Applied Music Faculty

David Becker
Recording Arts, Music Appreciation, Applied Saxophone/Clarinet Instructor

 Dave Becker has been on faculty at Cuesta College since 2001. He instructs Recording Arts, Rock, World and Jazz Appreciation as well as Applied Music. Dave has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music education from the University of Florida. He is an active professional musician on the Central Coast fronting music ensembles of various jazz genres. He has arranged for SLO Wind Orchestra, San Luis Symphony, Orchestra Novo and others. In addition to his past and current college teaching experience at Cuesta College, Allan Hancock College, Cal Poly, and the University of Pikeville, KY, Dave has also been a clinician at the Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band Camp and other camps and schools throughout Florida and along the West Coast. Lately, Dave has enjoyed producing concerts featuring the music of great jazz legends such as Art Blakey and Charlie Parker as well as featuring several of his former students in his popular Saxophone Summits.
dbecker@cuesta.edu

 

Robert Bennett
Applied Trumpet Instructor

Bob Bennett is a former member of the Woody Herman and Brian Setzer Orchestras and former lead trumpet for the Artie Shaw Orchestra. Mr. Bennett is a graduate of Morro Bay High School, Cuesta College and has a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from California State University Long Beach. In addition to playing professionally for 30 years in the Los Angeles area, Bob is a former member of the Mount San Jacinto Community College faculty. Bob has also won Jazz Soloist awards from the Fullerton Jazz Festival and The International Trumpet Guild. He recently returned to the Central Coast and is currently teaching trumpet at Cuesta College. 
Robert_bennett2@cuesta.edu

 

Idona Cabrinha
Class Piano, Applied Piano Instructor

Idona Cabrinha has a B.A., California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo; M.M., (Piano Performance and Pedagogy), Northwestern University; additional studies:  Westminister Choir Conservatory of Music, Vallejo Conservatory of Music:  Student of Sylvia Wang, William Spiller; masterclasses with David Buechner, Peter Takacs; pedagogy studies with Francis Larimer; Suzuki pedagogy studies, early childhood educator; extensive experience as pianist and accompanist in West Coast and Chicago areas;  former adjudicator in Chicago area; awards and honors:  Dorothy L. Pound Award, Northwestern University School of Music Grant, First Place Winner Allied Arts Competition; former Performance Syllabus Chair North Shore Music Teacher's Association; former faculty member:  Northwestern University Academy; former lecturer, Class Piano, DePaul University  School of Music.
Idona_Cabrinha@cuesta.edu

 

Dorian Hachigian

Dorian Michael started playing guitar at age 7 and apparently didn’t know when to stop. He has been a working musician and guitar teacher for 57 years. His having worked in about every genre of American music has given him a versatility and real-life musical experience that informs his teaching with a practical vantage point. He does have a degree in music from CalState Northridge, and though that was a long time ago he feels it does give him academic credibility.

 

 

 

 

Ken Hustad
Applied Cello and Bass Instructor

Ken Hustad is principal bass for the San Luis Obispo Symphony and the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale and also performs with the Santa Maria Philharmonic, Orchestra Novo and the Symphony of the Vines. He is bass instructor at Cal Poly University and Cuesta College as well as maintaining a private bass studio. In addition to playing orchestral and chamber music he is an active freelance bassist performing with many jazz, rock, blues, Americana and country artists. As a freelance player Mr. Hustad has had the opportunity to perform locally with many national touring artists such as the touring Broadway production of “Chicago”, Pink Martini, Garrison Keillor, Marvin Hamlisch, Diane Schuur, Mark O’Conner and Edgar Meyer among others. From 1994 through 2014 he was a member of the Mozart Festival/Festival Mozaic orchestra under music directors Clifton Swanson, Jeffrey Kahane and Scott Yoo. In 2021 he gave the west coast premier of Stefan Podell’s Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra with the San Luis Obispo Symphony under Andrew Sewell and in 2023 he was a featured soloist on Mozart’s concert aria for bass voice and double bass obligato with the San Luis Obispo Master Chorale under Thomas Davies. His teachers have included: Clifton Swanson, Buell Neidlinger, Paul Elison and Stuart Sankey. Ken_Hustad@cuesta.edu

