Instructors
Instructor – Master classes
Kiya Fife
Dr. Kiya Fife: Owner of Music By Design, Voice and Piano Instructor
Born and raised in Rupert, Idaho, mezzo-soprano Dr. Kiya Fife has performed throughout various mediums around the Mini-Cassia community since she was 6, from celebrating the 4th of July, to plays and operas, Festival of Trees, and singing competitions. Kiya earned a Bachelor of Music degree in Voice Performance at Idaho State University in 2016. She then went on to receive her Master of Music degree in Voice Performance on full scholarship from Washington State University where she taught various voice classes including studio voice. After Washington state kiya was accepted on full scholarship to university of Nebraska-Lincoln for a DMA in Voice Performance. There she maintained a voice study and assisted in a variety of college courses. In August 2021 Kiya earned her Doctor of Musical Arts in Voice Performance from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Kiya now teaches at her vocal studio Music By Design in Burley where she offers instruction in voice and piano.
Kiya has accumulated an extensive and varied performance portfolio which include performances in multiple genres such as pop, gospel, musical theatre, classical, jazz, country, and rock. Some of Dr. Fife’s leading roles include The Madam from the Highest yellow, Ma in The Tender Land, Frau Blücher in Young Frankenstein, The Witch in Into the Woods, and the widow in Chanticleer. Kiya is also the winner of two international online competitions.
She has also been featured as a soloist in Idaho State University and Washington State University’s choirs. Ms. Fife has been awarded numerous awards and scholarships and has been in numerous singing competitions. One of Kiya’s fondest memories of her undergraduate degree was being featured as a soloist on Idaho State University’s Chamber Choir International Tour to Great Britain.
Although Kiya has had extensive classical training she has equally trained and performed in other musical Genres. Some of Kiya’s instructors include David Archuleta’s voice coach-Dean Kaelin, Dr. Jamie Reimer, Dr. Julie Wieck, and Professor Kathleen Lane.
In her free time Kiya enjoys time with her dog Fifi, niece Emberlynn, and new nephew Brixon. She also enjoys reading, swimming, and spending time outside.
Instructors
Instructor – opera, master classes, acting
Leslie Mauldin
Leslie Mauldin has performed dynamically and to critical acclaim in many venues, from touring as soprano soloist with the Israeli Philharmonic to a one woman show in Spain, where she attended conservatory. Her work comprises many diverse leading roles for various companies around the US and abroad, and has garnered rave reviews-
“Ms. Mauldin’s clear soprano and striking physical presence made her seem somehow 4- dimensional to those in the audience; her voice stirred up all manner of feelings – including a nostalgia that hit us right in the solar plexus”
The Idaho Statesman
“Mauldin looks smashing and sings beautifully, and her suicide leap from the parapet of Castel San Angelo was breathtaking.”
Spokesman Review, “Tosca”
In addition to her stage, oratorio, and opera work, Ms. Mauldin’s modern folk/jazz group “Avenue B” has toured in the Eastern US, Idaho, Utah, and St. Louis, and released their debut album in 2016. Avenue B has also garnered rave reviews –
“To say this group’s music was fantastic would be the understatement of the year. Each member brought a richness and style which blended beautifully in this eclectic group. The response to this concert was that it was the best of the season. This is a truly special group which should be on anyone’ s list for upcoming concerts. We give them five stars and highly recommend them.” Barbara-Lee Jordan, President of Clearwater Community Concert Association
Avenue B’s album is still available on their website at avenueb-music.com. However, Avenue B and the international music community tragically lost Jed Moss, pianist, baritone, and dearest friend, to sudden illness in 2019. Leslie would like to pay tribute to his legacy by continuing to offer this music, which also benefits The Cousteau Society.
Most recently, Ms. Mauldin has joined with Pianist Sean Rogers in the duo PinkFusion, performing jazz, original music, and of course a bit of Opera!
