Part-time Faculty
David Becker
Recording Arts, Music Appreciation, Saxophone, Clarinet
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.
Idona Cabrinha
Class Piano
Idona Cabrinha earned her B.A., from 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
Marcy Irving
Music Appreciation
Marcy Irving comes to the Central Coast from Reno, Nevada, where she directed the
College Singers and taught Music Appreciation, Fundamentals of Music and Private Voice
at Truckee Meadows Community College. Marcy has an M.M. in vocal performance from
the University of Nevada, Reno, and a B.M. in vocal performance from California State
University, Northridge. She spent many years singing professionally in the L.A. area
including seven seasons with the Gilbert and Sullivan Company, Opera a la Carte. Marcy
is a member of the Cuesta Master Chorale, and has also sung with the Pacific Repertory
Opera. She is thrilled to be teaching Music Appreciation for Cuesta College at both
the San Luis and North County Campuses.
MIrving@cuesta.edu
Dylan Johnson
Music Appreciation, Guitar
Bassist Dylan Johnson holds a master’s degree from SUNY Purchase Conservatory of Music
and completed his undergraduate work at Berklee College of Music. He performs regularly
with Inga Swearingen, Charlie Shoemake, and often accompanies touring jazz artists.
He returned to the Central Coast of California after spending years in NYC, playing
with jazz luminaries John Abercrombie, Adam Nussbaum, Shunzo Ono, Ray Vega, and others.
Dylan_Johnson@cuesta.edu
Inga Swearingen
Music Appreciation, Musicianship
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
North County Choir Director
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
Michael Walker
Music Theory, Class Piano
Michael Walker is an Adjunct Professor of Music at Cuesta College. A former Cuesta
College student, he received his B.A. in Piano Performance at Humboldt State University
and both his M.A. and Ph.D. in Music Theory at the University of Oregon. His compositions
include several works for solo piano, including 15 Two-Part Inventions and various
orchestral and chamber works.
Michael_Walker1@cuesta.edu