 

John Knutson
Director of Choral and Vocal Jazz Program

John Knutson is Director of Choral Studies at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, CA. He is a former member of the professional vocal jazz ensemble Vocalogy, formed by Phil Mattson in 1998. Before moving to California, John taught at Southwestern Community College in Iowa. While at Southwestern, he performed all over the US and Europe with the award-winning vocal jazz group VoicesIowa. Prior to that John lived in New York City, where he taught vocal music at JHS #263 in Brooklyn, and performed with the acappella cabaret group, the QuintEssentials. The Cuesta College ensembles John directs have performed at the Jazz Education Network conference in New Orleans in 2017, and in Reno in 2019. They have been headliners at the Santa Cruz Jazz Festival several times, and also headlined the 2009 California Music Educators Convention. His classical choir received 2nd place at the Vokal Total Festival in Austria against professional choirs from Europe and Asia. Under his direction, the Cuesta Chamber Singers performed at the Festival International Choral en Provence in four times since 2008. Other prestigious performances include the American Choral Directors Association National Convention in Los Angeles, the Montreux Jazz Festival, and the International Association for Jazz Education Convention in Toronto. He directed the California All-State Vocal Jazz Choir, and in was named Cuesta College’s Teacher of the Year. John has served as a clinician at jazz and choral festivals in 18 states, and in five Canadian provinces. John has numerous choral compositions; his vocal jazz arrangements are available through UNC Jazz Press and Anchor Music Publications. John holds a Masters in Conducting degree from Northern Arizona University and a Bachelors in Piano Performance from the University of Minnesota.
JKnutson@cuesta.edu

 

Emily Lanzone
Applied Violin Instructor

Emily Lanzone earned a Bachelor’s of Music in violin performance from the University of Oregon, Master’s of Music from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a Professional Studies Diploma from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She was appointed Concertmaster of the SLO Symphony in 2020, after serving as Associate Concertmaster since 2017. Lanzone is a frequent guest in many California orchestras, including Fresno, Santa Maria, Monterey, and Santa Barbara. She is also a member of the Santa Cruz Symphony, and the Oregon Coast Music Festival in Coos Bay, Oregon. Lanzone is a member of the music faculty at Cuesta College and Cal Poly, maintains a private studio of violin and viola students, and is also actively involved in SLO Symphony’s music education programs as instructor of the Preparatory Strings. She lives in Los Osos with her husband Brian, a Cuesta alum and music teacher, and two awesome kids.
emily_lanzone@cuesta.edu

Jennifer MartinCuesta Wind Ensemble, Music Theory, Guitar Class, Applied Trombone Instructor

Jennifer Martin joined the Music Faculty at Cuesta College in the summer of 2004 as the conductor of the Cuesta Wind Ensemble. In addition to her conducting duties, she coordinates the department's Applied Music program, and teaches Class Guitar. In 2008, she was selected to be the Performing Arts Division Chair, and was appointed to the post of Interim Coordinator of Cuesta’s new Cultural and Performing Arts Center in 2009. She became a staff conductor for the San Luis Obispo Wind Orchestra in 2010. Previous to her appointment at Cuesta, she was the Music Department Chair and conductor of the Reno Winds and the Truckee Meadows Community Orchestra at Truckee Meadows Community College in Reno, NV, where she was the founding faculty of the Music Department.
JMartin@cuesta.edu

Ron McCarley
Cuesta Jazz Ensemble, Evening Jazz Ensemble, Jazz Combos, Jazz Improvisation, Music Theory

