Shelley has been a voice teacher for over seventeen years.  She holds a Master of Music degree in Vocal Performance from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa.  Shelley's leading operetta and operatic roles include Rosalinde in "Die Fledermaus", Louisa Giovanni from Grieg's "Song of Norway", and Cornelia in "Julio Cesar".  Her numerous solo appearance repertoire includes Handel's "Messiah" (alto and soprano), Vivaldi's "Gloria" and "Dixit Dominus", Bach's "Magnificat" and numerous cantatas, Mozart's "Requiem" and "Vespers", Mendelssohn's "St. Paul", "Elijah", and "Auf Tiefer Not", Haydn's "Nelson Mass" (d minor mass), and Copland's "In the Beginning".  As a choral musician Shelley has sung with the Chicago Symphony Chorus under the baton of Georg Solti, Daniel Barenboim, Pierre Boulez, and Margaret Hillis.  A true highlight was singing at Carnegie Hall and sharing the stage with Luciano Pavarotti, Kiri Te Kanawa, and Leo Nucci.

Shelley's teaching is rooted in the classical style, which promotes healthy singing through proper breathing, posture, and relaxation.  She specializes in classical and Broadway theater repertoire, but her students enjoy performing folk, jazz, and other styles of music as well.  She also specializes in foreign languages and is very detailed and organized.  With her love of piano, Shelley enjoys teaching beginners a good solid technique in a positive and rewarding environment.  Since piano has been an integral part of her life and teaching, she looks forward to introducing youngsters to the wonderful world of the keyboard!  Along with voice and piano, Shelley has devoted eleven years of teaching Kindermusik® to newborns - seven year olds. Many of her Kindermusik families have grown through and 'graduated' into her private studio.  Shelley cares about her students and invests her time helping them reach their full potential.  She believes anyone can play or sing, whether five or seventy-five, and is rewarded each and everyday when she helps students achieve their personal goals.

Shelley's past and present students have performed in the American Girl "Circle of Friends" show in Chicago, the Theater Building Chicago, Drury Lane, and have sung leading and supporting roles in their school and other theater productions.  They have and are singing with Young Naperville Singers and in their school's traditional, chamber, and show choirs.  Some of her students are now studying at DePaul University, Indiana University, the University of Illinois, and Calvin College.
"Without music, life is a journey through a desert."     Pat Conway

John Melnick is a graduate of the American Conservatory of Music, Chicago, and holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Piano Performance. He was the 1975 winner of the Conservatory’s Piano concerto Competition and performed the Khachaturian Piano Concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at Orchestra Hall. In addition to his classical background, John is well versed in jazz, pop, rock, new age and improvisational keyboard styles as well as “midi” and synthesizer recording. He is also a prolific writer and performer of popular music. He wrote, performed and sang his songs on an album titled “ZAZU” produced by RCA, Wooden Nickel Records. John has performed both as a pianist, synthesist and vocalist with such talents as Arista songwriter Tim Moore of “Second Avenue” fame, Ann Jillian and Jim Peterik of Survivor. He is also a “jingle” singer and has sung on numerous TV and Radio commercials over the last 18 years. John has also provided his talents on session recordings throughout the area including his vocals on the last song, “Beyond My Wildest Dreams”, in John Candy’s movie “Delirious”. Throughout his career, John has performed at private parties and corporate events as a piano soloist, vocalist and as keyboard player in many Chicagoland bands and orchestras.

Congratulations John

Award winning flutist Kristin Paxinos began her music education at the age of 10, and has since studied with numerous world-renowned artists; including Peter Lloyd, Kathryn Lukas, Donald Peck, and Jaques Zoon.

Kristin has been honored with numerous awards and prizes for her musicianship, including performance awards from Indiana University, DePaul University, the Musician’s Club of Women, the Union League Civic and Arts Foundation, and the Greek Women’s University Club. She has also participated in several international performance competitions, most recently being awarded a recording grant in the Contemporary Record Society’s National Performing Artist Competition.

Kristin has appeared as soloist and orchestral musician throughout the United States and Europe, performing in such legendary venues as Lincoln Center, Chicago’s Symphony Center, and Carnegie Hall. Kristin’s solo performances include appearances at the Syrinx Flute Festival (Canada), the Viggiano Flute Festival (Italy), and The Chicago Cultural Center’s Dame Myra Hess Memorial Concert Series (U.S.). She has also performed as concerto soloist with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Sinfonia Toronto, the Evansville Philharmonic, L’Orchestre Internazionale D’Italia, the Dallas Chamber Orchestra, and the Indiana University Orchestra.

Her orchestral experience includes flute and piccolo positions with the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the Evansville Philharmonic, the Terre Haute Symphony, and the Bloomington Pops Orchestra. In addition, Daniel Barenboim awarded Kristin a principal flute position in his East-Western Divan Orchestra – an orchestra that brought together talented young musicians from the United States and the Middle East.

As an instructor, Kristin spent 4 years with the Bloomington Young Winds Program, 2 years as an undergraduate teaching assistant at Indiana University, and 9 years at the School of Performing Arts in Naperville, IL. Her students have gone on to participate in IMEA State and District Festivals, and study at the Interlochen Arts Academy, Indiana University, Northwestern University, Baylor University, and Carnegie Mellon University.  Kristin also regularly judges for IMEA District Festivals, Chicago Flute Club Competitions, and District Solo and Ensembles Contests.

Kristin began her music education in Chicago, where she studied at the Sherwood Conservatory of Music. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Music in Flute Performance from Indiana University and a Master of Music in Flute Performance from DePaul University.