MUSIC FACULTY

Dr. Gerald Case-Blanchard
Coordinator, Music Program Area – Kellogg Community College

Dr. Gerald Case-Blanchard, baritone, serves as Vocal Director and Music Program Area Coordinator at Kellogg Community College, where he has been a member of the faculty since 2004. He can be reached at 269-565-7859, via email at [email protected], or in his office in Room D228C of the Davidson Visual and Performing Arts Center on KCC’s Battle Creek campus.

A native of Philadelphia, Dr. Case-Blanchard holds a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Central Michigan University, and a D.M.A. in Voice Performance from Michigan State University.

An accomplished performer, Dr. Case-Blanchard has concertized throughout the United States, Europe, the Caribbean, and Canada. He is featured on several commercial recordings, including his debut solo album With a Song in My Heart (Blue Griffin Records), I Can Tell the World, Live with the Earl Nelson Singers, and Mozart’s Requiem Mass in D Minor, K. 626 with the Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra under Maestro Charles Burke (Orchestra Hall Records).

In addition to his work at KCC, Dr. Case-Blanchard has taught on the voice faculties of the University of Michigan–Flint, Adrian College, Lansing Community College, and the Michigan State University Community Music School. His earlier teaching and directing experience includes serving as Director of Youth Choral Activities and Voice Faculty at the Darlington Fine Arts Center and as Children’s Chorus Director at the Suburban Community Music School in Media, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Case-Blanchard has earned numerous honors for his artistry and scholarship, including first place in the Opera Memphis/University of Memphis National Singer Search (2000), the 2001 Classical Division Prize in the inaugural Greater Lansing Symphony Orchestra Vocal Competition, and recognition as a Gil Rau Choral Scholar, King/Chavez/Parks Fellow, and ALANA Fellow.

Dedicated to advancing choral and vocal music, he currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Michigan Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association.

Betty Picard
Applied Voice
Picard is a coloratura soprano with an extensive background as both a performer and educator. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Hope College, a Bachelor of Music in Vocal Performance from Washburn University, and a Master of Music in Vocal Performance from Michigan State University.

Picard has appeared as a soloist with Kellogg Community College, performing works by Schubert, Bach, Mozart, and other major composers. She has performed widely throughout the United States, including frequent appearances as a soloist with the Topeka Opera Society and as a guest soloist with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra. In collaboration with her husband, Dr. Tom Picard, she has presented lecture-recitals exploring the music of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Cole Porter.

In addition to her performance career, Picard teaches for Harper Creek Community Schools and remains dedicated to nurturing the next generation of musicians. Her recording, Still, Still, Still: Christmas Lullabies for All Ages, was produced in collaboration with Earthstar Studio.

Sara Cleland, (Applied Piano) serves as Adjunct Instructor of Piano at Kellogg Community College, where she is dedicated to fostering musical growth in students of all ages and skill levels. Known for her engaging teaching style and commitment to student success, she combines technical training with artistic development to inspire lifelong musicianship.

In addition to her teaching, Cleland is an active collaborative pianist and accompanist. She is widely recognized for her work with area high school choral programs and serves as the accompanist for the Battle Creek Community Chorus. Beyond her academic and community work, she is also the pianist at Garrison Hills Wesleyan Church, where she provides both solo and collaborative music for worship.

Cleland earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Indiana Wesleyan University.

Dr. Carl Witt (Applied piano/Music Theory and Aural Comp.) received his DMA in composition and applied piano from the Eastman School of Music in 1988, where he earned the top composition prize. He holds a Master of Music from Southern Methodist University (1985) and a Bachelor of Music from Western Michigan University (1981).

Currently, Witt directs the music program at First Presbyterian Church of Battle Creek and maintains an active career as a collaborative pianist and coach. He previously led music programs at churches in Kalamazoo, Three Rivers, and Saint Paul, and taught at Augsburg College, the University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, and the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. From 2004–2007, he directed the music program at Saint Andrew’s-Sewanee School, where he had been a student.

Witt’s performances have been featured on Schickele Mix, Performance Today, and Minnesota Public Radio. In 2002, he received the McKnight Performance Award with Minnesota Orchestra flutist Barbara Leibundguth, with whom he recorded Visionary Duos for Albany Records. His discography also includes releases on Innova, CRI, Troy-Albany, Centaur, and Heon labels. He has collaborated with members of the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra, and composers including Stanislaw Skrowaczewski and Peter Schickele.

