Jilaine Jarvis - String Orchestra Director

 Jilaine Jarvis is the newly appointed director of the Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus String Orchestra. Ms. Jarvis was born and raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana where she began playing the violin in the fourth grade.  

Ms. Jarvis received her bachelor Degree in Music Education from Butler University.  She directed a large and highly successful string program at Belzer Middle School for eleven years in Indianapolis, Indiana. During that time, Ms. Jarvis continued her graduate studies in string pedagogy at Ohio State University, The Eastman School of Music, and also in Europe.

During her tenure in Indianapolis, Ms. Jarvis was very active throughout the region as a guest conductor, clinician and speaker. She has been highly involved in activities to promote string music education through the American String Teachers Association, the National School Orchestra Association and the Music Educators National Conference.   

Since moving to Columbus in 2002, Ms. Jarvis has been involved in string education at Columbus State University, the CSU Music Conservatory, as well as the YOGC beginning strings class.  She resides in Columbus with her husband and two children.

 

Dawna Demster - Youth Orchestra Director

After graduating in 1989 from Columbus State University with a bachelor Degree in Music Education, Miss Demster began a successful six year tenure teaching music as an itinerant strings director for the Muscogee County School District. Additionally, she became a founding member and principle oboist of the LaGrange Symphony Orchestra and in1994 was named Assistant Conductor.

 

In 1994, Miss Demster was selected to be the first conductor of the then newly-formed Youth Orchestra of Greater Columbus. Under her direction the Youth Orchestra presented a succession of high-quality musical performances to its audiences and was propelled into the state spotlight in January of 1996 when the orchestra was selected, by blind audition, to perform for the GMEA In-Service Conference in Savannah, Ga.

Miss Demster's work with young musicians has become well known throughout the state. Since relocating to the Atlanta Metropolitan area in 1995, she has conducted a wide array of youth orchestras and has become sought after as a guest conductor and clinician. Miss Demster has performed at the state conference with the Adamson Middle School Orchestra in 1999, and the M.D. Roberts Middle School Orchestras 2002 and 2005.

Miss Demster’s teaching efforts have been recognized by numerous educational boards and agencies with awards including the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Headline Award for Teachers in 1995, Certificates of Achievement and Commendation, 2002-2003 M. D. Roberts Middle School Teacher of the Year, and most recently the 2006 Middle School String Orchestra National Champion Award from Festival Disney.