Our Directors

Beth Klemm

Beth Klemm, Artistic Director and Premiere Choir Director, has taught music in Atascadero Unified School District since 1983, presently teaching at the Atascadero Fine Arts Academy, and providing district elementary music instruction. She recently served on the California Board of Directors for the American Choral Director's Association (ACDA) as the Children’s and Youth Choir Repertoire & Standards Chair. Beth has presented at the California Music Education State Conference, State, Divisional and National ACDA Conferences and local choral workshops. Beth was Music Director at First Baptist Church in San Luis Obispo for 12 years, and has sung with the Cuesta Master Chorale and San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble. Beth holds a Bachelor of Music degree in Music Education from Butler University, Indianapolis (Double Major in Choral and Instrumental Music), and a Master of Education degree in Administration from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. This is her seventeen year working with Central Coast Children's Choir. Beth loves having her own daughter, Rachel, singing in the CCCC.

Melody Svennungsen

Melody Svennungsen, Advanced Vocal Ensemble and Concert Choir Director, is a San Luis Obispo native with over 30 years of experience in vocal and theatre performance. She has appeared as soloist for various choral groups including Cuesta Master Chorale, Mozart Festival Chorus, and San Luis Obispo Vocal Arts Ensemble. After a 20-year career of teaching adults with special needs, Melody earned a music degree in vocal performance at Cal Poly in 2007, where she served as assistant conductor for Dr. Davies and studied voice with both Katherine Arthur and Jackie Kreitzer. A member of SLOVAE since 1986, Melody served as Soprano Section Leader, POPS Artistic Director, and currently is Gary Lamprecht's Assistant Director. Melody also teaches private voice lessons. She is delighted to be in her 7th year with the CCCC.

Cassandra Tarantino

Cassandra Tarantino, Apprentice Choir Director, has her Bachelor's degrees in Church Music emphasizing Choral Conducting and Performance Flute, and English Literature. After receiving her Masters of Music Degree in Flute Performance from California State University, Northridge, Ms. Tarantino began teaching and performing vocal and instrumental music in Santa Barbara and conducted and taught music theory with the Santa Barbara Children's Choir. In 2003, Ms. Tarantino began a choral program on the Cuesta North County Campus, and this year has added the Cuesta College Concert Choir to her schedule, where she also teaches voice and flute. Folk music and dance are a passion for Ms. Tarantino, and you will often find her playing and dancing traditional Irish, English Country and Contra Dance music.

Anne Olson

Anne Olson, North County Debut Choir Director, has taught choral and classroom music in the Atascadero Unified School District for 12 years. She has directed Choir at Templeton Middle School and High School, and various children's church and school choirs in the county. Anne is a native Texan and a graduate of Baylor University where she sang in the school's Acapella Choir. She served CCCC as an Apprentice Choir accompanist when her daughter was a member and then pioneered the first North County Debut Choir in 2006. Anne just completed the first session with CCCC's latest endeavor, "Music Makers" in which eighteen K-1st graders explored singing and musical enrichment. Anne and her husband Don live in Atascadero and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Danielle and Alissa.

Sarah Bromell

Ms. Broomell, Debut Choir Director, serves as staff pianist for Opera SLO, accompanies the Cuesta College choirs, SLO United Methodist Church Choir and area musicians. Sarah studied voice with Jacalyn Kreitzer, and has performed with Cuesta Master Chorale, Canzona Women's Ensemble, Mozart Festival, and Vocal Arts Ensemble. Sarah recently received her Level I Kodaly training from the Kodaly Music Institute and is currently facilitating family music making with Strawberry Music Together. This fall she enjoyed teaching Music Makers, a new CCCC class for K-1st grade students focusing on first steps in music literacy and singing. She is the musical director for the SLO Little Theatre's production of "Honk! Jr." opening in January. Sarah pursued a DMA in collaborative piano at UC-Santa Barbara and earned an MM in piano accompanying and BM in piano performance from Baylor University. She is grateful to be the mother of Iain and to be in her second year of directing for the Central Coast Children's Choir.

Thomas Davies

Dr. Davies is starting his third year as conductor of the Boys Choir. Dr. Davies has been a faculty member at Cal Poly State University, in San Luis Obispo, California since the fall of 1983, serving as Director of Choral Activities and Vocal Studies. In addition to his work at Cal Poly, he is a Part-time Instructor at Cuesta College where he is Musical Director and Conductor of the Cuesta Master Chorale, a 100-member ensemble that performs major works for chorus and orchestra. He is the Director and Associate Teacher of the Master Class in Choral-Orchestral Conducting at the Oregon Bach Festival, held each summer in Eugene. Dr. Davies is a former President of the ACDA Western Division. He lives in Pismo Beach, California with his wife, Susan, and his two sons, Peter and Andrew.