From 1997–2000, Witt was Co-Artistic Director of Zeitgeist, premiering works by John Cage, Terry Riley, Pauline Oliveros, and others. He has also worked with dance and theater artists including Chris Aiken, Peter Bingham, Flying Sisters Theatre, and James Sewell Ballet. As accompanist and assistant music director with Minnesota Opera, he collaborated with Maurice Sendak and Oliver Knussen on Where the Wild Things Are.

As a composer, Witt has written for ensembles such as the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Minnesota Orchestra musicians, Zeitgeist, and Nautilus Music Theater. He has received numerous honors, including Eastman’s Howard Hanson Prize, ASCAP awards, a McKnight Composer Fellowship, and the Faith Partners Residency Award. He has also provided music for the First Responders Children Foundation in New York City.

Paula Krontz-Harris (piano) holds an Associate of Arts degree from Kellogg Community College and a Bachelor of Music degree in Worship Arts and Music Performance from Spring Arbor University. She began her formal studies at KCC before continuing her academic work at Western Michigan University. Throughout her training, she has studied under respected teachers including Catherine Adams, Susan Lawrence, Phyllis Rappaport, Lori Sims, and, most recently, Audrajean Heydenburg.

A lifelong musician, Krontz-Harris began serving as a church pianist at the age of 12. In 2000, she became Worship Director for Chapel Hill United Methodist Church, a position she held for twelve years. Since age 17, she has taught piano and provided accompaniment services throughout the community.

Her work with the Battle Creek Symphony Community Music School began as an assistant for Early Childhood classes, later leading to her appointment as a piano faculty member, where she served for more than 20 years. In 2017, she established her own private studio, Paula the Piano Lady, where she continues to teach students of all ages. Most recently, in Fall 2024, she joined the Gilmore Piano Festival’s community piano lab faculty.

An active performer, Krontz-Harris is one half of the piano duo Grands Grandioso with Joan King, presenting two-piano repertoire across lower Michigan. She has also performed with the Cereal City Concert Band and is currently a member of the Riverside Connections Dance Band.

Krontz-Harris has served on the music faculty of Kellogg Community College since

Cynthia Garn (Staff Accompanist) serves as Staff Accompanist for the Vocal Arts and Music Program at Kellogg Community College. She has also been Director of Music Ministry, Choral Director, and Service Pianist at Coldwater United Methodist Church since 2016.

Garn began piano studies at the age of four and later pursued advanced training under Dzidra Bonfiglio. During this time, she was accepted into audition-based programs, including summer sessions at Interlochen Arts Camp and Western Michigan University’s Seminar, where her studies focused on performance, sight reading, music theory, aural skills, and collaborative piano. In addition to her piano work, she is an accomplished flutist, having performed with Western Michigan University’s All-Star Band, Central Michigan University’s Honors Band, and the Kalamazoo Junior Symphony Orchestra for three years. She went on to study piano performance at Western Michigan University’s School of Music under Phyllis Rappeport.

As a collaborative pianist, Garn’s work spans a wide range of musical settings. She performs with college students and professional musicians, supports vocal and instrumental ensembles, collaborates with theater and drama groups, and contributes to recitals and concerts across the region.

Nancy Brown (Staff Accompanist) holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Composition from Western Michigan University. She currently serves as accompanist for the Kellogg Singers and the Branch County Community Chorus at Kellogg Community College.

Brown has an extensive history as a church musician, having previously served as pianist, organist, and choir director at Wakeshma Community Church for many years. She also directed and accompanied the Union City Community Chorale, further contributing to the musical life of the region.

From 2001 to 2016, Brown was Director of the Community Music School, where she played a vital role in broadening access to music education and community programming. She now works with the Gull Lake Partnership, facilitating collaboration between homeschooling families, community experts, and Gull Lake Community Schools, continuing her longstanding dedication to music and education.

Nancy Brown holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance and Composition from Western Michigan University. She currently serves as accompanist for the Kellogg Singers and the Branch County Community Chorus at Kellogg Community College.

