Meet the Faculty
We are pleased to welcome the following faculty members to the 2023 CLEF Summer Program! Our faculty includes highly skilled musicians, ensemble directors, composers, and liturgists who are passionate about helping ensemble musicians improve their skills to lead people to full, conscious, and active participation in the liturgy.
Instrumental Ensemble Faculty
Bobby Fisher
Instrumental Ensemble, Guitar, Keyboard, Mandolin, Ukulele, Summer Program Director, CLEF Director
Bobby Fisher is a world-renowned musician, music producer, recording artist, composer, and clinician. He has served a number of years as program director for the NPM Guitar Schools, Guitar and Ensemble Institutes, the Bobby Fisher Ensemble Formation Program (BFEFP), and the CLEF Summer Program. For over 25 years, he has been the music director of St. Agnes Parish in Ft. Wright, KY. For the past 4 years, he has been the music director of the Share the Journey (A Concert for Compassion) series (https://shareinthehope.com). Bobby has recorded and produced a number of his own recordings and has worked as producer and guest musician on countless others. With his daughter, Serenity, and her husband, Michael G. Ronstadt, he currently records and performs with Serenity Fisher and the Cardboard Hearts. Bobby has recorded and published a number of music collections for OCP, GIA, Franciscan Media, and Heart to Heart Ministries and is the author of “The Pastoral Guitarist,” a guitar instructional book, and “The Liturgical Guitarist,” an instructional video. As a children’s recording artist, Bobby is best known for “Hymns and Hers for Happy Hearts,” a collection of fun and creative music for young and old children. His best-selling collections include Play Before God, Guitar Prayer, Catholic Classics Vol. III, If We Dare to Hope, and Go Out and Tell. Bobby lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife and family.
Jaime Cortez
Instrumental Ensemble, Guitar, Keyboard
Jaime Cortez is a talented and popular composer, arranger, and performer. Born in New York and raised in El Salvador, Jaime has dedicated a portion of his ministry to promoting better Hispanic liturgies and bringing cultures together for worship. His main instrument is guitar, though he is proficient in piano and other string instruments, such as charango, vihuela, and bass guitar. He holds a bachelor’s degree in music composition from Arizona State University. He was named Pastoral Musician of the Year in 2016 by the National Association of Pastoral Musicians (NPM).
Some of Jaime’s best-known songs are “Rain Down,” “Somos el Cuerpo de Cristo/We Are the Body of Christ” (with Bob Hurd) and “Take Up Your Cross.” He has released six solo collections with OCP, including Rain Down, Sacramentos, Adviento, Qué Alegría/I Rejoiced, Transformation and Pueblo Unido/People United. Recent collaborative projects include Gracia y Amor/Grace and Love, a collection with Bob Hurd and Eleazar Cortés and Our Common Home, a project inspired by Pope Francis’s encyclical, Laudato Si’, featuring his song “Let Us Sing as We Go,” along with music from several other well-known Catholic composers. Jaime has also translated Mass of Christ the Savior/Misa Cristo Salvador into Spanish and bilingual versions alongside Dan Schutte.
In addition to workshops, Jaime gives concerts with both English and Spanish repertoire, alone or with volunteer groups. He has many years of experience presenting workshops for pastoral musicians, Catholic teachers, and youth on liturgy, music, and ministry.
Jaime is currently director of liturgy and music at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. He lives in Mesa with his wife Kari. They have three sons who are also very talented musically.
Frank Jansen
Instrumental Ensemble, Keyboards
Frank Jansen has been a professional musician for almost 40 years. He has served in parish ministry for over 25 years. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Music Composition from California State University at San Bernardino. He has a master’s from Santa Clara University where he received his degree in Liturgical Music with an emphasis on composition. He writes in a wide variety of styles including sacred, gospel, rock, country, jazz, and classical. These works include choral music, piano music, string quartets, woodwind quintets, and a symphony. In addition, he has composed in the musical theatre genre including a musical entitled, “Somebody.” This is a two-person, one-woman show with 23 songs and a prelude. It premiered at a theatrical conference in Iowa in March of 2008.
He has been an educator for over 20 years at Columbia Middle School in El Monte, California. He directs the performing arts department and teaches band, choir, piano, and theatre.