Ron McCarley, Director of Jazz Studies is a graduate of CalArts and Westmont College. Before teaching at Cuesta, Ron was directing professional and collegiate big bands and small groups in the Santa Barbara area. He has had many students go on to successful music careers and many years of experience in jazz performance and education. As a performer, he doubles on all saxophones, flute and other woodwinds and plays a wide variety of music locally and throughout Southern California. When he is not playing music or teaching, he spends his time with his wife, Laura, and their two children.
RMcCarle@cuesta.edu

Brian Alhadeff

Brian Asher Alhadeff is a conductor and pianist who has been on the faculty of Cuesta College since 2018. Alhadeff has held the position of General and Artistic Director of Opera San Luis Obispo since 2011. He is also currently the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of the Lompoc Pops Orchestra, and Principal Conductor of Civic Ballet San Luis Obispo, and State Street Ballet Santa Barbara. Alhadeff was Artistic Director and founder of the Hradec Kralove International Summer Opera Festival which took place in the Czech Republic, and he also conducted the Albanian premier of Howard Hanson’s Symphony No. 2 with the Albanian National Radio and Television Orchestra. Guest conducting highlights include Marina Del Rey Symphony, Phoenix Symphony, Tulsa Ballet, South Florida Opera, Long Beach Opera, Ballet Tucson, Bourgas Opera Ballet, and Prague State Opera Ballet and Chorus, in addition to many other orchestras, opera, and ballet companies throughout the U.S. and Europe. In 2015 Alhadeff was hailed by 805 Living magazine as the Maestro of California’s Central Coast. Alhadeff studied conducting at the Peabody Conservatory and Janacek Academy of Music. A California native, Alhadeff holds a Bachelor of Arts from Loyola Marymount University, Masters of Music from California State University of Los Angeles, and Doctorate of Musical Arts from UCLA. 
brian_alhadeff@cuesta.edu

 

Lisa Nauful

Marshall Otwell

Applied Piano Instructor

Marshall Otwell was pianist and musical director for Carmen McRae for more than eight years, performing all over the world and recording numerous albums with her, one of which, “Live at the Great American Music Hall” featuring Dizzy Gillespie, was nominated for a Grammy.He has toured extensively with Freddie Hubbard, Dee Dee Bridgewater, and Charlie Musselwhite in addition to Carmen McRae.

During his career he has performed and/or recorded with many of the best known musicians in jazz, including Ruby Braff, Michael Brecker, Ray Brown, Benny Carter, Richie Cole, Chick Corea, Ray Drummond, Robben Ford, Dizzy Gillespie, Percy Heath, Herb Jeffries, Kitty Margolis, Gerry Mulligan, Mark Murphy, John Patitucci, Della Reese, Zoot Sims, Andy Simpkins, Cal Tjader, Mel Tormé, Sarah Vaughan, Ernie Watts and others.He has also recorded albums for Barbara Adamson, Ernestine Anderson, Andrea Carter, and Steve Wilson.

He played solo jazz piano at the Monterey Bay Aquarium as opening act for Diane Schuur (2004) and LaVay Smith (2006) in the annual Kuumbwa Jazz Center fundraising events. Additionally, he performed with his own trio at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2011, 2012 & 2013, and with Dave Becker’s Central Coast All-Stars in 2018.

He was a member of the faculty of Jazz Camp West in La Honda, California from 2007 thru 2012.He was a member of the Kuumbwa Jazz (Santa Cruz, California) Board of Trustees from 2009 thru 2013.

