FACULTY

Yibran Aponte is a Puerto Rican musician and educator dedicated to inspiring students through creativity, collaboration, and performance. He holds a Master of Music in Music Education (K–12) from the Longy School of Music of Bard College and dual degrees in Contemporary Writing & Production and Performance from Berklee College of Music. Originally from Caguas, Puerto Rico, Yibran began his musical studies at the Antonio Paoli Music School and went on to perform with artists including La Sonora Ponceña, Jerry Rivera, and Charlie Aponte. His professional career includes touring with Cirque Musica and performing in productions such as Hair, The Cher Show, and On Your Feet. As an educator, Yibran is committed to creating welcoming, engaging environments where students can grow as musicians, take creative risks, and develop their own artistic voice.

Andrew Bedrossian started playing the Violin at the age of 6. Influenced by various genres of music, he has studied classically throughout his entire musical journey. He studied with Sophia Sogland from the Moscow Conservatory, who was a student of the great David Oistrakh. He received his B.M. in Music Performance at Rhode Island College in 2011. From age 12 through 18, Andrew was a student at the Longy Conservatory in Cambridge, participating in various orchestras. He has played in both the Boston Civic Symphony and Wellesley Symphony under former BSO assistant concertmaster, Max Hobart. Andrew plays in various groups and ensembles and serves as concertmaster for the South Eastern Massachusetts Festival Chorus, and loves to write music. Andrew is the Orchestra Director at Walpole High School. Andrew joined the Prodigy Program in September of 2014.

Harry Bedrossian has taught music in the public school system as well as teaching piano privately for over 35 years. His teaching expertise and knowledge of music theory are in the idioms of classical, jazz, classic rock, and world music. He can be heard performing and recording throughout the Northeast in various venues with a focus in world and middle-eastern music.

Brandy Blakely has played the flute for 35 years. She has been freelancing in the Greater Boston area on flute, piccolo, and alto flute for the last 15 years. She performs with the Bangor Symphony as the 3rd flute/piccolo player. She has also played with the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Portland Symphony Orchestra, Cape Symphony Orchestra, Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, and Symphony of New Hampshire. She has also performed chamber and orchestral music internationally in Paris, France, London, England, and with the Rome Festival Orchestra in Rome, Italy. Blakely has taught flute since 2004. She has worked with students in both the Norwood School District and the Arlington School District. Additionally, she has worked with private students in her own studio from elementary age to adult. Brandy’s goal is to help flutists develop strong technical foundations, expressive playing, and to build confidence and a lasting love for music. Originally from California, Brandy studied flute performance at the University of California Santa Cruz, and earned a Bachelors of Music in flute performance. She followed her career to the Boston Conservatory where she studied flute with Ann Bobo and earned a Masters of Music in flute performance. Following her masters degree, she spent several years studying piccolo with Cindy Meyers of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. When not performing (or practicing) or teaching, Brandy can be found swimming, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two daughters.

Joe Boulos is a multifaceted educator, ethnomusicologist, and percussionist whose work bridges the rich musical traditions of West Africa, the Arab World, and the Americas. He holds a Bachelor of Music in Performance with a concentration in Drumset and World Music from the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, as well as two master’s degrees—an M.M. in Jazz Pedagogy and an M.A. in Musicology—from West Virginia University. Joe’s academic journey includes immersive field research in Ghana, where he studied the drumming and dance traditions of the Ga, Ewe, and Dagara peoples. This experience profoundly shaped his musical identity, deepening his understanding of African rhythmic structures and aesthetics while informing his approach to jazz and contemporary performance. His commitment to cultural exchange and research has become a defining feature of his work. At West Virginia University, Joe served as the World Music Graduate Assistant and taught as an adjunct faculty member in the World Music Department. His teaching philosophy centers on the interconnection between rhythm, culture, and history, encouraging students to explore music as a lens for understanding diverse worldviews. Now based in New England, Joe remains an active performer, collaborating with jazz ensembles, Arab music groups, and West African drum and dance collectives. Known for his cultural fluency and stylistic versatility, he brings a dynamic and informed presence to every performance. His intercultural collaborations foster dialogue, creativity, and a deeper appreciation for global musical traditions. As a composer and recording artist, Joe has released two full-length albums—Standard Times and Damnation of a Flower—along with several EPs and singles. His music, available on all major streaming platforms, explores the intersections of jazz, improvisation, and world music. In 2026, his method book, Rhythms of the Levant: A Derbake Primer, will be published, offering a comprehensive introduction to the derbake for beginning players.

