Dr. Andrew Bedford, MD, is a Gastroenterology specialist practicing in Stratford, CT with 30 years of experience. Andrew is a founding member of Music Haven.

Anna is a lawyer specializing in contract and commercial law; she is also a verified music junkie -- as a cellist, pianist and singer in various chamber and other groups and a concertgoer of music of all kinds. She has been a Board member of Music Haven since 2012 and previously served on the boards of Creative Arts Workshop, Volunteers Lawyers for the Arts of Massachusetts and the Harvard-Radcliffe Orchestra. Anna also has experience working in arts administration, through her time at The Celebrity Series of Boston. She is an avid trail runner and hiker and a fan of anything related to the woods, the mountains and the water; Anna currently serves on North Haven’s Inlands and Wetlands Commission.

CHAIR

Marc practices Internal Medicine in the North Haven/Hamden area and is a devoted amateur violist. He is a proud founding board member of Music Haven. Marc is principal violist of the Yale Medical Symphony, a member of the New Haven Chamber Orchestra, and a frequent participant in chamber music gatherings and workshops near and far. He and Margaret have lived in Hamden since 1983 and share interests in music, swimming, travel, and photography.

Wendy is a speech pathologist who works with children and adolescents, helping them to overcome their communication disabilities. In her nonworking life she is a storyteller and participates with Ubuntu Storytellers, a quilter, and a lapsed, trying-to-recover cello learner, inspired by the Music Haven students. She is a lover of the arts, and believes in making them accessible to all, as a means of building community.

A New Haven native, Ian majored in English and Theater/Dance at Amherst College, and also Media Production at the USC Cinema School in Los Angeles. As an Instructional Designer, Ian makes e-learning solutions for businesses in technology, engineering, medicine, education, and art. He taught English at Hopkins School and has created musical performances with many wonderful collaborators. Ian has been a dedicated and involved Music Haven parent since 2009 when his daughter, Isabel, began cello lessons while she was a student at John C. Daniels School, and although she graduated in 2021, Ian and his entire family remain connected to Music Haven in many ways.

Noel Mitchell is a 2017 graduate of Music Haven and a senior at the University of Connecticut, majoring in Political Science. At UConn he has served as a research assistant for the strings department in the School of Fine Arts, working alongside faculty and interacting with students from 5th grade through college seniors. He also worked as an Orientation Leader for two years, helping with the transition of first-year, transfer, and international students to life at UConn. In addition, Noel volunteers as a Pack-Leader, providing support to his peers on issues such as sexual assault and intimate partner violence Noel joined Music Haven in its second year, first mentored by and studying under Music Haven founder and original HSQ member Tina Hadari, and then HSQ violinist Gregory Tompkins. In his decade at Music Haven, he made relationships and friendships that remain to this day, and he is excited to join the board and give back to and help grow the organization that he grew up with.

Mary has been a staunch supporter of Music Haven since her first stint on the Board of Directors in 2014-2016. She has worked in the field of banking/payments for over 20 years; and currently educates financial services professionals on payments risk and compliance and performs audits and risk assessments for banks and credit unions throughout New England. Mary holds a B.S. in Business Studies, an M.S. in Organizational Leadership, and a Graduate Certificate in Human Resources, all from Southern New Hampshire University. When she’s not working, Mary enjoys live music, sports, traveling, spin classes and weightlifting.

Jamillaah will be a proud graduate of Albertus Magnus College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and is looking forward to pursuing her Master’s. She is proud to be the parent of a fourth-year cello student at Music Haven and is even more proud of the progress that he has made while at Music Haven, along with the growth and success of Music Haven. She has no musical background but she has a love for music. She always enjoys the concerts of the Haven String Quartet. She thinks the students and teachers of Music Haven are very passionate about and devoted to, their musical talents, and she really enjoys the excellence that is poured into each lesson and performance. She thinks Music Haven is a great program, and everything it has to offer makes her very proud to be a part of the Music Haven family.

CO-CHAIR

Fatima Rojas came to New Haven from Mexico 18 years ago and her first job in the U.S. was cleaning at a high school, where she was paid only $4.10 and hour when the minimum wage was $7.10. She worked 15 hours a day but did not get paid overtime. She had to learn English quickly because she became involved in the immigrant rights movement in New Haven, leading to a job as a community organizer with Connecticut Center for a New Economy (CCNE), and later a union organizer with UNITE HERE Local 217. Fatima later worked as a Job Coach at New Haven Works before landing at her current job (one she hopes to keep until she retires!) as a Health Promoter with UNITE HERE. Fatima’s daughters, Jade and Ambar, enrolled in Music Haven in 2017 and 2018 and their experience at Music Haven has, in Fatima’s words, “been transformative music-wise but have been nurtured with ‘compañerismo’ - fellowship, total trust not only for my daughters but for all the students, with love. Music Haven does justice for kids like mine that otherwise will not be able to play violin and cello!”

Amanda Watts (he/they) is an artist, activist, and neuroscientist from Atlanta, Georgia who merges their passions by researching and innovating at the intersection of music and medicine to facilitate healing and wellness. Amanda earned a Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience from Duke University and currently serves as Lab Manager and Research Assistant in the lab of AZA Stephen Allsop, MD, Ph.D. at Yale and Howard Universities, where they study the healing properties of music, meditation, community, and psychedelics, particularly in folks of African descent.

Amanda produces, engineers, performs, and writes music and poetry under the moniker Gourmet Dash. With eight years of experience playing percussion and piano, they engage with their Kongo roots through congas and other percussive instruments. Born and raised in Atlanta, GA, they produce sonic collages mainly through sampling genres that comprise their musical foundation and inspirations including gospel, hip hop, jazz, R&B, soul, rock, and classical. Amanda has aspirations to pursue an MD-PhD to further their work in implementing innovative and multi-modal music-based therapeutics. Adjacent to academia and music, they advocate for housing justice as a leader in the Connecticut Tenant Union.

TREASURER

Joining the Music Haven Board in 2021, Tyler is a Certified Public Accountant in the Southington area. He is a major music enthusiast. Tyler is a self-taught guitarist, playing for almost 20 years, and is an avid concertgoer, particularly of the hard rock genre, but loves all music. Originally from Hamden, Tyler obtained both his B.S. in Accounting with a minor in finance and his MBA from Quinnipiac University. He holds a 4th degree Master Black Belt in Cheezic Tang Soo Do, enjoys spending time with family and friends, and loves working out.