Licia Clark – Concert & Children’s Choirs, Girls Ensemble, Strings
As the founder and Executive Director of Inspire One, Licia’s passion for children and music is only outdone by her passion for God. She spent five years spreading the love and hope of God traveling the world with Celebrant Singers and Teen Challenge Eurasia, where she had the privilege of meeting and playing for both Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II. For over 25 years she has been directing the homeschool choirs in the greater Fresno area. For 15 years she was director of Peoples School of The Creative Arts. In 2014, as the Lord led, she created the nonprofit ministry of Inspire One. She is also in her tenth year of enriching the lives of the children of Biola, (a small farming community west of Fresno), teaching orchestral strings in their after school program.
For her contribution to educating the children of the Central Valley in the arts, she was awarded the 2013 Horizon Award by the Fresno Arts Council. She was also recently awarded a grant in recognition for her work by the Bautista Foundation. She longs to combine her passions for God, music, and children through Inspire One by bringing together children of different communities and fostering camaraderie and cooperation by making music together.
Tim & Lori McCracken – Guys’ Ensemble
Tim is glad you are looking into the opportunities offered through Inspire One! It is a bright and new organization with hope for sharing God’s gift of music even more widely than has been done so far, but it has depth and history. Their family has been involved with these choirs through all of their three children’s elementary and high school years (they’re empty-nesters now!), and the joy of music and training in music has been a greater value to them than they know how adequately to describe. Lori is the accompanist for the choirs and recitals at all levels. For the last six years, Tim has had the privilege of leading the Guys’ Ensemble, an auditioned group from out of the Concert Choir. It has been his goal that through the experience of singing, these young men can both taste God’s bounty and learn to turn their hearts toward blessing others.
Christina Lumeya – Piano
Christina is a trained and gifted music teacher with more than 10 years experience teaching piano. She is also experienced in performance, actively singing and playing the piano most of her life. She enjoys singing solo and in a choir, and frequently accompanies singers on the piano, primarily in worship teams at church. She enjoys playing both classical music and jazz/improvisational music. Christina loves working with children, and it shows in all of her classes!
Patti Cota – Handbells and Private Piano
For over 30 years, Patti Cota has taught music in private and public schools and churches, from elementary through college/adult levels. She has accompanied professionally on piano for nearly as many years. She was handbell director at Peoples Church in Fresno, California for 23 years and for 6 years at Peoples School of Creative Arts. She enjoys arranging music for her groups and has over 100 published arrangements. Patti holds a B.A. and California teaching credential in Music from Bethany Bible College, Santa Cruz, California and an M.A. in Music Education from California State University Fresno. She currently teaches handbell classes and private piano lessons through Inspire One.
Sheryl Ridley – Photography
Sheryl’s love of photography began in 8th grade when she received her first Kodak 110 film camera. She is self taught and has devoted over nine years to studying and practicing this art form and continues to learn every day. She loves capturing the beauty of creation, her everyday family life, the emotion in a moment, the interaction between loved ones, as well as birds, dogs, her kids and high school seniors. She has photographed the concerts for Inspire One (formerly PSCA) for the past 8 years along with many other events for the Biola Orchestra and Summer Enrichment Program. She especially enjoys passing on her interest in photography to her students and is thrilled to watch them learn how to take control of their digital cameras, giving them the freedom to be creative. Come join in and learn how to use your camera creatively.
Brenda Myers – Bucket Band
Brenda Myers holds a Music Performance degree from CSU Fresno, music teaching credential from Fresno Pacific University as well as a Master’s in West African/Caribbean Music and Culture.
From 1983 through the spring of 2001, Brenda was a percussion specialist with the Fresno Unified and Clovis Unified School Districts. During this period, her elementary, intermediate and high school percussion ensembles performed for California state music conventions, festivals, and successfully competed in local, state and national competitions.
By 2000, she had begun to experiment with a totally aural style of teaching she saw demonstrated by the Fabulous Leopards Percussionists, at the Percussive Arts Society International Convention in 1999. The energy, enthusiasm, and musicality she experienced that day was unlike anything she had seen or heard before. After convincing their director, Diane Downs to teach a one-week camp, Brenda saw that same energy, enthusiasm, and musicality from her local students. She knew this was something she wanted to explore. She began the We Got The Beat Youth Percussion Band. Since then, many students in and around the Fresno and Clovis area have benefited from her instruction and energy. “We just have a great time learning and performing fun music!”