Alana Calhoun is currently in her 6th semester at Berklee College of Music, and will be graduating in the spring. She is a Music Education Major, with specific focusses in vocal pedagogy and choral rehearsal techniques. In 2026, she received the Barnes and Noble award from the Music Education program at Berklee. She began Suzuki training on the violin at the age of 3, and has sung solo and in various choirs across New England, including the Connecticut All-State choirs multiple times. In 2023, Alana had the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at Mohegan Sun. More recently, she has spent time working closely with the Berklee chapter of United Sound, where she was able to give private music lessons and group music lessons to teens and adults with various forms of autism. At Berklee, she has worked as an ESL (English as a Second Language) tutor for 3 years. In her free time, Alana enjoys learning/playing guitar and piano!

Mike Casano graduated from the Berklee College of Music and has performed with The Drifters, trumpeter Randy Brecker, vibraphonist Mike Mainieri, R&B great Ellis Hall, Aubrey Logan, rock singer Chas West, saxophonist George Garzone and actress Uzo Aduba (Orange Is The New Black). Mike was featured in DRUM! Magazine in 2014 and has had articles published in Modern Drummer magazine. Mike and his father Joe Casano formed a jazz big band with his father called Mike & Joe's Big Band and leads his own jazz/fusion group called Mike Casano Fusion. Over the years, Mike has opened for such great artists as Brandi Carlile and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Mike also leads a funk/neo-soul band called Players Only featuring vocalist Mark Love (Rick James). As an educator, Mike has 20 years of experience teaching private and group lessons, as well as percussion ensembles, marching band drumlines, jazz rhythm section clinics and master classes. Mike has taught through the Prodigy Program since 2001.

John Clark started teaching in the Prodigy Program in 1995. Like so many of Westwood’s students, he started his musical journey in grade four on the clarinet. He earned a B.A. in Music History and American History from Connecticut College; a Masters in Music degree from the University of Maryland and a PHD in Musicology from Brandeis University. John is currently a visiting assistant professor at Connecticut College, teaching Music History, Jazz, American Music and Music Theory. John published a biography/listener's guide of blues singer Bessie Smith in 2015, building on academic work he had been doing since his undergraduate days. John is also an active professional musician. As the leader of the Wolverine Jazz Band, he performs regularly at the Sherborn Inn as well as doing numerous local concerts and national Jazz festivals. His band will perform at every home game of the Boston Celtics this season.

Doug LaRosa started teaching in the Prodigy Program in 2005. He is a composer and trombonist living in Boston. Doug holds a Master’s of Music from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has played with and recorded with many different ensembles including the rock bands Kao Dot and State Radio. He is currently a member of Beat Circus.

Melissa Laurencio is a sought-after artist & private instructor with 20 years’ experience as a professional musician. She is versed with student ensembles at Boston Philharmonic, BYSO, NEC, and Rivers. Her students have received merit scholarships for summer festivals at: Boston University Tanglewood Institute, Brevard, Interlochen, New England Music Camp, NEC - SOI, Vancouver, UMass Lowell, Explo at Yale and South Shore Conservatory. One student received the highest honor of being showcased on National Public Radio’s “From the Top” where he performed a solo and a duet with Grammy award clarinetist Paquito D’Rivera. Other successful competitions include: Boston Symphony Concerto Competition, Fidelity Young Artists, International Clarinet Association, Music Teachers National Association, Honors Band of America, NAfME, MMEA All-states/Districts, MICCA solo & ensemble, and Marlborough YPPA festival. Mrs. Laurencio has been awarded a WEF grant to support music performances at Westwood. She holds a MM in Clarinet Performance from Boston University.

Josh Lennox started playing violin and viola at Whitinsville Christian School at the age of 13. He studied at Palm Beach Atlantic University in West Palm Beach, Florida where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Music Education. During his time as an educator in Florida, he initiated a 120 student after school program for elementary students, taught middle school orchestra, and taught symphony orchestra for the Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County. He also volunteered for the Florida Orchestra Association; implementing orchestra competitions and events across the state. Now, he directs the orchestra at Walpole Middle School, and plays violin in the Brockton Symphony Orchestra where he is also the Symphony's Personnel Manager. In his free time, he loves traveling, singing, camping, and hanging out with his cat, Eva.

