Jason Curcio
Music Faculty
Guitar, Bass guitar, Woodwinds and Brass

Jason Curcio had been a musician for over 30 years, playing a wide variety of instruments since he was a kid. He is proficient on all woodwind, brass and percussion instruments, but guitar has been his passion since picking one up in 1989. He graduated from William Paterson University with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education in 2001, eventually earning a Masters degree in 2010. He currently is an instrumental music teacher, teaching middle school band and jazz band at Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Ridgewood as well as being the assistant marching band director for Glen Ridge High School.  Outside of the classroom, Jason has played for numerous musical theater productions for the last 20+ years. Some of those shows include “Rent”,  “The Rocky Horror Show”, “Tommy”, “Little Shop of Horrors”, ”Hair” and was the assistant musical director for a summer theater production of Green Day’s “American Idiot,” just to name a few. Throughout the last two decades, Jason has been in numerous original and cover bands and has performed all over NJ and NYC. He is excited to be part of the music faculty of GRSAA this summer!

Denise DeLeo
Music Faculty
Piano and Voice

An experienced teacher with a passion for music and teaching, Denise offers individualized piano and voice instruction to students of all ages. She has degrees in voice and composition from Goddard College and in voice and jazz studies from William Paterson University. She studied with many celebrated artists and teachers including Jay Clayton, Connie Crothers, Nancy Marano, Norman Simmons, and Jeanette Lovetri. She is certified in Somatic Voicework™, The LoVetri Method, a functional method based on how the voice naturally works. Denise has performed jazz and improvisational music in a variety of club and concert settings including The Women in Jazz Festival at Lincoln Center, the Monday night series at the Blue Note, and the New Music Festival at Carnegie Hall with Kirk Nurock. Denise taught privately in her own studio in Sussex County for over a decade and now lives and teaches in Montclair, New Jersey. 

Steve DeLuca
Music and Theatre Faculty
Percussion and Drumset; Vocal Music and Theatre; Songwriting and Music Theory

Steve has been a professional musician and music educator for over thirty years. He has taught private drum lessons, percussion ensembles, vocal ensembles, music theory, and songwriting at The Glen Ridge Summer Music and Arts Academy for ten years. Additionally, he is the current percussion and pit instructor for the Glen Ridge Marching Band. He is the general music teacher and choir director at Maywood Avenue School in Maywood, NJ, where he has taught 4th through 8th grade for the past fifteen years. In 2010, the Maywood Board of Education bestowed upon him their Teacher of the Year award. He is currently adjunct faculty at Montclair State University, teaching the course Rock and Rap as Cultural Phenomenon. Steve is the author of several educational articles about drumming, as well as music history and philosophy, that have been published in Modern Drummer magazine and Tempo magazine, the publication of the NJMEA (New Jersey Music Educators Association) as well as presenting workshops at the 2015 and 2019 NJMEA Conferences. As a working drummer, he performs with the special event/wedding band Platinum and with various jazz groups. Steve’s private students have gone on to prestigious programs such as the Manhattan School of Music and Berklee College of Music. He has also indulged his vocal and acting chops a bit, performing the role of Caiaphas in the 2008 and 2010 NJ Theater Workshop’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar. Steve received his BM in jazz performance from Temple University and his MA in music education from Montclair State University. He lives in Glen Ridge with his wife and three children.

Daniel Nathanson
Music Faculty
Brass

Daniel is a performer and educator currently pursuing his Bachelor of Music Education degree from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Primarily a trumpet player, he has experience performing in a wide array of ensembles such as symphonic bands, orchestras, jazz bands, and drum corps. Daniel is a current staff member of the Glen Ridge High School Marching Band and has been involved with the Glen Ridge Summer Arts Academy since 2017.

Yves Obadia
Music Faculty
Guitar and Bass Guitar

Yves graduated from Berklee College of Music in 1985 and has worked as a guitarist in a wide range of styles, as well as a free-lance composer/arranger. He has collaborated with guitarist Scott Woody, pianist/composer Frank Amsallem and multi-instrumentalist Mino Cinelu. In recent years, Yves has concentrated on teaching. Former students include award-winning recording artists such as Del Marquis (lead guitarist for “Scissor Sisters”) and Kevin Lenear (of the “Mighty Mighty Bosstones”), as well as young talented Glen Ridge/Montclair and vicinity residents, some of whom are now pursuing degrees and careers in Music, and others of whom are pursuing music as a serious hobby. Yves has been teaching guitar at the RAS Discovery program and all levels of guitar and Rock Band at the Glen Ridge Summer Music & Art Academy since 2005.

Maria Vincelette
Music Faculty
All Woodwinds – flute, clarinet, saxophone, oboe and bassoon

Maria is a NYC/NJ based woodwind doubler currently completing her Masters in Music in Woodwind Doubling with concentrations in clarinet, saxophone, flute and oboe at Montclair State University. She graduated Ithaca College in 2022 with a Bachelor in Music in Clarinet Performance with a Jazz Concentration, and a Minor in Business Administration and Management. She has had the pleasure to perform on the Broadway National Tours of Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas as the Reed 2 chair holder for the past two seasons, and as a Reed 2 sub for the past two years on the Broadway National Tour of Mean Girls. Alongside her performance endeavors, Maria enjoys teaching private students of all ages and abilities. She continues to strive in advocating for music education and engagement within the public school system for students, as well as communities of undergrad and postgrad young professionals.

Carol Shansky
Music Faculty
Flute

Dr. Carol Shansky is a versatile flutist equally comfortable in the recital hall, symphony orchestra or theater pit. Her playing has won her awards and performances throughout the United States as well as locations in Europe. Carol Shansky holds the B.M., M.M. and D.M.A. degrees and has published several scholarly articles on music history and community music. She is the author of two books: The Hebrew Orphan Asylum Band, 1874-1941 and Musical Tapestries: A Thematic Approach to Music Appreciation.

