Forestwood Middle School Orchestra Booster Club
Meet Our Private Instructors & Clinicians
Private Instructors
Jennifer Seagraves is a violin teacher in the Dallas area. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Education degree with concentration in violin and voice from Northeastern State University in
Tahlequah, OK.
She has been teaching private lessons for over twenty years. Many students in her studio are award-winning and have been recognized at the highest level in local, regional and state competitions and festivals. She enjoys teaching all ages and abilities and believes that all students can learn and benefit from the study of music.
In addition to teaching, she is a violinist for hire in the Dallas area, and has been the principal second violin for the Allen Symphony Orchestra for a number of years. She has been married to her husband, Chris for twenty-three years. Together they have two grown children. She has enjoyed armchair traveling during COVID with bestselling novels, Korean dramas,
Bollywood musicals, and Formula 1 racing. When teaching at home she is usually assisted by her two dogs, Lincoln and Edna, who sagely
observe every lesson.
Hailey Choi
Cello
Hailey Choi began playing the cello at the age of 10. She has won various competitions and performed as a soloist with Saddleback College Symphony and University of California Irvine Symphony Orchestra. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in cello performance at UCI where she studied under Margaret Parkins of Eclipse Quartet. There, she was the principal cellist for two years and received the prestigious Marjorie Rawlins Scholarship for four years. Then, she moved to USC to study under Ronald Leonard, the principal cellist of LA Philharmonic and earned her Master’s degree in cello performance.
Hailey moved to Texas in 2018 with her husband and two children and continues her passion for both performing and teaching from beginner to advanced.
Gail Blazier Bowers
Violin & Viola
Gail Blazier Bowers began her musical studies at age 5 on the piano, and viola at age 9. A native of Indiana, she studied privately with Hungarian professor Csaba Erdelyi at Butler University during her high school years. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from Oberlin Conservatory of Music under Peter Slowik, and a Master of Music from Southern Methodist University, studying with Ellen Rose of the Dallas Symphony. Ms. Bowers participated in summer music festivals throughout her education, including Interlochen Arts Camp, Encore Chamber Music with Cleveland Orchestra faculty, Oberlin in Italy, Brevard Music Center, Credo Chamber Music, and SMU-in-Taos, NM.
Gail remained committed to increasing her pedagogy experience throughout her studies. She taught for the Oberlin local children’s outreach program and college non-major string students during her undergraduate years. As a graduate student at SMU, Gail started teaching group and private lessons at Frisco Independent School District’s Staley Middle School, and went on to teach at the middle and high school levelsin both Frisco and Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD after graduation. In 2014, she began teaching violin and viola privately in the Flower Mound Schools of Lewisville ISD, collaborating closely with the orchestra directors of Forestwood Middle School and Flower Mound High School, and added Northwest ISD to her schedule in 2019. She has also served as an All Region judge for CFBisd, and as a clinician for Frisco, McKinney, and Lewisville ISD.
Ms. Bowers has been a member of the European Ensemble string quartet since 2006, performing weekly for DFW events. She was a member of the Las Colinas Symphony Orchestra for 5 years, and has subbed with the Irving Symphony. Ms. Bowers also teaches privately at her home studio in Corinth at all levels. She is experienced with school orchestra requirements and competition preparation, as well as foundations for beginners through college audition prep. She has two young children, and enjoys working with kids of all ages!
Guest Clinicians
Charilyne Rojas
Guest Clinician
Charilyne Rojas is a conductor and arts administrator for the Greater Dallas Youth Orchestra, as well as an active musician and clinician in the DFW area. A GDYO alumna herself with a lifelong passion for music and teaching, Ms. Rojas earned her BM in Music Education from the University of North Texas where she also taught in the UNT String Project. She maintained a private studio teaching toddlers to adults while growing an award-winning middle school Orchestra program. She has also served in TMEA leadership, managed other local professional ensembles, and continues her community work as a nonprofit consultant.
In addition to serving on GDYO's artistic team, Ms. Rojas also manages all alumni activities, digital marketing, and social media (follow us @greaterdallasyo!) Her diverse experiences as a musician, educator, arts administrator, and consultant have shaped her musical philosophy and holistic teaching approach. Her student-led organization - Concerts for a Cause - helps students share music through volunteerism. Along with all things strings and education, Ms. Rojas loves supporting local organizations dedicated to causes like STEAM, music therapy, arts advocacy & accessibility, and youth/families.
Charlotte Moellering
Guest Clinician
Charlotte Moellering, a nationally recognized leader in the field of music education and a Past
President of TODA, has taught all levels of orchestra from elementary to college. Since retiring
from 30 years in public music education in 2010, she has been a Strings Instructor at Texas A &
M Commerce, and is currently in her 12 th year as a New Teacher Coach with the Lewisville ISD.
As a master teacher, Mrs. Moellering is a nationally sought clinician for Eastman Strings and
Music and Arts, as well as numerous region and local school orchestras. She continues her love
of leading orchestras as the director of the Nor’kirk Orchestra, a multi-generational community
orchestra she founded in 2000.
Camryn Lafargue
Double Bass
Camryn Lafarge began orchestra in fifth grade with the violin, which she studied through 8th grade. In seventh grade she added double bass and quickly realized that that was where her passion was and as she continued into high school and had to choose, bass was her choice. In eighth grade, Camryn was the student aid for the orchestra directors, where, through helping with the beginner students, she began to find a love of teaching, as well.
Through middle school and high school, Camryn participated successfully in many competitions, auditions, and camps, such as UNT Bass Camp and Summer Strings, UTA Summer Strings, and ISB (International Society of Bassists) Young Musicians Program. She also participated in the Bass and Cello Conservatory and was selected to be a member of the Flower Mound Symphony community orchestra. She was principal of the varsity orchestra at Flower Mound High School all four years. Throughout high school, Camryn had the opportunity to be involved in the world class UNT double bass program, studying with graduate student Cody Williams and highly esteemed professors Gudrun Raschen and Jeff Bradetich, as well as many renowned double bass professors from other universities, such as Jack Unzicker (UTA), Brian Perry (Dallas Symphony / SMU), and Tyler Shepherd (UTA).
In her high school sophomore year, she volunteered teaching private lessons to underprivileged students at a local middle school. The following summer she began officially teaching private lesson students, one of which was first chair at middle school all-region. She also had the opportunity to teach in a group setting with the Bass and Cello Conservatory. Beginning in the Fall of 2021, Camryn will be studying Music Education with a double bass concentration at the University of North Texas. She is excited to continue inspiring young musicians the way others have inspired her.
Oscar Rendon
Violin & Viola
Oscar Rendon is an educator in Flower Mound, TX. He has been teaching private Violin and Viola lessons for the past 7 years.
He received his Bachelor’s degree in Music performance from UNT and his Master’s degree in music performance from SMU.
His students have been accepted to GDYO, Music Programs in Major Universities, made High School & Middle School All-Region Orchestras in Violin and Viola and scored 1’s in Solo and Ensemble.
Mr. Rendon understands that every student has a different personality so each student must be taught in a way to maximize his or her’s love in music. He makes sure all of his students learn how to practice effectively to maximize their improvement at home. For Oscar, it is most important to teach his students in a way that is fun and challenging.