Music & Arts Institute

Kristina Thomas began studying piano in the second grade at Tacoma Baptist Schools. She earned a Bachelor of Music Education at Pacific Lutheran University and taught high school band and orchestra in the Tacoma Public Schools for three years.
        Kristina has taught both piano and flute in the Puget Sound area since 1994. She is currently on the staff of the Tacoma Youth Symphony Association and the Minister of Music at Redeemer Lutheran Church.

Karl has taught both violin and viola for more than 25 years. His students routinely achieve the highest possible scores in competitions and evaluations. He uses multiple resources to teach students from the earliest to the most advanced levels and tailors his teaching to each individual student's abilities. 
       After majoring in Viola Performance at Pacific Lutheran University, Karl moved to Southern California to continue studying and received a full ride scholarship to play in the Cal State Long Beach String Quartet and played with the LA Philharmonic Institute Orchestra for two seasons.
       Karl has performed with multiple professional orchestras including the Portland Chamber Orchestra, Portland Opera, and Tacoma Opera. He played principal viola for the national tour of Steven Sondheim’s “Into The Woods.” Karl has performed for television, film, and in the recording industry. He is currently under contract with the Redlands Symphony and with the Oregon Coast Music Festival as associate principal viola.

Originally from Denver, Ian moved to Tacoma in 2015 to attend the University of Puget Sound. Since his arrival, he has regularly performed with jazz-fusion outfit 322, saxophonist Tracy Knoop, and many of his own groups, including the Pocket Change quartet, the Ian Crocker Trio, eclectic student ensemble Wombo Combo, and others.
        Ian is a firm believer in the power of music to bridge boundaries--between people, nations, cultures, and even between parts of ourselves. Though his career has so far focused specifically on jazz, he devotes considerable time to classical repertoire, folk styles, contemporary pop music, and much more. His passion for arranging and bandleading allows him to explore these eclectic interests within the context of more familiar jazz settings--making for exciting shows far outside of traditional jazz boundaries.
        Outside of his life in music, Ian is an avid reader, a somewhat-less-avid runner, and a hiking guide

Lisa Todd started playing cello at a young age and studied with Fern Glass Boyd at the University of Montana. She then studied with David Hoffman at Pacific Lutheran University and graduated  with a degree in K-12 instrumental music and taught orchestra in the Federal Way public schools at the elementary and junior high level for 6 years.            
       As a young mom, she turned her focus to private teaching and has continued for over 30 years. She enjoys working with students of all ages and skill levels and continues to sharpen her teaching skills by seeking out training with top instructors in the cello world. Lisa is the Director of UPPC’s Music and Arts Institute and also enjoys teaching early childhood music at UPPC's Sunset Christian Preschool.

Mick Crosby spent 34 years with the Tacoma School District as an elementary teacher and principal. He is a member of the UPPC Chancel Brass and plays with the Tacoma Musical Playhouse. His primary goal is to share with young musicians the joys and musical challenges of playing the trombone.