CLINICIAN BIOGRAPHIES

Dr. Miho Takekawa - Pacific Lutheran University

Dr. Miho Takekawa was raised in Tokyo and currently resides in Renton, Washington. She teaches at Pacific Lutheran University, where she heads the percussion studio and directs the school’s percussion and steel pan ensembles. During the 2010-2011 school year, she was an interim professor of percussion at the University of Washington School of Music, where she served as the Japan Tour Coordinator and Activities Liaison.

Miho began piano at age three and took up percussion at thirteen, ultimately graduating from Tokyo’s prestigious Kunitachi School of Music. She earned both Master’s and Doctoral degrees in percussion performance from the University of Washington School of Music in Seattle, where she was awarded the coveted Boeing Scholarship, among other honors.

She is a sought-after performer in many styles of music, working with groups ranging from classical music (such as the Seattle Modern Orchestra) to Mexican banda music to steel band and African drumming. She performs with Diego Coy Musica Colombiana, Pan Duo, and many other groups and is a founding member of the Miho & Diego Duo. Significant awards include a Washington State Arts Commission Fellowship and grants from King County 4Culture. In addition to her own performance career, Miho directed the North Rainbow Steel Drum Group (Sapporo, Japan) and served as an arranger for the Hirosaki University Steel Pan Group. She has performed in Mexico, Chile, Japan, California and Oregon.

Inspired to share her passion for music with others, and especially younger musicians, Miho is a consultant for the Washington Chapter of the Percussive Arts Society, an annual guest speaker for the University of Washington Percussion Lab, and a co-founder of Smile for Japan, a Seattle-based fundraising event for the victims of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. She was also a contributing performer to a fundraising CD to aid victims of the Oso (Washington) Mud Slide. She is currently supervising the Puyallup School District’s “Pans of Steel” (after-school steel pan program) .

She has worked to foster cultural exchange between Japanese and American youth groups, leading or coordinating tours by the University of Washington Husky Marching Band and the University of Washington Wind Ensemble (Seattle), Musica Grato Himi (Toyama, Japan), the Tamana Girls High School Band (Japan), the Graham-Kapowsin High School Band (Washington State), the Left Coast Brass Quintet (Seattle), and Seattle percussionist Tom Collier. Many of Miho’s International and local activities can be found at www.tymusicexchange.com and www.mihodiego.com.

Mrs. Robin Blumenthal - Kalles Junior High School

Robin graduated from Wichita State University and earned a full ride as a grad assistant to Indiana University, studying under George Gaber. While at both universities, she earned scholarships, won competitions, and performed solos with many orchestra and bands. She freelanced with Sandi Patti, the Gaithers, Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and traveled fifteen years with Roger Williams.

After moving to Longview, Washington in 1990, she founded the Mark Morris High School Percussion Ensemble, performing at two All State Conventions. In 1999, after moving to Puyallup with her husband Sam, and percussionist daughters Alicia and Heather, she taught both elementary and secondary music to numerous students. After starting a percussion ensemble at Emerald Ridge High School, the group was selected to perform at both All-State and All Northwest Conventions. Other selected students performed in elementary honor groups as well as junior and high school groups, including numerous private students who performed at state solo competitions.

Robin continues to be very active in NAfME, WMEA, and Valley Region, serving as President-Elect. She lives in Puyallup with her husband, Sam, and is in her 11^th year at Kalles JH.

Ms. Britt Dahlgren

Britt Dahlgren started her percussion career in high school, switching from alto saxophone to percussion in the marching band and winter drumline. Since her switch, she has performed at Winter Guard International finals in Dayton, Ohio, Southern California Percussion Association finals in Ontario, California, and within the Drum Corps International Circuit. Britt continues to work in the marching arts, teaching various high school percussion sections in Washington, teaching two years with the Cascades Drum & Bugle Corps, and currently works with the Columbians Drum & Bugle Corps.

Britt holds her Bachelors of Percussion Performance, Instrumental Education, and Masters of Percussion Performance from Central Washington University in Ellensburg, WA. While attending, she was honored to perform with the CWU Symphony Orchestra at Benaroya Hall and at the National Association for Music Education Conference in Portland in 2013. She has also been performed with the CWU Wind Ensemble during the College Band Directors National Association Conference in 2011.

After college, Britt was involved with the Cascade Symphony Orchestra and Cascade Percussion Ensemble in Edmonds, WA, the Seattle Wind Symphony in Issaquah, WA, and she currently plays with the South Sound Symphony Band in Puyallup. Britt has adjudicated multiple Solo & Ensemble Contests throughout Washington State, as well as various drumline festivals in Western Washington in addition to her performing. She is currently a substitute teacher in Puyallup, WA and residing in Tacoma, WA