Staff
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Jonathan KurtzMr. Kurtz is excited to continue his work at the AFA as Coordinator and Instrumental Music instructor. Mr. Kurtz has taught all levels of music from Kindergarten to high school and has extensive experience directing ensembles, composing, and arranging. He earned his Bachelor of Music at Taylor University in Upland, IN and his Master of Arts at the University of Maryland, College Park. He has experience teaching concert band, general music, piano, music technology, jazz band, pit orchestra, orchestra, and chorus. Most recently, Mr. Kurtz was the band director at Urbana Middle School where he started the program and grew it to be one of the largest in Frederick County. Mr. Kurtz regularly writes and arranges for his ensembles as well as for the piano. He currently has two self-published books of piano arrangements available on Amazon and is constantly working on a new project. He also has served as a guest clinician and adjudicator for various instrumental ensembles in the area, and his ensembles regularly receive superior ratings at festivals and competitions. His articles regarding music education have been published in Teaching Music, The Instrumentalist, and The Maryland Music Educator. Mr. Kurtz was nominated for the Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teaching Award in 2014 and FCPS Teacher of the Year in 2015. Aside from music, Jonathan enjoys cooking, traveling, hiking, reading history, gardening, and spending time with his family. He lives in Middletown with his wife, young son, and dog, Maggie.
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Dr. Kathleen TaylorDr. Kathleen Taylor has been a middle school vocal and theatre teacher in Frederick County, MD, and has been teaching at the Academy for the Fine Arts for three years. Originally from Pennsylvania, she graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, OK with a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education, from Indiana University, Bloomington, IN with a master’s degree in Vocal performance. Kathleen received her doctorate in Music Education from Shenandoah Conservatory of Music from Winchester, VA. Dr. Taylor is often a guest conductor and adjudicator throughout Maryland and Virginia. As a singer, she has performed with Frederick Camerata and is now performing with the Gettysburg Choral Society (Gettysburg, PA) and is a private voice instructor in the Frederick area.
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Beth McFarlandBeth McFarland has been an art teacher at Governor Thomas Johnson High School for over 10 years and has been teaching at the Academy for the Fine Arts for 9 years. Beth has experience teaching all levels of Art, Drawing & Painting, and Ceramics. Her academy courses include teaching AP Studio Art 2D & 3D Design, Journey’s through Arts Styles, Theories, and Applications, and Visual Arts Thesis in Advanced 2D & 3D Applications. Originally from Baltimore, Beth graduated from Catonsville Community College with an Associate of Arts Degree in General Studies, from Towson State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and Art History, and from Mount Saint Mary’s University with a Masters of Arts in Teaching for Art Education. Before pursuing her teaching career, Beth worked extensively with both private and public art collections in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Washington D.C. She also worked closely with museum curator’s designing and installing permanent, temporary, and traveling exhibitions at the Visionary Art Museum, The Walters Art Museum, Maryland Historical Society, Smithsonian Anacostia Community Museum, and the Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall in Washington D.C.
Aside from art, Beth enjoys running ½ marathons, traveling to Europe, photographing architecture, reading, and spending time with her husband, their daughter Emily, and their new Chocolate Lab puppy named Murphy. |
Jason PatellisJason Patellis received his BA in Art with concentrations in graphic design and illustration, 2D and 3D studio, drawing, painting and printmaking, sculpture and ceramics, from Salisbury University in 1995. He is certified to teach grades K-12 and has been teaching for 23 years, 14 of those years with FCPS. He has also served as an instructor and past coordinator for the Academy for the Fine Arts at Governor Thomas Johnson High School. In addition to his teaching career, Mr. Patellis has written extensive curriculum for several Maryland school systems and has served as a consultant for strategic planning for the development of an arts integrated high school in Sacramento California. Originally from the DC area, Mr. Patellis enjoys the outdoors, reading and spending time with his family.
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Mike HellerMike Heller has been an art teacher in Frederick County for over 20 years. Almost all of those years have been at Urbana High School helping build their fine arts program from the ground up, teaching Photography, Computer Graphics, AP Studio Art and AP Art History. As a staff member at Governor Thomas Johnson High School Mike teaches with the AFA concentrating on Photography and Computer Graphic courses. Growing up locally in Frederick, MD, Mike is a graduate of Frederick High School and Shepherd College. While attending Shepherd he earned a B.F.A degree with a concentration in Photography/Digital Imaging. Extended education beyond his B.F.A. include graduate courses at McDaniel College focusing on Fine Arts, Education and S.T.E.M. Outside of the AFA Mike coaches soccer for the girls soccer program at Walkersville High School, FC Frederick in the NCSL and is an avid golfer. Residing in Frederick City he and his wife, also a Frederick County teacher, have three awesome children.
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Stephanie WeigeltStephanie Weigelt has been teaching in Frederick County for 25 years. She began her career at Linganore High School where she taught English and theater as well as directed the musical productions. She then moved to Urbana High to start the theater and dance programs. While there, she organized the Mr. Urbana contest, choreographed the musicals, directed the dance company and National Honor Society of Dance Arts, and advised the senior class. Her dancers were accepted to perform in state, Regional and National High school dance festivals and went on to be professional dancers in companies and on Broadway as well as dance teachers and dance therapists. After 21 years at UHS, Ms. Weigelt moved to the Academy to launch the new dance program. She is the winner of the Sally Mae First Year Teacher Award as well as the Charles E. Tressler Distinguished Teacher Award for 2009. Ms. Weigelt and her husband are empty nesters who enjoy visiting their children who attend the United States Naval Academy and Liberty University.
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Mike CopenAfter graduating from high school, Mr. Copen worked as a performer, manager, and producer for Young American Showcase in Clearwater, FL. With the bands "Free Fare," "Freedom Jam," and "The Edge" Mr. Copen created and performed high school comedy and music programs for hundreds of thousands of students in the United States and Canada. After five years of this work, Mr. Copen attended and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Clarion University with a Bachelor of Science in Education, English concentration. Awards received upon graduation included Pennsylvania Student Teacher of the Year. Mr. Copen began his career with FCPS at Monocacy Middle School in 1995 where he taught English and Drama and was also the co-director of Monocacy Middle School's "Pizzazz Show Choir." High School experience with FCPS includes the opening of Tuscarora High School, Linganore High School, and the opening of Oakdale High School where he established the drama and film program. Mr. Copen was a Master's student at Hood college with a concentration in their "Humanities" program with a focus on American Studies/Popular Culture. Mr. Copen has been employed by Frederick Co. Public Schools for the past 22 years.
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