Meet our Cain Middle School Orchestra Director
Mrs. Amanda Nelson
Amanda Nelson is the head director at Cain Middle School. In addition to teaching orchestras at CMS, Mrs. Nelson oversees the 6th grade orchestra program at Shannon, Pullen, Rochell, Springer, Amy Parks, and Linda Lyon Elementary schools.
Mrs. Nelson has been involved in music since she was eight years old. She has followed her passion for music as a public school orchestra teacher in Illinois, as a private cello and string bass teacher, as a performing member of numerous professional ensembles, as a member of her church's worship team, and as the founder and director of her summer orchestra program, Garage Orchestra. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. |
Mr. Raymond Chen
Mr. Chen has been a musician most of his life, starting Piano at the age of five and Violin at the age of eight. He was an accomplished musician and received his Bachelors or Music at the University of North Texas under a full scholarship as a founding member of the Undergraduate String Quartet Scholarship program. Along with his quartet, the distinguished Primo Volo String Quartet Mr. Chen has received training with some of the best musicians in the country and has entered competitions. He is currently following his passion in teaching music as a private lesson teacher for violin and viola and as an orchestra director.
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Meet our Rockwall-Heath High School Orchestra Directors
Mr. Christopher Bell
Mr. Bell is the Head Orchestra Director at Rockwall-Heath High School teaching 5 Orchestra classes and AP Music Theory. After completing his Bachelor's Degree at Howard Payne University in Music Education (and fulfilling the requirements for a Bachelor's Degree in Piano Pedagogy & Accompanying), he began his teaching career in Rockwall ISD and has been in Rockwall ISD since the Fall of 2011 serving and teaching the Orchestra Program on multiple campuses.
His primary musical background includes piano, violin, and voice. He enjoys performing whenever possible and is passionate about music education for strings. |
Ms. Zoe Rheus
Ms. Rheus is the Assistant Orchestra Director at Rockwall-Heath High School. In addition to the orchestras at RHHS, Ms. Rheus teaches 6th grade beginning orchestra at Linda Lyon Elementary and Amy Parks-Heath Elementary.
Ms. Rheus graduated magna cum laude from Austin College in 2020 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Music, and completed her Master of Arts in Teaching in 2021. While at Austin College, Ms. Rheus played viola in numerous ensembles, including the Sherman Symphony Orchestra and the Austin College Chamber Ensemble. |