He currently lives in Los Osos, teaches jazz piano part-time at Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo, and enjoys the simple life.

marshall_otwell@cuesta.edu

Chad Ruyle
Applied Voice Instructor

Chad Ruyle, vocal instructor, and tenor is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with his Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance. Mr. Ruyle is a new resident of the central coast, hailing from the Los Angeles area where he spent the last twelve years teaching and performing in the operatic realm.  Mr. Ruyle made his professional operatic début as Don Curzio in Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. During his graduate studies he enjoyed the roles ofSpärlich in Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, as well as Eisenstein in Die Fledermaus, Sam in Susannah, and Ferrando in Così fan tutte. Chad was a recipient of the Village Voices scholarship where he performed as a soloist at the Thousand Oaks Performing Arts Plaza. For his undergraduate degree Mr. Ruyle attended California State University, Fullerton where he was very active in the Chamber Singers under the direction of John Alexander, and in the operas Dialogues of the Carmelites by Francis Poulenc, and Die Entführung aus dem Serail by Mozart to name a few. During his time at Cal State Fullerton Mr. Ruyle performed and toured with such orchestras as the Boston Pops Orchestra, and Pacific Symphony.  As an emerging solo artist, Mr. Ruyle has performed numerous recitals in the Los Angeles, Orange County, and Riverside areas. Chad spent eight years as the tenor soloist and section leader for the First German Speaking United Methodist Church in Glendale. Holding the utmost respect for the art of vocal pedagogy and vocal health, Mr. Ruyle has commanded an active teaching repertoire. Mr. Ruyle looks forward to expanding his student’s vocal endeavors at Cuesta College, and sharing his love of performance. 
Chad_Ruyle@cuesta.edu

 

Inga Swearingen
Applied Music Instructor

Inga Swearingen received her bachelor of music degree from California State Polytechnic, San Luis Obispo and her masters in choral conducting from Florida State University. Ms. Swearingen has performed over a dozen times on Garrison Keillor's renowned radio show, "A Prairie Home Companion", won first place and audience award at the Montreux Jazz Festival Shure Vocal Competition, and has been a featured soloist in Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. She also teaches voice and improvisation privately.

Inga_Swearingen@cuesta.edu

 

Cassandra Tarantino
Applied Voice Instructor

Cassandra Tarantino has her Master’s degrees in Choral Conducting from San Jose State University and Performance Flute from California State University, Northridge.  Her Bachelor’s Degrees are in Church Music and English Literature from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California. Mrs. Tarantino has participated in music festivals as a flutist and conductor at the Oregon Bach Festival, Aspen Music Festival, Apple Hill Chamber Music Festival in New Hampshire, Abeyrstwyth Music Festival in Wales, and Morges Chamber Music Festival in Switzerland.  She took sabbatical in Northern Ireland to study Classical and traditional music and the Irish-Celtic Language. In 2005 Mrs. Tarantino was hired by Cuesta College to begin a choral program at the campus in Paso Robles. The Cuesta Concord Chorus has since become a thriving community of singers that regularly performs locally and tours throughout the US and Europe. Since 2005 Mrs. Tarantino has conducted, taught private flute and voice, music theory and music history at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, California.  In 2013, Mrs. Tarantino co-founded with Marcy Irving the Central Coast Gilbert & Sullivan Company, a community-based opera company.  In 2017 Mrs. Tarantino was hired as the Director of Music at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, San Luis Obispo. In 2021 Mrs. Tarantino completed her Level III Sommelier Exam through the International Sommelier Guild and is the Sommelier for CASS Winery in Paso Robles, California. Folk music and dance are a passion for Cassandra, and you will often find her playing and dancing traditional Irish, English Country and Contra Dance music. She loves to play with her menagerie of animals, garden, and travel the world with her ever supportive and awesome husband, Dr. Jon E. Tarantino, (supra genius).
Ctaranti@cuesta.edu

Darrell Voss

Applied Percussion Instructor

Educator/Performer Darrell Voss has taught applied percussion for Cuesta College since 2000. Practically a San Luis Obispo native, Darrell was raised in a musical family and has played drums since the age of 3. After graduating from San Luis Obispo High School in 1983, he pursued a career as a drummer and percussion instructor. Cuesta College was an important training ground for his music studies; he obtained an AA degree in 1989. As a member of the Charter Class of Music graduates in 1994, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.
Darrell_Voss@cuesta.edu