Cherish Ross
Cherish began singing with Sunshine Generations when she was four years old, and at the age of eight she joined the Douglas County Children’s Choir. She began taking voice lessons at the age of eleven and sang solos at church, school, and voice recitals. She has also sung at special events such as for the Mayor of Denver, Colorado and performing the National Anthem at local and state wide functions on multiple occasions. Cherish sings at churches, weddings and other special activities on a regular basis. She has worked hard to become proficient at singing while playing the piano or guitar.
In 2006 she joined Onstage Productions, a singing, dancing, and acting performing group. As a group they traveled and performed all over the state of Colorado and also toured on a Carnival Cruise Line to the Bahamas. She has performed in various musical plays such as Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables as one of the lead female characters "Fantine". During the summer of 2007 Cherish recorded her first CD Remember, a collection of songs she had sung over the past years and from her childhood.
Cherish is currently pursuing her formal education at Utah State University while performing with local bands and recording on the side. Last summer she had the opportunity to record a spiritual CD and hopes to continue recording in the future. In August of 2009, Cherish competed in Jenny Phillips’ recording competition and was selected to sing on her CD targeted towards the youth that will be released in 2010. Cherish has sung for audiences from 100 people to 28,000 people. Her dreams and aspirations are to become an Indie artist and sing spiritual and pop/contemporary music.
In 2006 she joined Onstage Productions, a singing, dancing, and acting performing group. As a group they traveled and performed all over the state of Colorado and also toured on a Carnival Cruise Line to the Bahamas. She has performed in various musical plays such as Beauty and the Beast and Les Miserables as one of the lead female characters "Fantine". During the summer of 2007 Cherish recorded her first CD Remember, a collection of songs she had sung over the past years and from her childhood.
Cherish is currently pursuing her formal education at Utah State University while performing with local bands and recording on the side. Last summer she had the opportunity to record a spiritual CD and hopes to continue recording in the future. In August of 2009, Cherish competed in Jenny Phillips’ recording competition and was selected to sing on her CD targeted towards the youth that will be released in 2010. Cherish has sung for audiences from 100 people to 28,000 people. Her dreams and aspirations are to become an Indie artist and sing spiritual and pop/contemporary music.
Bill Gabriel
I was a sophomore at the University of Missouri the first time I picked up a guitar. My guitar heroes back then were The Kingston Trio; Peter, Paul & Mary; and my personal favorite Glen Campbell, who I still admire. After learning some chords and playing around the campfire, I heard a new group from England called the Beatles and everything changed - real fast. No more folk guitar - I wanted to plug in. George Harrison became my man then, and to some extent that remains true today, though I've since found lots more guitar heroes.
Shortly after graduating from college I was "invited" by the government to spend some time in the military, and wound up being stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas where I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the U.S. Army Band playing clarinet, saxophone and guitar. As far as being in the army goes, it was a pretty good gig because while the army band was my 'day job', in the evenings I was in a local band that played around town. If you want to play in Junction City, Kansas you'd better play country and that's just what we did. Setting modesty aside, I thought we were pretty good, but you'll have to take my word for it. One thing that came out of that experience was a fondness for country music that remains even today.
Following my discharge from the army, I returned to the real world and eventually found myself in law school, after which I served as an Assistant Circuit Attorney for four years and then left to start my own law firm. Practicing law was a satisfying profession, and as half of Gabriel & McCartney, P.C. things went well; my partner and I practiced law together for thirty years and it was an exciting and rewarding career.
But the guitar habit doesn't go away easily and I kept coming back to it. If not always with my hands, my ears were constantly connected to the instrument. Finally, I surrendered and began studying guitar - slowly at first, then more and more purposefully.
While still living in St. Louis I studied with two excellent guitarists: Tom Byrne and Corey Christiansen. Tom and Corey were both jazz guitarists based in St. Louis and their instruction raised my playing to a new level, while also showing me how much more there was to learn. Tom remains a full time professional player, as well as an adjunct professor with the music program at Webster University in St. Louis. Corey, at that time, was the Senior Guitar Editor for Mel Bay Publications, and traveled extensively giving concerts and clinics, while also authoring a number of guitar publications. He has since relocated to Logan, Utah, where he is a visiting artist and guitar professor at Utah State University. I was extremely fortunate to have studied with these two guys!
As I played in and around St. Louis, the more apparent it became to me that I needed something else. After several conversations with Corey and his father, Mike Christiansen, Professor of Guitar Studies at Utah State University, my wife and I decided to move west. I left the law firm, we sold the house, and relocated to northern Utah where we both enrolled at USU.
Starting in the fall of 2006 I entered as a freshman at Utah State University and became a student of Professor Mike Christiansen. Mike has been, far and away, the best guitar teacher (and quite possibly the best teacher of anything) that I have ever had. On lesson days I am usually pacing outside his office door because I can't wait to get in; I leave his office renewed and ready to resume practice no matter how poorly I may have played during our time together. His love for the instrument and genuine enthusiasm about all things guitar is boundless and contagious.