Frank tours extensively as an accompanist for his wife, ValLimar Jansen. Besides ministering and performing throughout the United States, Europe, and Caribbean countries such as St. Kitts and St. Maarten, he had the privilege of performing for the Pope and over 400,00 people in Loreto, Italy in the summer of 2007. During the summer of 2016, he and ValLimar performed at World Youth Day in Krakow, Poland. This week-long event was attended by more than 2,000,000 people.
Frank has performed with Jaime Cortez, Tom Booth, Sara Hart, Tom Kendzia, Marty Haugen, Bob Hurd, as well as many other well-known Catholic composers. Frank and his wife, ValLimar, have released the following CDs: Anointing (Spirit and Song), You Gotta Move (Spirit and Song), African American Sacred Songs (GIA), and Ethel (AFW Music). Frank has produced a great number of CDs, including ValLimar’s Christmas CD (Rejoice). He has arranged for many projects, including ValLimar’s African American Sacred Songs, and her recent release, Spirit & Soul.
Ken Gilman, PhD
Obligato, Mandolin, Violin & More, CLEF Director
Ken recently retired from his 16 years as music director at St. Michael & All Angels in Albuquerque. He returned to the back row as an obbligatist on a variety of instruments – mandolin, bouzouki, violin, octave viola, bass mandolin, etc. The banjo has even snuck in a time or two. He loves thinking through what diverse musical elements do to enhance the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic elements in the ensemble, as well as ensemble as a community. With roots in the music of the Celtic Diaspora, he has played in bands in New England and Europe as well as the Southwest. As a semi-retired psychologist and mediator, he works with first responders, especially around teamwork, communication, and burnout.
Brian Malone
Instrumental and Vocal Ensemble, Percussion
Brian is one of the most in-demand percussionists and educators in the Midwest. He has been at All Saints Catholic Church for over 17 years. He is a regular performer at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, with the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, and has performed from New York to the Kennedy Center to South America.
Jeff "Mac" McLemore
Instrumental and Vocal Ensemble, Bass Guitar
Most musicians in the Cincinnati area know “Mac” as the “first call” for bass guitar, a veritable driving force for both onstage and studio performance. After the release of his first solo guitar studio album, Jazz with Friends, Mac put himself in a league of his own.
Vocal Ensemble Faculty
Steve Petrunak
Vocal Ensemble, Guitar, CLEF Director
Steve Petrunak is the Director of Music at St. Blase Parish in Sterling Heights, Michigan, where he has served in music ministry for more than 43 years. He is a composer, recording artist, author, editor, and clinician. Steve was the President/CEO of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians for nearly four years and served two terms as a member of the NPM Board of Directors. He has recorded and produced multiple recordings. He has written the book with his pastor Fr. Randy Phillips entitled “Managing Music Ministry” and a three-volume liturgical guitar methodology entitled “Beyond Strumming,” all with GIA Publications. Steve has also recorded more than 800 guitar-based instrumental recordings distributed across multiple streaming and download platforms (including Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, and Apple Music). Steve lives in Washington, Michigan, with his wife, Ruth.
Lynné Gray
Vocal Ensemble, Voice, Keyboard
Lynné is a respected liturgist, arranger, director, and composer. She holds a bachelor’s degree and Master of Music degree in Piano Performance from the Catholic University of America, with additional voice and organ training. A respected vocal coach and accompanist, she shares her love of voice in ministry throughout the United States. As a liturgist and worship leader, she has served on the Archdiocese of Washington Liturgical Music Committee and given numerous workshops. She is currently the Director of the Archdiocesan Gospel Mass Choir. Lynné was blessed in 2008 to direct the Gospel Mass Choir during the Mass for Pope Benedict XVI.
Anna Betancourt
Vocal Ensemble, Voice
Anna Betancourt is a professional singer, songwriter, music director, and workshop presenter. She has worked as music director, choral director, and cantor in various parishes of Southern California. She has more than 35 years of experience working with various choirs including youth, children’s, adult, contemporary, traditional, Spanish, and handbells choirs.
Anna graduated from Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, where she studied voice and where she also worked as assistant director of Liturgy and Music. At the archdiocesan level, she has served as a music committee member, a member of the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress Liturgy Committee, and a board member for the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
Anna’s voice can be heard on more than 50 recordings, including some by Bob Hurd, Tony Alonso, John Angotti, Jaime Cortez, and Marty Haugen. Anna’s personal Spanish collection is published through OCP and presents inspiring songs for liturgy, worship groups, or retreats. Her music is also featured in the collection Novena to Our Lady of Guadalupe. Anna is also a member of The Collegeville Composers published through Liturgical Press.
