Biographies
High School | Praireview | Middle School
High School
Ryan Beeken, Director of Vocal Music rbeeken@waukee.k12.ia.us
Ryan Beeken is in his twelfth year as the Director of Vocal Music at Waukee High School. He directs the select mixed chorus, A Cappella, the Bass Clef Chorus and co-directs 10th grade Chorale. Beeken also works with both the Show and Jazz Choir Programs.
Since Mr. Beeken’s appointment, the Waukee High School program has earned a reputation for excellence. A Cappella Choir was selected to perform at the 2005 National ACDA Convention and again in 2006 and 2010 for NCACDA. The ensemble has earned Division I ratings since 1984 at the Iowa High School Music Association’s Large Group Music Festival. The Show Choir and Jazz Choir Programs also have achieved a high level of success.
A frequent clinician and festival director, Beeken is an active member of the Iowa Choral Director’s Association. He maintains an active private voice studio and serves as the tenor section leader at First Baptist Church in Johnston, Iowa. Beeken graduated from Drake University with degrees in Music Education and Vocal Performance and is currently pursuing graduate degrees at Michigan State University. He resides with his wife and three children and enjoys every opportunity to spend time with his family.
Amy Hall, High School Vocal Music ahall@waukee.k12.ia.us
Amy is a graduate of Simpson College with a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance. Her choral training was done at Iowa State University. She has also been involved in church music as well as civic youth choruses. Amy enjoys performing in community theatre productions and accompanying when time allows.
Amy has been a part of Waukee High School since 1999. This is her eleventh year teaching music in the public schools. Choirs under her direction have achieved consecutive Superior ratings at State Large Group Contest. She made her stage-directing debut with Waukee's production of The Music Man in 2001. Amy oversees and directs the vocal jazz ensembles as well as Intermezzo and the Treble Ensemble. She continues to serve as a clinician for surrounding school districts.
Hall has been teaching studio voice for over ten years and feels fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with so many unique young people. She recently completed her Masters Degree and looks forward to someday working at the administrative level.
Shirley Grimm, High School Accompanist sgrimm@waukee.k12.ia.us
Shirley Grimm grew up on a farm near Brooklyn, Iowa and started taking piano lessons when she was nine years old. Grimm began playing for church when she was fourteen and still loves to perform in this realm. As a high school student she played piano in the jazz band and accompanied the concert choir and the musicals. After graduating from BGM high school, Mrs. Grimm attended William Penn University for 1½ years. After starting a family, she returned to William Penn 15 years later and earned her Bachelor of Arts in Music Education. In 2004 she received her Master of Arts in Education from Viterbo University.
Shirley has taught vocal music at the high school and middle school levels for the past 15 years at Brooklyn-Guernsey-Malcom, Dallas Center-Grimes and most recently at South Tama County. Throughout her teaching career she has accompanied soloists at contest, played for musicals, show choir, accompanied several middle school honor choirs and has given private piano lessons. Mrs. Grimm and her husband John currently reside in Urbandale. They enjoy traveling, cruising in the Caribbean, and spending time with their three grown children and one grandson.
Michael Weaver, Millennium Show Choir Choreographer
Michael Weaver - is an award winning, nationally known director/choreographer based in Chicago. Mike is one of the busiest choreographers working in music and theatre education today.
A former musical director for Carnival Cruise Lines, Mike served for 5 years as President and Artistic Director for Show Design, Inc., producers of theme park shows, choreography instructional videos, and the Terpsichore Performing Arts Workshops in Chicago and New York. His staging instructions are published through Warner Bros Publishing. Mike serves regularly as a clinician for an array of regional and national performance arts workshops, directs both regional and high school theatre productions, and acts as primary choreographer and designer for over two dozen award winning show choir ensembles throughout the the United States.
Regarded as an expert on the history of show choir, in 2002 Mike was commissioned by American Choral Directors Association to write a definitive article tracing of the use of pop music in secondary music education.
Mike served as Creative Director and co-founder of Entertainment Arts Group, producer summer performing arts workshops at Valparaiso University.
Recently, USA Today and USA Weekend Magazine selected Mike’s production of Guys and Dolls at Chesterton High School in Chesterton, Indiana as one of the top three High School Musical production in the country for 2007.
