Days On Campus: Tues/Wed/Thurs

Zane Forshee serves as the Marc C. von May Distinguished Chair of Professional Studies, Director of Peabody LAUNCHPad, and is a guitar faculty member of the Peabody Conservatory of the Johns Hopkins University.

Zane’s work as an artist has led to appearances worldwide including: the Palacete de Amezúa (Madrid), the Joseph Joachim Konzertsaal (Berlin), the Library of Congress (Washington, D.C.), and the Chimei Museum (Taiwan). His wide-ranging collaborative projects include choreographer danah bella, percussionist and composer Gene Koshinski, film composer Christian Biegai, and an upcoming collaboration with artistic polyglot Wendel Patrick.

Zane’s most recent recording, Valenciano: Guitar Works of Asencio, Esplá & Rodrigo, reached Number 1 on Amazon's Classical Music Chart and No. 6 on Billboard's Classical Crossover chart. He is a Fulbright Scholar, Wigmore Hall Charitable Trust recipient, D’Addario Foundation Grant Winner, Maryland State Arts Council: Independent Artist Awardee, and received a Peabody Institute Dean’s Incentive Grant for his collaborative research project with the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins that explored the Impact of Weekly Guitar Lessons on Functional Movement and Well-being in Parkinson’s Disease Patients, among others.

Zane has presented masterclasses, key notes, guest lectures, and workshops at the Royale Conservatoire of Scotland, San Francisco Conservatory of Music Pre-College, Staffordshire University (UK), North Carolina School for the Arts, University of Edinburgh, St. Olaf College, Johns Hopkins University, and the Cleveland Institute of Music, among others.

Of him, Baltimore City Paper writes: “As the old adage goes, those who cannot do, teach. Apparently Zane Forshee didn’t get the memo. . . do not miss out on the chance to learn a thing or two from the man who makes music his life in the classroom and on stage.”

Days On Campus: Mon/Tues/Wed

Khandeya Sheppard serves as the Manager of Community Partnerships working with the Peabody LAUNCHPad team to promote and foster community-based learning opportunities in Baltimore. Khandeya is a steelpan musician, educator and arts administrator with a wide range of solo and ensemble performance experiences in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago.

Khandeya is a solo performer, Pan Masters Steel Orchestra member, music director and leader of NEXUS Band and Dynamic Steel Project, creator and co-founder of the Black Berklee Network, and founding member of the HBCU Jazz Education Initiative. Khandeya has also been a featured speaker and panelist at several events about music, creative youth development, and community engagement through the arts.

Khandeya was the first female steelpan principal to graduate from Berklee College of Music, earning a B.M. in Music Business/Management with a minor in Africana Studies: Music & Society. She also holds a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Music Entrepreneurship from UMBC. Khandeya has previously served as a Berklee City Music Mentor, Preparatory Academy and Faculty Outreach Teacher as well as the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Education Outreach Assistant and OrchKids Senior Program Manager.

Days On Campus: Wed/Thurs/Fri

Christina Manceor is a percussionist, educator, and arts administrator with diverse musical interests. In addition to her role as Assistant Director of LAUNCHPad, she has extensive experience in performing arts management, and actively performs as a freelance musician, pursuing artistic collaborations in chamber music, world music, orchestra, jazz, and improvisation.

Christina performs regularly as a member of The Kris Johnson Group, a jazz/R&B ensemble based in Detroit, and a soloist; she won both the 2015 PAS/Armand Zildjian Percussion Scholarship and the 2013 Black Swamp Solo Multi-Percussion Competition. She has also directed several personal performance projects and enjoys bringing artistic collaborations to unexpected spaces. Christina earned her B.M. in Percussion Performance with a minor in Performing Arts Management at the University of Michigan, and completed a M.M. in Percussion Performance at the Peabody Institute.

Days On Campus: Mondays

Robin McGinness is an operatic baritone and career coach whose current interests include finding ways to use theater and games to facilitate professional development, self-management for performers, art song house concerts, and modernizing the operatic repertoire. An active performer, Robin is regularly engaged for both operatic and concert works groups including Pittsburgh Festival Opera, The Washington Chorus and Washington National Opera. Robin holds degrees in vocal performance from the Peabody Institute and Oberlin Conservatory, and joined LAUNCHPad in 2015.

Available by appointment

Violinist Sarah Thomas is a performer and educator who strives to create an environment for performers and audience members to share the gloriously human experience of loving music together.

A member of the Bergamot Quartet, Sarah has performed at the Kennedy Center, Banff Centre, Boulanger Initiative’s WoCo Fest, and Fox Fine Arts Center. Sarah has collaborated with a variety of ensembles and musicians including Alarm Will Sound, Sō Percussion, earspace ensemble, Ensemble Klang, Claire Chase, and Courtney Orlando. Sarah also holds a private violin studio, coaches chamber music, and teaches with the Bergamot Quartet in settings ranging from elementary schools to postgraduate programs.

Sarah holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees from the Peabody Conservatory, where she studied with Violaine Melançon. She is currently pursuing a Professional Studies Diploma at the Mannes School of Music with the Bergamot Quartet, who is the Cuker and Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence studying with the JACK Quartet.

Guitarist and sound engineer Greg Hays has spent most of his life studying music and art. Equipped with a cheap guitar at the age of seven, Greg began studying the instrument intently and has explored many of the versatile instrument’s genres and techniques. He has performed in rock bands, jazz combos, blues trios, and guitar duos; the latter of which has become an area of recent focus. Together with guitarist Jacob Lyerly, Greg formed the guitar duo Un/Strung, which strives to bring art music to new places and faces.

