LiYing Noell
President

LiYing Noell, originally from Penang, Malaysia, received her undergraduate degrees from St. Andrews College and her Master's of Music Education from UNC-Greensboro. LiYing also holds a Level I Orff-Schülwerk Certification from UNC-G, Level II from James Madison University in Virginia and Level III from University of Nevada at Las Vegas. She also achieved certification in Early and Middle Childhood from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2005. LiYing has been teaching at Rashkis Elementary School in Chapel Hill since 2003. Prior to this, LiYing taught in the Durham Public Schools as well as an itinerant teacher in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools. She also serves as a substitute pianist at Christ the King Moravian Church in Durham. LiYing also maintains a private piano studio. In her spare time, she enjoys scrapbooking, reading, gardening and cooking with her daughter, Caroline.

Susan Zelasky
Vice President

Susan Zelasky has been an "Orff-in" for 15 years! She graduated from University of Georgia with a Bachelor's degree in Music Education and is currently pursuing her National Board Certification in Music. She earned her Level 1 Orff Shülwerk certification in Atlanta with Tossi Aaron and Level ll certification with Marilyn Humphreys and Konnie Saliba. She now teaches at Douglas Creative Arts and Science Magnet School in Wake County NC. Some of her favorite activities outside music include mountain biking, rock climbing and traveling worldwide.

Jane Hoch
Past President

Jane brings twenty-five years of teaching experience with her as she serves on the board for the Central Carolina Chapter. Her undergraduate studies in Music Education were completed at Tennessee Technological University, and she holds a Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. Her introduction to the schülwerk began with Levels I and II when Ruth Hamm taught these workshops at Meredith College, and she continued her training at the University of Memphis with Levels II, III, and Master Level Certification. Jane also achieved certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music Education from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2002. Jane has presented numerous workshops for the Wake County Public Schools System Elementary Music Staff, has volunteered as a coach for National Board candidates, and served as a clinician for the North Carolina Symphony Teacher Workshops -Educational Concert Program. Jane currently teaches at Lincoln Heights Magnet Elementary School in Fuquay-Varina. When she is not teaching Jane enjoys spending time with her two grandchildren, traveling with family and friends, reading, and the beach!!

Valerie Merritt
Recording Secretary

Valerie was first introduced to Orff-Schülwerk five years ago when she started her teaching career in Durham, NC. After one workshop she was convinced that the creativity encouraged through Carl Orff's ideas would aid her best in sharing music with children. In 2002, Valerie graduated from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a Bachelors Degree in Music Education. She traveled to Memphis, TN in 2004 to study Level I with Shirley McRae and the following summer she completed Level II training with Chris Judah-Lauder at the Bellalago Academy in Kissimmee, FL. Currently, Valerie teaches at Creekside Elementary School. She conducts a fourth and fifth grade chorus before school and holds a private voice studio in her home. Further educational development has been put on hold temporarily as Valerie indulges the whims of her one year old son, Cameron. In her free time you can find Valerie entertaining friends and family with her latest cooking experiment, watching films, or perhaps exploring a new art form. (For the past two years tap was a favorite but recently her interests have taken a turn towards painting with acrylics and oils.)

Ardith Roddy
Treasurer

Ardith (Ardie) received her Bachelor of Music Education degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College, a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from North Carolina Wesleyan College, and her Masters degree in Special Education and Ed.S. degree in Elementary Education from Appalachian State University. She taught academically gifted students for 15 years and earned her National Board Certification in 1995 in Early Adolescent English/Language Arts. Ardie took Level I Orff training two times during her varied teaching career, in 1981 with Konnie Saliba and in 1997 with Donna Fleetwood. She retired in May 2004 from Roanoke Rapids City Schools after spending her last 7 teaching years in elementary music positions. She is now teaching music for all ages, babies through older adults, in classes through her church. She and her husband, Richard, reside in Warren County, NC and have two grown children and four grandchildren. Some of Ardie's favorite things, when she's not hanging around Orff-Schülwerk events or her church, are singing with several performing groups, playing with the grandkids, snow skiing, and living at Lake Gaston.

Ann Hughes
Membership Secretary

Dena Byers
Website Editor

Dena is in her 10th year of teaching. She currently teaches grades K-5 at Hillandale Elementary for Durham Public Schools. She holds both a Bachelors of Science in Education and a Bachelors of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Connecticut as well as a Masters of Music Degree from the University of Minnesota. She earned her Level I, II, and III certifications from the University of Nevada Las Vegas and her Master Level Certification from the University of Memphis with Jos Wuytack. She also achieved certification in Early and Middle Childhood Music from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards in 2005. She has presented workshops for North Carolina Symphony, Wake County Public Schools and the Heart of Florida Chapter of AOSA. She has also served as a Choral Clinician for Cumberland County and Durham Public Schools. She has been an active member of the Central Carolina Chapter since 1999 serving as Recording Secretary, Vice President, President and currently Web Editor. She is the Region IV Representative for the AOSA National Board of Trustees. When not teaching, Dena enjoys spending time with family.

Meg Franks
Newsletter Co-Editor

Meg received a Bachelor of Music Education and Applied Voice degree from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1989, and has completed partial requirements for a Master Degree of Music Education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She received her Orff Level 1 under Konnie Saliba in 1992 and has taught elementary music both full time and part-time with the Durham Public Schools, Wake County Schools, and the Orange County schools from 1989-2002. Meg has been a former editor of CCC-AOSA’s newsletter, "Orffunotes," and is the yearbook editor for Hope Valley Elementary. Meg currently is a stay at home mom to three children, ages 9, 7, and 4, serves as the MOPPETS coordinator, and leads the Children's choir at Christ the King Moravian Church. She teaches private piano lessons and is an active member of the Choral Society of Durham. Her hobbies include gardening, scrapbooking, and graphic arts.

Pat Boozer
Historian

Pat received a Bachelor's degree in piano performance from Samford University in Alabama, a Master's degree in piano and composition from Southern Seminary in Kentucky, and has completed master's level Orff certification from the American Orff-Schülwerk Association. She composes both piano and choral works and is published with several publishing companies including FJH, Belwin-Mills, Hinshaw, and Schirmer. Her teaching experience includes private piano and theory, public school music, both secondary and elementary, and adjunct music courses in several colleges and seminaries. Pat has been a commissioned composer, clinician, guest composer, and accompanist at numerous state and regional musical events, including Ridgecrest Baptist Assembly in North Carolina, and the Tennessee Baptist Youth Music Camp at Camp Carson. She has served in similar capacities at the Lake Yale, Blue Springs, and Harmony Bay Music Camps, all located in Florida. Pat has been workshop clinician with the Oklahoma and Florida Baptist Convention workshops, and has judged several district piano festivals, piano competitions, and choral festivals in Florida and Alabama. She and her husband, Dr. John Boozer, have two grown children, and are now residing in North Carolina where she composes and teaches elementary music.

Angela Combs, Contact Liason
Erin Janson, Contact Liason
Phyllis O'Keef, Hospitality
Jane Waddell, Hospitality