Brown has an extensive history as a church musician, having previously served as pianist, organist, and choir director at Wakeshma Community Church for many years. She also directed and accompanied the Union City Community Chorale, further contributing to the musical life of the region.

From 2001 to 2016, Brown was Director of the Community Music School, where she played a vital role in broadening access to music education and community programming. She now works with the Gull Lake Partnership, facilitating collaboration between homeschooling families, community experts, and Gull Lake Community Schools, continuing her longstanding dedication to music and education.

Cynthia Garn has been the staff accompanist at Kellogg Community College since 2015. She is the Music Director for the Coldwater United Methodist Church, as well as the choir director and pianist. Previous to her position at Coldwater UMC, she was the on-call pianist/choir director/choral accompanist for Marshall United Methodist Church. She has been playing piano for more than 40 years and has played at many churches in the region. She currently enjoys gardening and occasionally playing in the pit for the Tibbits Opera House in Coldwater.

Eric Campbell (Jazz Band/Applied Trumpet) serves as Jazz Band Instructor at Kellogg Community College (KCC) in Battle Creek, Michigan. A seasoned educator and performer with more than 45 years of experience, he brings a wealth of expertise in jazz performance, ensemble direction, and music education. At KCC, Campbell directs the college’s jazz band, leading students in a diverse repertoire that spans traditional swing to contemporary fusion. His teaching emphasizes collaboration, improvisation, and expressive performance, providing students with the tools to grow both musically and professionally.

Under his direction, the KCC Jazz Band has become an active part of the college’s cultural life, performing at campus events, regional festivals, and community outreach initiatives. Campbell is also an active performer, appearing regularly with the award-winning Capital City Brass Band, the Otsego Jazz Ensemble, and several small groups throughout the region.

Dedicated to inspiring the next generation of musicians, Campbell combines creativity, mentorship, and high standards of artistry in his work with students. His contributions continue to strengthen both the KCC music program and the broader Battle Creek community.

Paul Freeburn (Applied guitar/bass) a native of Battle Creek, Michigan, has been a professional musician for over 35 years. Early in his career, he performed with the U.S. Navy 6th Fleet Singers and 6th Fleet Jazz Band (1974–1976), touring extensively throughout Europe. He has also toured across Canada and the United States with various ensembles, gaining a wealth of performance experience.

In 1998, Freeburn founded The Freeburn School of Music, dedicated to providing high-quality musical education to students of all ages. In 2009, he joined the adjunct music faculty at Kellogg Community College. He also taught at St. Joseph Catholic School from 2015–2017 and has been a faculty member at the Gull Lake Home School program since 2019.

Freeburn remains an active performer throughout Michigan, continuing to share his passion for music both on stage and in the classroom.

Brendan McEvoy (Violin/Music History) is a music theorist, violinist, violist, and composer from Fowler, Ohio. He currently holds teaching positions at Kellogg Community College, The University of Olivet, and the MSU Community Music School.

Brendan’s research interests include music theory pedagogy, scholarship of teaching and learning, interdisciplinary pedagogy, musical meaning and semiotics, topic theory, and music cognition. He has shared his research at regional conferences across the US and Canada, and was named a 2024 ISSOTL Emerging Scholar. Some of his recent projects include incorporating STEM and interdisciplinary pedagogy into music theory fundamentals, musical meaning and anti-narrative in Julius Eastman’s piano works, and establishing a framework for an insect topic in film and art music.

In addition to various performances with music clubs, churches, and pit orchestras, Brendan has performed as a violinist with the Warren Philharmonic and the Greenville Symphony (PA), and as violinist and violist in the Dana Symphony at YSU. He also enjoys performing new music, and his playing has been sought out for numerous performances and recordings of world premieres by composers in Youngstown and Lansing.

In his spare time, Brendan enjoys reading comic science fiction, trying out new dessert recipes, losing in chess against his younger brother (often), and meeting new feline friends.

M.M. Music Theory, Michigan State University (2024)

B.M. Music Composition, Youngstown State University (2022)

Christopher R. Momcilovich (Band/Applied Low Brass) has served as Concert Band Director at Kellogg Community College since 2022, where he conducts the KCC Concert Band and fosters a dynamic community of student and community musicians. With more than a decade of experience teaching band, orchestra, choir, and music theory, he is dedicated to cultivating accessible and engaging opportunities for lifelong music-making.

