"Bella"- Flute Trio

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Nancy Stites began playing the flute at age 10 in the band at Joseph Gale Elementary School in Forest Grove, OR.  (She originally wanted to play the saxophone but her dad said no – one reed-playing child was enough.)  Nancy played under the leadership of Forest Grove band directors Bill Humiston and Elburn Cooper.  A true band geek, Nancy actually enjoyed marching band practices and the field routines during football season, and served as both band secretary and band uniform mistress.

After school, Nancy concentrated on vocal performance and studied voice for ten years.  She has performed in more than 40 musicals, where some of her favorite roles have been Nettie Fowler in Carousel, Ruth in The Pirates of Penzance, and Bev in Angry Housewives.  Even though the flute took a back seat during this period, Nancy had a chance to play in the “pit” for three musicals and also performed in several community bands. 

When not performing with Bella, Nancy also plays flute and alto flute with the Rose City Flute Choir and works as an administrative assistant for Portland Parks & Recreation.  A Portland resident, Nancy and her husband are empty nesters in the Mt. Tabor neighborhood.

Nancy Stites

Photographs by: Eric Donaldson Tworivers 

www.promophoto.org 

Deanna Ramage took her first piano lesson at age 5. She would have started at an earlier age but the only teacher in town said her hands were too small. A new teacher arrived and the journey began. By 5th grade Deanna was accompanist for her school chorus and learning to direct. 6th grade band brought the flute to her life.

"I've always been fortunate to have great teachers, privately and in school"

Majoring in music performance at Portland State University, Deanna sang with the Oregon Symphony which lead, in time to work with Portland Opera, Musical Theatre of Oregon/San Jose Light Opera and many others.

Deanna began teaching piano while still in high school. Over the years she has also taught flute and voice with good results. Students have placed well in Solo and Ensemble adjudication and have performed on the Oregon Symphony Young Artists Programs.

Deanna is currently employed as a music teacher through Vancouver Clark Parks and Recreation Department and as singer/songwriter flutist with "Bella" and TwoRivers Music. She also composes, arranges and transcribes for piano, voice and flute.

Deanna Ramage

Photographs by: 

 Eric Donaldson Tworivers

 www.promophoto.org

Sandra-Jo’s earliest musical memories where a blend of bright lights and the big brass sounds of Caballeros Drum and Bugle Corp. in Cleveland, Ohio where she grew up. Her brothers’ performed impeccably, like a component of polished machinery set within an exquisite body of color and sound. The musical bug hit at an early age and she began playing flute in the 4^th grade. By 6^th grade she was invited to attend Cleveland’s All City Orchestra. In 1978 Sandra-Jo’s family moved to Florida and she ventured along other musical avenues: Drum Majorette, Student Conducting, Jazz Band, but her most memorable event was during 9^th grade when she played in a flute trio and received a superior rating at State Competition.

While attending college at the University of South Florida, Sandra-Jo focused on Visual Art sprinkled with an occasional music course. After college she taught middle school art for fourteen years and then moved to Ridgefield, WA in 2007. Recently, while searching ad’s on Craiglist, she discovered a flute trio in need of a flutist. It had been twenty years since seriously playing an instrument, but music is ingrained in the soul, so she dusted off her flute and joined, “Bella.”

During Sandra-Jo’s teaching years she wrote a Young Adult novel and the second book of the series shares her love for flute playing through, “George”, a character whose talents harness the gravity by which music touches one’s life. Her favorite Flutists are Nicholas Gunn and Joanie Madden. Joanie Madden’s songs, written for Cherish the Ladies, can be heard on her book Web Sites at www.queencrystal.net and www.bringerofbalance.com

 Sandra Jo Matusky

Photographs by: 

Eric Donaldson Tworivers

www.promophoto.org