PinkFusion will be appearing at the Wilson Theatre in Rupert, ID on Oct. 1, 2022, and, along with their tradition jazz, blues, musical theatre, and original music, they will be featuring selections from Ms. Mauldin’s original Halloween musical “Halloween Saves the Holidays” with special guests from the community appearing as the “Ghoultide Scarolers.” Hope to see you there!
Some of the stage roles Ms. Mauldin has performed include the title role in “Tosca,” “Violetta” (La Traviata), “Musetta” (La Boheme), “Micaela” (Carmen), “Hanna Glavari” (The Merry Widow), “Donna Anna” (Don Giovanni), “Alice Ford (Falstaff), “Clorinda” (La Cenerentola), and “Pamina” and “First Lady” (Magic Flute). Her concert/oratorio work as a soprano soloist comprises over a dozen varied works including Mendelssohn’s Midsummer Night’s Dream performed at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, with Claire Bloom narrating. Ms. Mauldin’s musical and theatre roles include Lilli Vanessi “Kate” (Kiss Me Kate), Sharon Graham (Master Class), Kathie (The Student Prince), Eurydice (Orpheus in the Underworld), Sarah Brown (Guys and Dolls), and Nellie Forbush (South Pacific.) Stage and musical direction credits include Suor Angelica, Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, La Boheme, The Mikado, Opera Idaho sings Christmas, and Opera Under the Stars; choreography credits include The Mikado
and The Pirates of Penzance. A native of Los Angeles, Ms. Mauldin has also worked in film and television, and is a member in good standing of Screen Actor’s Guild.
Please visit lesliemauldin.com for more info, or in the meantime, join Leslie for PinkFusion’s weekly Humpday (Wednesday) Vlog via fb live! Just log into Leslie’s or Sean’s fb page, or follow us on our PinkFusion fb page. PinkFusion started this vlog during Covid, and had so much fun making new arrangements weekly and interacting with live online audiences that they have continued the tradition. Join in the fun!
Follow on Instagram – @pinkfusion.com
Website: pinkfusion-music.com
Instructor – roving teaching
Leslie Crafton
Leslie Crafton is the co-founder and director of Rise up and Sing vocal music camp founded in 2005. She has been a vocal teacher and Coach for the past 47 years and feels fortunate to be able to work in a field she loves. Her students take top scholarships and honors in the surrounding festivals and competitions. She has been the vocal chair for the Mini-Cassia vocal festival for the past 27 years. She has a bachelors degree in music and has created a progressive vocal levels program for her students. She is married to the love of her life, Bryan Crafton. Together they have 6 children and 23 grandchildren. She also loves performing, adjudicating for pageants and festivals, reading, sewing, church, and especially loves spending time with her family.
Instructor
Rob Newman
Rob Newman began vocal studies under scholarship at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and was awarded his music degree at the University of Idaho. His interest in singing developed while completing a degree in accounting at Utah State University. An exciting lyric baritone, he was born and raised in Southern Idaho and he maintains his home in Rupert, Idaho, while singing throughout the Northwest with distinguished versatility. He has won the Metropolitan District Auditions twice, was a regional finalist in the San Francisco Opera auditions twice, was a regional winner and on of fourteen nationwide to compete in the National Association of Teachers of Singing Artists auditions and was trust fund winner of the Idaho Federation of Music Clubs auditions. With over thirty major roles in opera and musical theater, his opera credits include, Die Fleidermaus, Merry Widow, La Boheme, Madame Butterfly, Cosi fan tutti, Don Giovanni, Lucia Di Lammermoor, Tosca, Don Pasquale, Carmen, La Traviata, Elixir of Love, Pagliacci, Sweeney Todd and Marriage of Figaro. His musical comedy roles have included Guys and Dolls, Pajama Game, Brigadoon, Pirates of Penzance, South Pacific, Kiss Me Kate, My Fair Lady, and Camelot, and he continues an active oratorio schedule, having sung Elijah, St. Paul, The Creation, Messiah, and Judas Maccabaeus. He is the founder of the “Idaho Backyard Broadway Bash” a summer festival to promote the performing arts, and he continues an active concerts schedule appearing with symphony orchestras throughout the Northwest.
