Instructors

Professional

Calvary's Music Department's instructors are seasoned professionals in music. They bring years of experience to every course they teach and song they lead. Students will also enjoy their personable dispositions. We are proud to offer Majors under the leadership of these excellent instructors.

	Karen Blankenship Music Department, CollegeAdjunct Instructor, Music and Education 816/322-0110, ext. 1356 Education B.S., John Brown University, Elementary Education, 1978; M.S., Bob Jones University, Elementary Education, 1982; graduate studies in music, University of Missouri – Kansas City, Conservatory of Music, 2000 About Karen Blankenship teaches music education courses, music fundamentals and appreciation, music student teaching, piano lessons, music history and literature, and a few courses in the Education Department. Karen has her degrees from John Brown University and Bob Jones University, with additional studies in music at the UMKC Conservatory of Music. She has extensive experience in teaching, music, speaking and leadership. Karen has taught at Calvary Bible College since 2000. Prior to this she has been an elementary classroom teacher, an elementary music teacher, and a high school/elementary music director. She has been very active in church music leadership, accompanying, children's music, children's ministry coordination and much more. Karen has had a full piano studio and has directed a community arts academy through her church. Karen has been a Belton, MO City Councilwoman and currently serves as the Chairperson for the Belton, MO Vision Team. She is a speaker for MOPS and Stonecroft International. Karen has several published articles, study guides, and has a book waiting to be published. She has received honors from the Belton Education Foundation, Who's Who in American Education, and Who's Who in American Women. Karen's warm, upbeat teaching style makes her a favorite of students who take her courses and lessons.
	Diana Bluebaugh Music Department, CollegeAdjunct Instructor, Piano; Music Department Secretary 816/322-0110, ext. 1342
	Un Chong Christopher Music Department, CollegeMusic Department Chair 816/322-0110, ext. 1354 Education B.Mus., University of Missouri-Kansas City, Conservatory of Music, Piano Performance, 1982; M.Mus., University of Missouri-Kansas City, Conservatory of Music, Voice Performance, 1989 About Un Chong Christopher returns to Calvary Bible College to teach piano and music theory - having taught at Calvary in the early ‘90s. Un Chong received a bachelor's degree in piano performance under the tutelage of Joanne Baker and master's in voice performance under Inci Bashar. She has performed the title role in Bizet's Carmen, Charlotte in Massenet's Werther, Zita in Puccini's Gianni Schicchi, Madame de Croissy in Poulenc's The Dialogue of the Carmelites and Jenny in Stephen Paulus's Village Singer. She has sung alto solos for oratorios. She is the resident alto soloist for the "Bach Aria Soloists" of Kansas City, founded in 1999 by the violinist Elizabeth Suh-Lane. She has toured throughout the Republic of South Africa, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi with the International Student Ministries. She has won numerous competitions, awards and scholarships in both voice and piano; national finalist and subsequent alternate Fulbright Scholar to Austria, NATS Artist division winner, "most promising young singer award" at the Metropolitan Opera Auditions, Pfeiffer Scholar to the Inspiration Point Fine Arts Colony. She has performed piano concertos with the Kansas City Symphony, Liberty Symphony, Independence Symphony, and the Conservatory Orchestra. Christopher is in great demand for recitals, both vocal and piano, accompanying, coaching, master classes and adjudicating. She has been a faculty member at Northland Cathedral School of Music, Music Arts Institute, St. Paul's School, William Jewell College and Calvary Bible College. Presently, she is an adjunct voice professor at the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and Rockhurst University. Most recently her students have won competitions including: "The Most Promising Young Singer Award" at the Metropolitan Opera auditions, NATS competition Artist Division winner, and the Missouri Federation of Music Clubs competition winner. She is married to Charles and has two children. We warmly welcome Un Chong to the Calvary Bible College Music Department.
