Music
Questions? Contact Us.
Steven Slusher
Music Instructor
sslusher@yvcc.edu
509.574.4835
Jeff Norwood
Music Instructor
jnorwood@yvcc.edu
509.574.4836
Music Department
YVC’s Music Department provides students with affordable academic courses and quality performing opportunities in vocal and instrumental music as well as private lessons. The department offers courses designed for students who have an interest in music as a non-major. Students choosing to pursue a degree in music should follow a YVC program leading to an Associate in Arts - Music degree and then audition and transfer to a university to continue their music major.
Courses Include:
- Music Theory
- Ear Training
- Piano
- Music Appreciation
- History of Rock
- Music Fundamentals
- Guitar
- And More
Academic Options
The information above reflects the 2024-2025 course catalog and is subject to change. Please check with your advisor for the most up to date information.
Additional Music Courses
The information above reflects the 2024-2025 course catalog and is subject to change. Please check with your advisor for the most up to date information.
Career Information
Students studying music at YVC will prepare themselves for a wide array of careers including: music educator, studio musician, commercial arranger, composer, piano accompanist, recording artist, church-affiliated music positions, and music research positions at state, regional and national institutions.
More Information
High school juniors and seniors can earn up to two years of tuition-free college credit through YVC’s Running Start Program.
Students studying music at YVC also have the opportunity to take private weekly lessons. Concentrations include woodwind, piano, percussion, strings, brass and voice.
Students are encouraged to participate in YVC’s performing ensembles.
- INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC - YVC’s Jazz Ensemble and Jazz Combos have won numerous awards and are known throughout
the Pacific Northwest region for their quality
- CHORAL MUSIC - 'YVC's College Choir, and Chamber Singers' travel throughout the United States and possess a tradition of artistic quality and breadth of styles
Music Department Faculty
Steven S. Slusher received a choral conducting Master of Music degree from Southern Illinois University and a Bachelor of Music degree in vocal performance from Ohio Northern University.
During his 25+ years as a performer and educator, he has conducted throughout the United States from the Crystal Catedral in California to Riverside Church in New York City.
He’s won numerous vocal competitions and is an active soloist, recently soloing at The Capitol Theatre.
Slusher has conducted and sung in many musicals and operas and is currently the Chorusmaster of the Yakima Symphony Chorus and Associate Professor of Music at Yakima Valley College.
He is an active adjudicator and belongs to ACDA, WMEA, and NATS.
Jeff Norwood has been playing the bass since age 12. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in double bass performance from the University of Washington.
His professional experience covers a wide range of styles, from punk to tango, opera to bebop, bluegrass to salsa, and continues to perform regularly in concert halls and clubs, in the studio and in the pit.
He has extensive experience teaching private bass lessons and jazz improvisation and directing jazz and Latin jazz ensembles.
At YVC, Dr. Norwood also teaches music history and theory courses.
Darin Kaschmitter is a native of Yakima and began his career playing in many of the local music groups the valley has to offer.
He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in piano performance from Central Washington University.
Active in the community, he is a collaborator for local theatre companies, private studios, community choirs, school districts, and colleges.
He is an active adjudicator and lecturer throughout the state.
He has performed at venues across the state and internationally, always bringing back his accumulation of diverse musical styles and sharing these with his students.
John Paul Shields has been performing and teaching guitar for over 20 years. He has
played in a variety of settings, from libraries
to international festivals, from local television to national Peruvian radio.
In 2008 he moved to Peru to study music under renowned artist Raúl García Zárate. In the U.S., Shields continued performing and recording while teaching.
He recorded the album “Lonesome Coyote” with artist James Reid.
He’s currently working on a solo guitar album, which will feature a combination of Peruvian, Venezuelan and Spanish guitar music along with original compositions.
Soprano, Brittany Stahley is a musician and voice instructor who helps singers connect to their bodies and become well-rounded technically skilled vocalists.
Brittany graduated from Central Washington University with a M.M. in Voice Pedagogy and B.M. in Vocal Performance. Some of her favorite roles include Marcellina in The Marriage of Figaro and Madame de la Grande Bouche in The Beauty and the Beast.
She has served as Vocal Director in many productions throughout Yakima, including The Warehouse Theatre Company and A.C. Davis High School.
Questions? Contact Us.
Steven Slusher
Music Instructor
sslusher@yvcc.edu
509.574.4835
Jeff Norwood
Music Instructor
jnorwood@yvcc.edu
509.574.4836