Our Staff + Board
Meet the DCYO team
EXPERIENCE
DEDICATION
COMMUNITY
Our Staff
Taylor Siling
Director
Taylor Siling is a Roseburg native. She was one of the earliest violin students in DCYO and was the longest continuous participant. During her final year as a DCYO student, she was concert master. Taylor also participated in the choir and band programs at Roseburg High School and has performed in eight summer musicals at UCC. After graduating from Roseburg High School, she enrolled at UCC and was part of the Umpqua Singers, touring Alaska, Ukraine, Hungary, and Brazil. Taylor then transferred to Oregon State University where she earned a BA in music with a focus in vocal performance and choral music education. While at OSU, Taylor participated in the chamber orchestra, campus band, opera workshop, chamber choir and musical theater. As a member of the OSU Chamber Choir, she travelled to Hawaii, China and Canada.
In addition to her DCYO Director duties, she maintains a private studio of violin, viola and voice and is a Suzuki certified teacher for books 1 and 2. She was music director at Days Creek Charter School for the 2018 – 2019 school year. Taylor also has performed with the Umpqua Chamber Orchestra and was the Music Director for Umpqua Actors Community Theatre’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. In 2020, Taylor earned a Master of Arts in Teaching, Music education at Oregon State University and is currently the music teacher at Fir Grove Elementary School in Roseburg.
Jenna Nelson
Instructor
Jenna Nelson began playing violin with a Youth Orchestra and Symphony program in Bremerton, Washington when she was eight years old. She moved to Douglas County when she was 15 and quickly became integrated with the Douglas County Youth Orchestra and Roseburg Chamber Orchestra. Besides performing, she also assisted with teaching and coaching duties within DCYO.
Jenna graduated in 2011 from Umpqua Community College with an Associate of Arts degree in music, and won the Douglas County Young Soloist competition that same year. She has received further training from University of Oregon in Suzuki Pedagogy and other training workshops. She has been teaching string instruments for nine years, and performs with the Roseburg Chamber Orchestra and at other venues in the area.
Ben Dorsey
Instructor
Ben Dorsey began playing violin at the age of ten. He attended the University of California and holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music and education. He has a passion for early music and period-correct instruments, and has taken up Baroque violin. His favorite composers are Bach, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Prokofiev, and a few lesser-known early composers, from whom he draws inspiration. Ben loves teaching students both solo and ensemble playing
Kathi Halloran
Orchestra Administrator
Douglas County native Kathi Halloran comes to DCYO after over twenty years in the Human Resources field. She has been involved with DCYO since her daughter, Taylor joined at a young age. Singlehandedly, she keeps DCYO running in tip-top shape. There is no question to which she does not know the answer!
Our Board
2024-2025 Board of Directors
President
John Granholm
John Granholm is a retired educator with a long history of local musical involvement as a vocalist and Registered Piano Technician. He began serving on the USA Board of Directors in 2005 and was the group’s Executive Director for several years. Following some time off, he has recently returned to the board.
Vice President
Christopher Glenn
Christopher Glenn has called the Pacific Northwest home since 1999. He holds a bachelor's degree in pipe organ performance from Stetson University and a master's degree from University of Oregon. As an undergraduate, he participated in a study-abroad program in Florence, Italy focused on Renaissance art and music. Following his undergraduate experience,
Christopher was the education and outreach coordinator for a large arts organization in which he was focused on bringing high achieving young musicians together with professional musicians from the London Symphony Orchestra and elsewhere for 1:1 coaching and ensemble performances. In 1998, Christopher worked for Karl Schuke Orgelbau in Berlin, Germany as an organ building apprentice. Christopher has since served on the boards of various arts
organizations including the Roseburg Community Concerts Association and the Eugene Chapter of the American Guild of Organists (AGO) in addition to past service as Dean of the Greater Seattle AGO. Christopher is an avid international traveler and uses each trip as an opportunity to meet local musicians, play historic instruments and enjoy local cultural events. He is happy to be part of the DCYO given its emphasis on elevating music education and performance in our community. Christopher greatly appreciates that musical training goes well
beyond learning an instrument in that it helps inspire creativity, strengthen personal discipline, enhance critical thinking skills, develop an appreciation for teamwork and so much more.
Treasurer
Karin Gray
Karin moved to Roseburg in 2015 to be closer to her family. She became interested in the Douglas County Youth Orchestra because two of her grandchildren were members. As a way of immersing herself in the community, she became a member of the Board of Directors of the Umpqua Symphony Association which is the sponsor of DCYO serving as Treasurer.
Secretary
Trish Melendres-Keller
After an extensive career with a major utility company in San Francisco, Trish and her husband, Gene Keller, retired to Douglas County. Since retirement, Trish has been involved in various non-profit organizations. She volunteered at the Roseburg Visitors Center, was on the Board of Directors for the Douglas County Filipino-American Association, was an instructor for the AARP Safe Driving classes, fostered many basset hounds for the Oregon Basset Hound Rescue Organization, was a member of the Ladies Auxiliary of Wildlife Safari, and volunteered as a clerical assistant at Mercy Hospital.
Trish received a B.S. degree from the University of San Francisco. She continues her education with the Douglas County Youth Orchestra, learning to play the cello.
Members At-Large