Singing: Katie Phillipson is a professional concert soprano, children’s choir director, vocal coach, lyricist, healing tones composer and sound therapist. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in kinesiology and a Master of Arts degree in education and a teaching credential from Pepperdine University. Katie is classically trained and has a vast vocal range that allows her to perform in all genres of music. She has performed as a vocalist at many venues and events, including as a member of the Village Voices Chorale for the past decade, and has also been a professional backup singer. Katie believes that absolutely every single person can sing.

Handbells & Choir Chimes: Katy Herbst de Cortina earned a Bachelor of Science degree in child development from Vanderbilt University. She has been playing bells for nearly 25 years, and her first experience with bells happened as a Pizazz camper in 1999. Music has always been a part of her life, from playing the piano and French horn, to singing with choirs, to playing handbells. Katy is an active member of the Covenant Ringers at UMCWV. She lives in Newbury Park with her husband, two young daughters, and three cats. She’s excited to be part of Pizazz again this year, teaching a new generation to love music and to play bells and chimes.

Dance: Shawna Streb has danced almost her entire life. She received her training at Cal Arts and multiple studios in California and New York. She also earned her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. Shawna has studied ballet, jazz, tap, modern, hip hop, Polynesian, West African, and other movement styles. In addition, she has had several years of training in instrumental and vocal music, and acting. Shawna has over a decade's worth of experience teaching dance and other arts to children and adults of all ages and levels, and with a wide variety of abilities and disabilities. She enjoys life by exploring nature, listening to live music, and finding beauty in everyday things with her husband, dog, and four bright, creative and energetic children.

Enrichment: Billy Parish is a graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, the National Theater Institute, the Moscow Art Theater, the Ballroom Dance Academy, and holds a bachelor’s degree in theater from Occidental College. He has been a producer, performer and director on stage and in film, and has taught students of all ages in topics from stage combat to acting to voice and ballroom dancing. He lives locally and teaches, performs, and directs in the theater, is an author, mountain bikes in the hills, and is ever an advocate for nature and the arts.

Christine DeKlotz received her Bachelor of Music degree in piano performance from the University of Southern California. She plays with chamber music ensembles and accompanies soloists in recitals throughout Southern California. DeKlotz derives much joy from accompanying the Village Voices Chorale.  She is the minister of music at her church in Moorpark and teaches piano and recorder.

Phyllis Marbach, co-coordinator, has been active in the choir at UMCWV for more than 10 years. She has been a church member since 1996 and has served on the Staff Parish Relations Committee for the past four years, currently as its chair. Phyllis moved to California from Kentucky in 1978. Now retired, she worked for The Boeing Company as a systems engineer, project manager, and functional manager for almost 40 years. Her Master’s degree in Engineering is from UCLA.

Connie Hopkins, co-coordinator, is a graduate from UCLA and retired after being a teacher for 38 years.  She sang with the Village Voices Chorale for 49 years and currently sings with the UMCWV Chancel Choir.  After volunteering part-time with Pizazz in 2023, she was motivated to join the leadership team in 2024.

Emeritus Leadership Team: Carol Ames, Lynn Dokken & Gloria Hilliard.