Greg has also been involved in the audio production realm by working on crews and operating sound for concerts featuring Jesse McCartney, Chris Brubeck, The Filharmonic, and Daughtry. Recently, he has established a freelance career of assisting start-up podcasts with their audio and production. Greg is committed to helping other musicians become self-sufficient by learning life and career skills required to cultivate a career in the arts.

Greg will graduate with a Master of Music degree in Guitar Performance/Pedagogy under the instruction of Julian Gray in 2020. He maintains an active teaching studio with a wide variety of skill levels and interests.

Carolyn Dzul is a Latinx saxophonist born in Houston, Texas. Daughter of two immigrant parents, Dzul is a first-generation student at the Peabody Institute earning a joint bachelor’s degree in Saxophone Performance and Recording Arts and Sciences. Currently, she studies under the instruction of Gary Louie. Dzul’s experience as a bandleader, journalist, and student council member in high school helped her gain communication and critical thinking skills that she uses to best serve the Peabody community. As a member of the Peabody General Assembly, Dzul has worked with students, staff, and administration with the transition of remote learning. Additionally, she works with the Office of Academic Affairs as a Peer Advisor and currently is the Co-President of the Peabuddies Club on campus. Outside of her studies, Dzul runs a blog with Rachel Taylor called Music: Quarantine Edition where they expose their audience to music-related content from online performances, programs, and new works, among other topics.

Kate Baker is a third-year undergraduate student at The Johns Hopkins University Peabody Institute pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Double Bass Performance with a minor in Music Business. She strives to become a leader in the performing arts, with the mission of making music performance and education universally accessible. A native of Cincinnati Ohio, she is an alum of the School for Creative and Performing Arts and the Cincinnati Symphony Youth Orchestra. Her involvement in community-based music education gave her the opportunity to pursue a career in music and is what makes her deeply passionate about equity in the arts. Outside of music, Kate enjoys going to the park with her dog Frisco, caring for her plants, and traveling.

Alex Wu is a first-year master's student in cello performance studying with Alan Stepansky. In the past, he has performed as a soloist with the Penn State Philharmonic, Southeastern Pennsylvania symphony orchestra, and the Warminster Symphony among others. Alex is also a National YoungArts Foundation classical music winner, an alumnus of the New York String Orchestra Seminar, and a section cellist for Symphony in C. As a chamber musician, he has been invited to perform at the Caramoor, Mount Gretna, and Manchester Music Festivals.

As a graduate of Penn State University in political science and music, Alex has extensive experience working in university student affairs and connecting college students with career-driven resources. Outside of class, Alex is an avid outdoorsman and hobbyist. As an Eagle Scout, he enjoys hiking, camping, and archery in his spare time. Alex is also a member of the Lambda Phi Epsilon International Fraternity Inc. and remains active in the Greek life community.

Marjorie Sheiman graduated from the University of Oregon in 2020 with a Bachelor’s of Music in Voice Performance, Summa Cum Laude, where she studied with Milagro Vargas. In her time there, she appeared as a featured guest soloist and scholarship recipient for the Women’s Choral Society, as well as sang under Dr. Sharon Paul in the UO Chamber Choir, during which they won the 2019 Grand Prix of Nations in the Chamber Choir/Vocal Ensembles category. In 2021, Marjorie was honored to receive 2nd Place in the NATS’ Northwest Region’s Artist Awards. This past summer, she performed multiple roles in Humperdinck’s Hänsel und Gretel at the LAH-SOW Opera Workshop and sang in the chorus of Verdi’s Aida at Portland Summerfest. Marjorie’s currently studying with William Sharp and is in the first year of her Master’s of Music in Voice Performance.

Praised for their enviable resonance, crystalline diction, and stylistic prowess, baritone Michael Manganiello focuses their solo and ensemble work on breaking down established preconceptions of identity and artistic expression. In addition to their coursework, they also maintain a voice studio, and work as a Peer Career Coach at Peabody’s LAUNCHPad, working collaboratively with students to reach their professional and artistic goals. Michael graduated from SUNY Fredonia in 2012, where they earned concurrent Bachelor's degrees cum laude in Vocal Performance and Dance, with a minor in Visual Art/New Media. Michael founded, directed, and sang with the QED Vocal Ensemble in residence at Westminster Presbyterian Church, Buffalo, NY. Michael has appeared as soloist and ensemblist with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Camerata di Sant' Antonio, Opera Sacra, Buffalo Chamber Players, Western New York Chamber Orchestra, Women of Vivaldi, Vocális Chamber Choir, Buffalo Master Chorale, and Harmonia Chamber Singers. Michael was a participant in the Baroque Opera Workshop through the Institute for 17th Century Music at Queens College, Tafelmusik Baroque Summer Institute, and ARTEK Madrigal Madness.

Qian Meng, from Alberta, Canada, worked as a psychiatric aide and ran her own piano/ Vocal studio for 13 years. She is attending Peabody with a master of voice performance degree. She is very excited to join launchpad in the position of Student Engagement Intern.

Max Eidinoff is a composer, performer, and educator whose music engages with absurdity as a method for narrative development. He incorporates avant-garde styles, Romanticism, and rock music sensibilities into a soundscape that showcases an enthusiasm for risk taking and drama. Max writes in a variety of genres including concert works, computer music, film scores, and studio mixes. However, his primary passion lies in opera. Max studied composition at SUNY Purchase and is currently attending Peabody Institute of The Johns Hopkins University. He has also been a composition student at Seal Bay Festival, Fresh Inc. Festival, zFestival, the Choral Chameleon Summer Institute, Atlantic Music Festival, and The N.E.O. Voice Festival.