Gregory Cleveland - Director of Choral Activites

Greg has taught vocal music here at WLW for 17 years now.  Previously he taught at Clawson HS and in Japan, where he met his wife. Yes, they still speak Japanese to each every day.

A graduate of Seattle Pacific University, Mr. Cleveland majored in Music Education and also in Music Theory and Literature.  Mr. Cleveland also has a Masters Degree in Vocal Music Education from Eastern Michigan University, studying with Emily Lowe and Leonard Riccinto.    

During his time at Walled Lake Western the choirs have toured and performed numerous times in Chicago, Toronto and New York City.  The choirs just returned from their 6th choir abroad, a tour of Italy: Venice, Florence, Assisi, Orvieto, Rome and Sorrento.  They have performed and toured in locations in Scotland, Wales, England, Italy, Germany and Austria.  In April of 2004, they traveled again to Italy and performed at the Verona International Choral Festival where they won the overall First Place Trophy for the entire festival.  Celebrations took place on both sides of the Atlantic!  

In moments of spare time Mr. Cleveland likes to travel and see the world, eat most anything Asian, lift weights, and do a bit of DIY.  

Mr. Cleveland  would like to thank his fantastic wife, his three awesome daughters and his mother for continuing to believe in his dreams.  He dedicates his performances to his father who passed away during 2003.  Thanks Dad for all the inspiration in life!

Donna Gleason - Lead Accompanist and Vocal Coach

Donna has been the accompanist for choirs at Western for 6 years now.  Along, with accompanying the choirs and ensembles, she also coaches and plays for soloists at both district and state level Solo and Ensemble festival.  During the last four years she has been the vocal director and a part of our show creative team for our musicals.  Starting with Les Miserables, then The Sound of Music, A Christmas Carol - the musical, Into The Woods and Annie are shows that Donna has given her all to.

This year she will be assisting Mr. Cleveland each Monday night with both Serenade and the Troubadours.  These two advanced level ensembles will enjoy having Mrs. Gleason's touch on their group! 

Mrs. Gleason is the director of the Livonia Civic Chorus.  She also assists with a praise team and music at Orchard Grove Community Church where she and her husband Mark are members.  Both Donna and Mark traveled to Spain with the choir in 2006, along with Mrs. Gleason's several trips to New York City.  She's always good for some yummy, diverse food, a great musical production, a fascinating museum or anything thing else that sounds fun and interesting.  

She has a degree in Music Theory and Composition from the University of Maryland, although much of her work was completed at the University of Kansas.  Donna and her husband have one married son, as well as a daughter, Shanon, who passed away in July of 2007.  They also claim a wonderful ‘adopted' Japanese foreign exchange ‘daughter'.  

Kimberly Swan - Private Voice Teacher

Kimberly Swan is a native of Livonia, Michigan.  A graduate of the University of Michigan and the University of Cincinnati's College-Conservatory of Music, Kimberly holds two degrees in vocal performance.  She has appeared in supportive and leading roles in over thirty operas and musicals; some of her most memorable include the role of Donna Anna in Mozart's, Don Giovanni, Clorinda in Rossini's, La Cenerentola, Adele in Johann Strauss', Die Fledermaus, and Oscar in Verdi's, Un Ballo in Maschera.  She has also appeared with the Bay View Music Festival and the Great Lakes Lyric Opera in Detroit, Michigan.  In the summers of 1992 & 1999, Kimberly had the opportunity to tour France, England, and Switzerland as a soloist with the Michigan Gospel Singers who appeared in numerous concerts throughout Europe. To further her studies, in 1992 Kimberly attended the International Institute of Vocal Arts in Italy where she studied and performed numerous operatic scene programs.  Most recently, Kimberly just completed another tour with the Michigan Gospel Singers as they performed many sacred concerts throughout Scotland.

Since returning to the area, Kimberly has established a private vocal studio that provides individual lessons to more than forty students.  In addition to private instruction, Ms. Swan has also taught for the collegiate level as an Assistant Professor of Voice at both William Tyndale College and Madonna University.  She frequently appears in the Metro-Detroit area as a concert soloist and an operatic soprano.  A specialist in the classical art song repertoire, Kimberly has given recitals and performed numerous concerts for such organizations as the Dearborn Orchestral Society, the Grosse Pointe Chamber Music Society, the Chamber Music Series of the Scarab Club and the Tuesday Musicale. She has also appeared with several symphonies including the Redford Symphony, the Dearborn Symphony, and the Clarion Symphony.

Kimberly now appears with and is a member of the Verdi Opera Theater Ensemble, The Great Lakes Lyric Opera, and the Musica da Camera ensemble.  She often dedicates her time to several contemporary Christian music groups in the area as well.  A devote believer in healthy vocal production, she also holds several seminars and clinics for various choirs and youth organizations, to promote interest in good vocal technique and in the vocal arts.

Mrs. Corrine (Taylor) Shourds - Private Voice Teacher

Currently Corrine is the choir director for both middle schools in the Brighton school district.  Corrine Shourds conducts the 6th, 7th, and 8th grade choirs at both schools.  Along with this she teaches drama, exploratory music and private voice.  She also helps direct the school musicals.  

Corrine graduated from Walled Lake Western High School, where she was constantly involved with anything musical.  She enjoyed studying both private voice and piano from middle school on. During her High School career at Walled Lake Western she was involved in Women's Chorus, Chamber Singers, Bel Canto and Serenade.  She was in Guys and Dolls as well as in Fiddler on the Roof.  Also, she was a part of both Marching Band and the Symphonic Band.

She received her Bachelors degree in Music Education from Eastern Michigan University and graduated with honors.  Throughout college she performed with the Women's' Chorus and University choir and performed at The Detroit Orchestra Hall.  She studied voice with Kathleen Segar who is a well-known Mezzo-Soprano in the Detroit and Toledo area.  At the end of year senior year, Corrine performed an hour-long recital including works by Handel, Mozart, Puccini, Brahms, and Barber.  Now she enjoys teaching wonderful repertoire and vocal technique to her own students.