In addition to his role at KCC, Momcilovich is the K–12 Music Teacher for Athens Area Schools, directing general music and instrumental ensembles. From 2017 to 2024, he taught at Battle Creek Central High School, where he directed bands, orchestra, and choir. He began his career teaching grades 5–12 band at Negaunee Public Schools in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

Momcilovich earned a Bachelor of Science in Music Education from Western Michigan University and a Master of Music in Teaching Artistry from Bowling Green State University. Active as a conductor, educator, and arts advocate, his teaching philosophy emphasizes inclusivity, collaboration, and the belief that music is a lifelong pursuit.

Outside the classroom, he enjoys composing, supporting music education initiatives, and spending time with his three children. He also holds licensure as an insurance agent, applying the same commitment to service in helping families plan for secure futures.

Dr. Gerald J. Case-Blanchard,  (General Music)  baritone, serves as Vocal Director and Music Area Coordinator at Kellogg Community College, where he teaches a wide range of courses in music history, music education, and vocal studies. His teaching portfolio includes Music History 250, Sacred Choral Literature 270, and Music for the Educator, among many others.

With extensive experience in music education, Dr. Case-Blanchard has taught at every level, from early childhood through graduate studies, in both Pennsylvania and Michigan. He earned a B.S. in Music Education from West Chester University of Pennsylvania, an M.M. in Vocal Performance from Central Michigan University, and a D.M.A. in Voice Performance from Michigan State University.

Kathleen Warriner (General Music) is an Adjunct Instructor of Music at Kellogg Community College, where she brings more than 15 years of experience as a music educator and performer. She holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Central Michigan University, where she graduated with honors and performed with the Symphonic Wind Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Marching Band, and various chamber ensembles. During her studies, she was an active member of Sigma Alpha Iota, a professional music fraternity, and performed with the CMU Symphonic Wind Ensemble at Carnegie Hall in New York City. Warriner went on to earn a Master of Music Education degree from Western Michigan University.

Warriner’s teaching career includes extensive work with Marshall, Tekonsha, and Charlotte Public Schools, where she taught band, choir, and elementary music. She also served for four years as Coordinator of the Community Music Schools of Marshall & Albion, an outreach program of the Music Center, expanding opportunities for students of all ages to engage in quality music education.

An active performer, Warriner is deeply involved in musical theatre as both a music director and pit orchestra musician. She has directed productions for the Marshall Civic Players, Branch County Community Theatre, and the Charlotte Performing Arts Center, and has performed in pit orchestras for productions with Tibbits Professional Theatre, What-A-Do Theatre, Grand Rapids Civic Theatre, Marshall Civic Players, and numerous area high schools. A versatile instrumentalist, she regularly performs on keyboards, clarinet, flute, alto and tenor saxophone, and electronic wind controller.

Most recently, Warriner co-founded MISDIRECTION, an entertainment band featuring a blend of pop, rock, jazz, and world music styles. As a lead instrumentalist on clarinet, alto saxophone, flute, and electronic wind instrument, she performs alongside three accomplished colleagues on bass, guitar, and percussion, bringing dynamic and diverse performances to a variety of venues.

Ayesha Williamson Franklin (General Music) has been teaching Music Appreciation at Kellogg Community College since 2018 and was honored with the KCC Adjunct Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021. An educator and vocalist, she has performed with numerous choral ensembles and as a soloist with the Billy Dowdy Jazz Trio.

Williamson-Franklin earned her Bachelor of Music Education from Indiana University (Bloomington) and her Master of Music in Music Education from Western Michigan University. She has taught music to students of all ages, from early childhood through adulthood, and has served as a choral clinician in Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. A dedicated advocate for early music learning, she currently teaches Kindergarten and First Grade music at Pennfield Schools and previously led Early Childhood Music Playgroups for Early Childhood Connections, a program of the Calhoun Intermediate School District. Her original early childhood music composition and activity have been published in Music Play 2, an early childhood resource grounded in Music Learning Theory.

In addition to her teaching and performance work, Williamson-Franklin is an active supporter of the arts and has served on the executive boards of the arts councils in both Calhoun and Barry counties.