Conference, National Flute Association Annual Convention, Florida Flute Association Annual Convention, and International Festival of Women Composers. She has performed in masterclasses presented by Nancy Clew, Bradley Garner, Damian Bursill-Hall, Eldred Spell, and Constance Lane. Dr. Satterfield plays flute with the Central Florida Symphony and directs the Patriot Pipers, a flute ensemble she launched while at CF.

Dr. Satterfield is a member of a number of professional organizations including the American Musicological Society, College Music Society, Society of Early Americanists, National Flute Association, Florida Flute Association, Pi Kappa Lambda, Mu Phi Epsilon, Phi Kappa Phi, and Kappa Delta Pi. She performs regularly throughout Central Florida.

Dr. Satterfield received a Ph.D. in Music History and Literature with an outside specialization in art from the University of Florida, MM in Flute Performance from San Diego State University, and BM in Music Education from Furman University (magna cum laude).

Sarah Satterfield, Ph.D.
Office: 4-202C
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322, ext. 1406
email: satterfs@cf.edu

Michele Wirt has been Professor of Visual Arts and Humanities, with CF full time since 1998. She received her MFA from UF in 1989. She is the President and Co-Founder of the Citrus Cultural Alliance, Inc.

Office:
Citrus Campus
Building 6-4 Room 201G
(352) 854-2322 x6131
Email: wirtm@cf.edu

Graham Young earned his Master of Fine Arts degree in Graphic Design from Florida Atlantic University and a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Minnesota.

He has taught at the college level since 1999, most recently at The Art Institute of Jacksonville before joining The College of Central Florida in January of 2017. In his spare time, he designs and develops film cameras which he uses for a variety of photographic endeavors.

Office: 4-202D
Ocala Campus
Building 4
(352) 854-2322 x1646
Email: youngg@cf.edu