Mrs. Julie Bame is the Executive Director of JOY Conservatory and has enjoyed being on the JOY Music Staff since 2019 teaching strings classes and serving as the Director of JOY Musical Theatre. Her music training began at a young age with private training on piano, violin, and voice. Mrs. Bame earned her Bachelor's Degree in Vocal Performance from Baldwin-Wallace University and thoroughly enjoyed participating in orchestra, choir, theatre, and opera at the collegiate level. Musical theatre has been a favorite music genre and she has been a part of various community theaters in the area. While having a family and homeschooling, Julie was on staff at North Clinton Church as the Worship Coordinator for ten years and Interim Choirmaster at Toledo Christian Schools. Julie lives in Wauseon with her husband Rich and their three children: Grace, Corinne, and Claire. They are each an instrumental part of running JOY Conservatory. Our family is honored to serve and look forward with anticipation and excitement to the future of JOY Conservatory!
Antoinette Bloomer earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Bowling Green State University, where she majored in Music Education with Choral/Piano emphasis, and minored in Interpersonal Communication. She was the accompanist at Swanton High School for seven years, and spent many years on worship teams and as a programming director at churches before becoming a full-time homeschooling mother of five in 2006. For ten years, she directed the JOY Music program, and now currently teaches the Men’s Chorus and volunteers as the Assistant Director for our spring musicals here at JOY Conservatory.
Antoinette is an Area Coordinator for the Institute for Cultural Communicators, a Christian leadership development organization. She loves true stories, deep conversations, crossing things off her list, and coffee. Antoinette and her husband Brad own Aqua Ice, selling Italian Ice at local fairs and events, and a Kettle Corn trailer, run by their son, Elijah.
Mrs. Erin Blackwood is a graduate of Bowling Green State University, where she earned a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education with a specialization in percussion performance. For the past three years she has shared her passion for music as a 5-12 assistant band director at Defiance City Schools while also teaching private lessons. Erin is an active member of the Defiance Community Band and her church's worship team. Though she enjoys playing many different instruments, her favorite to play is the marimba, which she performed on in BGSU's 52nd Annual Concerto Competition, taking first place. When not playing music, she loves to spend time reading and being outdoors. Recently, she has embraced the role of stay-at-home mom with the hopes to someday homeschool. Erin lives in Napoleon with her husband, Ian, her daughter, Amberly, their dog, Abby, and cat, Dimitri.
Mrs. Carmen Martin began her musical journey at the age of five with piano, and discovered her love for the violin at age ten. She has studied violin under various instructors including MaryAnn Basinger, Hiromi Ito, and Valerie Gardner, and received specialized violin pedagogy training under the guidance of Darcy Drexler and Mimi Zweig. Since her teenage years, Carmen has been performing sacred music in church settings and finds joy in both teaching and playing in the traditional hymn style. Carmen has played in several orchestras, including the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Youth Symphony, and has been a member of the Black Swamp Community Orchestra since 2012, holding the position of Concertmaster for 8 years. Carmen has been a private violin teacher since 2008, and especially loves to teach young children to play the violin and make learning music a fun and enriching experience! In 2019, she founded the Stringato Quartet, performing regularly for weddings and special events. Carmen lives in Spencerville, Indiana, with her husband and two children, always holding their son in heaven close to heart. When she’s not teaching or performing, you’ll likely find her crafting espresso drinks or spending time outdoors.
Mrs. Monica Monachino studied music in college but received her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. Looking for a quality corporate music experience for her children, she enrolled them in JOY Music in 2014 and never looked back. A few years later she started working as an accompanist for the Explorers and then the Women's Chorus as well as the Intermediates Choir. You can now find her in front of the piano as she teaches Explorers Music, the Intermediate Choir and Women's Chorus and serves as Music Director for JOY Musical Theatre. In addition to her time spent teaching at JOY, Monica has also taught private piano lessons out of her home for 16 years. When not busy with her teaching responsibilities, she continues to learn and challenge herself by singing with the Hillsdale Arts Chorale and serving on the Worship Team at Fairview Missionary Church. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, attending concerts and musicals, and exploring the world around her with her husband, family, and friends. Monica and her husband Dan live outside of Edon.
Miss Elizabeth Roth began her dance training with Black Swamp Fine Arts School in 2019, and is currently in her third season as a Resident Artist. During that time, she danced lead roles such as the Sugar Plum Fairy in Mina and the Nutcracker and the Princess in Princess and the Pea. Elizabeth has also attended several summer intensives with Ballet 5:8, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, and Cincinnati Ballet, where she trained under prestigious faculty. She has a passion for choreography and has had the opportunity to set pieces for Black Swamp Fine Arts School and Gratitude Performing Arts. She is thrilled to be the choreographer at JOY Conservatory this year!