Instructor – jazz ensemble, master classes, composition
Marianne Saunders
Award winning jazz vocalist, Marianne Saunders, has been performing throughout the U.S. for over 20 years. She has shared the stage with entertainers such as Bob Hope and legendary jazz artists such as Dizzy Gillespie (where they traded improvised scat solos together in concert), The Nelson Riddle Jazz Orchestra, Kevin Mahogany and others. In the classical idiom, Dr. Saunders is a two -time district winner and regional finalist of the New York Metropolitan Opera Auditions. As a performer of opera, concert repertoire and as a vocal ensemble conductor, she has performed throughout the U.S., Germany, Austria, and the United Kingdom. She holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance from the prestigious Eastman School of Music. As Director of Vocal Jazz at The College of Idaho her award -winning ensemble performed, by invitation, for the Vocal Jazz Showcase at New York’s infamous Carnegie Hall and has toured the United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic, Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Her high school vocal jazz students from Victory Charter High School performed by invitation for the All-Northwest National Association of Music Educators Conference in Portland, OR in 2019 and the Idaho All-State Music Educators Conference in 2020. Five of her students since 2016 have been first-place winners of the Idaho State Solo Competition with over 20 more students finishing in the top 10. Dr. Saunders continues to perform in the Boise-based vocal group, Essential Jazz and is in the resident company at Opera Idaho.
Instructor – music appreciation
Courtney Birch
Instructor – choirs & master classes
Dan child
Daniel Child is in his 15th and final year as the choir teacher at Middleton High School. He has toured as a singer and conductor through Italy, Greece, Brazil, California, Utah, Nevada, Washington, Idaho, and Oregon. After graduating from Minico High School, he followed his sweetheart to Pocatello to attend ISU. While at ISU, he worked with Dr. Scott Anderson and was elected as the president of the ISU Chamber and Concert Choirs. He was also privileged to take voice lessons from Ms. Kathy Lane for the duration of his undergraduate work. After graduating from ISU in Music Education, Mr. Child taught K-12 music for the Rockland School District for three years, winning the Teacher of the Year Award after his second year. He then moved with his family to Las Vegas where he worked with Professor David Weiller and earned his Masters in Music Education from UNLV while teaching choir at B. Mahlon Brown Junior High in Henderson, NV. After three years in Las Vegas, Mr. Child kept his promise to his family and moved them back to Idaho after finding his dream job at Middleton. He conducts the Middleton Madrigals, the Anima Mea girl’s choir, the Nordic Concert Choir, the FX Show Choir, the Una Voce freshman girls choir, and the Norsemen men’s choir with a total choir enrollment of around 150 students. He also serves his school as the Tip-Off/Take-Down school dance and Prom coordinator. He currently organizes numerous fundraisers and public performances, plans yearly choir tours, judges choir and solo festivals, and was chosen as MHS Teacher of the Year in 2012 and 2019. In 2014 and 2019, the Madrigals were chosen to sing at the All-State Conference for Music Educators. In 2016, he was presented with the Caldwell Fine Arts Support of the Arts Award. This Spring he directed “The Music Man” at Middleton HS that had a cast and crew of 75 students. On four occasions over 6 years, Mr. Child has been invited to conduct the youth choir for the Nashville Tribute Band concerts in the Nampa area that featured Marie Osmond, David Archuleta, and Alex Boyé. Mr. Child plays an active role in the community by conducting and participating in various church choirs and gives choral conducting clinics to members of the community. Mr. Child and his family will be moving to the Twin Falls area this summer so that he can be the new choir teacher at Twin Falls High School. Because the school year is so busy, Mr. Child loves his summers! He enjoys going camping and fishing, dutch oven cooking, singing to his garden, and he does his best to reacquaint himself with Teresa, his loving wife of 25 years, and their four children: Jessica, Rachel, Emmalee, and Andrew.
