MEET YOUR PYO TEAM

Music Educator, conductor, string player, and vocalist, Courtney Yeates began her teaching career in San Antonio, Texas. She has taught and held teaching certificates in Texas, Florida, and Arizona. Her ability on multiple instruments has made her a sought-after performer, studio musician, and Grammy-nominated educator. Classically trained, but inclined towards experimentation, she has performed around the world and accompanied multiple Grammy and Emmy winning musicians in her career. Now in her twenty-third year as an educator, she has taught more than 3,000 students, and has been twice named teacher of the year. Her students and orchestras have won numerous awards, including an invitation to perform at Carnegie Hall in 2020. A number of her students have become professional musicians and recording artists. She currently plays Violin with the Prescott Pops Orchestra and Cello with the Verde Valley Sinfonietta.

Mrs. Peabody graduated from Taylor University, Upland, Indiana, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Music Education. She began her teaching career as the elementary and middle school orchestra teacher in Elgin, IL and Winnetka, IL. She is currently volunteering with the Glassford Hill Middle School orchestra elective, Liberty Traditional and Bradshaw Mountain Middle School After School string program.

This is Mrs. Peabody’s second year with the Prescott Youth Orchestra. She has played cello professionally with the Elgin (IL) Symphony, the South Dakota Symphony and currently the Prescott Pops Symphony. Prior to moving to Chino Valley she coached for the West Valley Youth Orchestra cello section in the Phoenix area.

Her nurturing approach helps students succeed and develop a passion for music.

Music is both a beautiful art and a way to help kids grow up to be capable adults with wonderful hearts and minds. Five years ago, when Paula realized the need for these benefits for Prescott Valley children, she collaborated with the Humboldt Unified School District (HUSD) to start a string program for the elementary schools. With a team of dedicated community volunteers, that program now serves six HUSD elementary and middle schools. Paula treasures being a part of this process and giving back to the Prescott Valley community, where she and her husband love living as retirees.
Paula has a BA in Elementary Education with extensive post-graduate training. She has taught string students for almost 30 years, in addition to teaching in a variety of other professional roles and operating two small businesses. Prior to retirement, Ms. Stewart taught students aged 2 through adult in her private violin/viola studio and established a successful preschool through middle school string program at Rochester Montessori School. She also created a series of Positive Practice! Workshops to help teachers, parents and students with motivation, practice, effective teaching/learning and relationship building through music.

Ms. Stewart currently serves on the Prescott Symphony Orchestra Board to support youth programs, and will be team conducting the Prescott Youth Orchestra Prelude group this year.

String playing incorporates physical, mental, and emotional skills which are expressed in a variety of styles and ways. Our newest volunteer recently moved to Prescott and found new opportunities to teach these skills on violin and viola. She is now a member of the Prescott “Pops” Symphony and volunteers with the Humbolt Unified School District (HUSD) string programs.

Jan’s education includes a BA in English and Music as well extensive Suzuki and other teacher training. Her 30+ years of teaching experience include both public and private school teaching of beginning to intermediate strings. She has
maintained private studios reaching dozens of violin and viola students of all ages. She has directed small string camps, fiddle groups, and beginning orchestras.

As a long-time member of professional associations {Suzuki Association of the Americas (SAA and local) and American String Teachers Association (ASTA and Local) mainly}, Jan has presented national sessions on “Creating the Ambidextrous
String Player” and worked with many talented string teachers. Together they have created great opportunities for young players.

Jan is excited to work with the Prescott Youth Orchestra and looks forward to meeting the players and growing their individual talents.

Although her career was as a surgical nurse, her music was still a very significant part of her adult life. She continued to teach a few students who were willing to practice. Her students went on to become physicians and heads of University Music Departments.

In addition to practicing nursing and teaching music, she performed in her community symphony orchestras that include the Riverside Symphony, the San Bernadino Symphony Orchestra, the Redland Bowl Summer Symphony and she served as Concert Master for the Redding Symphony Orchestra.

“I look forward to continuing to teach and inspire young people in the music opportunities available through the Prescott Youth Orchestra.”

Betsy Denison grew up playing piano and singing, spending summers at music camps in the mountains of Southern California.

Betsy’s four children had the opportunity to learn to play violin; she spent 18 years with four sons as they progressed through the Suzuki violin program, through master teachers, through community orchestras, through touring orchestras, and through collegiate playing experiences.

In 2011 she began seriously studying the violin herself. Having played violin in several orchestras in California, Betsy currently plays with the Yavapai College Symphony Orchestra.

Mrs. Denison has volunteered as a violin coach for students in the HUSD strings program since 2018 and two of her adult sons now volunteer their time as coaches with that program. She truly enjoys playing alongside and mentoring young musicians as they continue their musical journeys.

I started playing the cello when I was 11 years old. Playing in orchestras since then, I have enjoyed making music with the many friends that I found there. Music can help students learn more than playing an instrument; they learn to work together, learn physical and mental techniques, and have a lot of fun. I have been an orchestra coach for the HUSD orchestra program for four years and have been enjoying working with the students both as a group and one on one.

Kevin Kobus has loved playing his violin for close to 60 years. With an educational background in music Kevin, has performed with several orchestras in South California, weddings, parties, and charitable organizations. His genus of music includes classical, inspirational, country, easy listening and of course, holiday music. Kevin will be performing again for Acker Night, at the Artful Eye Jewelry store located on Whiskey Row in Downtown Prescott…Stop by and say hello!