Ms. Markard was the Director of the Prodigy Program from July 2020-June 2023 and has been a piano instructor in the Prodigy Program since September 2019. Ms. Markard owns and operates Markard Music, a private music studio in which she offers private piano lessons to students of all ages, levels, and abilities. In addition, she is a part-time member of the administrative staff at the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs (BIAESN) and an instructor in the BIAESN’s Saturday Program, where Ms. Markard teaches piano and general music to students with a wide range of exceptionalities. Ms. Markard splits her time between the greater Boston area and Long Island, New York. She was previously on the faculties of the Children’s Museum of the East End, East End Arts School, and Southampton Cultural Center. During the summers, Ms. Markard facilitates a successful summer music camp in partnership with the LongHouse Reserve in East Hampton. Ms. Markard recently completed her Graduate Certificate in Music Education and Autism at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music, and finished her MMEd with Distinction in May 2023. She was offered a Post-Graduate Fellowship at the Berklee Institute for Arts Education and Special Needs for the 2020-21 school year, and won an Excellence in Music Education award from Berklee in April 2023. Ms. Markard earned a B.A., cum laude, in Music and English Literature from Barnard College and a J.D. from the Cardozo School of Law, where she served as the Senior Managing Editor of the Cardozo Women’s Law Journal. Ms. Markard has been a presenter at the BIAESN’s ABLE Assembly for the last two years and has also taught a graduate-level class in gifted and twice exceptional education at the Boston Conservatory at Berklee College of Music for the last two years. She is currently serving as a Post-Master's Fellow from August 2023 - December 2025.

Ms. Naryshkova began her musical education in Russia, earning her undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Performance and Education from Novosibirsk State Conservatory. She continued her studies at Boston University with BSO violist Michael Zaretzky where she received a MM in Music Performance. She has worked with conductors Seiji Ozawa, Lorin Maazel, Robert Spano, and Michael Tilson Thomas, and has performed with the Boston Philharmonic Orchestra, the New Hampshire Symphony, Indian Hill Orchestra, Lyric Opera, Nashua Symphony, Simon Sinfonietta, and the Cape Cod Symphony. Ms. Naryshkova has taught in the Marshfield, Concord-Carlisle, Walpole, and Everett school music programs. She also conducts a string orchestra through the Rhode Island Philharmonic Youth Orchestra program. Ms. Naryshkova joined the Prodigy Program as a violin/viola teacher in 2004.

Deana has been a music educator since 2001, teaching everything from beginning band, middle school band and private French horn lessons, to elementary general music, elementary chorus and elementary drama. As a French horn player, she currently performs principal horn with MetWinds, a Greater Boston community band. Deana studied music education at Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York earning her Bachelor's Degree in Music Education and French horn Performance and her Master’s Degree in Music Education, also at Ithaca College. Deana has studied horn with Alexander Shuhan, Bill Bernatis, Lowell Shaw and Tim Schwartz. Deana has been teaching in the Westwood Public Schools since 2010.

Johann Soults studied cello performance and biology at Oberlin College and Conservatory of Music. His teachers have included Andor Toth, Jr., George Neikrug and Terry King. Mr. Soults is an active freelancer in the New England area having performed with The Claflin Hill Symphony Orchestra, El Ensemble Porteño, The Utica Symphony Orchestra, Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra of Boston. Mr. Soults is a founding member of the Longfellow String Trio, and has performed with The Auburn Piano Trio, El Ensemble Porteño and is a member of the Claflin Hill Symphony String Quartet. Mr. Soults has taught at Oberlin Conservatory, the Bedford POMS program, and the Wayland School of Music. His students have earned various distinctions including: 1st place-Fidelity Investment Young Artists Competition at the Boston Pops, winner of the Fall River Symphony Orchestra’s Young Artist Competition, 1st place-New Bedford Symphony Youth Orchestra Concerto Competition, and acceptance in various youth orchestras, summer programs, and participation in the Junior and Senior levels of MMEA’s Eastern and Southeastern District Orchestras.

Hannah Staudinger is an freelance oboist and educator based in Boston, Massachusetts, who performs regularly across the New England area with groups such as the New Bedford Symphony Orchestra, Vista Philharmonic, and Longwood Symphony. She previously served as the principal oboist of the Kendall Square Orchestra and Boston Civic Symphony. An active recitalist, Hannah has a depth of performing experience across many genres, including classical, contemporary, and chamber music. Hannah is also an experienced educator who is interested in the cross section of education and repertoire. She has given a number of lectures and recitals based on her research and writing found in her paper “Repertoire within Education: An analysis of oboe repertoire for highschool adjudications.” Hannah currently teaches an active oboe studio of all ages, ranging from middle school to collegiate players. Hannah holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts and Master's in Oboe Performance from Boston University, and Bachelor's degrees in Oboe Performance and Music Education from the Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University. Her major teachers include Mark McEwen and Robert Sheena of the Boston Symphony and Jane Marvine of the Baltimore Symphony.

Alicia Winslow joined the Prodigy Program faculty in 2016. She is a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, receiving her bachelors in Music Education (2003) and her Master of Arts in Teaching (2004). Currently, she conducts the Westwood Elementary Town-wide Orchestra and serves as the middle school orchestra director here in Westwood. Mrs. Winslow resides in Tiverton, RI and enjoys performing regularly on both violin and viola throughout the southern New England area.