Jamie Menake
Director of Visual Arts

Jamie Menake is a New Jersey native, currently living and working in Bloomfield, NJ. After becoming a certified teacher in 1994, she received her Master’s Degree in Creative Arts Education from Rutgers University in 1998. She paints in both watercolor and acrylic, as well as creates jewelry from fine silver clay. Her jewelry is a form of wearable sculpture and has been published by a national jewelry catalog. Jamie creates sculptures out of everyday objects and enjoys teaching students how to look at objects with a new perspective. She loves to help kids explore many types of media and try new things! As an avid crafter, Jamie has worked in ceramics, collage, paper mache, fabric art, crochet, jewelry design, miniature art, face painting, and photography. She is excited to return to the GRSAA team this year and to serve as the Director of Visual Arts.

River Winslow
Art Faculty

River is a graduate of Glen Ridge High School and is currently a sophomore at SUNY New Paltz, pursing a degree in Art Education and will minor in Deaf Studies. She has been a camp counselor at Summer Treasure Camp, a teen intern at the Montclair Art Museum and a teacher’s assistant in a 1st grade classroom during her senior year of high school. This will be my fifth year working at GR Summer Arts, first as a high intern, then as a college intern

Alex Seldes
Art Faculty

Alex is a university professor who teaches courses in art and design at two state universities.  With a career in footwear design that spans close to 20 years, the skills that he teaches are put directly into practice professionally.  Alex is also a father of two, and he teaches his children art and design. Alex’s wife, Sabre, is the co-owner of a toy company called Bright Stripes, LLC. Alex’s mother, Maryke, is a life-long artist and his father, Barry, was a full-time professor of political science prior to retirement.

Kristy Burja
Nature Study

Kristy grew up in central Florida exploring the woods, swimming in springs, and making day trips to the beach. Through these experiences, she developed a deep love for the natural world and decided to pursue a degree in Biology at Florida Gulf Coast University. After graduating, she joined the Peace Corps and served in rural Kenya as a Science teacher. Returning to the US, Kristy joined AmeriCorps and started her career as an environmental educator in Western North Carolina. She’s been educating youth about the natural world across the southeastern US for the past 10 years. In 2014, she decided to return to school. She attended the University of Florida and received a master’s degree in Ecology. She focused her studies on environmental education, tropical conservation, and sustainable development.

Grace Baur
Theatre

Grace Baur is a rising high school senior who has been performing improv in the teen professional troupe “Sparks of Insanity” as part of the New Jersey School of Dramatic Arts since Freshman year. She loves everything that is improv and hopes to spread that passion to younger kids who are trying to find their confidence and voice through theater.

Sofia Modigliani
Nature Study

Sofia is an incoming freshman at University of Delaware She is taking art classes which involve many different styles to work with and build off of. Her main medium is acrylic and gouache paint, which she uses for paintings. She is looking to pursue art later in life and keep it a part of her future. 

Will Pennola
Music / Assistant to the Director

Will is currently a student at Seton Hall University and a recent graduate of Belleville High School. He has been studying trumpet and music for eight years and plans to continue this into a degree at Seton Hall. He has performed in many ensembles from jazz band to symphonic orchestra. Will has been involved with the Glen Ridge Summer Music and Arts Academy since 2019.

Charlotte Platt
Visual Art

Charlotte is a graduating senior from Glen Ridge High School. She is deeply passionate about improvisation and nurturing young minds at a summer camp. Improv fuels her creativity and spontaneity, allowing her to explore endless possibilities in storytelling and character development. At the summer camp, she will delight in guiding children through improv games and exercises, fostering their confidence, teamwork, and quick thinking skills. Witnessing their laughter and growth as they embrace the unpredictable nature of improv will be incredibly rewarding. Her commitment to both improv and mentoring ensures that each day at camp will be filled with laughter, learning, and unforgettable moments of imaginative exploration.

Noah Pockriss
Music / Summer Intern

Noah is a recent graduate from Glen Ridge High School and will be attending Vassar College in the fall. He has been studying piano for over ten years and has performed in various Glen Ridge ensembles including the Glen Ridge High School jazz band and as a pit keyboardist for the Drama Club’s production of Legally Blonde. Noah is eager to continue studying music in his future.

Eleanor Riedy
Music, Art, and Nature Study

Eleanor (they/them) is a rising senior at Glen Ridge High School. In school, they have taken art classes to study the foundations of drawn art and are taking classes to discover sculpture art. They are also strongly involved with Glen Ridge High School’s many music programs, including Pep Band, Jazz Band and the award-winning Glen Ridge Marching band, which took gold at Nationals in 2021. They are the Marching Band’s Drum Major for the 2024/25 season and enjoy sketching in their free time and hope to keep art in their life in the future.

Emilia White
Visual Arts / Summer Intern

Emilia White is an incoming junior at Glen Ridge High School. She’s a member of the Arts Honor Society and Glen Ridge Marching Band. She enjoys creating art using various methods, such as drawing, sketching, sculpting, and digital art.

Veronica Connochie
Music Mentorship

Veronica is a ninth grade trombone player. She has been playing trombone ever since fourth grade, when she joined her school’s concert band. She also sings in her schools choir and plays the guitar outside of school. She loves music and tries to make it a part of her life as much as possible. 

Amelie Yi
Music Mentorship

Amelie is an upcoming sophomore at Glen Ridge High School. She loves to sing along with showtunes and pop songs. She has practiced vocals for the past five years, always taking any opportunity to improve her voice. Amelie plays piano as well and hopes to share her love of music with others!