	Cheryl Clark Music Department, CollegeHead of Voice; Artist-in-Residence; Voice Instructor 816/322-0110, ext. 1324 Education West Texas State University, Music; Moody Bible Institute, Church Music/Voice; Western Bible College, Music/Voice; UMKC, Music/Voice; Calvary Bible College, About Cheryl German Clark began her study of music at the age of 8 at the National Music Camp at Interlochen, Michigan, where her father, Edward German, taught vocal music. As a young student, she was involved in choirs and operettas and was afforded many opportunities to sing solos. In her senior year of high school, she sang the role of Yum-Yum in Gilbert and Sullivan's Mikado, accompanied by the World Youth Symphony Orchestra. She continued her music studies at West Texas State University, Moody Bible Institute, and Western Bible College. During this time, she won first place in the prestigious NATS competition for Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. She most recently has studied at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music with internationally known opera singer and teacher, Inci Bashar. Cheryl has performed numerous sacred concerts and recitals throughout the country and has appeared as a soloist in many oratorios, most recently in Handel's Messiah performed both by the Calvary Bible College Masterworks Chorus and Mid-America Nazarene University. For five seasons, she was the guest soloist with the Philharmonic Orchestra in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has also performed with the Charlotte Symphony. Recently, she was the Guest Artist for the Flint Institute of Music for their Artist Concert Series and presented a recital in the institute's MacArthur Recital Hall. She has sung the roles of Mother Abbess and Maria in The Sound of Music, Lady Thiang in The King and I, and most recently appeared in Camelot at the New Theatre Restaurant. For the past several years, Cheryl has had the joy and privilege of singing numerous times in the greater Kansas City area as a Dicken's Caroler during the Christmas season. Cheryl is in great demand for recitals and oratorio concerts, as well as vocal adjudication, vocal coaching, and presenting master classes. In 2001 Cheryl recorded a CD of vocal solos and duets with her friend Un Chong Christopher. Currently she presents vocal concerts of love songs, ballads, Broadway, arts songs, classics, and sacred songs with her friend and accompanist Brad Zimmerman of the Chestnut Fine Arts Center. Cheryl has been a part-time faculty member at Rockhurst University. Presently, she is full-time in the Music Department at Calvary Bible College and Theological Seminary, teaching private voice lessons and filling the role of Artist-in-Residence. She also teaches a number of voice students at her home studio. Cheryl has been teaching voice and music at Calvary Bible College for over 20 years. Cheryl's enthusiasm and caring spirit continues to draw many students to her for vocal training. Cheryl met her husband, Bruce (son of writer and composer, Eugene L. Clark), while attending Moody Bible Institute. The Clarks have three children - - Alicia, Joshua, and Jeremy.
	Bobbie Jeffrey Music Department, CollegeAdjunct Instructor, Drama and Theatre 816/322-0110, ext. 1342 Education B.S., University of Wisconsin - Steven's Point, Theatre/Psychology, 1977 About Bobbie Jeffrey directs the annual drama or musical and teaches theatre courses at Calvary Bible College. She has two bachelor of science degrees from University of Wisconsin, Stevens Point - one in Theatre and the other in Psychology - both with teacher certification. Bobbie is currently pursuing her master's degree in theatre at the University of Missouri Kansas City. She teaches and directs theatre for a local home school group (h.e.a.r.t) and an area Christian school. In addition, she is the director of the Speech and Theatre Division of Art in the Heart, a multi-state Fine Arts Competition. She has been the assistant director of the drama training at two drama conferences in the Rockies. Bobbie is beginning her 6th year at Calvary Bible College. Her theatre productions these past five years for Calvary have been outstanding and of exceptional quality. The dramas she has directed at Calvary are: The Miracle Worker, Shadowlands, Pap's Place. The musicals she has directed at Calvary are: Music Man, Pirates of Penzance. This coming year she will direct the musical Annie Get Your Gun. Students love to work with and learn from Bobbie Jeffrey.
	John Svoboda Music Department, CollegeAdjunct Instructor, Guitar 816/322-0110, ext. 1342