About the Team
Kathleen DeLaurenti, Editor
Kathleen DeLaurenti[1] is the Director of the Arthur Friedheim Library at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Previously, she served as scholarly communication librarian at the College of William and Mary where she participated in establishing state-wide open educational resources (OER) initiatives. She is co-chair of the Music Library Association (MLA) Legislation Committee as well as a member of the Copyright Education sub-committee of the American Library Association (ALA) and is past winner of the ALA Robert Oakley Memorial Scholarship for copyright research. DeLaurenti served as the inaugural Open Access Editor of MLA and continues to serve on the Open Access Editorial Board.
She holds an MLIS from the University of Washington and a BFA in vocal performance from Carnegie Mellon University.
Zane Forshee, Lead Author
Zane Forshee[2] serves as the Marc C. von May Distinguished Chair of Professional Studies, Director of Peabody LAUNCHPad, and is a guitar faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University.
Forshee’s work as an artist has led to appearances worldwide including: the Palacete de Amezúa (Madrid), the Joseph Joachim Konzertsaal (Berlin), the Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), and the Chimei Museum (Taiwan). His wide-ranging collaborative projects include choreographer danah bella, percussionist and composer Gene Koshinski, film composer Christian Biegai, and an upcoming collaboration with artistic polyglot Wendel Patrick.
His most recent recording, Valenciano: Guitar Works of Asencio, Esplá & Rodrigo, reached Number 1 on Amazon’s Classical Music Chart and No. 6 on Billboard’s Classical Crossover chart. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Wigmore Hall Charitable Trust recipient, D’Addario Foundation Grant Winner, Maryland State Arts Council: Independent Artist Awardee, and received a Peabody Institute Dean’s Incentive Grant for his collaborative research project with the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins that explored the Impact of Weekly Guitar Lessons on Functional Movement and Well-being in Parkinson’s Disease Patients, among others.
Forshee has presented masterclasses, key notes, guest lectures, and workshops at the Royale Conservatoire of Scotland, San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Staffordshire University (UK), North Carolina School for the Arts, University of Edinburgh, St. Olaf College, Johns Hopkins University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, among others.
Of him, Baltimore City Paper writes: “As the old adage goes, those who cannot do, teach. Apparently Zane Forshee didn’t get the memo. . . do not miss out on the chance to learn a thing or two from the man who makes music his life in the classroom and on stage.”
Valerie Hartman, Editor
Valerie Hartman[3] is the Senior Instructional Designer at the Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. Solid editing and visual design skills, reinforced with a strong background in pedagogy and technology, allow her to present key messages with clarity and style. She partners with faculty to create learning experiences that motivate students, improve comprehension, and foster the application of new skills.
Hartman also teaches graduate level courses in multimedia and e-learning design and development. She earned a BBA in Finance and Management from the University of Houston and a Master’s in Professional Writing from Towson University. She is currently working towards a doctorate in Instructional Technology at Towson University with research interests in creativity in online environments, active learning pedagogies, universal design for learning, and design-based research.
Christina Manceor, Author
Christina Manceor[4] is a percussionist, career educator, and entrepreneur who integrates problem solving and collaboration to enhance and innovate experiences for students, audiences, and arts organizations. Currently, she works at the Peabody Conservatory as Assistant Director of LAUNCHPad (career services), and serves as adjunct Professional Studies faculty for Peabody’s innovative Breakthrough Curriculum. As a Baltimore-based freelance percussionist, she pursues artistic collaborations in a variety of genres and styles.
As an educator passionate about helping emerging artists further their careers, Manceor enjoys teaching both artistic and professional skills. In addition to her work designing and teaching Professional Studies courses at Peabody, she is a career coach at the conservatory and manages experiential learning programs, grants, and other resources for students and alumni. She was previously percussion faculty at Mount St. Mary’s University, and her experience in music education spans over a decade of private percussion instruction.