I finally earned my bachelor's degree in Jazz Guitar Performance in the Spring off 2010. It has been a glorious ride.
Shortly after graduating from college I was "invited" by the government to spend some time in the military, and wound up being stationed in Fort Riley, Kansas where I was fortunate enough to be accepted into the U.S. Army Band playing clarinet, saxophone and guitar. As far as being in the army goes, it was a pretty good gig because while the army band was my 'day job', in the evenings I was in a local band that played around town. If you want to play in Junction City, Kansas you'd better play country and that's just what we did. Setting modesty aside, I thought we were pretty good, but you'll have to take my word for it. One thing that came out of that experience was a fondness for country music that remains even today.
Following my discharge from the army, I returned to the real world and eventually found myself in law school, after which I served as an Assistant Circuit Attorney for four years and then left to start my own law firm. Practicing law was a satisfying profession, and as half of Gabriel & McCartney, P.C. things went well; my partner and I practiced law together for thirty years and it was an exciting and rewarding career.
But the guitar habit doesn't go away easily and I kept coming back to it. If not always with my hands, my ears were constantly connected to the instrument. Finally, I surrendered and began studying guitar - slowly at first, then more and more purposefully.
While still living in St. Louis I studied with two excellent guitarists: Tom Byrne and Corey Christiansen. Tom and Corey were both jazz guitarists based in St. Louis and their instruction raised my playing to a new level, while also showing me how much more there was to learn. Tom remains a full time professional player, as well as an adjunct professor with the music program at Webster University in St. Louis. Corey, at that time, was the Senior Guitar Editor for Mel Bay Publications, and traveled extensively giving concerts and clinics, while also authoring a number of guitar publications. He has since relocated to Logan, Utah, where he is a visiting artist and guitar professor at Utah State University. I was extremely fortunate to have studied with these two guys!
As I played in and around St. Louis, the more apparent it became to me that I needed something else. After several conversations with Corey and his father, Mike Christiansen, Professor of Guitar Studies at Utah State University, my wife and I decided to move west. I left the law firm, we sold the house, and relocated to northern Utah where we both enrolled at USU.
Starting in the fall of 2006 I entered as a freshman at Utah State University and became a student of Professor Mike Christiansen. Mike has been, far and away, the best guitar teacher (and quite possibly the best teacher of anything) that I have ever had. On lesson days I am usually pacing outside his office door because I can't wait to get in; I leave his office renewed and ready to resume practice no matter how poorly I may have played during our time together. His love for the instrument and genuine enthusiasm about all things guitar is boundless and contagious.
I finally earned my bachelor's degree in Jazz Guitar Performance in the Spring off 2010. It has been a glorious ride.
Nick Farr
Nick began his musical journey at age eight when he began to play the trumpet. After a few years he decided he wanted to pick up the bass guitar. He bought his first bass at age eleven and started teaching himself. The more time Nick spent on the bass, the more he enjoyed the instrument. It was a nice change to be a supporting member of the music being played rather than a trumpet player always in the spotlight.
At age fourteen Nick joined the School of Rock, a fun after-school program that allows students to get together and perform. A few months after joining the school, he was accepted into the school's main performance group called "Show Band," and later was chosen as an "All-Star." Throughout the years spent in Show Band and the All-Star team, Nick had some great opportunities, such as performing with Napoleon Murphy Brock; opening for The Young Dubliners and The Bouncing Souls; two summer tours of the west coast; two music festivals on the east coast; etc.
When Nick was sixteen he was offered the first student teacher position from the School of Rock. He became the director and coordinator of Show Band, a private instructor, and the coordinator of the 2009 All-Star tour.
As far as original material goes, he has been apart of a few bands over the years, including Cluster Funk and Grey Fiction.
Currently, Nick is a music therapy major at Utah State University and performs with local acoustic acts.
At age fourteen Nick joined the School of Rock, a fun after-school program that allows students to get together and perform. A few months after joining the school, he was accepted into the school's main performance group called "Show Band," and later was chosen as an "All-Star." Throughout the years spent in Show Band and the All-Star team, Nick had some great opportunities, such as performing with Napoleon Murphy Brock; opening for The Young Dubliners and The Bouncing Souls; two summer tours of the west coast; two music festivals on the east coast; etc.
When Nick was sixteen he was offered the first student teacher position from the School of Rock. He became the director and coordinator of Show Band, a private instructor, and the coordinator of the 2009 All-Star tour.
As far as original material goes, he has been apart of a few bands over the years, including Cluster Funk and Grey Fiction.
Currently, Nick is a music therapy major at Utah State University and performs with local acoustic acts.