instructor
Mary Halverson
Mary Halverson is a musician and educator with a passion for teaching and creating curriculum. Growing up in a military family, she developed a love for music at a young age and learned to play various instruments including violin, ukulele, guitar, and piano. She even occasionally plays the recorder! Some of the opportunities that influenced her love of music as a child were being in a children’s choir directed by Craig Jessop, and meeting Jenny Oaks Baker, who inspired her to learn the violin.
Mary has spent 10 years teaching music, both in her church and at Tavaci School of Performing Arts in Rupert. She has also taught school online for the past 6 years. Mary holds bachelor degrees in both PE and Health, as well as a master’s in curriculum and instruction. Currently, she develops curriculum for Tech Trep High School, where she is highly sought after for writing and creating new courses in everything from Health to Agriculture. Mary’s favorite job, however, is being a mom and homeschooling her four children. She and her husband, Gary, live in Rupert.
Mary is excited to join the Rise Up & Sing staff as a ukulele instructor and help kids find the joy of learning this fun instrument!
INSTRUCTOR
DArrell crowther
A Las Vegas native, Darrell Crowther is a music teacher with over 20 years of experience teaching all levels, from 3-year-olds to university graduate courses. During his tenure as a secondary choral teacher in Las Vegas, Darrell’s choirs were nominated for a Grammy Signature award, sang back-up for Josh Groban during his concert tours, and received superior ratings at local, state, and national festivals. Darrell was the recipient of the 2005 New Music Teacher of the Year for the State of Nevada. In 2011, Darrell was elected president of the state chapter of the American Choral Director’s Association. Besides Las Vegas, Darrell has been a teacher in Portugal, India, the United Arab Emirates, and now in Reno. He loves nature, traveling, cooking, Netflix, most things music, and his precious family.
Instructor – Children’s choir, intermediate choir, master classes
Rosanne Lamb
In addition to her private studio, Rosanne Lamb is a staff member at Crescendo Performing Arts in Glendora, California. She has over 20 years of teaching experience as a choral director, private instructor, musical director, and festival judge. Her philosophy of music education is that literacy in music is attainable at any stage of life and begins with excellence in teaching.
Rosanne received a Bachelor’s in Music Education with emphasis in trumpet and voice from Utah State University and will complete a Master’s Level Certification endorsed by OAKE (Organization of American Kodály Educators) through Brigham Young University in 2022. She currently resides in Pomona, California with her husband and five children.
Instructor
Jeff Gomez
INSTructor
Melodie Taylor-Mauldin
A graduate in Music/Dance/Theater from Weber State University, Mel is a versatile actor, singer, choreographer, and director. Work includes 35 years of professional stage experience in regional theater and touring shows. An active educator, Mel continues as a Footlight Dance Centre Faculty Member, vocal director on the middle school level for Sun Valley Music Festival Music Institute ,and as a core company member with The Liberty Theatre Company.
The desire to tell stories through music, dance and theater began at a very young age for Melodie, as she loaded her red wagon with costumes and instruments, and along with her two friends, walked through her neighborhood knocking on doors and offering free concerts on their front lawns. This passion to create continues, and she is thrilled to be returning to what her family calls “Burley Camp”, and joining all who will Rise Up And Sing! See you very soon all of you brave artists, creater’s, dreamers, and storytellers!
