James Paoletti has been the Music Director for Orchestra in the Schools for over 20 years. He earned his BA and MA in Music Education with a minor in Tuba Performance at California State University at Los Angeles. For more than 25 years he has been a music educator in the Los Angeles area and presently at the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

Mr. Paoletti has conducted the Orchestra in the Schools-Youth Orchestra, Youth Music Monterey Youth Orchestra, and Monterey Symphony. He has performed as tuba soloist with the Monterey Community Band, Hartnell College and the Monterey Peninsula College. He also has performed with the Downey Symphony, Monterey Bay Symphony, Carmel Bach Festival, Monterey Symphony and other local Brass and Jazz Ensembles.

Debbie Cirimele has been the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Orchestra Director for middle and high school for over 22 years. She is also currently a cellist for the Monterey Bay Symphony. Mrs. Cirimele has been the Orchestra in the Schools Advanced and Intermediate Strings Instructor for almost its entire history. She teaches 5th grade in the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District.

In addition to being a string specialist with Orchestra in the School and Youth Music Monterey, Mr. Dally teaches band and orchestra at York School. He is also a freelance violinist, violist, and guitarist, and plays with numerous and varied ensembles. In addition, Mr. Dally is the resident musical director at The Western Stage and Pacific Repertory Theater and has been involved in close to 200 theatrical productions on the peninsula, San Jose, and the Bay Area. Mr. Dally holds a BA in Music from UC Berkeley. He has been with Orchestra in the Schools for over 19 years.

Dana Vivit earned her B.A. in Music from San Jose State. She has been teaching privately for over 35 years. She currently teaches at Sacred Heart School, has taught at Grave’s School, and for the Monterey Peninsula School District. Dana has been with Orchestra in the Schools for over 15 years.

Barbara Priest attended CSU Northridge on a French horn performance scholarship and CSU Fullerton where she majored in Music Education.  She has taught instrumental music for over 14 years starting in Los Angeles County and returning to her hometown of Monterey in 2004.

As the director of instrumental music at Pacific Grove Middle School, she teaches award winning concert bands, string orchestras, and jazz ensembles.  She is the music coordinator for the Pacific Grove Unified School District, and oversees district music programs and produces an annual district wide music festival. She is also the current president of the Board of Directors for the California Association of Music Education-Central Coast Section. 

Playing French horn for over 24 years, she has toured the West Coast and Europe. She has played opera, performed in symphonies; guest conducted the La Mirada Symphony, and has played in brass ensembles, musicals, and a rock band. She has also made studio recordings of her music.  In addition to her work with Orchestra in the Schools, she has taught for the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, the Lyceum of Monterey, and Youth Music Monterey.

Erica Horn has been performing and teaching clarinet for over 30 years. She received a Bachelors of Music Degree in Clarinet Performance from California State University at Fullerton. As student of Kalman Bloch, of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Mrs. Horn had the honor of playing next to her teacher on several occasions.

While in Southern California, Mrs. Horn played in the Pacific Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, San Diego Civic Light Opera, Long Beach Ballet, and the Long Beach Municipal Band among many others.

Locally, she is principal clarinet in the Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra and maintains a private studio in addition to teaching with Orchestra in the Schools.

Bob Davies has been playing the double bass for over twenty five years. He studied under Lou Kapok in Los Angles, and is currently studying under Don Roseff of Carmel. He has considerable choral experience, as well, singing bass, of course. He played bass in the Westminster Symphony Orchestra in Princeton, NJ for many years, and is currently a member of the MPC strings study group. He teaches bass at Colton Middle School in Monterey in addition to Orchestra in the Schools. Mr. Davies loves bringing the joy of playing a musical instrument to children. Bob Davies is a retired business executive and served as CEO of a highly respected large corporation.

Karen has been a music educator for over 40 years, first in San Jose and then on the Monterey Peninsula.  She taught at Carmel Middle School for 22 years, directing their string and band programs.  She has been a member of the Monterey County Symphony and is principal flutist with the Monterey Bay Symphony, MPC Concert Band and the Monterey Opera.  This is her third season as OITS Intermediate String Instructor and she is enjoying working with her very talented students.

Wendy Geiger comes from a very musical, artistic family and started violin and piano lessons as a young girl.   She remembers her first orchestra experience at age 8.  "I was in awe at what we were creating together.  It was magical, hearing all the different instruments, sounds and harmonies and I was hooked."  Mrs. Geiger continues her passion in music and teaching.  She teaches violin, cello, and piano in her music studio in Carmel Valley and teaches at the Carmel Academy of the Performing Arts in addition to Orchestra in the Schools.  She plays violin with the Monterey Peninsula String Ensemble, local churches, and other small musical groups.  "I believe in kids and music and I feel fortunate to be doing what I love."

Catherine Anderson has been the Program Director for Orchestra in the Schools for nearly 5 years. Her background is in business and education and she has taught at elementary, middle, and secondary schools as well as at corporations and universities, including the business school at Santa Clara University. She holds BA in Mathematics from UC Berkeley, an MBA from Santa Clara University, and a teaching credential from CSU Monterey Bay.