Emily Crocker earned the Master of Arts in Music Theory from Texas Woman’s University and the Bachelor of Music Education from University of North Texas. Further studies have included Conducting and Voice-Building at Westminster Choir College and Kodaly Techniques at Sam Houston State University.

Ms. Crocker taught public school music at all levels for 15 years in Texas. In1989, she joined the music publishing industry and served as Vice President of Choral Publications for Hal Leonard Corporation in Milwaukee. She founded the Milwaukee Children’s Choir in 1994 and served as artistic director until 2009. Under her leadership the choir grew from 35 members to over 400 and received acclaim for performances with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra, the Milwaukee Youth Symphony Orchestra, the American Choral Directors Association, Present Music, an MENC national convention and at international festivals around the world. She is a nationally recognized expert in children’s and youth choirs and maintains an active guest conducting schedule.

Ms. Crocker’s compositions have been performed across the globe. She has received ASCAP awards for concert music since 1986. She is well known for her work in developing choral instructional materials and is an author of Experiencing Choral Music, a choral textbook series for grades 6–12 published by McGraw-Hill/Glencoe, and Essential Elements for Choir, a choral textbook series for grades 6–12 published by Hal Leonard.

The Civic Music Association of Milwaukee awarded her the Excellence in Youth Music award in 2002 and, in 2009, the Distinguished Citizen Award—Professional in the Arts. She has been named a Distinguished Alumna by the Texas Woman’s University Department of Music and an Honored Alumnus by the College of Music of the University of North Texas.

She maintains membership in the American Choral Directors Association (Life Member), Wisconsin Choral Directors Association, Music Educators National Conference, ASCAP, Chorus America, ΣΑΙ music fraternity, (Iota Omega)—Member Laureate, ΠΚΛ national music honor society.

Rachel Maki has educated students of all levels throughout Michigan, New Jersey, and Wisconsin in both schools and after school choral organizations. As an advocate of music education, Rachel led a Wisconsin school to receive the 2014 GRAMMY Select Schools Enterprise Award, an award given to high schools that are retaining their music programs among continued budgetary limitations.  Ms. Maki served as the Associate Artistic Director of Milwaukee Children’s Choir for three years and is now in her third season as Artistic Director.

A native of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Ms. Maki has performed with many notable groups including the Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, and Vienna Philharmonic while under the direction of internationally renowned conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Daniele Gatti, Jacques Lacombe, Alan Gilbert, and Vladimir Jurowski. While at Westminster Choir College, Ms. Maki twice travelled to Oxford, England as a member of the GRAMMY nominated Westminster Williamson Voices where the choir performed as artists in residents for the Oxford Choral Institute. She has also performed with Arturo O’Farrill and the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra at New York’s City’s Apollo Theater, for the visitation of the Archbishop of Loreto at St. John’s Church, Orange, NJ, and Julian Darius Revie’s Mass of the Divine Shepherd at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

Rachel Maki holds a Bachelor of Music Education from Northern Michigan University, Marquette, Michigan and a Master of Music in Music Education from Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. While at Westminster Choir College, she studied conducting with Dr. James Jordan and voice with Robin Leigh Massie.

Jessica Marks recieved her BM Vocal Performance, Millikin University, Decatur, IL and her MM Music Education University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.  Ms. Marks has taught general music and chorus (Pre-K-5th) at the Academy of Accelerated Learning (Milwaukee Public Schools) since 1999. She has served multiple times as a District Elementary Choir Conductor for the MPS Biennial Music Festival (2012, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2022). In addition, Ms. Marks is a private voice instructor, and has directed an advanced Vocal Ensemble for teens. Ms. Marks has extensive experience with Youth Musical Theatre, both as a teaching artist and Vocal Director for multiple productions. As a professional educator, Ms. Marks has led numerous teacher training sessions, presented as a clinician, collaborated with community Arts organizations, and is a mentor to new teachers. Previous awards include General Music Excellence Award (Civic Music 2004, 2016) and WJZI Teacher of the Month (February 2007), Jerry Award Nominee (2018, Peter Pan).

Corynn Nordstrom received the Bachelor of Music in clarinet performance and music education from the University of Michigan. She also obtained the Master of Music Education from the same institution with a focus on curriculum and choral directing for young voices.