Anna is a national speaker and presenter at various conferences and workshops on music and liturgy. Most recently, Anna was music director at Saint Polycarp Catholic Church in the Diocese of Orange and cantor for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels Cathedral in Downtown Los Angeles. In addition, Anna was Director of the Spanish Choir at the Cathedral for 11 years. Anna is on the Music Advisory Board for the Diocese of Orange and serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Pastoral Musicians.
Anna’s passion is for liturgical music and a singing assembly. In October 2021, Anna joined the faith community of St. Angela Merici in the city of Brea, California, as their new Music Director.
Anna is married to Mike, her husband of 26 years and together they have two boys, Matthew and Samuel. Mike and Anna are in year three of Diaconate formation through the Diocese of Orange.
Retreat Faculty
Msgr. John Kasza
Retreat, Spirituality
Msgr. John Kasza is a priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit. He has held many parochial and curial positions during his tenure as a priest, including professor of liturgy and sacraments, Academic Dean, and Secretary to the Cardinal. Currently he is pastor of St. Therese of Lisieux in Shelby Township, Michigan. Msgr. John is an accomplished flutist and piccoloist, having studied with members of the Detroit Symphony. He is solo piccolo of the Orchard Lake Philharmonic and the Dearborn Community Concert Band and flutist with the Farmington Community Band, Macomb Community Band, and the Michigan Flute Orchestra. He is also the author of several articles and a book entitled Understanding Sacramental Healing: Anointing and Viaticum. In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his two dogs and traveling with friends.
Liturgy and Diversity Faculty
Mary Dumm, D. Min
Liturgy, CLEF Director
Dr. Mary Dumm, D.Min. is the pastoral associate at St. Blase Church in Sterling Heights, Michigan. Additionally, she teaches at Siena Heights University and SS Cyril and Methodius Seminary. Her areas of study include scripture, liturgy, and sacrament. Also, Mary has enjoyed participating in ventures with LTP, NPM, and other organizations that serve the people of God and their worship. When she’s not locked to her computer or in pre-Covid life running around the country giving workshops, she can be found with a book in her hand, cross-stitch in her lap, or diligently (albeit unsuccessfully) learning chord shapes.
ValLimar Jansen
Cultural Inclusivity & Diversity
ValLimar Jansen is a highly regarded inspirational/catechetical speaker, singer, composer, and recording artist. She is also a college professor, worship and prayer leader, and workshop presenter at conferences across the US and abroad.
Additional Instructors
Peter Maher
Technology, CLEF Director
Peter Maher earned a bachelor’s degree from the Catholic University of America in 1978. He is currently enjoying retirement after a varied career, including stints as an executive chef, owner-operator of a highly successful computer operations company, and 16 years with the National Association of Pastoral Musicians. Peter began his career as an ensemble musician in 1969 when Sister Maureen, who knew he played guitar, asked him to help form the first folk group in the parish. Aside from a few breaks for life and jobs along the way, he has been an ensemble musician since that time.
Andy Wallace
Audio System Technology
Andy is an experienced professional with over thirty years of experience in music and liturgy as a musician, songwriter, arranger, clinician, composer, singer, and performer. He has managed hundreds of volunteers through his daily work in liturgy, audio-visual, and music. He has successfully managed and arranged music for many ensembles including traditional, contemporary, and praise and worship bands.
Rob Ellig
Luthier
Rob is a master luthier with more than 35 years of experience, as well as a guitar tech, concert promoter, and owner of Ellig String Instruments. Rob will be available to inspect and perform repairs on guitars and other string instruments throughout the week. An additional fee will be required, based on the work to be completed.
Kathy Felong
Liturgy and Music Ministry Leadership
Kathy Felong is a longtime director of music and liturgy, guitarist, vocalist, and cantor. She holds a master’s degree in Liturgical Studies from the University of Notre Dame, and served as editor of NPM’s Pastoral Music magazine from September 2018 through June 2020. She is the co-author of Beyond Strumming (GIA) a liturgical guitar method series, and is author of Leading Through Change: Your Parish and the Revised Roman Missal (WLP). When not making church music, she serves as vice president of communications, change, and culture at Erie Insurance, a Fortune 500 company based in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Ready to be inspired by these faculty members and instructors? Join us for the CLEF Summer Program, July 23-28, 2023 in Milford, Ohio.