Jeanie Crosby, Parish Administrator
Jeanie came to St. Michael’s after working for many years with colleges in northern New England, Kentucky, and New Mexico. She grew up in Brattleboro and remembers seeing the St. Michael’s building move from downtown to “the edge of town.” After spending the last few years at their home in Spring Branch, Texas, Jeanie and her partner Cynthia Baldwin returned to make their home in Brattleboro. Email Jeanie or call (802) 254-6048, x104.
.
Keane Southard, Music Director
Keane Southard comes to St. Michael’s after completing his PhD in music composition from the Eastman School of Music. His music features a wide range of styles and approaches from traditional to experimental, systematic to free, and sacred to secular. A native New Englander, Keane has hiked the New England portion of the Appalachian Trail (734 miles), which inspired his Appalachian Trail Symphony: New England, commissioned by a consortium of New England orchestras, as well as an opera set on the trail that is currently in development. He also has plans to compose works inspired by his hike of The Long Trail in Vermont (273 miles), and his pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago from Lisbon, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela, Spain (390 miles). He looks forward to leading the choir of St. Michael’s and writing new works for them to sing.
Described as “a hugely prolific musician with a wide variety of skill sets” (newmusicbuff.com), his music practice extends well beyond composing. In 2013, he conducted research in Brazil as a Fulbright Scholar on music education programs inspired by Venezuela’s “El Sistema”, and his doctoral dissertation examined how these programs could incorporate Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy of nonviolence to enhance their social justice outcomes. He is eager to put this knowledge to practice by reimagining the St. Michael’s Choir School using these principles. As a teacher, he has taught theory and composition at Bennington College and Nazareth College and currently runs a private studio where he teaches composition lessons online to students across the country. As a pianist, his performing is devoted to sharing hidden gems by lesser-known composers who deserve a wider audience. Having previously held positions as organist and music director at churches in Colorado, New Hampshire, and Vermont before coming to St. Michael’s, he is excited to continue the excellent music program, grow the choir, and improve his organ skills while becoming an active member of the church along with his wife, Diane, and son, Theron. Email Keane
John Laamanen, Sexton
John is originally from Massachusetts. He has been at St. Michael’s for many years, working hard to keep the St. Michael’s building and grounds ship-shape.