Prairieview School
Matt Huth, 9th Grade Vocal Music Director mhuth@waukee.k12.ia.us
Matt Huth is a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa where he earned a BME with an emphasis in voice and a minor in piano. He is in his fourteenth year of teaching and is currently directing at Waukee Schools.
At Waukee, Matt directs the Freshmen Chorus, Millennium Show Choir, coaches all-state and solo/ensemble singers, and gives private voice lessons. Choirs and singers under his direction have successfully competed and performed in the All-State Music Festival, State Large Group Contest, State Solo and Ensemble Contest, State Jazz /Show Choir Contest, and Show Choir Invitationals.
Matt has been in leadership positions in the Iowa Choral Directors Association board for eleven of the past thirteen years. He has served many roles including: two terms as District Representative and one term as R & S Chair for Show Choirs. In 2001, Matt chaired the Iowa ACDA Summer Symposium and Convention. Most recently, Huth served as President.
Mr. Huth recently completed a three-year term on the Iowa High School Music Association Board as a district representative and is currently a member of the ICDA/IHSMA Liaison Committee for All-state/Contest Affairs. He has been named to the “Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers” in 2000, 2002, 2004 and 2005, was listed as “Outstanding Young Man of America” in the 1998 publication, and was named “Up and Coming Educator” for the state of Iowa in Teaching Music Magazine, 2001.
Huth is an active adjudicator and clinician throughout Iowa, Missouri, Mississippi, Alabama, Wisconsin, South Dakota, and Nebraska.
Brent Peterson, 8th Grade Vocal Music Director bpeterson@waukee.k12.ia.us
Brent Peterson is a vocal music director in the Waukee Community School District. He is currently at Prairieview School, the district’s 8-9 facility, where he directs all the 8th grade ensembles and show choir HIGH VOLTAGE, assists with the 9th grade Mixed Chorus, and gives voice lessons. In addition to his work with the choirs at Prairieview, he is also the co-head volleyball coach and assistant track coach.
Mr. P., as he is known at Waukee, graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 1991 with a B.S. Ed. in Vocal Music Education. In 1999 he completed a Master of Arts in Effective Teaching degree from Viterbo University, where he now also serves as an adjunct professor. When not working students at Waukee or Viterbo, Brent is an active guest director, show choir clinician, and speaker around the Midwest.
Brent is married to Anne Peterson, vocal director for the Des Moines Public Schools. They love to travel, camp, and spend time with family and friends.
Middle School
Michelle Anthoney, 7th Grade Vocal Music Director manthoney@waukee.k12.ia.us
Michelle Anthoney is in her 12th year of teaching and her 6th year with the Waukee Community School District. She directs three seventh grade ensembles and teaches vocal lessons to seventh grade students in the vocal music program. Ms. Anthoney is the director of STELLAR FORCE show choir and prepares students for various honor choirs throughout the state of Iowa.
Ms. Anthoney received her B.M. in music education from Iowa State University. She recently completed a Masters of Arts in Education. She is also an active member of the Iowa Choral Director’s Association.
Ms. Anthoney maintains an active private piano studio in her home. She also co-directs an after school choir program for the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. Michelle enjoys spending time with her family and sight singing.
Shelly Schaeufele, 6th Grade Vocal Music Director sschaeufele@waukee.k12.ia.us
Shelly Schaeufele is in her 17th year of teaching and her 9th year with the Waukee Community School District. She directs 3 sixth grade choirs as well as teaches vocal lessons to seventh grade students in the district. Miss Schaeufele is the director the middle school musical, assistant director of SPIRIT show choir and prepares students for various honor choirs throughout the state of Iowa.
Miss Schaeufele received her B.A. in music from Luther College. She is an active member of the Iowa Choral Director’s Association and has presented workshops for Future Music Educators Associations across Iowa.
Miss Schaeufele maintains an active private voice studio and directs the 7-12 grade choir at Lutheran Church of Hope in West Des Moines. She also co-directs an after school choir program for the YMCA of Greater Des Moines. Shelly spends part of her summer at Luther College working with the Dorian Summer Music Camps. She has a high-energy dog named Zeke and enjoys watching reality TV.