As a performer, Manceor is co-founder of the flute and percussion group Duo Sila, and also performs with the samba band Bateria Terra Maria and the jazz/funk/soul fusion band the Kris Johnson Group. Additionally, Christina’s extensive background in performing arts management informs her work as both a performer and educator, having previously served as Managing Director of Community Concerts at Second, and co-founded About\face, a cross-genre and cross-disciplinary concert series in Baltimore.
Christina earned her B.M. in Percussion Performance with a minor in Performing Arts Management at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and completed her M.M. in Percussion Performance at Peabody. Currently she is pursuing an Ed.D. at the Johns Hopkins University School of Education, specializing in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education.
Robin McGinness, Author
Robin McGinness[5] is an operatic baritone and career coach interested in finding ways to use theater and games to facilitate professional development, self-management for performers, art song house concerts, and modernizing the operatic repertoire.Currently an instructor of Professional Studies at the Peabody Institute, McGinness helped create core classes of the Breakthrough Curriculum, Building a Brand and Portfolio, and Pitching Your Creative Idea. A staff member of LAUNCHPad, Peabody’s career services office, since 2015, McGinness has invested years in helping both undergraduate and graduate students prepare for their lives after school. McGinness also co-hosts MaxQ, Peabody LAUNCHPad’s podcast focused on exploring what life is like for recent Peabody graduates.
As a baritone soloist, McGinness has performed in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and Carnegie Hall’s Stern Auditorium. Other recent performances include Carmina Burana with Maryland Symphony Orchestra, Duruflé Requiem with the Peabody Symphony Orchestra, and Brahms Requiem with The Washington Chorus, a performance praised by the Washington Post for its “warm baritone.”
McGinness holds degrees from Oberlin Conservatory and the Peabody Institute. Previously, McGinness has been a resident artist at Opera Theater St. Louis, Pittsburgh Festival Opera, Teatro Nuovo, and Bel Canto at Caramoor and was the Baritone Studio Artist in the Arizona Opera Marion Roose Pullin Opera Studio. An award-winning performer, McGinness placed first in the Sylvia Greene Vocal Competition, second in the Piccola Opera Competition, and received the Patricia A. Edwards Award in the Annapolis Opera Vocal Competition.
Joseph Montcalmo, Reviewer
Joseph Montcalmo[6] has spent over 20 years building, developing, deploying, and teaching educational content, courses, and programs. He has created online learning business plans for multiple universities; participated in the creation of 30+ online/hybrid degree programs and hundreds of courses; created, edited, and published a variety of multimedia; has experience with learning space design and theory; and teaches online at the graduate level. Montcalmo has presented on topics including effective collaboration, pedagogy, integration of technology into teaching and learning, action research, and approaches to successful leadership.
He earned his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Master of Business Administration with a focus on Management and Leadership from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.
Sarah Thomas, Editor
Sarah Thomas[7] is a violinist and educator driven by collaboration and connection with both performers and audiences. Whether she’s performing “old” or “new” music in someone’s living room or a large concert hall, Sarah strives to create an environment for everyone present to share the gloriously human experience of loving music together.
A member of the Peabody Conservatory’s LAUNCHPad, Thomas supports students and recent alumni in their career pursuits through professional skills coaching, grant program management, and curricular support for core Professional Studies courses. She is an adjunct lecturer for the Peabody course Building a Brand and Portfolio, which she helped develop alongside her LAUNCHPad colleagues.
In addition to her work at Peabody, Thomas is a founding member of the Bergamot Quartet, a string quartet fueled by a passion for exploring and advocating for the music of living composers. Bergamot has performed in venues including Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center’s Millennium Stage, and the Banff Centre and collaborated with artists including Sō Percussion, Arx Duo, Claire Chase, Dan Trueman, and Terry Sweeney. Passionate about education, they have served as ensemble-in-residence for the MATA Jr. and Junior Bach programs for young composers and held performances, workshops, and lectures at universities including Princeton University, Peabody Conservatory, Towson University, Shenandoah Conservatory, University of Texas El Paso, and New Mexico State University.
Thomas holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Peabody Conservatory and a Professional Studies Diploma from the Mannes School of Music, where Bergamot Quartet was the inaugural Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence.