Ms. Nordstrom is a National Board Certified Teacher and has been teaching young children for 17 years. She currently teaches Kindergarten through 2nd grade general music for the School District of Menomonee Falls. She is Level 1 certified in Music Learning Theory and Kodaly.

In 2009, she received the Michigan Music Educators Association Hilda Humphreys Award for service to music education early in her career. Ms. Nordstrom recently finished serving two terms as the Early Childhood Chair for the Wisconsin Music Educators Association and writer for the Wisconsin School Musician magazine.

Ben Perkins has directed adult and children’s choirs in community, church, and school settings in Louisiana, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. In addition, he has led infant and toddler music classes at Temple University’s Music Preparatory Division, taught private voice and guitar lessons, and served as a music teacher in the School District of Philadelphia, teaching general music, music technology, and modern band. Ben’s professional singing experience includes engagements with the Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, Christ Church Philadelphia, Opera Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Philadelphia Singers, Atlanta Opera, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Bellingham Festival of Music, and others. His formative musical experience began in 4th grade after he joined the Young Singers of Callanwolde, where he sang with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus under the direction of Robert Shaw. Ben’s performance experiences help provide a quality foundation that enables him to lead singers to authentically explore musicianship, expression, and the art of collective music making. Ben received his Masters of Arts in Teaching from University of the Arts in Philadelphia, studied Voice and Music Education at Georgia State University, and received his Bachelors of Science, Music concentration, from Excelsior College. 

Charmaine Siagian received her BM and MM degrees in piano performance from Youngstown State University (Ohio) and her DMA in piano performance and pedagogy from the University of Oklahoma. Originally from Sabah, Malaysia, Charmaine recently authored and arranged the Malay Folk Songs Collection published by Hal Leonard, where she works as editor of educational piano. 

Brendan Fox is a pianist and composer from Wilton, CT. He received a Bachelor of Music in Composition and in Piano Performance from Wheaton College (IL) and a Master of Music in Composition from Ithaca College. In Milwaukee he has performed with groups including Camerata Milwaukee, DIY Chamber Music, Festival City Symphony, and Milwaukee Chamber Choir. His compositions have been played by the Milwaukee Philharmonic and Tontine Ensemble. Brendan currently works as a classical music editor at Hal Leonard. He occasionally writes classical music reviews for Urban Milwaukee. A frequent side project has been a lecture-recital of Charles Ives’s Concord Sonata, which he has performed in cities including New York, Chicago, Toronto, and Milwaukee. 

Bill joined the Milwaukee Children’s Choir team in September of 2019 as General Manager, and moved into the Executive Director position in February of 2020.    Prior to coming to MCC, Bill served for 18 years as Director of Music Ministries at Hales Corners Lutheran Church.  

Bill did his undergraduate studies at University of Wisconsin, Madison.  He has served as music director/conductor for numerous theatre companies in the Midwest, including Children’s Theatre of Madison (CTM), Madison Theatre Guild, MATC Theatre, First Stage, Sunset Playhouse and the Marriott Linconshire.   Bill’s favorite role is that of father to Emily & Adam and husband to the lovely and talented Rhonda Rae.

Tasha Sorenson joined the MCC as Development Director in July 2018. She is a native of Wisconsin and has worked in the Milwaukee nonprofit community for the past fifteen years.

In 2004, Ms. Sorenson received a BS in Art History, History and the Study of Comparative Religions from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. After graduation, she found herself working in the nonprofit field. It’s during this time that she fell in love with nonprofits and developed a deep passion for charitable work. This lead Ms. Sorenson to get her MS in Nonprofit Management and Leadership with a focus on philanthropy from UW-Milwaukee in 2012. Since, she has worked in fundraising roles in various nonprofit fields, including education, media arts, community activism and more. Currently, she volunteers her time as a Board of Director with the Brady Street Area Association and member of Echelon Milwaukee for the Salvation Army.

Ms. Sorenson appreciates the performing arts and what the MCC provides to youth as a music student herself. As a child and young adult, she studied piano for ten years and the alto saxophone for seven. She understands the benefits children receive and wants to see both this generation and the next have the same opportunities.