Kelly Adams is a twice-over graduate of the University of Southern California where she received a Bachelor of Music degree in music industry and a Master of Arts degree in music education. In 2013, she attended the Kodály Association of Southern California (KASC) Summer Institute where she fell in love with Kodály’s revolutionary methods and ideology, eventually receiving her certification under Dr. Kathy Hickey and Dr. Niké St. Clair in 2016.

Now Kelly serves as Past President on the KASC board, and currently teaches Level I Pedagogy during KASC’s Summer Institute at Azusa Pacific University. She continues to build Kodály-based curricula for the National Children’s Chorus as its Principal Associate Conductor and recently conducted students from schools across Los Angeles in the 2023 KASC Honor Chorus Festival.

Kelly is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Musical Arts in Music Teaching and Learning at the University of Southern California. When she’s not teaching or conducting, Kelly performs, writes and records with the band Karmina (search Queens of Heart to hear Karmina’s latest album) and sings in feature films (How to Train Your Dragon, Wonder, Pan, The Lorax, Promising Young Woman). Kelly is thrilled to conduct her daughter Rudi in Minuet at the National Children’s Chorus.

Krystin Cowan holds a Master of Music in Music Education from the University of Redlands, Kodály Certification from the Kodály Association of Southern California (KASC), Bachelor of Arts in Music from the University of California, Riverside, and a single subject teaching credential in music. 
​

Ms. Cowan is an active music educator and has been teaching music in K-12 public schools and community colleges since 2011 with extensive experience teaching beginning instrumental musicians, older beginners, and elementary classroom music. She currently serves as an elementary music specialist and beginning string orchestra teacher for Riverside Unified School District, Curriculum Specialist for the Riverside Arts Academy, and is Associate Faculty at Riverside City College. As a bassist, Ms. Cowan maintains an active performance schedule in the Southern California area. 

Réka Csernyik is one of Australia's foremost experts in choral conducting, choral conducting pedagogy and aural musicianship.

Born in Hungary, Réka earned master’s degrees in Music Education, Choral Conducting and Church Music from the world-renowned Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. She has taught music at every level of education – with wide experience in primary and secondary schools as well as at university level. Réka held the position of Co-ordinator of Choral Conducting and Lecturer of Aural Musicianship at The University of Queensland from 2004 to 2010. In recognition of the program, she received the Award for Teaching Excellence. 
Réka was founder and director of Sola Voce Chamber Choir. Under Réka's directorship the choir has toured extensively and won numerous national and international awards. In recognition of her musical leadership skills, Réka was also awarded ”The Best Conductor” prize at an international choral competition.
In 2015, Réka commenced her role of Co-ordinator of Kodály Pedagogy at the Conservatorium High School, Sydney where she designed a Classroom Music program as well as re-organised the Choral Program of the school, gaining recognition of her choirs Australia-wide.

Réka has regular engagements as a guest lecturer, adjudicator, and workshop facilitator all over the world. Réka has presented papers at various national and international conferences on Australian and Hungarian choral repertoire as well as Kodály-inspired music education.

Dr. Kathy Hickey, OAKE-Past President, is an experienced music educator specializing in early childhood and elementary music education, Kodály pedagogy/solfege, and choral music. Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in piano performance were completed at California State Universities at Los Angeles and Long Beach, and included a year of intense music study at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, Hungary, 1970-71. She earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from the University of Southern California with honors as Outstanding Music Education Graduate. Dr. Hickey is currently Associate Professor of Music at University of Redlands School of Music. She is developing a sight-singing, ear training curriculum based on the movable do Hungarian solfege model. Dr. Hickey has served as President & Treasurer of the national Organization of American Kodály Educators. In 2018 Dr. Hickey received OAKE’s Presidential Award and the Outstanding Educator Award! A frequent presenter at local, state and national conferences, her presentations include sessions and seminars on nurturing the young singer, vocal development and repertoire for the young singer, vocal abuse, singing games to musical literacy, art music listening in the classroom, brain research and music, and Kodály certification courses.

Diane Geller, holds both a Masters in Music Ed, and a Kodály Music Certificate and has had extensive experience teaching children in both public and private schools in the Kodály concept of music education. For the past 25 years, Miss Geller has taught courses for Kodály certification at Universities in both California and Oklahoma, including Palomar College, where she also co-directed the Palomar Youth Chorale for thirteen years. In 2006, she received the “Outstanding Music Educator” award from the Organization of American Kodaly Educators.