Kevin dobbeck
Mr. Dobbeck co-leads the band program at St. Charles North High School and serves as Director of the Elgin Community College Concert Band. He holds a bachelor’s in Music Education and a master’s in Educational Policy from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with prior teaching stops at Naperville North High School and Westfield Community School.
An active Chicagoland jazz trumpeter, Kevin regularly serves as a clinician and adjudicator for ILMEA and IGSMA jazz festivals, having previously served as Chair for ILMEA Junior Jazz District IX. When he’s not on the podium or performing, he continues to perform professionally as a jazz trumpeter, bass player, and guitarist throughout the Chicagoland area.
kevin.dobbeck@d303.org
331-228-6416
Monica bertrand
Monica Bertrand is a conductor-educator from the Chicago suburbs who is passionate about creating meaningful musical experiences for students, performers, and communities. She is excited to be in the music department at St. Charles North High School.
Monica is currently a DMA candidate in Choral Conducting at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds an M.M. in Choral Conducting from Simpson College, an M.M. in Music Education from Western Illinois University, and a B.A. in Music Education from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.
With 11 years of high school teaching experience in Illinois, Monica has taught at St. Charles East High School, Plainfield North High School, and Zion-Benton Township High School. She also served as associate conductor for Anima Young Singers in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
Beyond the classroom, Monica is committed to expanding access to meaningful musical experiences and using choral music to strengthen communities. She is the founder and artistic director of Giving Voices Collective, a philanthropic project-based women’s chorus that raises funds for causes in the surrounding community. She is also an active performer with the St. Charles Singers.
Monica is actively engaged in the choral and music education professions. She has served as the Illinois Music Education Association District 9 vocal jazz co-representative and has held leadership roles with the American Choral Directors Association, including Senior High School Choir and Repertoire Specific Chair and Podium Editor on the Illinois board. In 2022, she was honored with the IL-ACDA Outstanding Young Choral Directors Award.
Through her teaching, conducting, performing, and advocacy, Monica continues to pursue opportunities that connect people through music and inspire the next generation of choral musicians.
Monica.Bertrand@d303.org
331-228-6332
John Wojciechowski
John Wojciechowski has been a music educator since 1996 and has been a member of the St. Charles North High School faculty since 2004, where he has taught Jazz Band, Band, Orchestra, and AP Music Theory. He has also served on the faculties of Northwestern University and Northern Illinois University and is a National Board Certified Teacher. His ensembles have been invited to perform at ILMEA All-State, the Jazz Education Network National Conference, the Midwest Clinic, and the Essentially Ellington Festival.
As a woodwind artist and composer, Wojciechowski has performed with the Detroit and Chicago Symphonies and with jazz artists including Kurt Elling, Charlie Haden, and Clark Terry. A member of the Chicago Jazz Orchestra for 20 years, he regularly performs at Chicago venues including the Jazz Showcase, Andy’s, and the Green Mill with artists such as Ryan Cohan, Dana Hall, Clark Sommers, and Tom Garling, as well as with the collective Tenor Time featuring Scott Burns and Geof Bradfield.
A finalist in the 1996 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Competition, Wojciechowski has released four recordings as a leader: 'Lexicon', 'Focus', 'Swing of the Pendulum', and 'Live at the Jazz Showcase'.
John.Wojciechowski@d303.org
331-228-6417
ANDREW MASTERS
Originally from Columbus, Ohio, Andy has enjoyed a diverse and unique musical background. He began playing violin at age nine, trumpet at age ten, and completed four European tours with the Blue Lake International Youth Symphony and Columbus Symphony Youth Orchestras before finishing high school. As a chorus member, he performed in Carnegie Hall with Kinderchor. In 2000 he was selected to perform with the National Youth Honors Orchestra at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C. Andy received a BM in Music Education from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) with a double concentration in both violin and trumpet. He earned his Masters Degree in music education from Northwestern University in 2010.
At CCM, he performed with the Concert Orchestra, Philharmonia Orchestra, Jazz Lab Band, and Wind Symphony. He studied violin with Dr. Phil Baldwin, James McCullough, Constantine Kiradjieff and Anna Vaiman and trumpet with James Underwood, Alan Siebert, Rolff Holly, and Brad Goode. Andy served as orchestra director at Bell-Graham and Wasco Schools in the St. Charles Community Unit School District for many years. He is on his 9th year as a Conductor for the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra.
Besides teaching and making music, Andy is very passionate about cooking and gardening. He lives in North Aurora with his wife Jenny, also a violinist and orchestra director in Orland Park.
andrew.masters@d303.org
331-228-6452