Instructor – Acting, Musical theatre
Kelby Tyrrell
Instructor
Lori Wilson
Lori Wilson is a veteran performer with dozens of productions and leading roles to her credit. Besides being onstage herself, she has also worked behind the scenes as a director, producer, and musical director of numerous local and regional productions. A popular soloist, she has enjoyed the opportunity to perform classical, jazz, and Broadway music in concerts and shows around the region. She has taught private voice lessons for 20 years and has been here from the beginning as a vocal instructor (and later a board member) for “Rise Up and Sing”! She also served as a board member and creative director for the Historic Wilson Theatre in Rupert, creating out-of-the-box interactive events, and producing Broadway-style revues. Lori created and produced “The Princess Tea Party”, “The Christmas City Market”, “The Rupert Harvest Haunt” and many other events and shows in Rupert and the surrounding areas. She takes an active role in her community, believing that “the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in service to others”.
Lori and her family recently relocated to beautiful Bozeman, MT where she is enjoying the change of scenery and incredible mountain vistas! And while she enjoys performing, serving, and teaching, her favorite role, by far, is as wife to her handsome and talented husband, Brad, and mother to their children; Jack, Kate, Todd, and his wife Ashley.
Instructor – Acting, Musical Theatre
Kori Smith
She was also a member of the modern dance company in Pocatello, ID.
She was a member of Starlight Mountain Theatre in Garden Valley, ID where she was a lead in Cinderella and Calamity Jane. She has studied voice with Debra Bonner, Jeff McLean and Leslie Crafton. She won the Danny Marona Performing Arts Scholarship competition in 2014 and for the next three years placed in the regional and final competitions with a voice piece.
She is now the Director of The Dance Academy in Kimberly, Idaho and has found her calling as an educator of the arts.
Special Guest Artist
PinkFusion
Sean and Leslie first met when Sean played and Leslie sang the monstrously difficult Anne Trulove’s aria from Stravinsky’s “The Rake’s Progress” after Leslie first moved to the Treasure Valley from her native Los Angeles. Their collaboration has continued over the years, and has encompassed everything from classical to jazz and blues, Broadway, Disney & original pop/folk music. One of their deepest collaborations was when they prepared Leslie to sing her first Tosca, which was a dream role of Leslie’s since she was seventeen years old, and the process of which developed Sean’s love of opera as an art form that encompasses character driven music. This was also when they first realized that their artistic collaboration was something they cherished, and now they are so thrilled to have been brought back together in this new and exciting artistic partnership – PinkFusion! The first concert they played as PinkFusion at the Nampa Civic Center received 3 standing ovations, and this duo was born. They warmly invite you to enjoy their new collaborative adventure – PinkFusion – and hope it is just the first of many such evenings of music yet to come!
PinkFusion is Sean Rogers, piano/vocals, and Leslie Mauldin, vocals/guitar. Together they take you on a journey that has been described as “an edgy speak easy experience on steroids.” PinkFusion last performed in August 2021 in NezPerce for their annual back to school event, but then were sent back into the vlog world again by the recent resurgence of the Omicron strain of Covid19. They are thrilled to once again be returning to live performance at the Rise Up & Sing Vocal Camp! They’ll tour you through the jazz greats, some blues, a few originals, and entertain you with storytelling, comedy, and some dancing – that they hope will not be confused with comedy. It’s all in good fun, and they look so forward to seeing you and being in live performance again! PinkFusion will be appearing at the Wilson Theatre in Rupert, ID on Oct. 1, 2022, and, along with their tradition jazz, blues, musical theatre, and original music, they will be featuring selections from Ms. Mauldin’s original Halloween musical “Halloween Saves the Holidays” with special guests from the community appearing as the “Ghoultide Scarolers.” Hope to see you there!
In the meantime, join PinkFusion’s weekly Humpday Vlog via fb live! Just log into Leslie’s or Sean’s fb page, or follow us on our PinkFusion fb page. PinkFusion started this vlog during Covid, and had so much fun making new arrangements weekly and interacting with live online audiences that they have continued the tradition. Join in the fun!
Follow us on Instagram – @pinkfusion.com
Our Website: pinkfusion-music.com
