WENATCHEE VALLEY YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Meet The Staff
Michelle Vaughn - Director and Violin Coach
Michelle is a violinist, teacher, and program coordinator with a strong love of music and young people. Michelle grew up in Puyallup, Washington and started playing violin through her public school strings program. Michelle’s formative years were spent at Central Washington University learning how to play and teach the violin from Carrie Rehkopf and John Michel, how to be a productive member of a symphony from Dr. Nikolas Caoile and how to be a great educator and program administrator from Dr. Bret Smith. She married her wonderful husband Kevin Vaughn while in college and together they settled in Wenatchee in the same house that Kevin grew up in.
Michelle is excited to take a break from public school teaching this fall to homeschool her 2nd and 3rd grade children. She will continue to perform as concertmaster for the Wenatchee Valley Symphony Orchestra, teach as program director and coach for Wenatchee Valley Youth Orchestra and build up her private violin studio.
Mika Armaly - Wenatchee Valley Youth Orchestra and Debut Orchestra Conductor
Mika Armaly received her Bachelor of Music Education from Pacific Lutheran University and had the pleasure of joining Seattle Public Schools as the director of orchestras at Hamilton International Middle School in 2010. She was invited to lead a new string ensemble within the Seattle Youth Symphony Orchestra organization in 2016. In 2018, Mika moved to the beautiful Skagit Valley where she completed a Master of Music in conducting at Western Washington University, while continuing her work with SYSO. In 2020, Mika and her husband Jeff moved to Wenatchee, WA where she joined the Wenatchee School District teaching elementary strings before transitioning to junior high strings with the Eastmont School District. As the COVID-19 pandemic began to abate in 2022, Mika worked alongside her colleague Michelle Vaughn to launch the Wenatchee Valley Youth Orchestra, under the sponsorship of the Wenatchee Valley Symphony.
Jenaesha Browder - Wenatchee Valley Junior Orchestra Conductor
Jackie Vandeman - Wenatchee Valley Youth Wind Ensemble Conductor
Originally from Olympia WA, Jackie Vandeman is currently the director of bands at Eastmont Junior High, where she has been teaching for the past 6 years. Jackie graduated with a Music Education degree from Central Washington University, with a focus of tuba performance, jazz piano, and vocal. Having seen the talent that this region contains, Jackie is overjoyed to have the opportunity to make beautiful music with the Wenatchee Valley Youth Wind Ensemble this year!
Megan Cleary - Bass Coach
Megan Cleary is a double bassist and music educator in East Wenatchee, WA. She taught music in public schools for 30 years—including orchestra, band, choir, guitar, percussion, and mariachi. She taught in the Eastmont School District in East Wenatchee WA, as well as school districts in Seattle, Central Kitsap, and Los Angeles. She has a MM in double bass performance from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. In 2004 she was awarded Public School Strings Teacher of the Year away from the WA Chapter of ASTA with NSOA (American String Teachers Association with the National School Orchestra Association). In 2004 she was also inducted into the WMEA Hall of Fame. In 2006 she was voted the Elliott Bay MEA region Outstanding Music Educator of the year. In 2019 she was awarded the Migrant Advocacy Award from Eastmont Schools for starting the Eastmont Mariachi program.
Carol Byman - Violin Coach
My name is Carol Byman and I am a violinist and music teacher here in the Wenatchee Valley. I have studied violin for 13 years and earned a degree in music education and violin performance from Central Washington University. I have taught private violin students for four years and last year taught orchestra at Eastmont Junior High School. I also continue to enjoy performing with various groups throughout Washington including the Wenatchee Valley Symphony!
Cathie Lau - Cello Coach