Marion Music Club celebrates 102 years with Sunday program

The Marion Music Club (formerly known as the Marion Lecture-Recital Club) is celebrating 102 years of existence. The Music Club will kick-off the 2022-2023 season at Prospect Street United Methodist Church at 3 p.m. Sunday with the program “A Music Club Made in Marion.”

Five past scholarship recipients will perform for the afternoon concert, and mementos from the past 102 years will be on display.

The performers are:

● Stephanie (Weiser) Henkle is a Marion native and daughter of the late Ed and Dorothy Weiser, who was a longtime member of the Marion Music Club (Marion Lecture-Recital Club). A 1971 graduate of Marion Harding High School, she earned voice degrees from Ohio Wesleyan and Indiana Universities and completed her doctoral coursework at The Ohio State University. Stephanie has sung the soprano solos in Marion’s annual performance of Messiah and was a recipient of the Marion Music Club’s scholarship. Winner of the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, The Cooper-Bing Competition and the NATS State Artist Award, she has performed as soloist at Carnegie Hall, Kennedy Center, the National Cathedral and concert venues throughout the United States, Germany, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Stephanie has served on the voice faculties of Denison, Otterbein, Capital, Cedarville Universities and Kenyon College. Many of her students are enjoying careers as professional classical, musical theater and film performers, as well as successful music educators. Honored to have served the Ohio Chapter of the National Association of Teachers of Singing as both president and district governor, Stephanie owns the Henkle Voice and Piano Studio in Westerville, where she lives with her husband, Jim, an employee of the US Department of Defense. Their son, Seth Carter, resides in Detroit with his 4-year-old identical twin boys, Sultan and Sage.

● Parker Baird is a native of Marion and the youngest of Rick and Peg Baird’s eight children. A 2015 graduate of Marion Harding High School, Parker was involved in almost every facet of the music department. He participated in marching band, pep band, Singers Show Choir, a founding member of Singers X-Treme All Male Show Choir, symphonic chorale, symphonic band, orchestra, chamber orchestra, string quintet, Stardusters Jazz Band, musicals, indoor percussion ensemble, and was the 2015 Music Student of the Year. Parker was a recipient of the Ohio State Jazz Camp Scholarship in 2012 and was a member of the OMEA All-State Choir in 2015. Parker attended Indiana University for three semesters and later transferred to The Ohio State University where he was a member of the wind symphony, the symphony orchestra, lab jazz band, and jazz ensemble. He also participated in the trombone ensemble. Unfortunately, he was unable to finish his degree for personal reasons. In the Marion Community, Parker has been on stage and in the orchestra pit for many Palace productions, the Marion Concert Band, the Epworth UMC Orchestra, the Emmanuel Lutheran Orchestra, and is a new addition to the Palace Theatre Big Band. He’s helped teach at the Marion Harding Marching Band’s band camp for six years and the Pleasant Marching Band’s band camp for one. Parker has also been in the orchestra pits for musical theater productions at Harding High School, Pleasant High School, Ridgedale High School and River Valley High School. Parker currently works for Alloway Environmental Testing Services as a lab assistant.

● Julia Griffiths Vanderhoff is a singer/actress who graduated from River Valley in 1977. In 1981, she received a bachelor's degree in vocal performance and theatre from Ohio University. Julia has directed 28 musicals at River Valley High School where she was honored to be the very first recipient of the River Valley Music Alumni Award. She is the current director of the Carillon-Aires Bell Choir (30+ years) and past director of five other choirs at the First Presbyterian Church. She is married to husband, Gary, has two sons — Justin and Kyle — and a beloved family pet, Cooper. Julia loves to spend time with her granddaughter, Emersyn, and her grandsons Fletcher and Warren. She is probably best known for her role as Sassy the belligerent elf in the yearly production of "Christmas at the Palace."

● Ann Schetzer is currently the music specialist/vocal teacher at McKinley Elementary School and is the former choral director at Grant Middle School in Marion City Schools. From 2004-2021, the seventh and eighth grade choirs consistently received superior ratings at the Ohio Music Education Association state adjudicated event. Ann has also presented on topics related to middle school choral teaching as a clinician at the Ohio Music Education Association State Conference from 2016-2019. Additionally, she had the pleasure of guest conducting the Lorain County Middle School Honors Choir in March, 2019 as well as the OMEA District X Honors Choir at Mt. Vernon Nazarene University in November, 2021. While at GMS, Ann also led a thriving musical theater program where she directed and produced middle school productions. She also recently served as the music director/pit conductor for Marion Palace Theatre Junior productions of "The Little Mermaid", "Peter Pan," "Aladdin," "Tarzan," "Willy Wonka," "Junie B. Jones" and "Frozen." Ann is currently involved as a vocalist with the Marion Palace Theatre Big Band and works also as a freelance vocal artist. Ann graduated from Otterbein (College) University with her Bachelor of Music degree in music education with emphasis in both piano and voice. She earned her Master of Music Education in Teaching Musical Artistry from Bowling Green State University. This past June, Ann was a judge at the Miss Ohio Scholarship Program where she had previously competed and placed twice as a top five finalist. Ann has also served as the director of the Junior Service Guild bi-annual murder mystery fundraiser. In August, 2022, Ann made her writing debut with fellow musician and friend, Julia Vanderhoff, as they presented their first original show titled "Breaking the Bingo Commandments." Ann resides in Marion with her husband Scott. Their daughters, Sydney and Olivia, are students at The Ohio State University and Miami University.

● Chelsea Field has been singing, dancing, acting and studying voice since she was 4 years old. Dorothy Wieser was her first vocal coach. She currently studies music with vocal coach and ACM winner Judy Rodman. Chelsea started singing at church and on the Palace Theatre stage. At 8 years old, Chelsea traveled to New York City with her parents, Cherrie and Joe Field, where she competed in a talent convention for MMA. She won first prize in runway, print and talent. Chelsea started singing the national anthem at major league sporting events at the young age of 10. In 1997, Chelsea was crowned Miss Teeny Pop. Chelsea started her songwriting career at 15 and now has a catalog of well over 100 songs. At Pleasant High School, Chelsea played lead roles in musicals. She attended Muskingum College, studying voice and acting. After one year at Muskingum, she moved to Nashville, Tennessee, where she received her first record deal with Universal Rust Records. In 2006, Chelsea enjoyed success outside of the U.S. with her techno song “Touch the Sky” featuring Marc Korn. Chelsea married her high school sweetheart, Adam Hesler, in 2008. In 2009, Chelsea signed with Moxy Records and in 2010, Chelsea released her debut single "Things I Should've Said." In 2011, Chelsea and her husband moved back to Ohio to start their family. They now have three sons — Hudson, Brooks and Kingston. Chelsea continues working in the entertainment industry and is a talent agent. Chelsea and her family own and operate the TC Restaurant Group businesses in Nashville, Pittsburgh, and soon in Gatlinburg, TN. She collaborates with artists Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Florida Georgia Line and Morgan Wallen and continues to perform.

This article originally appeared on Marion Star: Marion Music Club to feature five local performers in Sunday concert