SACRAMENTO SECTION GREETING

Reylynn Imai (formerly Goessling) has been instructing violin students since 1997 beginning at the local music store, and recently opening her own home studio space. Graduating from California State University Sacramento (CSUS) with a Bachelor's of Music in Performance and a Bachelor's of Arts in Humanities in 2001, she later returned to University to receive her Master's of Art in Humanities from San Francisco State University. She has performed with the Camellia Symphony as assistant concertmistress and has played in various orchestras including the Stockton Symphony, and the Merced Symphony, as well as chamber ensembles including Vox Musica, The Alternative String Band, and the Afternoon Teacup Collection. Reylynn has recorded for various local Sacramento bands including Adrian Bourgeois, Doombird, Exquisite Corpse, David Houston, and Sal Valentino. She currently plays with David Houston, and as Principal Second for Camellia Symphony. Her goal for her students is to not only teach them strong performance technique and musical theory, but a love of music in all styles and genres. She teaches traditional method using A Tune a Day, Carl Flesch Scales, etudes of Mazas and Kruetzer, and the Suzuki series.  

Violist Gay Currier is a member of the Sacramento Philharmonic and Opera Orchestra, as well as the Sacramento Choral Society and Orchestra. She has performed professionally as a member of various other orchestras in the U.S., Mexico, Germany, and Belgium. A dedicated teacher, Gay has taught violin and viola for several decades.  As well as teaching privately, she also teaches beginning violin in various public schools.  Gay created and directed a string orchestra for children, as well as a string group for adult amateurs. She is the founding member of "Viva Viola!" viola quartet.  She has adjudicated auditions and competitions in Sacramento, Stockton, and Reno and is currently serving as  Vice President of CalASTA Sacramento Section.  She is also a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local 12, the American Viola Society, and MENC/CMEA. 

Kimberly Cole Feeney has been a member of ASTA for over 40 years. She holds a Bachelor of Music in performance from California State University, Sacramento, and a Master of Arts in Music Education and Cello Performance from California State University, Long Beach. 

She recently retired from 35 years of service as a string specialist in the public schools, including 31 years with the Davis Joint Unified School District and previous years with the San Juan and Sacramento City Unified School districts. In Davis she taught an average of 350 students per year, serving mutiple schools and directing the “Davis All-City Elementary Orchestra” which she created in 1995.

 In 2015 she was presented with the “Outstanding Music Educator Award” from the Capitol section of the California Music Educator’s Association (CMEA) and in 2002 she was presented with the “Outstanding String Educator Award” by CMEA, Capital Section. 

Kim has served two terms as State President of the California Chapter of the American String Teacher’s Association (ASTA).  She is currently serving as President of the Sacramento Section and State Webmaster. Over the past thirty-five years she has held numerous leadership positions with both CMEA and ASTA/NSOA (National Schools Orchestral Association) at both the local and state levels.

 In her spare time, Kim freelances on the cello, playing in her own quartet and with various orchestras in the Sacramento and Bay areas. She also serves as an adjudicator at both local and state events. She is looking forward to a return to private teaching and expanded cello playing. 

Violinist Catherine Heusner has been a professional musician and educator for over 30 years.  She graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor of Music degree in Violin Performance.  While in high school, Catherine attended the preparatory division of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.   

She currently performs with the Sacramento Philharmonic, Sacramento Choral Society and many other organizations in northern CA.  For nine years, Catherine served as assistant concertmaster of the Stockton Symphony.   

In the 2019-2020 school year, she served as a long-term substitute teacher in the Davis Joint Unified School District working with approximately 250 children each week in general music and instruction on recorder, violin, viola, cello and bass.  In addition, Catherine works as a violin instructor at Music Mission San Francisco; an El Sistema-inspired after-school music program for underserved youth in the Mission District.  She also maintains a private music studio and tutors French lessons in Davis, CA.   Catherine has been a member of ASTA for over 30 years.   

Elena Bolha is a cellist and teacher from Richmond, Virginia. She recently moved to Lincoln, CA with her husband. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Cello Performance in 2019 from Virginia Tech, where she studied with Alan Weinstein. She performed with several chamber ensembles, served as principal cellist in the New River Valley Symphony, and traveled to perform at a number of festivals and workshops in and out of state.

Throughout her undergraduate years, she taught with the Virginia Tech String Project. Upon graduation, she became the Interim Director for the fall of 2019. While she directed, VTSP participated in the National String Project Consortium 20th Anniversary Celebration, and was awarded the String Project of the Year Award for 2019-2020.

After she moved to California, she worked in arts administration at Capital Christian Center, where she still performs frequently. This past fall, she started as the Orchestra Teacher at Marysville Charter Academy for the Arts. She will begin her master’s degree at Sacramento State this spring, studying with Andrew Luchansky. The String Project at Sacramento State is also excited to have her as a student teacher this semester.

Elena has been a member of ASTA since 2016, and greatly attributes her interest in teaching to the resources that it has provided. Along with her String Project cohorts, she attended 3 National Conferences and started the ASTA Chapter at Virginia Tech. She served as its Vice President and President in her junior and senior years, respectively. She is excited to participate in the Sacramento Section ASTA, network with more teachers in the area, and help foster arts education culture wherever she can.